Swiss Engineer Designs Ultra Functional Van w/ Indoor Shower to Travel the Americas
Disclosure: At no additional cost to you, you can support FLORB by using the affiliate links below
Desiree and Andres have lived in their van for eight months now. In the past they traveled with the Toyota Land Cruiser, but they want to go on a bigger trip. Andres decided that he was too old to stay in a Land Cruiser for two years, so they thought about a way that they could travel more slowly. It's the reason why they are actually in a van.
They call it Papa Pitufo, which translates to Papa Smurf in Spanish. They thought it was a fitting name given the rig’s striking blue color. It's a 2004 4x4 Sprinter that they imported from Germany to Switzerland. This type of van was never sold in the US, the 4x4 system is from Ober Eichner. It’s a small engine inside, just a 2.2 liter. In order to manage the rough terrain leading down into South America they had to make some modifications. It was important that they have an additional diesel filter system, since the fuel in South America can actually be bad for some engines. They clean the diesel, and it also takes out the water of the diesel if you have it inside.
They mounted an additional pump that, if they ran out of diesel, could easily pump the diesel from the tank back to the engine. In Canada they saw that all the locals had an additional mosquito net mounted on the grill, so they got their own which has proven to be very effective. They also replaced the lights on board with LED bulbs that are much brighter and more energy efficient. In the cockpit they’ve added additional gauges that let them more easily monitor temperature as well as battery voltage, along with some usb ports for charging cell phones. For safety, they have a system in place that locks the gear in reverse, making it impossible for thieves to drive off with the vehicle even if they managed to break in and hotwire it. They put some additional lights, including blue lights that don’t disturb the driver when driving at night..
On the side of the van they have an external fuel station for propane which allows them to refill their own propane cylinders quickly and safely. This is super helpful in areas that don’t have a designated refill station and instead rely on swapping empty cylinders for potentially inferior full ones. There are also two outlets to refill their three water tanks that can hold up to 160 liters, or about 42 gallons. One of the tanks is mounted to the underside of the vehicle, while the other two are inside, which means that they don’t have to worry about water freezing in colder climates.
They have BF Goodrich all terrain tires on the rig which gives them great traction in off road conditions. For them it was important that they have a good solution to store all their things, so they use a Roco box system, which comes in all different dimensions and allows them to keep their garage space organized. They have two 100w solar panels which help charge a 230ah AGM battery which is located under the passenger seat. One of the solar panels is able to be disconnected from the roof and hooking into the electrical system with extension cables, this allows them to park in the shade if they’re in a hot climate. Power is regulated through a CTEK BMS which manages power input coming from both the solar panels as well as the van’s alternator.
For safety, they’ve plumbed all the regulator valves for the propane into one easy to reach area by the door, same with their breaker panel. Andres says that it’s too easy to get lazy if you make tasks like turning propane off a hassle, so he decided to take that hurdle away from himself. This is all located behind a fold down table that gives them extra workspace outside, which is attached to the cabinet that the 3-way SnoMaster fridge sits in. All the wood panels have cut outs which not only make the rig way less, but also allow for good airflow into all the storage areas of the van. There’s plenty of storage for their cooking stuff like pans and spices.
They have a Cubic Mini wood stove that they use to heat the space when they don’t want to run their propane heater. Under the woodstove is their Porta Potti that they’re able to use in emergencies. The table stores under the bed and slides out into the sitting area when they want to use it. Underneath that, they each have a drawer that acts as their wardrobe. Behind a cushion in the seating area they have easy access to valves that lead to the water tanks, allowing them to choose which tank they want to draw water from.
Under the floor in the seating area, they have a showerpan that allows them to shower inside the van. They simply attach a shower curtain to the ceiling above to use it. It’s a great solution that doesn’t take up a ton of space when not in use, while still remaining very effective. The bed was something that they didn’t want to compromise on. In order to preserve space, they came up with a system where the bed can slide out from the back during the day. Often they find themselves in places where they don’t need the extra space, which often means that the bed doesn’t need to be put away during the day.
If there’s one thing they’ve learned in the process of pursuing a nomadic lifestyle, it’s that it's possible, despite what other people might say. A lot of people told them they should be focused on their careers, but getting tied up in work when they were still young and able bodied didn’t make a lot of sense to them. They were also discouraged by well meaning friends and family that were worried about their safety in Mexico, but they’ve found that a lot of the concerns are unfounded, and when you experience the place first hand you realise it isn’t as bad as you hear.
They really want to say thank you to a lot of friends that helped them build the van. Especially to Winston and Alex and Chrishi. Those three in particular were really involved in the project, and if it wasn’t for them, they wouldn’t be where they are now. For that, they’re eternally grateful.
Watch the Full Video Here
