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This $150,000 'Beast Mode' off-roading camper van built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter can stay off the grid for 7 days - see inside
This $150,000 'Beast Mode' off-roading camper van built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter can stay off the grid for 7 days - see inside
Brittany ChangMar 8, 2020, 17:51 IST
Alabama-based Storyteller Overland has unveiled the Beast Mode, a camper van built on a 144-inch Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 chassis.
The Beast MODE can stay off-road and off the grid for up to six or seven days.
The converted camper van, which can sit and sleep up to four people, has two convertible beds, a kitchen, a toilet, and a 10-foot awning for outdoor lounging.
Founder and CEO of Storyteller Overland Jeffrey C. Hunter told Business Insider that the four seasons-capable Beast Mode has multiple uses.
He calls it a "daily driver meets weekend warrior": while it's small enough to fit in a normal parking space, Beast Mode has the ability to go more off-grid and off-road than most class B RVs and four-wheel-drive trucks like Jeeps.
"Our involvement in this particular segment is really driven by a passion and love for that community," Hunter said. "And when we listened [to that community], we tried to develop solutions that really did offer the end-user a very flexible way of having a safe experience."
Instead of creating custom Sprinter van conversions, Storyteller Overland focuses solely on its Mode build, and the original Mode four-by-four serves as the inspiration and base for the new Beast upgrade.
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"We've been able to capture an economy of scale and a quality tolerance by turning [our builds] into a repeat build assembly through our manufacturing facilities," Hunter said.
Take a peek inside Beast Mode, which can sit and sleep four #VanLifers:
Beast MODE is built on a 144-inch Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 chassis that has four-by-four capabilities.
It has multiple upgrades — such as new suspension, shocks, and springs — that make it more off-road friendly than the original Mode.
The conversion can stay off-road and off-grid for six to seven days by using the van’s 3,600-watt inverter and an eight-kilowatt-hour auxiliary alternator.
Like the Mode four-by-four, there's thermal and sound insulation around the van that was created using Havelock Wool.
The flagship MODE's lithium power system is also used in Beast Mode.
Fiberglass flares are used to expand the width, and therefore the interior space, of the camper van.
The company currently has a patent pending on its "GrooveLounge," a convertible sofa bed that sits and sleeps two people.
There's also patents pending on its "Halo" shower system and its "FlexSpace," which contains a wet bath, cooler, and storage bench.
There's also a cassette toilet on board that can hold up to 4.75 gallons.
The DreamWeaver bed system — which sits above the garage in the rear of the van — can sleep two people and converts into a workspace and bench.
There's a lightweight aluminum roof rack with a ladder and deck to make accessing rooftop equipment easier. The roof also has light bars around all four sides of the vehicle, which serves an important practical use, Hunter claims.
"It's a 'leave no trace' mentality," Hunter said. "You ... want to stay on the path that's intended and be able to mitigate any obstacles that are in your way, but also hopefully [do] zero damage to the environments that you're traveling in and out of."
There's also a 10-foot patio awning with lights for outdoor lounging.
Exterior storage includes a surfboard rack, spare tire carrier, and swing hinge rack system with a lockable gearbox. The rack system can store items such as field gear and extra diesel or freshwater packs.
There are also interior custom "soft goods" storage options, such as equipment boxes and storage bags. Overhead storage units also run throughout the roof of the van.
The red bungee straps, pictured below, hold window shades that can be used to deflect heat and maintain internal van temperature, although the windows are also tinted and insulated.
The kitchen has an electric cooktop, sink, refrigerator, storage units, and 700-watt microwave. There's also a swing-arm table that serves as the dining table and workspace.
Beast Mode also has an air conditioning and vent unit that can run up to 9.5 hours through the night.
It doesn't have a set price yet, but the 2020 Mode four-by-four starts at a "no-haggle" $149,748.
