The life of a rubber-tramp has been flirting with me all year—sitting in Biology class I would dream of rolling down I-90 with my feet neatly tucked in my compression socks and my eyes set on the mountain ridges approaching at eighty miles an hour.

Only on June first did my dream become a reality. My friend and adventure partner Sean Leader (Kona Grassroots Racing) picked up the Sprinter van and I left my parents house for Knoxeville, TN—our starting point.  

 

Living in a Sprinter van is nearly as plush as you can get as a dirtbag. There are a few paths to go down if you are looking to ‘pimp your Sprinter’. You can pay a company to outfit one to your needs, you can buy a pre-fabricated one, or you can buy a gutted Sprinter and design/build the home of your dreams. Sean and I chose the latter. Buying a empty and used van is your cheapest option.

 
Our requirements for the van was that it needed to sleep up to four people, hold 5-7 bikes, have running water, a place to cook, and it needed to fit all of our stuff in it.

 

We met these needs by building a bed that was high enough off the ground to fit our bikes in with the front wheels off. The mattress we put in is a queen size and should sleep two comfortably (Sean would be comfortable if it wasn’t for my snoring)

 

To sleep some of our friends we pick up along the way we have a love seat the width of the van built into the foot of the bed. We hand upholstered the pillows in our favorite fabric (it has gotten rave reviews by many pros).

To hold most of our cloths, cook wear, dishes/silverware, and sink. We have a cabinet set from Home Depot. There is a big crack in the side behind the drivers seat so it was deeply discounted.

In order to maximize storage space we cram our gear wherever it will go.

 Underneath the bed we have room for all of our bikes, toolboxes, spare parts, the generator, the air compressor, and our riding bags.

 

 

Today I took a shower in a sprinkler—we are still dirtbags/rubber-tramps, but at the same time we are living a comfortable and fortunate life. Though I have experienced the Sprinter-lust I see in peoples eye’s as we pull up to a race venue, if I didn't have this opporunity I would be content living in my Subaru. If you are looking for the ultimate race weekend machine look no further than the Sprinter. 

As Always,

            Huck Your Meat (go fast),
                               
                                           The Dirtbag