What’s not to like about a beautiful fall day along the shores of Lake Tahoe surrounded by jaw-dropping adventure vehicles? The first annual Adventure Van Expo, at Homewood Mountain Resort, was full of adventurous people and their impressive homes on wheels.
VW Syncro
The VW van is the godfather of the van life movement. This four-wheel-drive version, the Syncro, is the ultimate small off-road-capable van dwelling.
VW Syncro Doka
The Doka, a four-door pickup version of the VW Syncro van, isn’t well suited to life on the road. It is, however, super cool and a ton of fun to take off road.
Hummer
This big blue Hummer has a ton of bling and is ready for civilian life.
Sprinter 170
The massive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 170 has a full 14 feet of interior space to build out. Johnson Custom Van Solutions put its detail-oriented touch on this monster.
Ultimate Sunraider
This might be the nicest Toyota 4×4 Sunraider build ever. The original small RV has been fully refurbished and upgraded. You can follow this build on Instagram @YotaHome4x4.
Predator 6.6
At over 13 feet tall and almost 28 feet long, the Hunter RMV Predator 6.6 is an absolute monster. A basic full-featured RV perches atop a military LMTV chassis. This thing is capable enough to go just about anywhere it will fit!
The Adventure Penthouse
This capable Dodge Ram build, named “Donna,” was hand built by adventurer Ross LeBanc. It’s a simple yet capable and comfortable home on wheels. Follow Ross and Donna’s adventures on Instagram @TheAdventurePenthouse.
Ford Expedition
Adventure Driven rescued this clean government-spec’d Ford Expedition and created one impressive overland adventuremobile. Not something you see everyday!
Tacoma Habitat
The Toyota Tacoma is the most popular overland vehicle in America besides maybe the Jeep Wrangler. This one is well sorted and features a flip-open AT Overland Equipment Habitat truck topper.
Land Cruiser 70 Series
The Toyota 70 Series is pretty much unobtanium in North America, as it was never imported here by Toyota. Known the world over as one of the most rugged and reliable 4x4s ever made, this example has a 25-plus-year-old chassis and a relatively new body. It has also been fully customized for extreme off-road capability and comfortable camping.
Revel
Winnebago offers its own 4×4 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV model, the Revel.
E-Series Sportsmobile
The van life gold standard for a very long time has been the Ford E-Series van built out by Sportsmobile. These vans, when fitted with 4×4 and a pop-top roof, are super capable off road and super comfortable inside.
Organization
It’s important that everything in your home on wheels has a place of its own.
ProMaster Glampervan
The RAM ProMaster is gaining popularity amongst the van life crowd. This ProMaster 136 High Roof build out by Glampervan features a very cool flip-down Murphy bed.
4Runner
The Toyota 4Runner is one of the very few off-road-capable SUVs left on the U.S. market. This one is well appointed and ready for the road less traveled.
Tepui Tacoma
Rooftop tents are all the rage, and Tepui helps lead the charge to put one, or a few, on every vehicle.
4-Wheel Camper
No adventruemobile gathering would be complete without a Four Wheel Camper slide-in. This rugged Hawk model is mounted to a RAM Power Wagon. It acts as Off-Road Safety Academy’s base of operations while the instructors travel the country providing classes in four-wheel-drive and survival training.
VW Westfalia
You can’t have a van life gathering without a few Westys in the house.
2-Wheeled Essentials
It’s important to have all your two-wheeled friends along for the van life ride.
KTM 950 Adventure
All adventuremobiles were welcome at the Van Expo. This is my 2006 KTM 950 Adventure, which has been heavily modified for serious, extended off-road adventures.
ROAM Built Sprinter
Fully built 4×4 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters don’t get much more capable or burly than those equipped with ROAM Built accessories: roof racks, bumpers, wheels, ladders, skid plates, and more.
4x4 Transit Van
While the Ford Transit van doesn’t come in 4×4 from the North American factory, a number of aftermarket companies offer conversions. This Transit received a four-wheel-drive upfit by Portland, Oregon’s QuadVan.
Comfy Seats
Scheel-Mann makes impressively supportive, comfortable, and adjustable seats for a wide range of vehicles. The brand’s custom-tailored seats are perfect for personalized van builds and putting in long miles on less-traveled roads.
