“Van living” is incredibly popular, both with young travelers trying to save money and Instagram influencers who emphasize free-spirited living in their posts. But this Mitsubishi equipment goes well beyond a traditional Sprinter van with a few strings of lights.
This former wildfire rig was converted into a custom camper that owners Heather and Dana have been living in full-time for the past six months. In this video, they give viewers a complete walkthrough of their setup.
The truck itself is a 2007 Mitsubishi Fuso FG140, a favorite among serious overlanders thanks to its massive 4.9-liter turbodiesel inline-four and standard four-wheel drive. The couple chose this example with just 50,000 miles and put on a lifted suspension to install 37-inch tires and an aftermarket front bumper with an integrated winch and track lights.
Changes are otherwise minimal, with a pair of heated seats and an Apple CarPlay head unit the only changes to the Mitsubishi’s cabin. The real magic of the truck, however, lies in the custom composite camper shell, which sits atop a spring-assisted subframe to keep the interior from vibrating excessively on beaten dirt roads.
The interior of the 15-by-8-foot box contains a queen-size bed, a kitchenette with an induction cooktop, sink, refrigerator, and microwave (which Heather assures viewers they use a lot ) and a bathroom with shower. and composting toilets. A dining area with a fold-out table transforms into a guest bedroom when the couple has visitors. Traditional home-style air conditioning, Starlink internet, and a water heater more or less make the Mitsubishi feel like a home fit for a couple and a dog.
Rooftop solar panels provide 1,200 watts of power that charge 600 amp-hours of batteries to keep the truck powered and cooled. The rest of the video shows other features hidden in the camper’s shell, including a nifty slide-out and lockable storage module meant to hold couples’ mountain bikes after they reach the trailhead.
In a past life, I lived in a van for about six months, and although it was fun, it was difficult. No water, no shower, no toilet, no internet; it was difficult to make a house out of it. What I needed, apparently, was an upgrade from Van Life to Truck Life.
