What does ‘Modular’ mean on a day-in, day-out basis? My 2018 4x4 Sprinter 144 started out the month set up with a single Monk Bunk, three Mule bags, and a pair of auxiliary captain’s chairs safely secured to the SmartFloor - a great set up for a single dad shuttling his kids around.
With the bunk hinged and secured to the van wall, it also hauled a continuous stream of home-remodeling supplies and debris. The bunk enabled quick, impromptu outings and the Mule bags had all the necessary overnight supplies ready at a moment’s notice.
About mid-month Mother Nature dropped a doozy of a snow and ice storm on the Pacific Northwest. Power outages were widespread and my rural neighborhood was hit hard. Fortunately, I was able to find easy refuge in my van with the Espar heater and Dometic cooler supplying shelter, heat, and food storage. After a couple of days, when I realized the power company had their hands full and it would be another 7-10 days until I had power, I decided to upgrade my sleeping situation. I ducked into the garage and in less than 30 minutes swapped the bunk for the queen-sized MOAB bed and swapped the Paco-pad for a more substantial mattress. I comfortably rode out the storm.
A few weeks later the van was needed for a multi-purpose road-trip from Oregon to Utah and back. The impetus was a photo shoot for our new website, and with the timing falling right during Spring Break, it turned into a father-son skiing/mountain biking adventure with cameras along for the ride. Once again, the Sprinter was quickly transformed to meet the needs of the trip. The MOAB was relocated high enough to reinstall the Monk Bunk, and the bikes fit neatly in the space underneath the MOAB and beside the bunk. With just two people along for the ride, the additional captain’s chairs weren’t needed and were removed from the SmartFloor. A modified Flatline Van Co. galley with an Engle fridge was safely and easily bolted to the wall L-track, and the Dometic cooler was removed. The Mule bags were reloaded and handled all the gear needed for a 10-day multi-sport adventure. This equipment swap took about an hour. After returning from the road trip, the van was back home and in a matter of minutes reset to daily life by removing the galley and returning the captain’s chairs.
Only the Adventure Wagon Modular Interior System gives you the ability to reconfigure your van at a moment’s notice and adapt to the different needs life presents. While you do need to make some investment in additional accessories, it’s a whole lot more affordable than buying the three custom vans you’d need to do everything this van did just last month alone.
