When it comes to overlanding rigs, most people choose to go with a more traditional option: a burly SUV with a roof-mounted tent, a modified pickup truck towing a rugged all-terrain camping trailer. But for some, the idea of sleeping outside even in the Great Outdoors seems perhaps unseemly — which is where off-road camper vans and RVs come in. And if something along the lines of an EarthRoamer or Unicat seems a tad extra for you, something like this hardcore four-wheel-drive camper from TouRig might be just the ticket.
While this hulking van — nicknamed “Bruce Banner” for reasons we hope we don’t have to explain to you — may have started out as a simple two-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cargo van, like the old Virginia Slims ads used to say, it’s come a long way, baby. The stock driveshafts and axles have been replaced with a solid axle four-wheel-drive setup with locking differentials, like the old Land Rover Defender and other hardcore off-roaders past.
TouRigA 3:1 low range transfer case boosts low-speed torque, while 37-inch Falken MT off-road tires offer four and a half extra inches of track on each side of the van. (There’s an on-board air compressor to top them up if you air down for soft surfaces, too.) An 8.5-inch lift helps it clear obstacles, and if that still proves not enough, there’s a HiLift jack to raise it off anything it gets stuck on.
Inside, there’s a snug but gorgeous and fully-featured living space, complete with 85-liter fridge and 65-liter freezer, diesel-powered cooktop and stainless steel sink. The wet bath is also stainless steel; a large bed occupies the back of the van, while a kitchen counter and small table offer plenty of room to eat.
Don’t worry about running low on consumables, either, as Bruce Banner has been outfitted to handle the long haul. There’s a reserve 28-gallon fuel tank, a 40-gallon filtered water setup (with hydronic heat and hot water setup), and 600 amp-hour batteries that can be recharged by a 375-watt solar panel setup on the roof.
Sadly, Hulk fans won’t be able to take this particular van home; it was commissioned for a couple and their two dogs, according to Business Insider, and they now live in it full-time. Still, if you really want something like this, keep your eyes peeled to TouRig’s “Vans for Sale” page, where completed rigs pop up every so often in the $150,000–$180,000 range. Or, of course, you could just commission your very own camper van from scratch.