Using a Van for Photo Expeditions

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Viathelens

Viathelens

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Hoping this does not get kicked off, but it is about photography so hopefully it will stay. Does anyone use a van, like a Sprinter or maybe even a truck-camper shell, as the transportation and home base for photo shoots? Pros and Cons, aside from you have to take it with you as you go. I just bought a Sprinter and I'm having it outfitted and plan to take it to California wildlife refuges and other appropriate places (maybe Bosque but not sure about that yet), but not Yellowstone/Teton, that would not work for me. Any issues with leaving gear in it? How do you transport photo gear in it, other than on the bed perhaps? Any problems charging batteries/cameras? Anything I should know or be aware of in particular about using a van as a photo home base for photo shoots?
 
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I see Sprinter vans and other makes, all converted, all the time in Texas at popular photo/nature locations. . Here is a link to two Sprinter conversion.


tinyhousegiantjourney.com

VanLife: Photographer Converts Sprinter Van to Elevate his Career

Photographer simplifies to vanlife by converting a sprinter van into his off-grid home on wheels. In doing so, he elevated his work to support his passions.
tinyhousegiantjourney.com tinyhousegiantjourney.com

sprinter-rv.com

Pimped-Out Sprinter for Pro Photography - Sprinter RV

When you step into your Sprinter conversion, do you think: “I have two hours to do all this editing before the shoot is finished, then they’ll need the finished product”? Carson Blume is a professional photographer, and he also supports other professional photographers as a digital technician...
sprinter-rv.com
 
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Viathelens said:
Hoping this does not get kicked off, but it is about photography so hopefully it will stay. Does anyone use a van, like a Sprinter or maybe even a truck-camper shell, as the transportation and home base for photo shoots? Pros and Cons, aside from you have to take it with you as you go. I just bought a Sprinter and I'm having it outfitted and plan to take it to California wildlife refuges and other appropriate places (maybe Bosque but not sure about that yet), but not Yellowstone/Teton, that would not work for me. Any issues with leaving gear in it? How do you transport photo gear in it, other than on the bed perhaps? Any problems charging batteries/cameras? Anything I should know or be aware of in particular about using a van as a photo home base for photo shoots?
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I use one in Costa Rica. I decided not to sleep in it, so it's all about storage, offroad capabilities and recovery. Outfitted as a proper overlander. It's a Toyota Landcruiser LC78 "Troopy."
 
I use a minivan with a cot (2nd & 3rd row seats fold into the floor). This allows me to take the cot out & use it for transporting grandkids as necessary.

The van has hidden storage that US customs agents don't know about (not saying where!) that is large enough for a1+600 GM, a1+ 300 GM & misc. accessories. The van's 12-volt outlet charges a power bank that I use for powering a laptop and for charging phones/cameras/etc.

The problem I have with Sprinters (also Transit & Promaster) is the half-size driver & front passenger windows which limits the range of motion when using the van as a blind.
 
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I converted my Toyota into a camper specifically for photographic trips. I do short outings, and then also quite long ones.
I just came back from Namibia, and lived in it for 3 weeks.
Best thing I ever did. A sprinter is obviously a gorgeously large vehicle, and provided you make a lot of use of it - you will never regret it
 
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Doug Herr said:
I use a minivan with a cot (2nd & 3rd row seats fold into the floor). This allows me to take the cot out & use it for transporting grandkids as necessary.

The van has hidden storage that US customs agents don't know about (not saying where!) that is large enough for a1+600 GM, a1+ 300 GM & misc. accessories. The van's 12-volt outlet charges a power bank that I use for powering a laptop and for charging phones/cameras/etc.

The problem I have with Sprinters (also Transit & Promaster) is the half-size driver & front passenger windows which limits the range of motion when using the van as a blind.
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I'll have to check out the windows, thanks.
 
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Winston Churchill (Sir) said:
I converted my Toyota into a camper specifically for photographic trips. I do short outings, and then also quite long ones.
I just came back from Namibia, and lived in it for 3 weeks.
Best thing I ever did. A sprinter is obviously a gorgeously large vehicle, and provided you make a lot of use of it - you will never regret it
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Thanks, my primary use is for camping, not really photographing, but I'm hoping it's good for some spots where I photograph. This is the smaller one, only 19', but really TALL.
 
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FWIW, I'm out in the field in a camper quite a bit (and have camped for decades in every way you can imagine), and we have considered something like a sprinter van. However, what always stops me is that I don't want to set up and break camp all the time. I'm up early and if I have to unhook everything that means getting up even earlier. Then, when I'm going in late after shooting, it's back to hooking up the things I need, leveling, etc. Plus, I've heard more than a few instances where people have decided that, despite a tag, a campsite wasn't being used and moved in while the registrant was out and about (state and government campgrounds). I spent 60 days out west this year, no way would I want to setup and take down that many times. (And yes, I realize you can do just the bare minimum or even just pull in at night and call it good, but at multiple points doing the same stay you'll still be hooking up to services and unhooking.)

For me, a small camper towed with an SUV is much nicer. You have a smaller vehicle when you're out exploring and a single set up / break down at camp. YMMV, of course.
 
Steve said:
FWIW, I'm out in the field in a camper quite a bit (and have camped for decades in every way you can imagine), and we have considered something like a sprinter van. However, what always stops me is that I don't want to set up and break camp all the time. I'm up early and if I have to unhook everything that means getting up even earlier. Then, when I'm going in late after shooting, it's back to hooking up the things I need, leveling, etc. Plus, I've heard more than a few instances where people have decided that, despite a tag, a campsite wasn't being used and moved in while the registrant was out and about (state and government campgrounds). I spent 60 days out west this year, no way would I want to setup and take down that many times. (And yes, I realize you can do just the bare minimum or even just pull in at night and call it good, but at multiple points doing the same stay you'll still be hooking up to services and unhooking.)

For me, a small camper towed with an SUV is much nicer. You have a smaller vehicle when you're out exploring and a single set up / break down at camp. YMMV, of course.
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Yes, this is certainly YMMV. I've also considered the trailer option but it limits my ability to turn around in limited space i.e., one-lane forest road, and backing a trailer on these roads is Not Fun.

I don't do any setup/leveling/hookups etc. Most of my campsites are in US Forest Service campgrounds that have little more than a table, a bear box, an outhouse and a water supply, and some are even free. The last few I've camped in had numerous spaces available so there was a very low risk of someone taking the space.
 
Viathelens said:
Hoping this does not get kicked off, but it is about photography so hopefully it will stay. Does anyone use a van, like a Sprinter or maybe even a truck-camper shell, as the transportation and home base for photo shoots? Pros and Cons, aside from you have to take it with you as you go. I just bought a Sprinter and I'm having it outfitted and plan to take it to California wildlife refuges and other appropriate places (maybe Bosque but not sure about that yet), but not Yellowstone/Teton, that would not work for me. Any issues with leaving gear in it? How do you transport photo gear in it, other than on the bed perhaps? Any problems charging batteries/cameras? Anything I should know or be aware of in particular about using a van as a photo home base for photo shoots?
Click to expand...
You might try contacting Lewis Kemper (https://www.lewiskemper.com/) or Brenda Tharp (https://www.brendatharp.com/), both of whom use vans for photo adventures. I think Lewis has a Sprinter.
 
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Steve said:
FWIW, I'm out in the field in a camper quite a bit (and have camped for decades in every way you can imagine), and we have considered something like a sprinter van. However, what always stops me is that I don't want to set up and break camp all the time. I'm up early and if I have to unhook everything that means getting up even earlier. Then, when I'm going in late after shooting, it's back to hooking up the things I need, leveling, etc. Plus, I've heard more than a few instances where people have decided that, despite a tag, a campsite wasn't being used and moved in while the registrant was out and about (state and government campgrounds). I spent 60 days out west this year, no way would I want to setup and take down that many times. (And yes, I realize you can do just the bare minimum or even just pull in at night and call it good, but at multiple points doing the same stay you'll still be hooking up to services and unhooking.)

For me, a small camper towed with an SUV is much nicer. You have a smaller vehicle when you're out exploring and a single set up / break down at camp. YMMV, of course.
Click to expand...
Steve, I thought you used some camp-style vehicle but was not sure what. I've purchased a 2024 sprinter already and it is being outfitted over the next six weeks or so at a builder's shop. It will be "boondock" style, no hookups, no waste dumping in the usual sense. It's truly amazing what can be done with a van these days. It runs on solar power and will have no plug in for campsite use. At one point I did think about a teardrop trailer, it's just me using it, but then I can't drive 80mph to get where I'm going and I would not like that. And I'd have to back it in, in various places, some maybe not so easy although I can back up a trailer having been a boater for 20 years. My sprinter is only 19' so not too large, but very tall, and will have all the basic things I want to be comfortable (air, heat, hot water, stovetop, microwave, refer), except no shower because it would take up so much space in such a small van: sprinters also come in a 23' size but that was too large for me. I did not get an AWD due to the cost. My photo plan with it will only be overnight stops along the way from place to place to place, even using Love's as a stop along the way. Camping will mostly be in the mountains near where I live and the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta area and I probably won't leave the spot but don't think it will be a problem if I do, these are not national park sites. For me, using it for photographing in national parks probably won't work as it's too hard to park, at least that is what I'm thinking at this point. I'll know more in December when I actually get it...I didn't even drive the van after buying it, it went straight to the builder.
 
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Doug Herr said:
Yes, this is certainly YMMV. I've also considered the trailer option but it limits my ability to turn around in limited space i.e., one-lane forest road, and backing a trailer on these roads is Not Fun.

I don't do any setup/leveling/hookups etc. Most of my campsites are in US Forest Service campgrounds that have little more than a table, a bear box, an outhouse and a water supply, and some are even free. The last few I've camped in had numerous spaces available so there was a very low risk of someone taking the space.
Click to expand...
My kind of places.
 
Viathelens said:
Hoping this does not get kicked off, but it is about photography so hopefully it will stay. Does anyone use a van, like a Sprinter or maybe even a truck-camper shell, as the transportation and home base for photo shoots? Pros and Cons, aside from you have to take it with you as you go. I just bought a Sprinter and I'm having it outfitted and plan to take it to California wildlife refuges and other appropriate places (maybe Bosque but not sure about that yet), but not Yellowstone/Teton, that would not work for me. Any issues with leaving gear in it? How do you transport photo gear in it, other than on the bed perhaps? Any problems charging batteries/cameras? Anything I should know or be aware of in particular about using a van as a photo home base for photo shoots?
Click to expand...
The last van I owned was a 1957 VW bus, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for photography. Great for parties though. 🥴

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I have a sprinter van that’s upgraded by Airstream to a full RV configuration. What I like about it is that I have a full bath, a kitchenette, and a nice bed. I can boondock for a few days, or if I want to do a longer trip, hooking up to a campsite’s water and electrical make even multi-week stays comfortable. Hooking up takes me about 5 minutes. Dumping waste tanks every few days adds another 5-10 minutes.

What I don’t like as much is that I am limited to either paved or well maintained gravel/packed dirt roads. I also don’t like the propane generator due to its noise. I might at some point have that changed out for a lithium battery bank.
 
Viathelens said:
It will be "boondock" style, no hookups, no waste dumping in the usual sense.
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I can suggest some locations in the Sierra Nevada and one in the Cascades - but PM only!
Abinoone said:
You might try contacting Lewis Kemper (https://www.lewiskemper.com/) or Brenda Tharp (https://www.brendatharp.com/), both of whom use vans for photo adventures. I think Lewis has a Sprinter.
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Lewis Kemper has been in AK most of the summer, I presume camping in his van. Winter finds him in the Sacramento area. Sounds like he'd be a great resource.
 
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I have a Tundra and pull a modified teardrop trailer (essentially queen bed on wheels) - no cooking or toilet. Takes 5 minutes to hook it up to the truck. Tows really well at 80+ mph. Works great in Yellowstone, Tetons, and BLM in the middle of nowhere. Can park the trailer and drive the truck looking for wildlife.
 
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I have owned a total three Chevy Astro/Safari vans and currently drive a Merecedes Metris van. I totaled just under 600,000 miles on the Chevys and have 96,000 on the Mercedes.
I liked the Chevy's because I could always get service or repair just about anywhere in the US but they stopped making them quite a few years ago. As the mileage adds up on the Mercedes my concerns about it breaking down out in the middle of fly over country are growing. Heck, I can't even get an oil change from my local dealer (Detroit Michigan area ) on the Metris without a one to two week wait. I needed a brake job a while back and they said it was going to take 7 (yes, seven) weeks to get the appointment. It handles very well on the road and when I'm out west, the cross -wind assist has been a good thing to have on a couple of occasions. Confort wise I like the Mercedes the best. It gets good gas mileage for the size vehicle it is, but it is an expensive vehicle to own. Oil changes from the dealership are in the $300/$400 range. I've gone back to doing my own oil changes. There's more I could say but I've run out of time and have to leave.
 
DripDryMcFleye said:
... As the mileage adds up on the Mercedes my concerns about it breaking down out in the middle of fly over country are growing. Heck, I can't even get an oil change from my local dealer (Detroit Michigan area ) on the Metris without a one to two week wait. I needed a brake job a while back and they said it was going to take 7 (yes, seven) weeks to get the appointment... it is an expensive vehicle to own. Oil changes from the dealership are in the $300/$400 range.
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My previous van was a VW Eurovan camper and I had similar problems (except the oil change $$$ :eek:). Given how long I tend to keep a vehicle I'm sticking with readily available parts & service from now on.
 
French Avocado said:
I have a Tundra and pull a modified teardrop trailer (essentially queen bed on wheels) - no cooking or toilet. Takes 5 minutes to hook it up to the truck. Tows really well at 80+ mph. Works great in Yellowstone, Tetons, and BLM in the middle of nowhere. Can park the trailer and drive the truck looking for wildlife.
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In CA trailers are legally restricted to 55 MPH (almost universally ignored). Trailering over the Sierra Nevada has NotBeenFun due to road conditions, the trailer got beat up too much.
 
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Doug Herr said:
In CA trailers are legally restricted to 55 MPH (almost universally ignored). Trailering over the Sierra Nevada has NotBeenFun due to road conditions, the trailer got beat up too much.
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Interesting because no one in California seems to obey any speed limit - not trailering over 55 is one more reason not to live in California (as if there is room on paper to contain all the reasons).
 
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French Avocado said:
Interesting because no one in California seems to obey any speed limit - not trailering over 55 is one more reason not to live in California (as if there is room on paper to contain all the reasons).
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Now, now, don't trash my state...that's for me to do... :LOL: . Actually I live in a wonderful town in a very nice place, the foothill country of the Sierra Nevada range, an hour and a-half, door to gate, from Yosemite NP. Not at all like southern Cal. or a larger town in the middle of the state. There are many things to like about living in California, although they do seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate, one of the best things is the diversity of choices for camping and wildlife. Every state, city, town, whatever, has problems and, yes, California has many but I've been here since I was born and I'm now 71 and each time I think about moving I can't figure out, for several reasons, a better place to go. I don't like the 55mph speed limit and most don't pay attention to it but it's probably not wise to tow a trailer too fast.
 
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DripDryMcFleye said:
I have owned a total three Chevy Astro/Safari vans and currently drive a Merecedes Metris van. I totaled just under 600,000 miles on the Chevys and have 96,000 on the Mercedes.
I liked the Chevy's because I could always get service or repair just about anywhere in the US but they stopped making them quite a few years ago. As the mileage adds up on the Mercedes my concerns about it breaking down out in the middle of fly over country are growing. Heck, I can't even get an oil change from my local dealer (Detroit Michigan area ) on the Metris without a one to two week wait. I needed a brake job a while back and they said it was going to take 7 (yes, seven) weeks to get the appointment. It handles very well on the road and when I'm out west, the cross -wind assist has been a good thing to have on a couple of occasions. Confort wise I like the Mercedes the best. It gets good gas mileage for the size vehicle it is, but it is an expensive vehicle to own. Oil changes from the dealership are in the $300/$400 range. I've gone back to doing my own oil changes. There's more I could say but I've run out of time and have to leave.
Click to expand...

I was aware of the things you are talking about before I made my purchase. I did a lot of research on vans and van conversions and, in the past, teardrop trailers, but went ahead and made the jump to the Sprinter. At 71, with a 5-year or 100,000 mile warranty on the vehicle (my warranty has expired) , I figure it will work out fine, I'll most likely die or quit using before either of those things occur. Life is about risks and taking a gamble and I'll go with this one. There is a Mercedes dealer only an hour and a-half away from me and I also have to take my Toyota to the same area to get serviced so that won't be new to me. At some point, one just has to jump and hope for the best! I did start out thinking maybe the Ford Transit 350 but the builder sort of talked me out of that for a couple of reasons. Everything, every choice in life, has its downsides.
 
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