You heard of sports mobile this on a 1 ton chassis Andrew did a small trip in one in the U.S. they ve been around sense the 70s👍👍

People in the UK would as well.

ive had a sportsmobile and this is better, lighter, smaller and i would give my left 🥜 for this

I think this is a relatable build for the USA. We have so many USFS roads that only need a moderately capable 4x4. You could still explore so much.

@@Master-Blaster-4x4how was the interior build quality? I’ve talked to a couple owners who said they’re not great and a few others who say they’re fine to good.

yup, and there goes the special feeling driving a classic 4x4 offroader. Driving an ugly van is not my cup of tea.....

Indeed. Or to come and fix your plumbing.

Absolutely. Much of the stuff discussed reminds me of my Volkswagen T3 Syncro (some 80's model year) which I took to Morocco in 99/00. The visco coupling was the weakest point of the 4x4 system, but 3 locks made it quite capable. Love to see the modern version of this build in the Hiace now!

most of those are not 4x4 as this one is but yeah normal camper vans are a thing

Agree! Just wrote the same 😊

@@Vergeetmenietjemate we’ve been building 4x4 campers for years in Europe. Transit 4x4s, vw syncro’s and 4motions, merc 4x4’s, Iveco 4x4’s lads on Morocco surf trip love’m

then the USA does not have the same weight limit as in Europe. but agree that some nice vans are built for sports practitioners so they can bring all the equipment for cycling etc. inside the van. outdoor shower, some have, as they mentioned, a pull-out kitchen. no luxury.

Vans in Europe have to be fairly comfortable nowadays. We van drivers do some serious mileage in them now. No hours limit mean you just keep going. I've put 60k miles on a merc in 5 months in the UK and that's low. I know someone Polish drivers, all they do is Poland to UK and back

And they are about as good as a hiace offroad anyway 🤣🤣, might as well have large living area of the van

@@jarrod1687 And how much hardcore off-roading have you seen Andrew do too? Van makes sense

Nope, 'cause at the end of the day, this ugly thing is still a van.... :p

Maybe in the US and around the suburban areas in OZ (video). But in real off-road conditions you want a LC, not an modified Hiace; trust me.

@@nicknick7052 I’ve seen a father and son cross the Simpson in an old EH Holden. It’s not 1970 anymore

The way cost of living is heading we’ll be living in them anyway.

@@NothingsImportant just like the 4x4s mate, the price will be out of most peoples reach..

Nah you're wrong "van life" has been around since the 70s here people just use 2wd vans and overlanding has always been a thing here we just don't call it that

lol, what a load of rubbish.

cool... 'The Hemingway of 4wd'. I need to go to Cuba to get into the vibe.

I've been annoying Mitsubishi since the early 90s when they stopped importing the 4WD L300 vans. Yeah, they had the Delica, but they never brought them here, and never made them as a windowless work van.

@@stevegraham3817 never been a fan of the Delica. I want a van for self contained fishing trips.

@@philippretorius8411 Yeah, I'm not into them either, but I did buy a brand new Bitsashitti work van in 2004, the L300 type, and I tried to get a 4WD version, but Mitsubishi Oz refused to import them, or Mitsubishi Japan refused to export them, and no other Japanese manufacturer world bring the 4wd versions of their vans in to Oz either. The Euro vans suck, too weak and too expensive to fix all the time. Besides the odd weekend or week camping in it, I did end up living out of the van for 2 years in 2010-11 to save money on motels while I worked the L shape from Thargomindah to Brisbane to Cairns, and a couple of side tracks through the coal fields to wards Emerald. Ate at pubs and sports clubs, showered at football clubs and a few weeks of cold showers at the beach front if the was no where else, on days off I went to the beach for swimming and fishing, or to the mountains for a look around like a backpacker, and thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. Unfortunately, I always seemed to be 5km short from the remote or secluded spots I wanted to get to. I ended up buying an ex-Telstra Patrol that gets me to those spots, I can sleep in it, and live under the awning, but the canopy is too small to hide in when the weather gets wet or cold or both..

And westy owners

but its not 4x4. Has no locked up 4wd transmission, lousy clearance and worst of all, no low range. Its not an off-roader. So forget the 4Motion.

The 4Motion comes with really crappy wheel articulation, but yeah, it has its place!

Thats what I thought! Doing this since decades.

@@4xoverland … No low range, but light weight, very good 4wd system, traction control and optional locking diffs. With 25mm lift and slightly higher profile tyres, has more clearance than 200 series Landcruiser. Have been using one of these to access most of Australia for many years now. Very well behaved on the bitumen, good fuel economy, relatively low purchase price and adequate for the majority of destinations make the 4motion a very attractive vehicle for many. Sadly not currently being imported by VW… maybe pending a new model.

Link please!

Nothing wrong with working with what you got

He’s only building it to sell it.

@@merv190 that seems to be the status quo. If I had that money I'd be doing a fuso/canter or isuzu nps 4wd small truck camper conversion. Or maybe an Australian made Okka 6x6. I get the appeal of a 4x4 van...hence why I obtained a couple of series 1 L400 Delicas. I also get the appeal of building the ultimate touring 4x4. but I suppose if i had the bank roll i'd go bigger. I know Andrew has explained in the past why he doesn't like the bigger trucks and I understand his personal preference.

$200k for a hiace is just crazy huh

Its a conversion by an Australian company. There is zero chance of this going to the UK.