Our adventure with a converted van (and what a van!) | Video

Here we are finally at the final stretch of our three day experience with the van Mercedes Marco Poloa journey on which we went on the hunt for the perfect shot at the starry sky, crossing some of the most suggestive alpine passes. For me and my fellow adventurers it was first time with a camperized van, we clashed with the organizational reality of such a trip, also made up of rigid temperatures at high altitudes, narrow roads and a lot of inexperience but also of the sparkling freedom that a vehicle of this type can give.

The travel program included a loop starting from our office in Milan, the first stage on the Stelvio pass, then the Gavia pass, the second stage on the Tonale pass and return on the third day. The main goal was to create a mini guide to astrophotography with the smartphone, a content created with the collaboration of Vivo that provided us with the super equipped X80 Pro.

In order to photograph the stars it was necessary to isolate oneself as much as possible from the light pollution of the Po valley, which is why we chose to rise in altitude. Having identified the itinerary, we heard Mercedes who kindly provided us with a support vehicle (and what a means!): The van Marco Poloor theCamperized outfitting based on Mercedes V-Class.

The Marco Polo in the example we had available is the 330d version, powered by a 2-liter BlueTEC 4-cylinder Diesel with 9-speed automatic transmission G-TRONIC, an engine with a good breath thanks to 239 HP and a couple of 500 Nm between 1600 and 2400 rpm, the drive is rear but it is possible to request it with the 4 Matic integral one. The catalog also includes the 220d and 250d versions, with 160 and 190 HP respectively, in all cases with the additional 4 Matic option.

I started right from the engine because it undoubtedly constitutes a first key to understanding this van and in general the driving experience and use it brings with it. The data speak for themselves, with this engine you can climb everywhere even at full load, it consumes little and you go fast. And this was precisely the feeling that accompanied me for the first long journey between Milan and the 48 hairpin bends of the Stelvio pass, what a gritty soul! As for consumption, at the end of a mixed journey, with many meters of positive and negative altitude difference, the average was around 15 km / l, it rises to 8 in the most demanding sections, while on fast-flowing roads, with a little of attention it is attested on the 17 Km / l.

We come to the dimensions, that is the other non-trivial interpretation key: 5,140 x 1,928 x 1,980 meters, even here the numbers do not lie, it is a rather compact vehicle if we consider that it has 4 beds and a truly complete set-up (toilet excluded). I would like to point out the reduced dimensions also in width because this means being able to venture on narrow streets, or why not, move easily even in the city.

Our model, in addition to the camper set-up (living area with table, swiveling front seats, autonomous diesel air heating, rear seats that can be converted into a bed, folding sunroof with bed, kitchenette, 40-liter refrigerator box, various storage compartments storage, wardrobe, external connections for electricity and water, additional battery for utilities), then had a series of tricks including activation of the electric folding roof, awning, tow hook, Airmatic suspensions, 38-liter water tank, water tank exhaust and a very complete package of technologies and ADAS (MBUX and MBAC), as well as a series of comfortable options ranging from full LED headlights to 360-degree cameras, passing through athermic glasses, hill holders, leather seats and a list of others 150 elements (really 150).

All merchandise carries the price from about 70 thousand euros in the list to 98 thousand of our specimen, we start from a model that is already well equipped and almost reach luxury. We are clearly positioned on the premium range considering the mini VAN segment.

We come to the actual story of our adventure, which is actually the story of three perfect newbies to the world of motorhomes and mini vans, which have tried this fun way of getting around for the first time. I want to get my hands on and take a full bath of humility in describing how it went, this is not meant to be an in-depth study for experts and for those who know all the secrets of life in a camper, on the contrary, I will deliberately also tell you some beginner mistakes that we have done. But on the other hand, the goal we had set ourselves was to experience and transparently report the good and bad of our trip, so that everyone could get an idea that truly corresponds to reality.

1. FREEDOM

How nice, what a feeling, it takes very little to glimpse all the potential of a well-equipped minivan like this: a home on the move with everything you need. We move without constraints, without having to respect timetables, places, programs, with the maximum of organizational freedom.

Obviously everything depends on the context, it is not always the case but in some circumstances being able to count on this flexibility is the maximum. As a great lover of MTB excursions, I have already imagined a sporting event like a race or a contest, but the speech is the same for any type of event to follow for a couple of days. You don’t have to think about reservations, food and so on, just load up and go.

Obviously these considerations are also valid for a traditional camper, which if we want it can be even more spacious and comfortable (I am referring in particular to the presence of the bathroom, which on this Marco Polo is not and inevitably puts you in front of potential organizational problems) . But a camper is bigger, more cumbersome, slower, consumes more, you have to drive with a certain skill and I assure you that even 10 cm more would have been too much if you got off the Gavia.

I also imagine a visit to a city of art: it can be reached quickly (on the motorway you travel smoothly at 130 Km / h like on a car) and once you are settled in the campsite you can move directly with the van to reach the center, because even in a big city the Marco Polo can be driven without any problem, indeed, thanks to the large windows and 360-degree cameras I can say that it is really easy to get around.

2. COMFORT

The advantages of a mini van are always the same, but if this mini van is a Mercede Marco Polo they add up comfort, a refined environment, technologies in every corner and in general an experience that has very little spartanperhaps even exaggeratedly.

Here, I left with the classic preconception of an adventurous, dusty, uncomfortable and cheerful journey but getting on our van for the first time I immediately realized that it would not be like this. Inside the passenger compartment there are almost luxurious finishes, refined materials, massage seats, internally lined compartments, buttons to activate anything electrically without having to move a muscle, lights that create a soft atmosphere, high quality audio system, not to mention of the folding bed, which in all honesty did not make me regret the mattress at home.

We are talking about a premium mini van and this is obviously reflected in the list price. But the question I asked myself is: does it really make sense to combine the concept of van travel with all this comfort? Perhaps to have an authentic experience one would have to travel on some dated, noisy and worn out vehicle? Indeed my delicate back thanked Mercedes for every inch of softness, but my Boy Scout heart was still a little perplexed and I couldn’t find a definitive answer.

3. OUR BANAL ERRORS

Our Marco Polo has 4 beds, two in the upper folding compartment, complete with a latex mattress supported by shock-absorbing springs (surprisingly comfortable) and two in the passenger compartment itself with the two rear seats that fold down to form a large flat space that joins the rear floor.

The first mistake concerns temperatures. Turning on the heating creates two distinct areas, upstairs there are at least 3-4 degrees lower than the lower floor, this for two reasons: firstly, the air heating originates from two large grills positioned under the seats front, this causes the heat to remain trapped at the bottom, the second reason is related to the particularly effective thermal insulation of the passenger compartment, contrary to the minimal one of the bellows area which is separated from the outside by a canvas complete with openings for avoid condensation.

You will understand that it is difficult to make those who sleep upstairs agree with those who sleep downstairs, or at least you need to know this and organize accordingly with suitable clothing, sleeping bags or blankets. The first night I personally pulled a nice nose against the 2 degrees of the Stelvio pass, while Franscesco on the lower floor was melting like snow in the sun.

The second mistake concerns the kitchen, we naively thought we had an electric stove available, in reality it is LPG as on campers and as on campers you need to have a special cylinder to put in the locker. Don’t think you can go to the Decathlon like we did and fix it with a camping cylinder, they are not compatible.

Third mistake: to sleep downstairs better to have an inflatable mattress even just a couple of cm, to be able to be comfortable. It is true that the seats flatten but there are still some depressions between the various sections and between the seats and the rear floor, we did not ask ourselves the problem before leaving and we paid the consequences.

4. THE SPACE

How much stuff can you take with you? How many people can you travel in? So, in my opinion, the ideal configuration is for two people, who can then sleep in the folding bed, leaving all the lower part for luggage and the living area. The way we were organized, on the other hand, was a load-unload-move-slide the seats-wheel the front ones.

The biggest problem is that if you fold down the rear seats, practically the entire lower cabin becomes a double bed leaving very little space for luggage in tow. With a little bit of Tetris you find the square but it is certainly not the best way to travel. On the contrary, if you sleep upstairs without any further guests, then the space is really a lot and you are not forced to slide the rear seats or rotate the front ones to create a “living” area with kitchenette.

In conclusion, we can only be satisfied, it was a good experience and we were able to take some beautiful photos of the stars that you can see in the dedicated article. Between us there were different opinions about “traveling in a van”, Davide and I fell in love with it, but for Francesco the spark did not take off.

As for the Marco Polo, I promised myself to try it again with a more adventurous trip lasting several days, perhaps experimenting with different environments. It is obviously a great medium and since for the moment I certainly can’t afford it, maybe there will be an opportunity to rent it.

Here, the rental of a mini van in my opinion remains an interesting possibility, you just need to get well informed about the equipment, in particular about heating and services (water, gas, electricity). Eventually if you do not have an additional integrated battery available, I can recommend a module like this, or like this one according to your needs.

And are there any mini van regulars among you? What do you think?