: ! SOLD ! :

build details

EcoVan presents: The Silver Forest. This rig was built with the deep, snowy pine forests of Maine in mind. An adventure vehicle ready to explore logging roads and coastal trails in any season; a quiet cabin on wheels, insulated with warm, natural cork and finished with hand-rubbed, reclaimed antique cherry wood. This EcoVan was also designed for adaptability with a modular track system throughout and a reconfigurable custom roof rack to hold all your gear. Additionally, EVERY panel in the van is serviceable. That means if you want to replace or upgrade ANY system, you can access the van’s internals without any destruction whatsoever.

The Silver Forest comfortably seats two and sleeps two passengers in a queen sized bed made from natural latex and organic cotton with handmade cherry and walnut head and foot boards with brass details. We chose the 144” wheelbase Sprinter because of it’s excellent on and off road performance, however the smaller wheelbase usually limits the floor space for many adventure vans. We’ve designed a solution. During the day, you can easily push 1/3 of the bed back to reveal additional floor and counter space while creating a cozy reading nook/couch in the loft, all while still maintaining a cavernous gear garage below.

The kitchen features an integrated dometic refridgerator; a deep sink with a faucet that swivels to the outside to be used as a shower; lots of storage for food and utensils and 10 gallons of configurable military-grade BPA-free water containers. Counter space and seating is also surprisingly plentiful with a swiveling Lagun table/desk and comfortable seating for two additional friends. We’ve also managed to fit in a smell-proof, maintenance-free, hidden toilet, and windows that can be fully blacked out in less than 30 seconds.

Premium features are found outside as well with a full set of insanely durable OWL Talon wheels wrapped with eco-conscious Nokian Outpost all-terrain tires fitted with dual valves for airing up and down at the trail. A fifth wheel and tire is securely locked to a custom aluminum OWL ladder designed specifically to follow the lines of this model of Sprinter. Up the ladder you’ll find 300 watts of highly efficient solar panels, a MaxxAir deluxe vent fan, and enough room to carry a kayak or two on a modular 80/20 & Thule rack system.

You’re fully off-grid and 4-season ready with a true, selectable 4x4 system with low range to handle any terrain. When you get to camp, there’s a premium Espar diesel heater that safely sips fuel directly from the van’s main tank and fills the van with dry warm air no matter the temperature outside. The thick natural insulation in the walls is plant-based and and won’t settle, shift, or degrade no matter how many washboarded roads you hit. In the gear garage you’ll find multiple days of power stored in 400ah/5120wh of HEATED Battleborn lithium batteries paired with a full suite of industry-leading Victron chargers and controllers in a professionally designed system that can all be easily monitored from your phone.

This is a new build that has only been used for testing at the end of production on a trip from Maine to Washington, where it currently resides for sale.

Previous Ownership & Regular MAINTENANCE:

The designer and builder, Alan Ives, bought the van for cargo transportation in December of 2019. The vehicle was driven a relaxed 25,000 miles during that time. The build was completed between fall of 2021 and spring 2022, and a single test voyage from Maine to Washington was completed that summer. Final touches, finishes were performed and new wheels and tires were installed spring of 2023 in preparation for sale. All scheduled maintenance and recalls have been performed at Mercedes ahead of schedule and the vehicle runs flawlessly and like new.

Builders & Costs:

The camper architect was Christopher Ives, the artist behind the Vitruvian Van; a degreed development ecologist, philosopher, and visual artist with 14 years of nomadic travel under his belt. The build was designed and hand-built by Alan Ives, an artist and professional contractor with more than 40 years in professional home repair and finishing. The build took approximately 800 hours of labor over eight months with additional work and consulting from other skilled craftsman.

Labor for the camper build is valued at $65,000. Material costs for high quality wood, fasteners, appliances, insulation, and finishing were an additional $30,000. The purchase price of the cargo van, wheels, tires, and rack construction were approximately $84,000. The build has a finish value around $180,000. With mild depreciation for age and mileage, we are offering The Silver Forest at $153,000, a truly one-of-a-kind 4x4 camper. We are open to reasonable offers after an in-person inspection.

It’s incredibly durable, functional, and artfully designed, while also easily satisfying LEED ecological standards. A sale at this price will include free delivery anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. Delivery can be arranged worldwide.

ELECTRICAL, Appliances, and Lighting:

The camper was designed with only premium, industry-tested products, appropriately sized and thoughtfully incorporated to maximize space and efficiency. Below is a list of the electrical, lighting, and appliances systems that come with The Silver Forest.

• Electrical plan with professional consulting and design by “Explorist.Life”

  • (4) Battleborn BB10012H LiFePO4 Heated batteries - 400ah/5120wh total

  • Victron - Multiplus 3000 Watt Inverter/Charger

  • Victron - Orion TR Smart 12/12 30 amp DC-DC charger with added remote switch

  • Victron - SmartSolar 100/30 MPPT with disconnect switch

  • Victron - Lynx Distributor

  • Victron - BMV712 Smart Battery MonitorAll Victron devices bluetooth enabled and accessed through Victron App.

  • 300 Watts HQST Monocrystalline Solar panels

  • Marine grade wire used throughout

  • Ancor terminals and heat shrink

  • WFCO AC /DC Distribution Center Fuse Box

  • Blue Seas Distribution sub panel located on opposite side garage

  • Shore Power Outlet 30 amp + 25 ft shore power cable including adapter for standard plug

  • 110v AC duplex outlets at bench seat near driver’s swivel seat, kitchen counter, rear garage, and a single outlet in the electrical closet

  • 12v DC socket outlets at the base of the driver’s seat, front console, and behind the drawer used for the refrigerator

  • 12v DC USB-A ports at both bed wall lights and two more fast charge ports by the desk/bench area.

  • 12v DC USB-C ports are located at the front console as well.
    

• Kitchen Appliances:

  • 12V SHURFLO Water Pump

  • 12V Domestic CFX-35 cooler/freezer - Bluetooth enabled - custom integrated into cabinet

  • 110v Single burner, portable induction stove

  • 12v Maxxair 7500 Deluxe Fan with remote

  • Espar S2D2 diesel furnace - Runs off the original Sprinter diesel fuel tank

  • Ruvati 15” sink w/ 9” deep with integrated basket and cutting board

    • Faucet with extension head for outdoor showering

    • 10 gallons of fresh water with shuffle pump and kill switch

    • Easily load/unload water with added exterior cabinet door

    • Grey water drains to exterior for capture with adapter to external jug.
      

• Lighting:

  • (2) 12V Flex Stem reading lights with touch variable settings and red night light

  • Custom fabricated dimmable LED light strip at ceiling with wireless controller

  • Multiple interior, removable, rechargeable LED light bars, located at floor, upper cabinets, and in the garage

  • Factory cab lighting repurposed above sliding door , bed, and in garage - Controlled at the dash and above bed headboard

Ultimate 3-Mode, Eco-Insulation:

Custom-fabricated insulation system was designed with consultation from a former military aerospace engineer. The system took approximately 200 hours of research, development, and fabrication. It was designed using Passive Haus and Netzero standards so that heating and cooling become unnecessary. Your personal body heat will significantly warm the space on its own. The system was designed to prevent excessive heat incursion so well that the interior of the van will never exceed the ambient temperature outside, even in direct sunlight. This is great for pets!

• Incredible R-20+ insulation value while only taking up 3” of wall space from outer metal to inside walls.

• The system address all three thermal transfer modes of convection, conduction, and radiation.

• Individually fabricated from expanded, recycled thermacork and aluminum.

• 100% nontoxic, earth-friendly, and certified sustainable for its regenerative agricultural standards

• Durable, hydrophobic, anti-mildew, and naturally insect and pest repellent.

• Will never settle or deform.

• Vegan / Plant-based insulation

• An EcoVan exclusive! This is the second vehicle EVER to have this insulation.

• All metal-to-build connections points are designed with thermal breaks to keep every last drop of heat in during winter and out during summer

• Far outperforms wool, spray foam, denim, thinsulate, and all other materials.

CABINETS and Counters:

• Drawer/Cabinets - Solid wood construction with Stainless Latches

  • Drawers were painted with clear finish for durability

  • (6) large drawers for storage, the largest can hold an Insta-Pot

• (2) Open, quick stash abinet above toilet cabinet and above driver’s seat

• (1) Movable overhead open shelf cabinet moveable that can be placed anywhere around the van using the track system

• Adventure Wagon Mule Bag - Large 48” Adventure Wagon - Modified to attach to L-Track anywhere!

• (3) Folding wood hooks for towels, hats, coats

Lofted Bed/Reading Nook:

The bed was thoughtfully designed to provide maximum sleeping space at night and extra floor and counter space during the day. Transitioning takes less than 30 seconds!

• Footboard - Solid cherry/walnut

• Headboard - Solid cherry frame with walnut plywood

• Queen-sized Sleep on Latex certified fair trade, organic latex and cotton mattress

• Padded storage pockets along bedside for your laptop, phone, tablet, or books!
  

EMAIL: EcoVan@ivesmedia.com for questions or to submit an offer