The Red Bean - 2004 Sprinter Camper

Super sweet van with lots of personality. I found it easier to drive than previous vans I've driven - it's a super heavy diesel van which made it feel solid and not tippy despite it's height which is what freaked me out about other vans. It easily got us back to harder to reach areas without any difficulty. It got INCREDIBLE GAS MILEAGE. It had all the things we would need for cooking. Michael was super responsive and nice and went over all the little details with us.

The Red Bean was a super awesome way to see the North Cascades and Mt. Baker. The van was comfortable and it was so nice to have everything we needed under one roof. Michael was great to work with - I’d rent it again in a heartbeat!

Great experience! Michael was great and communication was quick and whenever needed. Had a small oil problem (you can tell the van is getting a little older) but was easily fixed and he helped us step by step. Got us all across Washington with and was able to traverse various road conditions with ease. Kitchen was very nice and the bed was very comfortable!

Mike was super friendly and great to deal with. Van served two humans + one cat well for 10 days through three states.

We enjoyed our trip in the Red Bean. Getting on the road, away from regular habitats and tired habits, and into refreshing nature and fresh places, is a suburb way to physical and mental renewal.

The Red Bean is comfortable to camp in and easy to drive. It is an older vehicle, one that has its own personality. We liked that it is quite distinctive with its shadow trees on red paint job. It is not a cookie cutter RV but something other vacationers around us began to recognize. Michael, the owner and designer of this vehicle put a lot care and personal touch into its reconstruction.

Inside, it was spacious for the two of us. The bed was cozy and comfortable, needing only a small climb to get into and out of. We slept deeply each night. A very tall person (we aren’t) might have their feet hanging over the edge as they sleep.

As an ardent cook, Kathy especially appreciated the 6-foot-long kitchen space. The two propane stovetop burners worked great for us. Michael says he wanted to keep it simple. So many RVs seem to want to have every “comfort” of home. We were plenty comfortable. We can use a microwave or oven when we are back home.

We did also cook on the campground firepits. Because there is a massive amount of storage space in the rear of the Red Bean, I was able to take more firewood than I could possibly use up with us. I put a tarp down to keep the capacious space clear and stacked about 100 pieces of firewood from my woodshed. There was still plenty of room for backpacks, boxes of gear, folding chairs, extra hiking boots and shoes, a stepping stool. The stool is a good thing to take; it is a bit of a long step into and out of the van in the side door. There is also lots of storage inside for clothes, gear, food, more food, more clothes, shoes, coats, drinks, etc. In retrospect, we took too much stuff. We will pare down ahead of time for our next trip.

The water system is also simple, which means easy to deal with. There was plenty of water for dish washing and the simple emptying method for the gray water worked smoothly.
For nighttime relieving needs I bought a cheap toilet seat that we put on a five-gallon bucket. We just emptied the bucket in the morning. This is camping, after all.

Michael was easy to deal with. He was pleasant, professional, personal, and clear in his descriptions, directions, and instructions. He has a budding mountain biking parts business that appears to be doing very well. Looking it up on the ole’ internet we found that he has many hundreds of Five Star Ratings from his customers. So, he is a stand-up guy.

Robert

The Red Bean was comfortable and had everything we needed! Michael was super easy to work with!