Rigveda

David was an awesome host and tipped us off to some good spots in the area we were visiting as well as giving a good orientation to the vehicle before we left. The RigVeda was easy enough to handle once we got used to it. Due to the solar panels, we had plenty of power for heat, refrigeration and charging the whole trip. The van is well insulated; we were often toasty at night even without the heater on. My main complaint was just that the bed was pretty thin and I found it rough to sleep on. There were a few other issues that we mitigated in various ways like dim headlights (we just avoided driving at night) and some shifting around of items while in motion (we had to rearrange the jack a few times before we found a good configuration). Other than that, we had an excellent trip! David was super friendly and easy to coordinate with for pick up and return.

The Host: David is a great host. He responded very quickly to my questions prior to booking and then was very accommodative of my plan. He offered a lot of great advice about the area for us to research before heading out that way. Once we arrived to pick up the van he gave us a great tour of how everything worked on the rig. Returning the van was equally easy. We didn't have any issues that required David's help or attention during the trip but I felt confident he would be there if we had an issue. We spent some time talking about being a host and his considerations when I returned the van. It was very clear he has thought through all aspects of his van and responsibility as a host. The Rig: The van is exactly what is needed for this area of oregon. I would say to frame your reference against car camping rather than a hotel room. With that frame of reference the van is an awesome looking tank that gives you easy access to the outdoors that we all crave without the hassle of packing up a wet and dirty tent in the morning. It does not constrain you the way a larger RV or overloaded sprinter van might. I looked at many options and most were very refined vans lacking in character and any serious off-road considerations. Rigveda is a true overlanders rig. It has the essentials you need and no waste or useless complexity. Cooking is easy with the supplied propane stove. Food stays fresh in the fridge freezer and we had no concerns about depleting the house battery. The solar panel seemed to keep it topped off all week. The bed is typical of these vans, a foam mattress on a platform. The great thing is that this van still has all its windows. This makes for great views in the morning as the sun comes up. You can swivel the front to chairs and have a nice hot coffee while you wake up and get going. We did a big loop down the coast to the redwoods and then back to eugene by way of crater lake. I'm convinced this rig is the best way to do such a trip. It is so easy to just park up and sleep for the night. No need to worry about finding and checking in to the airbnb or hotel. The area is sparse as far as food options so having the ability to bring groceries ahead of time is just the ticket. The van gives you more freedom and time to explore. As far as driving and general operation it is super easy. The lift looks tall from outside but the van still handles really well, the brakes are effective and there is enough power to get up the hills. The van traveled great down the highway and handled the dusty rocky roads just as well. The suspension is well tuned for the weight and doesn't feel as tippy as you might expect. The seat height gives you great visibility and there is a back up camera if you have the windows blocked by stuff or bedding. I can't recommend this set up or David enough. We are very grateful for the experience we had. Thanks - Riley J

Great rig for exploring the coast with no frills accommodations

Had an incredible trip! This was the best was to travel up/down the Oregon coast. Now I want a van ;) thank you so much David, for sharing your creation with me!! Spectacular experience.

I had a hard time driving this van because it was squirrely on the road and especially with any wind. The driver side mirror was broken and had to be adjusted by hand. The iceco refri/freezer didn’t work right and either got warm or too cold. There were no window coverings which I discovered my first night. I should have driven the van before my trip. David was a responsive host. We texted back-and-forth about the issues with the refrigerator.

We had a fantastic trip. The van was exactly as advertised and super cool. Everything we needed was there and easy to use. David our "host" was super amazing. He went out of his way to get us info on the area we were traveling in and was just a super nice guy. We could not have had a better experiance with David or the van....both sooo kind and cool.