Mercedes-Benz announced the Weekender – their first official factory-ready camper and adventure van for the U.S. market. With a pop-up top, the van can seat up-to-five and sleep up-to-four in its spacious cabin. As the name suggests, it’s perfect for your weekend travels – but is also a 100% functional daily driver.
Vanlife: Mercedes-Benz Weekender factory-ready adventure van
Adventure vans are all the rage these days, and the Sprinter and Metris are two of the most popular platforms. However, the vast majority of what’s available in the U.S. relies on custom fabricators to heavily modify stock vans – which can often place aspects of the factory warranty in jeopardy.
Note that the Weekender isn’t exactly a 100% home-grown project, instead relying on Mercedes MasterSOLUTIONS-approved partners:
“The new camper vans are built by Driverge Vehicle Innovations, who are part of the MASTERSOLUTIONS™ program, in partnership with Peace Vans, one of the largest classic camper van repair and restoration shops in the United States.”
The base model includes a handful of key standard features:
- An elevating roof with a sleeping area for two. Including an integrated spring system, 2” memory foam mattress, 3 windows, and added USB ports for lights, charging and more.
- A multipurpose rear bench seat that opens up into a bed for two. Additionally, when folded into the seat configuration, the seat moves along a rail position into four locations, allowing additional room for varying cargo needs.
- Swiveling front seats that rotate 180 degrees allow your van to quickly turn into the perfect multipurpose lounge. Whether doing work after getting off the trail, sharing a meal or playing cards– the reconfigured space with seats fully swiveled adds a whole new dimension to the experience.
- Standard on every Weekender package is a second battery to power your devices, light up your nights or suit any of your other campsite needs.
If you need additional capability, optional add-ons are available:
- Off-Grid Power and Integrated Solar Panels, preparing you for extended trips with built in solar charging capacity.
- Upgraded audio and navigation features to improve your road trip experience.
- Various personalization options with the world class 3M auto body wrap materials. The Weekender can be wrapped in any one of 200 available colors.
- Camping upgrades:
- 8’ awning for shade and rain protection
- Mosquito/bug screens for the rear hatch, and sliding doors
- A tent that quickly attaches to the rear lift gate for added space and privacy
- Roof Racks for hauling surfboards, extra storage or skis for the slopes.
- A pullout rear kitchen.
We should mention that, while the Metris can handle well-kept dirt roads and tow up to 5,000 pounds, it is not an off-road or rock-crawling machine. If that’s more your thing, check out the Iglhaut Allrad, which is a heavily modified Sprinter 4×4 conversion that retains the factory warranty.
As an added bonus, the first 100 customers to buy a Weekender will receive a free all-access National Parks Pass to help break in their new investment.
Sales will begin nationwide in Spring 2020 at Mercedes-Benz dealerships. Pricing is expected to come in at approximately $70,000 USD.
