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I am pleased to announce that the website for Into The Wild Expedition Rentals is up and live!! Took a little longer than planned. I know more about campers and trucks than computers, ha! I will let the website do the talking, go check it out! www.intothewildexpeditionrentals.com 
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A lot has happened since the last blog posting announcing my intentions of starting an overland RV rental company. The business is still moving forward and is ever gaining momenutum but a few things have changed. I had originally intended to build a fully custom expedition rig based off of a commercial truck chasis. This vehicle needed some repairs before it was ready to hit the road which is expected of a used vehicle. But as the time in the shop lengthend, the more of the build budget was going into repairs. The final straw to the Mitsubishi Fuso build was a bad transmission. This completely blew my budget out of the water. I gave the green light to fix the vehicle and prepared to put it up for sale. With the 4x4 Fuso being such a rarity, it was sold in 72 hours. Additionally I was able to recoup all the repair costs. Allowing me to keep the company above water and move on from this delay. It was back to the drawing board for Into The Wild Expedition Rentals. 
I decided that I needed something that was rental ready. The peak season is right around the corner and needed to be prepared. Ultimately the decision was made to purchase a Sportsmobile. Well known amongst the overland community for its quality craftsmanship and ruggedness. After a few weeks of searching I found one that would suit my needs for the business. It was a 2003 Ford Sportsmobile EB with a freshly converted 4x4 system. I booked a one way ticket to San Franciso before a final deal was even in place. It was a little risky but I knew it would work out. I negotiated the final sale price from a hotel near the airport. The owner was certainly a little surprised that I just happened to be in the neighborhood. 
We decided to meet on Mission Street in San Francisco, where the van was stored. I hopped on a train and headed off. 
I had some time to kill before I met up with the owner so I decided to explore the Mission Street area. I came accoss this alley way that was covered with local artwork. 
Once ink was down on the sale of my first Sportsmobile it was time to head East! Working my way through San Franciso traffic was a bit of a challenge but made it out without a scratch. That night I drove to Tahoe and spent the night with some friends. 
Once I left Tahoe I decided to take more of a backroad approach to the trip. Instead of sitting on highway 80 for miles and miles I turned onto highway 50 East. Also known as the Pony Express Route. 
I stumbled across a sand dune recreational area right off of hwy 50. It was a sweet place to test out the 4x4 and play with the new toy! I think I spent about 2 hours driving around the dunes and taking photos. 
The stretch across Nevada was some of the most desolate driving I've ever done. Hundreds of miles between towns, often praying for the next gas station. 
With only 3 days of ownership this Sportsmobile has already taken me to some amazing places! I found this abandoned railway that had been turned into a service road with sweet tunnels! I did the drive in 3 days, logging over 1500 miles. The new rig ran like a champion, and the ride was more like a town car than a full sized adventure-mobile. 
Here is a list of specifications for the new rig. 2003 Sportsmobile Extended Body 4x4, V10 Brand New 4x4 Conversion W/Electronic Transfer Case Brand New Custom Tuned Fox Suspension Brand New Aluminess Bumpers Front/Rear W/Spare Tire and Fuel Rack Brand New Wheels/Tires Brand New Fresh Water System 2 Burner Gas Stove 2-Way Refrigerator Ducted Air Conditioner 12V and 110V Power Sources Dual Deep Cycle Batteries Shore Power City Water Hook Up Seating For 5 Sleeping For 3 Swivel Captain Chairs Dual Air Bags Cruise Control CD Player W/Aux/USB Auxilary Driving Lights Front and Rear More Storage Than You Can Shake A Stick At As I work on completing the Into The Wild Expedition Rental website, feel free to contact me with any questions about the Sportsmobile or rental inquiries!!
Email - mattareichel@gmail.com Phone - 612-419-9604 |
For more day to day updates, follow me on Instagram!!
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