Walk with us through spontaneous and unapologetic adventures. Join us in budget minded Sprinter DIY successes and failures: Sleeping 4 in a Sprinter 144.
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I imagined our biggest debate would be which color wood to install or where to put the overhead lighting.
We planned to begin the next phase of our camping conversation in January. It is January. Our progress has stalled.
CD was halfway to Eugene to pick up the roof rails when he changed course. He dropped by to chat with the fellow Sprinter owner that we met a few weeks ago. They shared thier visions and ideas.
CD turned around and drove home. His hesitated to spend money on factory roof rails. Our friend endorsed a much less expensive option.
So here we are, along with many other Sprinter owners. Part of our dream is financial sustainability.
When should we get the factory products? When should we improvise? How much extra work and time are we willing to put in to each step in order to save a few dollars?
It wasn’t hard for us to answer these questions. We are on board to save money if the alternate plan provides the same result in the end.
What is holding us up now?
Our Sprinter works well for us. We are happy. In just a few weeks last spring, CD pounded together a camping conversion far superior to any other way we have traveled.
In order to move forward, the current conversion needs to be dismantled. Not only will we not be able to camp in our Sprinter, we will not be able to use our Sprinter.
Our garage will be full of dismantled food boxes and beds.
Nothing in an Oregon winter is free of rain and mud. I can’t guarentee the wood will be safe.
So, here we are. I anticipate that one day we will just get up and start tearing the Sprinter apart. It will be both sad and exciting. I will be impatient and restless. It will be worth it.
Until then, here is a bit about Sprinter life in Oregon in the winter.
The Hackleman Old Growth forest is easy to drive past. It can be found on the South side of Highway 20 between Corvallis and Sisters. The parking lot is paved and easy to access. A sign marks the trail.
After driving past it dozens of times, stopping there this year was an obvious choice. When driving the Sprinter, it seems like trail heads and parks pop up everywhere!
Short trails or boardswalks are an excuse to make hot chocolate and play a game of cards or two.
It is about the journey; we stop often
Our afternoon base camp at the old growth. It is raining but we were warm and happy This is a slug. The slugs are one of a handful of things that I found amazing when I moved here. This isn’t the biggest we have seen.
It rains in the Pacific Northwest and it definitely rains in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. I am from the mid-west but this is not the same as rain in the mid-west. The weather here is devoid of sharp edges; rain comes in slowly and stays. What gift ideas do you have for friends or family that live in the Pacific Northwest?
The number one piece of equipment on which I depend during winter, spring, and fall in western Oregon is not really a piece of equipment at all. It is more of an accessory.
It was packed away in our things for the first year we were here. When CD found it and brought it out, it was as if everything was going to be okay again. At least everything would be less wet again.
It admit that it is a luxury but it is one that use gladly nearly everyday between November and June.
The DryGuy Boot Dryer
Seriously, this was a game changer! I received this as a gift when we lived in the Colorado high country. I never expected it to change my life! Try it. You won’t regret it!
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It rains in the Willamette Valley. It rains most days in the winter. It is not the same as rain in the mid-west. The weather is benign and devoid of sharp edges. The rain comes in slowly and continues. Eventually, it leaves slowly.
In four years, I have yet to see a storm roll in and out of the Willamette. Sometimes it rains harder and then lighter. I hear people talk about storm clouds but when I look at the sky, I don’t see them.
The number one piece of equipment that I love during winter in Western Oregon is not really a piece of equipment at all. It is more of an accessory.
It was packed away in our things for the first year we were here. When CD found it and brought it out, it was as if everything was going to be okay again. At least everything would be less wet again.
It is a luxury but I use it nearly every day between November and June.
The DryGuy Boot Dryer.
Seriously, this was a game changer! I received this as a gift when we lived in the Colorado high country. I never expected it to change my life! Try it. You won’t regret it!
I haven’t used it in the Sprinter but am putting this on our to-do list for sure!
Today was a good day. We jumped in our Sprinter and headed out for a hike. A few minutes into the drive, HB said: “It feels good to be in the Sprinter.” I couldn’t have said it better myself!
Alsea Falls was our destination. It is on BLM land in the southern part of the Willamette Valley. The scenery is classic for this part of Oregon. The trees are covered with lichen and moss. The ground is covered in mud.
The falls are a short walk from the parking lot. We ended our hike there. The picture is fuzzy but so was the woods. Sprinter DIYWe don’t go anywhere without our Inter-agency pass. No camping at the day use area but there were plenty of campsites all around.
It was raining and not all that warm. Twenty minutes into the drive, I realized that I had forgotten our jackets. CD packed rain jackets and pants for the kids and himself but couldn’t find mine.
When we parked and headed out for our hike, he offered me a beach towel to keep me dry. I typically would have laughed and declined but recently the kids have made a point to let me know that I embarrass them. Wrapping myself in a beach towel while hiking seemed like a perfect opportunity to really be ridiculous. They laughed at first but soon forgot about it. I was stuck carrying a beach towel for the next hour or so.
Classic Willamette Valley sign. The weather is tough on signs and bridges and benches and houses.
We headed towards Green Peak Falls. The trail was nice and easy to follow. There were plenty of other hikers ringing in 2020. We got side tracked to the river and through the woods a few times and this ended up being our turn around point.
Another classic sign for this part of Oregon. An amazing long table, obviously made from a single tree.
It seemed like McBee Park may have seen better days. There were outhouses but all seemed to be in a state of dis-repair. I expect that by the time the rainy season is over, things will be looking better again. There were tons of BLM campsites along the river here.
Despite the nearly constant winter rain of the Willamette, I really prefer dry campsites. I may come back and camp here in the spring when the rains slows but wasn’t tempted to camp there today. These campsites are likely popular in the summer as they are on the river, huge, and easily accessible from the road.
Back at the Sprinter, we took off our boots and settled in to some snacks. The kids didn’t waste any time getting comfortable on the bed. CD was happy to use his new gadget. The Camp Chef Mountain Series Striker was tasked with the job of whipping up hot cocoa. I was so proud of CD for moving beyond his back packing mind- set and getting excited about such a luxury. It really was much faster and easier than boiling a pan of water on our camp stove! It was so fast that the kids even had two cups each.
It worked! The kids and CD were happy. I have a feeling there will be a lot more Ramen, Cup of Soup, and Hot Cocoa in my future!
The mom in me asked CD to stop refilling propane bottles. He picked these up and we are all happy for now. He is just humoring me until we decide to start carrying a much larger propane tank and cut out these less earth friendly items.
Just as we were about the fire up the Little Buddy Heater, another family stopped by to chat. They had a Sprinter 170 passenger van camping conversion. They were well beyond us regarding the extent of their conversion.
They admired our idea of putting the kids in the third row instead of the second and were going to do that themselves in the future. That was about all we had to offer them. They gave us tons of tips regarding exchanging windows to improve air flow, adding insulation, and even removing the rear AC to make space for a large solar panel. They personally knew many of the people that CD had already spoken with on the phone regarding modifications and supplies. They gave us their number and invited to stop by and see their Sprinter.
They validated our path with our Sprinter so far. They were able to share our vision and bring back the “fun” in the Sprinter DIY dream.
In talking to them we felt hopeful, inspired, and energized! With that, we head into 2020! Cheers!
We live in the Willamette Valley and enjoy camping in Oregon.
The coastal range is to the East and the Cascades to the West. It rains; it is wet. Lichen and fungi are prolific.
CD and I met in the high mountains of Colorado. The high desert is a comfortable climate for us. With that being said, we both enjoy the Willamette Valley. It is not typically until I leave the valley that I realize how much more comfortable I am with brown pine needles than with banana slugs and trees chocked by lichen.
Birthday Weekend Camping: Oregon
It was CD’s birthday weekend. We had been home from our summer trip for less than a month. Our Oregon to Oregon odometer reading for the summer was 8528 miles and our trip timer reading was 190 hours and 55 minutes. Even with just having returned home, we missed the Sprinter life. The kids and I suggested an overnight camping trip for CD’s birthday. It needed to be a quick 1 night get-away.
We all agreed to drive East towards Sisters. CD had eyed up a few places and chose Suttle Lake mostly because we were short on time. It wasn’t as far as Sisters or Bend but was still on the dry side of the pass. There were several National Forest campgrounds and had easy access from the highway. Although he is not a fisherman, CD was kind enough to suggest that the kids and I bring our fishing poles and try our luck. We were sold.
If you have even driven Highway 20 from I-5 to Sisters, you may remember that there is a tipping point were the lichen stops and the high desert begins. I can’t tell you at exactly which mile marker this happens. This time, I didn’t think much of it until we pulled in to the campground. The ground and the air was dry.
The campgrounds were only a few miles from the highway. We drove through Blue Bay campground. It was nice but we kept going and settled on Link Creek.
Link Creek Campground
There were plenty of sites available. We chose a central site so that the kids could fish from the dock and we could see them from the van. There was a dirt boat launch, fish cleaning stations, and pit toilets. The sites were plenty large and it was generally clean.
It was CD’s birthday so he was calling the shots. CD was happy to sit on the picnic table, strum his guitar, and enjoy the air. The view wasn’t anything spectacular.
Sprinter DIY. #vanlifeSprinter DIY. #vanlife
I set up the kids fishing poles and started dinner. There were a few boats on the lake. From where we stood, it was shallow and not very inviting for swimming. It may be noted, however, that I was born and raised in Michigan and have high fresh water standards.
The Boats, Oregon Camping at Suttle Lake
In any case, it wasn’t long before we heard a motor revving. Some sort of race boat with two exhaust pipes sticking up launched at the adjacent dock and was driving around the lake. This lake isn’t huge, by the way. The boat would speed around the lake two or three times, then idle for a bit. When it was driving it was so loud that we could barely talk to each other. I am sure other campers were irritated but I was more amazed, interested, and surprised. The whole thing went on for an hour or so and then they loaded the boat on the trailer and drove away.
The second most interesting thing we saw was a good sized cabin cruiser. It was anchored off shore a bit. Again, this is not a huge lake. I assumed they would sleep there but rather than doing so, they pulled into the dock at the campground and slept in a tent.
I guess people really love boating on this lake. Based on our lack of success fishing and the fishing equipment on their boat, it occurred to me that you may need a boat to get to the fish.
Several campers had kayaks pulled up on shore and easily accessed by walking paths from their campsites. This seemed like a nice idea to me.
The Great Awning Experiment
By the time the kids and I got back, CD was fully immersed in his much anticipated awning experiment. Years ago he made an awning for our minivan. He had been wanting to try it out on the Sprinter. Rain was expected over night and I guess he decided this was his chance.
Here it is. Don’t trip over the guylines. Sprinter DIY. Oregon camping oregon camping
Well, he did it. It was set up and surprisingly solid. I was curious about the sag in the middle but it sounded like he had a plan. The guylines were a bit of a hazard but I was willing to humor him and give the thing a try. It was his birthday after all.
He told me to walk around the van to see how he secured the awning.
This is what I found:
oregon camping
He seemed to know it was ridiculous and not any sort of ground breaking invention. Since we couldn’t open the driver’s side door, it was barely even a short term solution but he was so happy.
HB woke up around dawn. We found a bridge that we had failed to see the night before. There were fish rising and jumping all over the place. We tried every fishing trick I knew but they just didn’t bite. We watched the sun come up, saw trail runners and walked some of the trail. It may be worth mentioning that you can see and hear highway 20 while standing on the shore but we didn’t notice this from our campsite.
Shortly after CD and Grace woke up, the skies opened up. The awning held. We ate oatmeal in the van and broke camp.
The Suttle Lodge
CD was curious about the Suttle Lake Lodge. It was near Highway 20 and not far off the road. We walked into the main lodge and were greeted by a crowded room of happy lodge guests. There was shelf after shelf of board games. The dining area was community style with big long tables next to sofas and coffee tables. Dogs were welcome and everyone was smiling. Big windows and glass doors offered a lake view. A large patio and lawn were beyond. There were docks with row boats and fishing boats for rent.
I am quite sure that CD didn’t intend to spend time or money here but it was just too tempting. I ordered fresh squeezed orange juice, grapefruit juice, and an egg sandwich with aged cheddar.
We already had breakfast at camp but the opportunity to drink fresh squeezed juice while playing board games by a hot fire with tons of happy people just seemed like the right thing to do. The kitchen was slow but for good reason. The place was packed and they were obviously making every order one by one. We didn’t mind the wait.
In Summary,Oregon Camping Review:
Would I camp at Suttle Lake again? Probably not.
What would I do differently if camped there again? Walk, boat, or bike to breakfast at the Suttle Lake Lodge. Spend time playing corn hole and drinking fresh juice. I may consider happy hour at the lodge too. I may consider just staying at the lodge if I need an easy to get to lodging location for a few people that like that kind of thing.
Rambling Footsteps 