Warning: This is a long, defining, and ironic story with a twist!
About a year and a half ago, our Vario episode started. A new quest. I don’t quite remember how it happened, but Mark discovered his ideal vehicle, our next home on wheels. It was autumn in the southern hemisphere, spring in the northern one. We were somewhere in Argentina in Thirsty Bella and had vaguely started talking about our next chapter, most likely in Europe.
One evening, Mark showed me a few photos and ads of different built-out Mercedes Vario 4×4 campers in Germany and warmed me up to this new idea. But they were expensive and it was too early to commit to anything yet anyway.
Example of a cool Vario converted into an overland camper
Vario vans are reliable, basic (without modern electronics or complicated diesel systems), can get fixed everywhere in the world, and last forever. They can take some abuse and offer a spacious living area—smaller than in giant overlanding trucks (which I vetoed as a new camper) and roomier than in Sprinter vans (which Mark thought were too small for a couple and a dog, despite us living in one for four years, namely Zesty). Roomy Bella spoiled us! We were adamant about 4WD and high clearance as this would be required for the adventures we have in mind.
And here I thought we would fly to Europe in the spring of 2026, buy a decent European camper, and hit the road again before the summer. Ha! That illusion soon crumbled when the Vario idea took root…
First, there was the empty Vario van in Peru with some of the components already present but not installed. It had been an abandoned dream, as there are many. Weeks of communication and research taught us it would be impossible to export this van to a different country, like Chile, to register and convert it.
(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)
Many months later, after other failed attempts, we even revisited this “still-for-sale” Vario in Peru, had our friend Jeff (who happened to be in Cusco, Peru) check it out in person while we were on a video call, and contacted customs agents to confirm that we really couldn’t export the vehicle as non-residents. We were getting desperate, but to no avail. This one remained a loss.
There was the built-out Vario campervan in Bahrain—yes, we seriously considered exporting it by boat to the US to register it there (since it was over 25 years old) and shipping it to Europe. After many weeks and conversations, we bailed on this one since the insulation used was too thin.
There was the built-out one in northern Chile that looked nicely done and that a Chilean acquaintance was supposed to have a look at. But this one was also marked off due to the insufficient insulation. Since that step is one of the first conversions in an empty van, it is impossible to improve it without tearing out the entire interior.
And the most promising 4×4 Vario was the one in Pichilemu, Chile. The conversion was very crappy and unprofessional and initially we weren’t interested, but then we had the genius idea to rip out the interior and start over.
The first Vario van that was supposed to become ours was located in Pichilemu, Chile.
This Vario took months of thinking, planning, researching, contacting van builders in Santiago and in Paraguay, being emotionally invested, and asking the owner a lot of questions, since we were located in Paraguay at the time. According to the owner, “everything was perfect.” The photos he texted us didn’t raise any flags.
We had a plan in place, skipped a bunch of destinations, drove across northern Argentina in one week, and sent a so-called mechanic over for a report. You can read that story here. Spoiler alert: it all turned out to be a waste of time. The vehicle had been misrepresented. The rust and mechanical issues (there was even a hole in the transmission) would cost many thousands of dollars to fix, so the price we offered for it was unacceptable to the seller. He will be sitting on that van for many more years of neglect.
At that point, somewhere in the fall of 2025, we were at a loss and grasping at straws. We started looking at and researching empty 4×4 Vario vans that had been used to transfer workers to the Chilean mines. They were minibuses with a swing-out bus door and no passenger seat; much more challenging to convert. But the Paraguayan builder we would commission for the project had a solution for every curve ball we threw at him.
Again, you can read the full story of that episode here. After a few months of physical, mental, and time investment, we decided the risk would be too great to commit to an abused minibus, Chilean license plates (could we even travel everywhere in the world with those?), and all the admin and paperwork being dealt with in Spanish. Too many red flags. We backed out.
Then, there was the empty Vario van in Dubai we’d been communicating and negotiating about last February. Our good motorcycle friends Katherine and Brandon were about to enter Dubai from Oman on their bikes and would check out the van for us in person. Three days before that scheduled meeting, Trump decided to bomb Iran and the Middle East was cut off. Obviously, that Vario was history, but, on the bright side, our friends managed to leave the area safely—after some horrifying experiences.
And that brings us to early this year, when Mark and I focused and followed up on our 4×4 Vario search in Europe. While still in Chile, during our very last three weeks in an Airbnb in Santiago in December 2025, we had contacted two Vario owners and received photos and information.
The first one was an empty white van in Germany that we knew had some rust, hence our nickname, “the rusty one.” The second one was a Vario chassis truck with a half-built box in the Netherlands. This one we dubbed “the Dutch Vario.” The idea was to visit both of these vehicles as soon as we arrived in Belgium, some time in April 2026.
The ad for the rusty white Vario in Hannover, Germany
During our winter in Southwestern Europe, a third Vario became available, “the yellow van.” This was also an empty van, located in Germany and what appeared to be our best and most affordable option. But would it still be available after the three weeks we still had planned in France? These vehicles are very popular and sought after.
Our extra time was spent doing more research, chatting with a potential builder we found to help us with conversion work, and figuring out how to import, register, and insure our next van in Germany. This is the only European country where non-residents can individually register a vehicle that was bought on the continent.
Then, finally, at the end of April, we arrived in Belgium. Quite exhausted from three months of travel by rental car, train, and rented accommodations, we could not rest up yet. We borrowed my cousin’s car for a whirlwind drive through western Germany.
The rusty van had more issues than just heaps of rust, so it was scratched off. A quick chat in person with the builder was encouraging, but he didn’t have examples of builds at the shop to show us, and the owner of the yellow van wasn’t home and had given someone else first dibs. He ended up selling his Vario to that person without us ever being able to look at it. The German market is a tough one for non-German speakers.
This left us with the Dutch half-built one, which we had been curious about the longest. And which didn’t seem to have any competition. Unfortunately, we had to wait two more weeks before an appointment could be made to see this Vario in mid-May. In the meantime, we put out “wanted” messages. A big thank you to everyone who sent us Vario ads and info in the past!
In the second week of May, the three of us borrowed my mom’s car for the 1.5-hour drive to Zeeland, where we met the owner and his son. While it had been a bit challenging to communicate with them over WhatsApp, J and K seemed pleasant enough, showing us the rig and answering our questions in person.
J and the builder had a falling-out, so the project was abandoned five years ago. Ever since, the truck had been stored inside a facility, unused. We both liked the truck—it only had 13,000 km on the odometer, had been an old fire truck, and showed few signs of rust.
The habitat, or cabin in the back, was well-built, but only for one person. This created issues with a potential conversion. The dinette area was too small, a bed for two people didn’t fit anywhere, the fridge was tiny, and the bathroom lacked a sink and was small in comparison to the box we would have built out.
All in all, we liked this vehicle, but a lot of expensive changes had to be addressed. The frame attachments worried us. The habitat was a compromise. If we’d started from scratch, the interior would not look anything like this. But there was something to be said about not starting from scratch and the time and money we would save by going this route.
The following three weeks were mental hell for both of us…
Mark and I started to obsess about this Vario while negotiating with the son of the owner, incrementally upping our offer. After two weeks, we finally came to an agreement. Yes! This Vario would become ours.
Except, the day after, the owner rescinded that deal, stating there was another interested party that would offer more money, much closer to his initial asking price. If we were still interested, we could increase our bid.
Mark and I are people of principle. Yes, we thought this Vario – despite being a compromise – would work for us. But we had reached an agreement. We would never double back ourselves or offer more to an untrustworthy party. J and K had pissed us off. We could not trust them again. And we had become too emotionally invested. It had been a very unhealthy two weeks of our lives, stressing, assuming, and being consumed by nothing but this darn Vario. Once we had confirmation in a text message that our mutually agreed upon offer was off the table, Mark and I mentally closed the door and decided to move on.
We never replied to that last message (behavior they weren’t used to, since we had always been very responsive) and convinced ourselves to change gears and create a new plan, one over which we would be in charge. Plus, because this Dutch Vario wasn’t happening, we had to find a new home on wheels since Mark needed to leave Belgium.
So, we went with the most challenging option that had been on the back burner the entire time. We would hunt down a Vario 4×4 chassis truck without too much rust (there was an expensive clean-looking one available in the Czech Republic that we even put an offer on), convert it to SRW (single rear wheel drive), treat the rust on the chassis, and protect and paint the lot.
Then, we would design and order a habitat box from a company in Poland (that we’d researched and that had good reviews), have them cut holes and install the windows and doors we would provide, have them create the subframe and install the box on the Vario chassis, and have Mirko, our contact in western Germany, build the interior. We were looking at the most expensive of our three options – and the most time-consuming (it might take up to a year, potentially longer) – but we would get exactly what we wanted in a home on wheels. And after more than 20 years on the road and the water, we had a really good idea of what that looked like. Plus, this would be our “forever rig,” so we could splurge a bit.
As most of you know, we bought a temporary camper, Duke (read that story here), after abandoning the Dutch Vario option and we started to prepare our departure from Belgium, making plans to see two sets of friends in Germany. But before that, we made another exhausting road trip into the middle of Germany to look at a – very rusty – chassis truck; more waste of time, energy, and money.
Exactly three days after purchasing Duke – Mark and I were shopping on Amazon for kitchenware as we needed to buy everything again after leaving our household stuff and belongings in Bella in South America – a message arrived from K, the son of J in Holland.
He had convinced his father to accept our highest offer, so we could continue with the previous agreement.
Our mouths dropped and for the rest of the day, we didn’t know what to say. So we didn’t say anything. This was unbelievable. We had JUST changed direction. We had JUST bought another camper. We had JUST invested a lot of money into Duke that had been set aside for a future Vario!
The following day, Mark and I had a phone call with K and learned that neither he nor his dad had the correct driver’s license for a Vario. This proved to be an issue for getting the truck inspected in the Netherlands (called APK). We requested that the truck pass the APK or the deal was off. They’d arrange it. We were back on track. Could we trust it?
Our last week of June – during a heatwave – was madness. Prepping Duke for departure, buying more items needed for the camper, cleaning the little house, researching Vario arrangements and requirements, and hitting the road again.
On July 1st, we met J and K again in Zeeland. The APK had been approved (although we have our doubts that everything was entirely legitimate), the purchase agreement was signed, a massive chunk of money was transferred, export plates and insurance were purchased, and we became the owners of our long-awaited 4×4 Mercedes Vario. Which isn’t actually a Vario but a T2, the precursor of the Vario. We now had two campers instead of one. A his and hers. Ah, the irony.
For this acquisition, Mark and I had to set aside our principles. We had been deceived, ignored, and lied to by K and J. We had been tested. We had been obsessed. We had been able to move on and start fresh. We learned a thing or two about negotiations, patience, and persistence. But now we were done with all of that.
Except, the real work, patience, persistence, and learning curve were only about to start!
A his and a hers camper! We are officially a two-car family…
Next up: July 2026 recap and expenses
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs? Check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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July 22, 2026 at 10:02 am
Well, all I can say is “What a story!!!” Hope in the end you are able to configure your new baby to be outfitted exactly how you want it. Life is full of compromises. Thank for sharing this amazing journey to you new Vario. Jim
July 25, 2026 at 1:23 am
Thanks, Jim. Yes! Life is full of compromises, indeed! We hope we will be able to transform this camper box into one that’s suitable for two people. So far, it’s been pretty tricky. Because of the existing furniture that is hard – and a shame – to remove, this project is one giant puzzle!
July 22, 2026 at 10:16 am
Wow! What a journey. Will you keep them both and overland in them? Or, park one and trade off? It will be interesting to hear what’s happening in the coming months. Safe travels as you continue your adventures. More than trying at times, but the three of you seem to make it through. Best to you all❣️❣️
July 25, 2026 at 1:25 am
Thanks for reading, Carol. The idea is to live in Duke, our temporary camper, while we convert the Vario in September and October, and sell him once we are finished, so we can keep overlanding in the Vario for the foreseeable future. The deadline will be winter. We really don’t want to be stuck in a cold country working on the Vario during that time of the year. Fingers crossed!
July 22, 2026 at 11:09 am
What a journey! I don’t see that you set aside your principles, just learned more about negotiations.
July 25, 2026 at 1:27 am
That’s a way to look at it, Jacqui. Mark and I usually have a very low tolerance of people treating us poorly. If a business would do this, we would never buy from them. But in this case, we just felt this Vario was the right one for us, so we had to swallow our pride. And we did learn a lot…
July 22, 2026 at 12:47 pm
Oh boy, this is a crazy story! You got what you wanted in the end so it looks like setting your goals and sticking to them pays off. Too bad that there are sketchy people on every continent though 🤣
July 25, 2026 at 6:07 am
Hi Margie,
It sure was a crazy episode to live through. But, to be honest, what did we expect? An easy path to Vario ownership?? Haha. I think as I’m getting older – and more mature – I have realized that I should probably not expect things to go smoothly anymore. They never did – especially in this lifestyle, which is all but new to me – and they never will. And, yes, there are sketchy people everywhere in the world. Unfortunately.
July 25, 2026 at 8:04 am
But you have it now 🙂 Hope you enjoy it for many years to come. It looks amazing!
August 1, 2026 at 11:20 am
Thanks, Margie. We hope to have it personalized and ready by the end of the year.
July 22, 2026 at 2:16 pm
Wow, what a convoluted process! It must have been a terribly difficult decision to go ahead with a seller who had already proven themselves untrustworthy. I hope your build-out goes well – you must be more than ready for SOMETHING to go right.
July 25, 2026 at 6:15 am
Hi Diane,
Yes, part of us wanted to say “screw you” (And, believe me, Mark and I both wrote not so nice versions of what we thought about them after the rescinding of the offer, but – luckily – we didn’t send those texts off. We’d become smarter.) but I had this little inkling in the back of my head that this Vario – somehow – might still work out. I had to hold back frustrations and impatience while keeping Mark in line as well.
That being said, the only healthy way to proceed and deal with our disappointment and distrust was come up with a new plan and become emotionally detached. You’re right. It wasn’t easy. But it did help to keep telling ourselves “If this doesn’t work out, we have a back-up plan.”
Stuff never goes right. Every single thing we attempt comes with delays, challenges, and frustrations. It’s just our life. But we do hope that – in the end – we will have a German registered and insured and well-built and comfortable camper!!! What do you want me to say? Life remains exciting.
July 25, 2026 at 4:27 pm
LOL! It’s a lucky thing you have a higher tolerance for excitement than most people. 😉
August 1, 2026 at 11:21 am
I think you’re right, but I feel that tolerance is often hiding, these months. 🙂
July 22, 2026 at 3:29 pm
Exhausted just reading that!
July 25, 2026 at 6:16 am
I hear you, Anabel. It was exhausting to write the story, let alone live through it. But we’re taking somewhat of a break in Bavaria right now. Physically anyway. 🙂
July 22, 2026 at 3:52 pm
What a saga–almost like Odyssey, the XD movie now in American theatres everywhere. A telling line here: “Mark discovered his ideal vehicle. . . ” and it all evolved from this. ha!
You mention twice that you are people “of principle.” and learned so lessons about negotiation. Oh, the games other people play.
I hope things will flow your way the rest of the summer, Liesbet! 😛
July 25, 2026 at 6:22 am
You know, Marian, I sometimes feel like our life is a movie. It definitely never gets boring and the pages keep turning at a fast pace. Often, I can’t even keep track of all the events in my diary. And I wrote the highlights down the same evening.
Mark and I are people of principle. This is usually manifested when we think others try to take advantage of us. This includes items and attractions that are way overpriced and that we refuse to “fall for”. The good thing is that we both feel the same way about this. When people lie to us or think we are idiots by the way they treat us, we usually “delete” them. In this situation, what was at stake pushed us to be smart about some feelings and revisit the situation in a better way.
Thank you for your beautiful sentiments about our summer. It will mostly be a “work and research” summer, but everything benefits from doing it in summer than in winter. 🙂
July 23, 2026 at 2:18 am
Oh my goodess! I didn’t realise the van was one you’d found in NL! What a story! You two must have the patience of saints!
July 25, 2026 at 6:26 am
Hi Val,
I have to admit that our determination is higher than our patience. Especially in this situation. The thing is, because of all our research and experience, we knew that finding a Vario that is not a rust bucket is very rare. That and the fact that we would save time and money for the build out of the box is what kept us on the path of this “Dutch Vario”.
Ironically, we sold our truck camper Thirsty Bella in South America to a Dutch couple from Amsterdam and we bought this Vario from Dutch (Suriname) people who also live in Amsterdam…
July 24, 2026 at 7:42 am
I do wonder if J & K did have a better offer. Did they just say that to try to get you to offer more?
But what is more important is that you now have your very own Vario. Congratulations! Have you ever been a two-vehicle family before?
July 25, 2026 at 6:32 am
Hi Hugh,
We will never know if there was another offer on the table for this vehicle. My guess is, not really. Maybe they had some vague interest and they tried to play into that, but I doubt anyone else was as interested and serious as us. This kind of Vario and the way it was built out would only be attractive to certain people and situations.
It was designed for one person, it was only half built out, and it’s still quite expensive. Single travelers would prefer a smaller and cheaper van. Couples would opt for a different camper that’s finished or start from scratch and get what they want. This one requires a decent chunk of investment (time and money) to get finished. So, we feel it was a tough market for the seller.
This is the first time ever we are a two-car family. And most likely the last time. To be honest, I have never even owned a vehicle by myself. When I lived in Belgium, I’d walk, bicycle, use public transportation, or borrow my parents’ car to get places. I liked it that way. Less responsibility, parking issues, and expenses. 🙂
July 26, 2026 at 6:52 am
Thanks for explaining it all, Liesbet. Cars are not of interest to me at all. However, my partner loves his cars, so I’m happy as a passenger. I didn’t pass my driving test until I was 21, and it took three attempts. I failed once for mounting the kerb while reversing around a bend. And the second time I failed was for almost knocking over a woman who simply walked out into the road without any notice. She scared me more than I scared her.
August 1, 2026 at 11:24 am
Oh, Hugh. Those are funny – yet, not so funny – car driving stories. At the end, you did pass your test. Congratulations: 🙂
I’m in your boat. I don’t know much about cars and happily let Mark do the driving, which he prefers anyway. And he is a more tolerant and safe driver than me.
During our recent time in Germany, though, we had to move two vehicles around, so Duke became mine. And now, here in Belgium, he is our only car so when I need to drive anywhere, I load up Maya and take this “big” thing to the grocery store or on family/friend visits.
July 24, 2026 at 8:01 am
Congrats, I think! What an ordeal. Where will you do the buildout? Will you sell the spare, or fix it up and then sell? So many questions…
July 25, 2026 at 6:39 am
Hi Suzanne,
I totally get your sentiment!! We THINK we are happy with this Vario purchase. But as more and more issues appear, we sometimes wonder. It’ll all add to the story and the difficult path to own a new and special home on wheels. From the administrative ordeals (Germany is famous for that) to the mind numbing solutions we need to come up with to make the interior work for all three of us. It’s all been a gigantic puzzle!
We will do the build out in Germany, where we also – just – took care of the inspection. It’s in a town called Much, which is a 3.5-hour drive from my parents in Belgium. We will live in Duke, our temporary camper during the conversion, just like we did the first two weeks of July. That camper is serving its purpose. We will sell Duke once we have a liveable Vario. The issue is that we need to money of Duke for our Vario build, so we will have to be creative on that front as well.
July 24, 2026 at 6:11 pm
So you know, Greg is jealous of all those straight walls!
Is this Vario a little smaller than Thirsty Bella? It seems like a good size.
I’m a little surprised that you ended up buying the Vario after they jerked you around. But I’m glad you held your ground with them! So do you or Mark need the correct driver’s license for a Vario?
I’m looking forward to seeing what you do with it. And I’m really curious about the whole registering it in Germany thing. I hope there is a part 2 to this story.
July 25, 2026 at 6:50 am
Hi Duwan,
I believe it! Greg mentioned something about our straight lines in a Facebook comment as well. But, to be honest, those straight lines would have been great if we’d started with an empty box.
The issue now is all this high-end furniture that is attached to the inside of the box with permanent glue… Mark already took the toilet out and messed up the gelcoat, which now has to be fixed. We’re at a loss how to cleanly remove some parts of the interior without damage or even at all. It’s been a complicated puzzle to come up with the redesign of some areas. But that’s a story for another day.
The Vario (at 2.20m) is much narrower than Thirsty Bella (2.65m). And it’s even 10cm narrower than Duke. The other dimensions are similar. The Vario height might be more after we put an AC on the roof, since it has more clearance.
You know us and our principles, so I understand you were a bit surprised we kept dealing with J&K. To be honest, we had some nasty messages written up and used all our strength to not send them off. If we would have sent those off, the conversation would have ended and the sale wouldn’t have happened.
So, our American driver’s licenses allow us to drive vehicles above 3.5 tons. The question is if we get in trouble driving a German registered car with a US license. Mark purchased an international driving permit and that specifically mentions he’s allowed to drive a 7.5-ton truck. He will be the main driver, so we’re all set, as long as we can renew this permit every year without issues.
The other parts of our Vario experience will be incorporated into my usual travel blog posts as I don’t want to repeat myself in the monthly overviews and I think just talking about our Vario will bore the majority of blog readers.
July 30, 2026 at 9:30 pm
Wow! What a journey! And stress! You handled those J and K guys perfectly. I’d have done exactly the same and walked away. But now you know this truck was meant to be. 🥰
August 1, 2026 at 11:26 am
Debby,
Like us, you are a person of principles and I’m so glad those still exist, or predators and people taking advantage would get away with their nasty behaviors even more…
I hope this Vario truck was meant to be. We’ve had our doubts in July, when facing a few adversities. But I still think it will all work out in the end and we should be able to be happy in this future home on wheels.
August 3, 2026 at 5:02 am
Congrats on getting your Vario in spite of the stressful experience! The up side of having two vehicles/ homes is that you can stay in one while redesigning the other. I’m sure you’ll optimize the situation.
August 6, 2026 at 6:06 am
Hi Natalie,
You got it! We will live in Duke, while working on the Vario in Germany. We hope to be finished with our “forever camper” and sell Duke again before wintertime. Fingers crossed!
August 7, 2026 at 10:24 pm
Hmm, not sure how I missed this post, Liesbet, but it’s one I’ve been anticipating for quite some time. I knew you had been through hell, but this was quite a story. I’m sure you must have considered all of the money you wated on false leads. On the other hand, if this vehicle turns out to be your dream Varion, it may have all been worth it. As someone who does a ton of research before buying any vehicle (I just bought a Kia hybrid), I can apprecviate all that you went through.
August 8, 2026 at 3:18 pm
Hi Pete,
I remember you were looking forward to us finally finding our Vario, so I’m glad you found/checked out that post. We did it! 🙂
This was indeed a long road, but as often (and this might have happened to you with the Kia as well), every step, detour, and false lead helped towards that final decision and outcome. We’ve learned a lot in the process of pursuing the elusive Vario, haha. And we don’t want to dwell too much on all the fuel it has cost us to check out different ones. Those trips mainly told us what we didn’t want and convinced us to go for this Dutch one.
August 10, 2026 at 3:30 am
Great story so far well done. The T2N that you have bought is very different to a Vario and shouldn’t be called one. It’s the better of the two though so if you didn’t know then you got lucky. Hope it all works out.
August 10, 2026 at 4:12 am
Hi Craig,
Thanks for reading and commenting. Yes, it’s a T2 and I thought I mentioned that somewhere in this post, but it was in the next one. 🙂
The thing is that we’d been looking for a Vario for so long that I didn’t want to confuse my readers that, technically, we didn’t even buy a Vario, while most wouldn’t even understand or see the difference. But it’s close enough to a Vario in my book and looks pretty alike. However, I do plan on pointing out in each subsequent post that this vehicle is, technically, a T2.