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.
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