Founded in 2007, when "van life" wasn't even a term, let alone an acceptable lifestyle choice, Portland's Outside Van has thoroughly sharpened its skills building personalized mobile dwellings for everyone from forward-looking weight watchers to bike-pedaling gamers. Now it feels the time right to take what it's learned over those hundreds of builds and channel it into a more over-the-counter-style camper van series available at dealerships around the US. It turns the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 144 AWD into the Syncline, a rugged adventure machine with charmingly rustic, uniquely functional interior.
Outside Van was purchased by Fox Factory in 2021, and like that, it gained the backing of one of the most recognizable names in adventure, a billion-dollar publicly traded corporation nearly synonymous with off-road suspension. So it's not entirely surprising to see Outside scaling up from client-commissioned customs to nationwide distribution.
Outside first announced its new dealership series last year, its eyes fixated on a big, juicy piece of the pie being sliced and devoured by brands like Winnebago and Storyteller. It kicked off what it calls the "Model Series" with the stretched-out Approach, a four-person adventure van based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 170.
The Syncline debuted for 2024 as the second model in the Model Series, a two-sleeper based on the shorter, nimbler Sprinter 144. It gives Outside a direct competitor to the likes of the Winnebago Revel and Airstream Interstate 19X.
Rather than simply install a cookie-cutter layout, Outside took the time to create something a little different, a floor plan that exemplifies what it's learned over nearly two decades in the game. The focus here is openness, a purposeful move away from the segmented, closed-off RV spaces found across the market and toward a more inviting, spacious interior.
If you approach the van from the rear, the foldaway Murphy bed opens up a wide center aisle straight through to the cockpit. This makes it easy to enter and move around the van and also to store oversized gear for the ride.
That rear bed/garage layout certainly isn't new, but things get more interesting around the passenger-side sliding door. Approach here, and you'll find the usual tall kitchen block ubiquitous in full-size van camper builds replaced with a low, compact bench seat, creating a more open, inviting entryway to walk and talk through.
The kitchen block simply moves across the aisle, finding home behind the driver's seat. It still comes fully equipped with a full-size sink, under-counter fridge/freezer, overhead microwave and open countertop where campers can place the portable induction cooker. The cooker can also be used outside atop the slide-down tabletop on the back of the bench seat in the passenger-side entry. Outside specially developed the unique sliding mechanism to work smoothly on the low bench seat while keeping the outdoor table at comfortable work height.
The bench in the entry is much more than just an extra seat and table holder, housing the collapsible shower room with privacy curtain. The box includes an integrated floor drain and a shower sprayer that secures to a mount attached to the overhead cabinetry. The box is also sized to hold a cassette toilet. Water pipes in from a 76-L fresh tank by way of a hydronic interior/water heating system.
Outside also includes an exterior shower connection around back for those who consider the open-air shower a cornerstone of the van life experience.
Dining is more casual than in many vans, left to the shower box bench seat and bench seat across the way next to the kitchen. Both are cushioned for comfort and split by a multi-adjustable swivel table that can be set up to serve one or two diners.
For the digital nomads among its customer base, Outside has created a slick router compartment in the overhead cabinetry that includes 120-V and USB connections, the power system switch and a passthrough directly to the roof for wiring to the satellite dish. Users can essentially plug-and-play the Starlink equipment and enjoy remote internet access on the move.
Other major electrical components and appliances are organized just as neatly. Hardware is attached to brackets for easy removal, repair/replacement and reinstallation, readily accessible behind panels, under seats, inside compartments, etc. The van comes standard with loads of power stored in a 1,030-Ah lithium battery bank wired out to a 3,200-W inverter, 140-W solar panel, secondary alternator, and 120-V, 12-V and USB outlets throughout. Shore power connections and a touchscreen/mobile management system round out the electrical base package, and an air conditioner and fan are included for climate control.
The Syncline officially debuted at the Florida RV SuperShow in January and starts at US$232,000. It's built atop a Sprinter 2500 144 AWD High Roof fully upfitted with a cargo roof rack, suspension upgrade with off-road shocks and rear leaf-springs, 17-in wheels and BFG all-terrain tires, Rigid exterior lighting system, side ladder and more.
The 8-minute introductory video below provides some interesting insight into the Syncline's equipment and thinking behind its design.
Source: Outside Van