Wanting a four-wheeled mobile office and living space to match your Montana barndominium just got easier.
While it’s debatable whether Italians or Germans have the upper hand with producing automotive masterpieces, Stone Offroad Design (SOD) has taken proven German on-road luxury and poured it all over off-road upfitted splendor, creating some of the most exquisite and desirable #vanlife vehicles we’ve seen.
RVs, Winnebagos and Sprinter vans are quickly becoming ubiquitous vessels of yesteryear. While major truck manufacturers are cranking out vehicles and aftermarket overlanding accessories to meet demand, SOD has turned the game upside down and sideways.
But that’s not what the Stone Offroad Design team ultimately spends its time brainstorming and spitballing from its Bavarian workshop 31 kilometers south of Munich. Forget about the haves and have-nots for a moment and let yourself get inspired to get outside and stay there.
The SOD TRIP starts life as a Volkswagen Multivan T6.1 before transformation begins with an off-road chassis, BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires mounted to Delta rims, integrated winch with remote control, roof rack and front LED light bar.
The SOD BASE begins as a Volkswagen Grand California 680 4MOTION. Incremental performance packages include Ground Level, Level 1, Level 2, Level 2Plus (with trailer and two Vespa scooters or quad painted to match), Level 3 (“travel island” with fuel cell and an additional roof tent for two people) and Level 3Plus (ditto the two scooters or ATV painted to match). Serious adventure with a serious playbook requires serious equipment.
The SOD RISE 4×4 begins as an all-terrain Mercedes-Benz Unimog U5032 with 4 cylinders and 231 PS before being meticulously morphed into a rolling moneyed man cave fit for Elon Musk’s first Mars summit with Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos.
Designed for four, the RISE carries 106 gallons of fresh water and 40 gallons of gray water, is four-season ready with heat and air conditioning, and relies on a raised air intake system for driving through nearly four feet of water or mud. Your investment includes an aluminum cargo box, integrated front winch, alcove-front stone guard, 4×4 system with locking front and rear differentials, LED light bar, and rear spare tire carrier to haul a motorcycle or small ATV. All this is powered by a 400-Ah lithium-ion battery pack and is equipped with up to 840 watts of solar.
