Californian Inventor Spends Millions Creating One-Off Camper Van To Take His 4YO Daughter Around The World

Are you a fan of camping? Ever set off on long scientific explorations? Do you have a general disdain for refilling your fuel tank? Well, have we got the expedition vehicle for you. This is the KiraVan, a formidable off-roader engineered from the ground up to do one thing – get you (and your stuff) there and back. Inventor Bran Ferren developed the vehicle as a mobile learning lab for his daughter Kira, but also with scientists and film crews in mind. It allows teams to trek out to remote locations but not forgo the comforts of working from a lab or an editing studio.

More info: KiraVan (h/t: motor1)

If you’re thinking, “Hey, that kind of looks like a Unimog,” you’d be right. The KiraVan is one part Unimog and one part fifth-wheel camper. Up front, a modified Mercedes-Benz Unimog truck chassis supports a four-door cabin, putting 260-horsepower and 700lb-ft of torque to the ground through a six-cylinder turbodiesel. Out back, the 52-foot trailer comprises sleeping compartments, a full kitchen, two computer workstations, a bathroom, a private area solely for Kira’s use, and Ferren’s turbodiesel KiraBike, located on a rear elevator. If the going gets too tough, power can be sent to the trailer’s rear wheels – offering 6×6 operation up to 25mph.