Your Cart is Empty
Some rigs are built for show. Nick Peregrino’s is built for the long haul. His 1987 Toyota van, Jane, has carried him from Oregon to the southern tip of South America, been shipped from Uruguay to Montreal, and recently covered five months between New York and the Oregon coast. After three years of living in her, Nick completely rebuilt her around a few key priorities: a power system with no fighting wires, a fridge with its own dedicated spot, and a setup for cooking and hanging out both outside and inside on a rainy, buggy day. In this edition of Rigs We Dig, he walks us through the build, the gear he’s most excited about, and the one feature he says he can’t live without.
Your Name: Nicholas Peregrino
Location: New York
What made you choose a (your vehicle make & model) as your base?
Can you give us a top highlight overview of your buildout and its key features?
What were your main goals or priorities when designing and building your rig?
Having returned from the PanAm with a much more simple build a few key features I wanted in the rebuild was a dedicated power system with no fighting wires. A refrigerator with its own dedicated location, and a set up where I could cook/hangout both outside and inside on a rainy/buggy day.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the build process?
With this recent build I used a lot of techniques and products I’ve never used before but luckily I had great friends/fellow overlanders to guide me!
How many dollar signs on a scale of 1($<$100) to 5($$$$$ ~ >$100,000+) is your build (5 being the highest)?
$$
What products, brands, or upgrades are you most excited about in your rig?
Vícton Bluetooth (solar controller, Dc to dc charger and smart shunt) a fridge with two separate dedicated cooling zones, and of course my HEST mattresses.Are there any features or upgrades you wish you had added (or done differently)?
To be determined! Or maybe a dedicated food and water bowl location for my side kick Gus Gus (fur baby*)What’s one feature in your rig that you’ve learned you cannot live without?
How much time and effort did the entire process take, and was it worth it?
I lived in my van for 3 years before I decided to do a complete rebuild . The process took about 4 weeks and was worth every minute!
Where is the coolest place you have taken your rig?
I drove from Oregon to the southern tip of South America shipped it from Uruguay to Montreal, Canada and recently spent 5 months driving from New York to the Oregon coast and now back in New York.
Do you have any advice for someone just starting their overland rig build?
I would recommend building it yourself. There is no “perfect” rig/build. Just perfect for you. Learn, adapt, figure it out, all great opportunities for growth! You won’t regret it.
Want to submit your rig for our blog? Email us at info@hest.com to get started!
