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Welcome back to Rigs We Dig—our monthly series celebrating the ingenuity, intention, and creativity behind DIY adventure rigs. This month, we’re heading to the Crystal Mountain to meet Krystin Norman and Peter Brigham and tour their 2022 Mercedes Sprinter 170 4x4, affectionately nicknamed Princess Program. Built with winter travel top of mind, this van was designed as a comfortable basecamp for ski days, cold nights, and long evenings parked in the mountains. From a custom sliding ski tray and gear-drying setup to a HEST Dually Custom S75 bed and an oven that sees daily use, this build prioritizes warmth, comfort, and practicality for chasing snow without overcomplicating the experience.
Your Name: Krystin Norman & Peter Brigham
Location: North Bend, WA
Rig Nickname: “Princess Program”
Make & Model: Mercedes Sprinter 170 4x4
Year: 2022
HEST products: Dually Custom S75, Camp Pillows x 4, Fleece Duvet & Down Comforter, Medium Dog Bed x 2
What made you choose the Toyota Tacoma as your base?
Can you give us a top highlight overview of your buildout and its key features?
Hangout mode: the driver and passenger swivel seats with bench space for two
Cooking: we have a 3 burner range and oven, fridge
Drying gear: we use a diesel heater and vent fan, hooks for hanging clothing, plus USB and 120V plugs for glove and boot dryers
Sleeping: a full HEST Dually Custom S75 setup, the 170 wheel base van gives length for bed for someone over 6’ tall
Gear storage: we have a large gear storage garage under the bed with space for 8+ pairs of skis or two bikes + extras
What were your main goals or priorities when designing and building your rig?
Creating a comfortable hangout and sleep space for after skiing. Gear storage with the ability to keep gear dry. And staying insulated for winter.
How many dollar signs on a scale of 1 to 5 is your build (5 being the highest)?
$$$$ including the cost of the van
What products, brands, or upgrades are you most excited about in your rig?
Battle Born battery power
Victron Electrical System (Inverter, Charger distributor, Battery monitoring system, 12v - 24 volt booster
Van interior details: bed, bench, kitchen, and storage.
Are there any features or upgrades you wish you had added (or done differently)?
What’s one feature in your rig that you’ve learned you cannot live without?
Probably the oven! We bake cookies and meals frequently and it simplifies our cooking and helps us eat healthy.
About 1 month to search for and purchase a cargo van, 8 months of time to build it out (May-December), and then we’ve spent some more weekends here and there to finish the build or adjust/upgrade certain aspects. Definitely worth the effort to build our own van because it is perfect for our needs!
Where is the coolest place you have taken your rig?
North Cascades WA, Nelson BC, Squamish BC, spring volcanoes in WA/OR.
Do you have any advice for someone just starting their overland rig build?
Try before you buy and ask people with similar lifestyles how they like their setups.
If you like projects, start small and cheap. Make mistakes, learn, fix things… You don't need to go all in on your first rig.
