PREFACE
CLIFF 4×4 ADVENTURE VAN
SUNLIGHT BUILDING DREAMS
WHY WOULD YOU DESIGN A VAN THAT IS NOT FOR SALE?
WHAT DEFINES US : WE DO IT OUR WAY.
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We are adventure-hunting nomads. We love the freedom to live life to the fullest. We carry ideas and dreams within us — and they need to get out just like we have to. That is why we turned one of our visions into reality: we designed and constructed a vehicle that embodies our concept of the ultimate adventure camper van. It is a concept van, our adventurous dream scenario. It is strong, crazy, unique — packed with powerful tools, revealing daring concepts. The van is an adventure in its own right. The dream of our athletes, our dream — and by now the dream of so, so many people out there. We set out with a new mindset, questioned everything, took different perspectives and put together a diverse team of experts to rethink and redesign the concept of a mobile home. We put big things on the roof, created a multifunctional rear and an interior that likes to be moved — but we will come to that later. Today, the Adventure Van hits the road and attracts all eyes. We have built our Concept Van exclusively for our Factory Team. We asked our athletes for their input and they came back with fresh feedback, we lined up our own ideas and visions — and put them into reality. The result has blown our minds and so has the public’s response to our adventurous vision. Our construction has excited and inspired numerous adventure hunters & freedom lovers. The feedback from all sides was amazing. This assures us that we are on the right track and it strengthens our commitment to keep on innovating. There may be people saying: “This won’t work.” But we know it will. That’s the conviction that the Adventure Van embodies. Let’s keep on building dreams! Let’s keep on rolling.
BECAUSE TRUE INNOVATION GROWS FROM MINDSET SHIFTS.
THE PROJECT We are not a very big team at SUNLIGHT — but we are a tight team. We all have different backgrounds, but we are all free-spirited, extremely curious and eager to push boundaries. We believe this is exactly the attitude it takes to create special rolling homes that enable people (including us) to explore the
PREFACE
CLIFF 4×4 ADVENTURE VAN
SUNLIGHT BUILDING DREAMS
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world. Exciting and smart vehicles that take us to remote corners and unknown places and that allow us to be flexible and independent — to choose our own way. Sport and the outdoors have always been driving forces of the SUNLIGHT mindset. We not only love being on the road, we love being in nature: on foot in the mountains, on the ropes in the rocks, with the board in the sea or snow, with the bike on the trail. This is why we have put together a Factory Team of professional athletes that travel the world for their sports. With our mobile homes they get the chance to live their dreams. Yet, our own big dream has always been to build a ride that is not only the coolest home-base on tour. We had a van in mind that is a unique playground in its own right, a van that not only takes you on adventures, but is an adventure itself. As we are a young and sporty team at SUNLIGHT, it was no surprise that we already had numerous ideas in our minds for the ultimate adventure van. However, we had to convince further experts that our project is worth believing in. We were not a hundred percent sure whether our rather particular plan would at all make sense to our designing engineers, buyers or electricians. Little did we know of how powerful their contribution would turn out to be and that in the end their conviction defined the final direction of the Adventure Van …
BECAUSE WE DO WHAT WE BELIEVE IN. AND WE KNOW WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. Never has team recruitment and team motivation been that easy. Each and every one of them was all fired up for the project. We had sparked a flame and their passion for creating a truly unique van has been burning ever since. All those experts were excited to get creative, to envision and jointly realize innovations — but this meant we all had to leave our comfort zone, had to question the established and face new challenges.
BECAUSE SUNLIGHT IS NOT MADE FOR STANDING STILL. We worked relentlessly. We were fine-tuning features back home in our garages and pondering over details after dinner. Across generations and departments every single one involved showed an incredible dedication. Our adventurous project turned out to become a perfect team building measure. Thus, the van has already revealed its true spirit during the development process: it is a bold move forward, it seeks and encourages new adventures and celebrates community. The image of the burning passion for this project became our guideline when we ultimately had to decide what to incorporate. We were facing two major challenges: the budget and the weight. We had one thousand ideas but had to stay below the 3.5 ton mark. Thus, we defined a set-up that focused on the four elements: the fire is represented in the powerful 4 wheel drive, on the roof we have a hammock for airy times. The winch pulls our boarders over the water and you have to firmly ground the kicker ramp in the earth — to be lifted up. The planning and designing took us half a year — followed by another six months to build the van. A very strong and passionate team has left its signature on and in this vehicle. Now, our Adventure Van is out there
PREFACE
SUNLIGHT BUILDING DREAMS
CLIFF 4×4 ADVENTURE VAN
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on the roads — and the reactions have been incredible. The Adventure Van has impressed and inspired so many people out there who all seem to share our passion. It is a statement piece that authentically reflects our mindset. It has been an incredible adventure for us and will continue to be so.
STEAM
youtu.be/qKyvk5aww3k
SPLASH
youtu.be/_299645FfOE
WEBISODES Of course, we did not just build the Adventure Van for our Factory Team to enjoy the best ride of their lives. We wanted to at least follow them on their trips to those cool spots and capture their journeys on camera. Oli and Guido fulfilled a life-long dream that took them to Sicily: they set out to ride Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano. For the two professional mountain bikers it turned out to be one of the most surreal experiences of their lives.
FUNCTIONS youtu.be/EAwPAg0s1yk
On (or rather off) the road with Lena and Aline, the Adventure Van had no sand under its wheels, yet heaps of snow. The two freeride pros took our van to the glacier in white-out conditions. The next day they woke up to sunshine and had an incredible day shredding the untouched powder — first with the 4×4 van on the parking lot, then with their boards on the hill. In between rides they set up the hammock on the roof to relax.
BECAUSE WE ARE BUILDING DREAMS.
Felix took the climbing wall on the van’s back to get to the winch on the roof. It is equipped with a 500 m long cable that pulled him through the waters at a remote spot in Bavaria. He had a high-flying splash of a time with a lot of spinning and flipping. But we should stop raving about the trips — take a look yourself. You find all webisodes online — dive in and enjoy the ride!
SPRAY
youtu.be/DXlEwb1F3iA
C
ON TE N T
I
STEAM
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VAN TO VOLCANO : MOUNTAIN BIKE PROS OLI DORN UND GUIDO TSCHUGG RIDE THE SANDY LAVA FLANKS OF MOUNT ETNA. THE GROUND STEAMS, THE SEA SPARKLES. IT TURNS OUT TO BE THE MOST SURREAL TOUR OF THEIR LIVES. Starring Guido Tschugg & Oli Dorn
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SPLASH
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WAKEBOARD PRO & WINCH VIRTUOSO FELIX GEORGII SETS OUT ON A ROAD TRIP — AND HAS HIS DREAM PACKED ON THE ROOF : A 500 METER CABLE WINCH. HE FINDS THE PERFECT LONG LINE SPOT AND THROWS DOWN HIS CABLE TRICKS, WALL RIDES AND SPIN SESSIONS. Starring Felix Georgii
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SPRAY
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WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ON THE WAY UP THE GLACIER. THEY CLOSE THE ROAD BEHIND LENA STOFFEL AND ALINE BOCK. THE TWO FREERIDERS SPEND A LONELY NIGHT ON THE PARKING LOT — AND WAKE UP TO SUNSHINE & PILES OF POWDER. Starring Lena Stoffel & Aline Bock
EPILOGUE
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GO
WHERE YOU FEEL MOST
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ALIV
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ALIVE E L A E V ALI E V I ALIVE AL E V I L A A L I VE E ALIVE A L I V E E E V I V I L AL ALIVE VAEL E V I IVE ALIVE ALAI L EALIVEAL I V I V L A E E E V I L
IT IS TIME TO LIVE A DREAM: RIDING MOUNT ETNA! STEAM
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IT IS EUROPE’S MIGHTIEST VOLCANO AND ITS FLANKS RUN RIGHT DOWN INTO THE IONIAN SEA — THE PERFECT GROUND FOR TWO CRAZY MOUNTAIN BIKERS WITH A BURNING PASSION.
OLI DORN
&
GUIDO TSCHUGG
PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN
N O I T C A N O I T C A ACTION N O I T C A N O I T C A ACTION N O I T C A N O I T C A N ACTIO ACTIO
N O I T C A N O I T C A N
ACTIO
N O I T C A N O I T C A N
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STEAM
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ON THE INSIDE OF THE REAR DOOR YOU FIND A FOLD-OUT REPAIR STAND FOR YOUR BIKE. THE CLAMP HOLDS YOUR BIKE SECURELY WHILE YOU OIL THE CHAIN OR WASH OFF THE MUD — WITH THE MOBILE SHOWER HOSE THAT YOU CAN CONNECT TO THE VALVE IN THE BACK.
● Oli Dorn, Professional Mountain Biker
INTEGRATED SERVICE STATION
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STEAM
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●K ai Schröder, Project Coordinator
WIDE OPEN SPACE FOR ME, ONE OF THE HIGH LIGHTS OF THE ADVENTURE VAN IS THE OPEN INTERIOR CONCEPT. THERE ARE NO HIGH CUPBOARDS OR CLOSETS AND YOU STILL HAVE PLENTY OF STORAGE. PLUS, YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE THE SET-UP WITH THE MOBILE SHOWER CABIN OR THE INFLATABLE EXTRA BEDS.
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STEAM
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I ALWAYS HAD THIS HIGH-FLYING DREAM OF BRINGING A KICKER ON THE ROAD WITH ME. I LOVED THE IDEA OF STOPPING AT A COOL SPOT, GETTING THE RAMP OUT AND HAVING A BIT OF AIRTIME FUN BEFORE DINNER. THE ADVENTURE VAN NOW HAS ITS VERY OWN KICKER STORAGE COMPARTMENT.
●G uido Tschugg, MTB-Legend
RAMP ON BOARD
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C O A ME S F T E H THE R A C RDE L S I T M B S . 50
THE BES VIE T W
START TODAY
SPLASH
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WE WANTED TO TOP IT ALL AND PUT A POWERFUL WINCH ON THE ROOF OF THE VAN. IT ALLOWED OUR WAKEBOARD ATHLETE FELIX TO ACCESS CRAZY LOCATIONS AND GET REALLY CREATIVE WITH HIS RIDING.
WE WAN T TO PUSH BOUNDARIE S. BUT SOMETIMES IT’S GREAT BEING PULL ED — BY A FELIX GEORGII MASS IVE WINCH.
NO MATTER WHAT
PEOPLE SAY
DO IT YOUR
WA
!
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SPLASH
CLIFF 4×4 ADVENTURE VAN
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THE ADVENTURE VAN HAS SLIDING DOORS ON BOTH SIDES. THAT ALLOWS VENTILATING AIR TO CHARGE THROUGH AND MAKES IT EASY TO FIND A CAMPING SPOT. AND YOU NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE VIEW : YOU’RE LYING ON THE BED WITH THE DOORS WIDE OPEN, THE LAKE ON THE LEFT SIDE, THE MOUNTAINS ON THE RIGHT.
● Pirmin Wiedemann, Team Leader Sales
WIDEN YOUR HORIZON
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SHOULD. WOULD. COULD. DID!
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THE ADVENTURE VAN TAKES ME TO PLACES A BOAT CAN’T GO. THE WINCH ON THE ROOF HOLDS A 500 M CABLE AND IT WINDS UP WITH A PULL SPEED OF UP TO 65 KM/H. THIS MEANS YOU CAN FIRST RIDE THE MOST INCREDIBLE WATER OR SNOW SPOTS. BELIEVE ME: IT’S TONS OF FUN.
STRONG PULL ●F elix Georgii, Wakeboard Pro
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TRAINING TOOL & BOOMBOX ●R ainer Buck, Innovation Manager
YOU CAN USE THE TELESCOPE BARS ON THE CEILING FOR STORING THE MATTRESSES OR BOARDS — OR FOR YOUR MORNING PULL-UP WORKOUT. THE STURDY, PORTABLE JBL BOOMBOX DELIVERS A BASS-HEAVY SOUND, AND THE BOTTLE OPENER SHOWS OUR FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIAL …
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E I T .
D B R E A E A LIE M I C T D V . H E I E I V T . E I T .
D R
D R B E A M E L A IEV IT C E H I I T E . V E I T .
B E
. T I M . A T I E D R I E V E IT. L E E B HIEV AC
DR B E E A L ACH I E V IEV E
A M I T. E I H C A B E L I E V E I T D R E E . R A D M B ACHIEVE IT. E L I E I T. L E B ACH V E I T IEVE . C A IT. D R E A M I T. . B E L I E V E T I I T M . . . T A T I I A M C E H A I E E E V R R E I T V . . D T . E T I I I E V L E E I L E E V B B E E I . T I E H V E I C AC CH D R E A A H M B E L I E I T. V E I T. ACHIE VE
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THIS IS WHAT THE ADVENTURE VAN IS BUILT FOR : EXPOSED TO EXTREME SNOW CONDITIONS OUR CUTTINGEDGE VAN SHOWS ITS PERFORMANCE ENHANCING QUALITIES AND PLAYFUL CHARACTER.
AFTER THE SNOW DUMP COMES SUNSHINE — AND PRISTINE POWDER RIDES WIT H BOARD AND VAN. LENA STOFFEL
&
ALINE BOCK
SPRAY
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TRY TO TOP THE COOLNESS FACTOR OF CLIMBING UP A BOULDERING WALL ON THE REAR OF YOUR VAN TO GET TO THE ROOF. THERE YOU SET UP A GIANT HAMMOCK AND THEN HANG OUT IN THE ULTIMATE CHILL-OUT SPOT THREE METERS ABOVE THE GROUND.
HANGOUT HIGH UP ●L ena Stoffel, Freeride Athlete
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THEY CLOSED DOWN THE ROAD RIGHT BEHIND US. WHILE OTHERS DIDN’T MANAGE TO DRIVE UP TO THE GLACIER WITH THEIR SNOW CHAINS, WE TOOK TURNS PLOUGHING THROUGH THE SNOW ON THE EMPTY PARKING LOT. WE HAD POWDER RUNS WITH THE VAN FOLLOWED BY POWDER RUNS WITH THE BOARD. ● Aline Bock, Snowboard Pro
4×4 — THE PLOUGH
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WO
O O OP
STOP SAYING SHOULD. START SAYING
O
!
O
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SPRAY
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MAXIMIZING FREEDOM THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE INTERIOR IS FULLY VARIABLE TO GIVE THE ADVENTURE VAN A FREE SPIRIT FROM INSIDE OUT : YOU GET THE SPACE YOU DESERVE, YOU CAN MOVE FREELY AND REARRANGE THE INTERIOR FROM THE BED TO THE SEATS TO THE SHOWER. ●M artin Than, Head of Prototype Department
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EPILOGUE
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MARTIN ERD IS ONE OF THE BEST TRAVEL AND SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHERS IN GERMANY AND A MEMBER OF OUR FACTORY TEAM. HE HAS ACCOMPANIED EACH AND EVERY ADVENTURE AND THEREFORE KNOWS THE VAN INSIDE OUT.
A SPECIAL MESSAGE When I heard the first rumours that the SUNLIGHT team was considering creating an exceptional van, I knew they would not shy away from it. I knew they would embrace the unique opportunity to shape something truly progressive whole heartedly. Of course, it was a huge honour — and great fun — to be the one taking the Adventure Van out on trips with the athletes and to document all its journeys. First of all, the exterior is such a standout statement, it makes my job fairly easy. Trust me, it’s not hard to make the van look good. But it was also cool to see the jaw-dropping, eye-popping reactions. On the road, strangers were waving wildly and when we parked people sneaked up curiously and asked whether they could climb the bouldering holds or take a look inside. We loved giving them a full tour of the van. In the end, it was still also exciting for us. On those road trips we were all like kids in a toy shop. Or rather grown-up kids with a driving license and a camper van that carries a special message: go do what you love doing most. We sure did!
APPENDIX
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CLIFF 4×4 ADVENTURE VAN
SUNLIGHT BUILDING DREAMS
PUBLISHER
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN
Sunlight GmbH Bahnhof 11 88299 Leutkirch im Allgäu Germany Phone +49 7561 9097–200 info@sunlight.de sunlight.de/en facebook.com/sunlight instagram.com/sunlight _ freedom _ is _ my_ life A company of the ERWIN HYMER GROUP.
HammerAlbrecht hammeralbrecht.design
PHOTOGRAPHY Martin Erd martinerd.com
TEXT Sissi Pärsch sissi-paersch.de
ILLUSTRATION Anna Kranebitter superstudio.at
PRINT Eberl Print
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