Rémi Gauvin's Mercedes Sprinter & Rocky Mountain Slayer

Rémi enjoying the space he's made in the van.

Rém's 2011 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2500.

The custom carbon fibre wrap on the hood is a carry over from the previous owner. It looks good and gets Rémi heaps of praise.

No re-badging here. It's the real deal.

It's in the name…

From the outside, Rémi's van is a complete sleeper. Unless viewing it from a higher vantage point, where the roof vent is visible, it looks pretty much bone stock.

But inside… the van was built around hauling bikes. Four bikes easily fit.

Slide out trays make access to each bike easy.

The sliders came from Lee Valley and Rémi and his father made the trays themselves. "Gerber for when things get real." The axe is a nice touch for times of need.

Rocky Mounts hooked Rémi up with these axle mounts and he's a big fan. An internal shim makes mounting any axle size possible; DH bike, trail bike or road bike. It also locks, which is a bonus.

Rém discovered these organizers on another van build and thought they looked pretty handy. He keeps one on each of the rear doors.

They are for horse trailers, cost $40 on Amazon and do the trick for keeping the tools, bike parts and whatever else from rattling around on the floor.

Magnetic window covers keep the light out and some heat in. The magnets make them easy to install and remove.

A small light bar was added to the rear door and there's also one under the bed, lighting the bikes. If any bike work or access to the bikes is needed, there's enough light to work with.

Rém says the stock Sprinter van sound system is subpar, so he added JBL Speakers in all four corners (even though speaker cover is Kenwood) as well as a sub. "Now the van pumps."

Shore power for all the power. As long as there is a hook up…

Light switches for the rear door lightbars and shore power control. He also keeps a container of water in the back.

The living quarters…

The fridge sits behind the driver's seat and I imagine is often used as a table.

Bikes have been known to make their way into the cab from time to time as well…

The bed tucked away so people can sit in the rear passenger seat. Rémi still wanted proper seats for people to sit in when on the road, rather than camping chairs or other hill-billy options.

Removing the headrests from the seats, the bed then folds down for sleeping. The van is on the short side for a full-size bed and functioning passenger seat, forcing Rémi and his dad to get creative

"Sleeping bags aren't quite as trendy as the Hudson Bay Company Blankets and duvets that you see in most vans but they keep you pretty cozy at night." – Rémi

A friend gave Rémi these cabinets out of his van build when he decided they wouldn't work for his own. They are built specifically for a Sprinter and keep things stowed away nicely.

They're big and sturdy but also cut into the best space, meaning someone has to sleep partially under the cabinet. Rémi said he often does the gentlemanly thing and gives his partner Miranda Miller the better spot.

Moisture is the enemy in a van so an overhead fan is key.

Bus bar that powers the rear lights etc. It will eventually be panelled and covered up but for now it's fun to sleep next to.

The electrical system at a glance. A 200amp hour battery bank, which is housed underneath the van, is charged by 200watts of solar power. There's 1200w inverter/charger for using AC appliances, which charges from off-shore power. Lights, fridge, water pump (yet to be installed), overhead fan, and USB ports all run on DC power. There is also another 100amp hour battery under the hood that is charged off of the alternator. It powers the Espar Diesel heater, the amp for the subwoofer, and a smaller inverter that could potentially charge the house system if things went sideways.

DC breaker panel. Most of the electrical components used for the van are actually sold as marine hardware.

Inverter Controller

Marine grade electronic hardware was used. Rémi's father feels if they last in a boat, they should work well for a long time in a van.

Master battery switch.

Solar charge controller.

Magnum! 1,200w inverter charger. Rémi says he wanted a bigger one so he could potentially run an espresso machine off of it since he's a coffee fiend. But the inverter chargers are pricey and there are other ways to make good coffee…

I tested out the power supply with a quick battery refresh.

Espar heater controller. Set to a comfortable 69 degrees F…

Pre-made overhead shelves can be purchased for around $500 but in the spirit of this van build, Rémi and his father decided to build it themselves. It's a great place to put more odds and ends and make an otherwise useless space useful.

Swivel seats with Race Face seat covers to keep the mud off the upholstery. These are a fairly common conversion in vans, allowing owners to spin the seat and surround the chill zone in the back.

Under the passenger seat is an Espar diesel heater which is tapped directly into the diesel tank of the van. It kept the van warm even when there was no insulation in it and it uses next to no diesel to do so.

Rémi likes his music but also listens to the odd podcast…

Last but not least, the most important part for Rémi is his coffee maker, which he travels the globe with in this modified case.

It's no built-in espresso maker, but for Rémi and his fine tastes, it still makes a great cuppa.

His "on the road espresso" maker. The EspressoForge, to a non-coffee drinker like me, looks wild and hearing how it works is simple but quite interesting.

Chris King coffee press? (Ed note: that's a portafilter tamper, AJ - we'll forgive you since you don't partake in the black gold).

Rémi's current bike is the Rocky Mountain Slayer. He's been testing between large and medium in preparation for the race season but isn't sure if he'll race a Slayer yet.

The 2019 Fox Factory 36 with GRIP2 takes care of the 170mm front wheel travel.

Rémi says he's a fan of the Maxxis Assegai for the front tire. He uses the Double Down version and he runs 22psi.

A Fox Float X2 takes care of the 170mm or rear wheel travel. Rémi prefers the progression he's able to achieve with this and runs the can chock full of spacers.

The Slayer features Rocky's Ride-4 geometry chip system. Rémi has been running it in position two, which provides a 64.1-degree head angle and 76.1-degree seat tube angle with a 30mm BB drop.

Crankbrothers Mallet-E pedals provide Rémi a stance he's comfortable with, despite his DH background.

The more recent Rocky's feature a chainstay protector not dissimilar to the one Specialized released a couple of years ago. The ridges help dampen chain slap, quietening the bike down.

An early production version of Shimano's XTR drivetrain features on Rémi's Slayer. No doubt this will be replaced with a fresh one in 2020 – while this one continues to work wonderfully, it's seen some abuse.

Cranks courtesy of the pre-launch issues feature minimal branding. He's running a 34t chainring.

XTR for Shimano's top level racers.

Shimano XTR 4-piston brakes take care of rapidly stopping Rémi when he's at full tilt. He also runs 203mm rotors front and rear.

His rear tire of choice is the DHRII. He opts for the tougher DH casing and adds in a Cushcore for added security. Air pressure is set to 24psi.

A 175mm Fox Transfer Dropper post provides Rémi with enough drop to get out of the way.

A WTB Silverado is his saddle of choice.

The OneUp EDC tool keeps Rémi prepared for any trailside repairs. After some testing, he's chosen a 50mm stem, noting that he enjoys the room it provides.

Shimano XTR all over. Rémi runs a 760mm wide bar.

Race Face Grippler grips soften the blows and keep his hands firmly grasping the bar.

Tires of choice. The Assegai in a Double Down casing for grip at the front…

And a DHRII in a DH casing with a Cushcore insert in the rear.

Rocky Mountain has backed Rémi for years now, and he's going into his fifth year as an EWS athlete with the brand.