Mercedes Benz Vario and Man G90


Mercedes-Benz Vario had 'bout the same look as the old Mercedes T1, which I done wrote about in an earlier post. It came out the year after that one stopped rollin’ off the line, and with that there boxy 1980s look, they kept on buildin’ it all the way up till 2013.

Back when I used to ride the school bus a whole lot, I always thought it was coolest when I got to ride in one o’ them big ol’ Mercedes 412 Sprinter vans — the ones with 17 seats. That was the king o’ the school minibuses right there.

Since then, I been keepin’ my eyes peeled for even bigger models — reckonin’ there might be some that could haul 21 folks or more. And sure enough, after takin’ a few trips ‘round Oslo, I spotted a Mercedes Vario parked up by Frogner, right across from one of them fancy Frogner House Apartments.

Now I remember thinkin’ back then — and many a time since — if that there van belonged to the American Embassy, or maybe some other big-shot embassy in the neighborhood, seein’ as they got plenty of say-so when it comes to Norwegian and global foreign affairs. I took notice of that van right ‘round the time George W. Bush was sittin’ in the White House and the Iraq War was kickin’ off.

Them Varios were known as the 500 Series from ‘96 to ‘01, and then the 600 and 800 Series from ‘96 all the way through 2013 — still rockin’ that 1980s styling like it never went outta fashion.

Not too long ago, I came across a 2011 Mercedes-Benz 614 for sale on FINN.no, and I swear, them dashboard gauges looked like somethin’ straight outta the ‘70s. Goes to show ya — even Mercedes can look a little behind the times every now and then.



The MAN G90 is one o’ them boxy vans that got drove a whole lot by the Norwegian road authorities, fire departments, and a whole bunch o’ other boring ol’ institutions. I’ve seen that thing rollin’ through the country more times than I can count.

But I tell ya, what really sticks out is seein’ ‘em as massive German campervans on vacation up in Norway. And despite bein’ built like dang barns, those things are real-deal four-wheelers — tough as nails. Still… ugh. German tourists. How they manage to get everywhere in Norway is beyond me. I swear, it’s gotta be a case for Mulder and Scully or somethin’.

And don’t even get me started on the road agency and them fellas Bjørn and Thord from Thord’s Garage. Lord help me — those two act like they’d marry a torque wrench if it smiled at ‘em. All revved up and no place to go.

Both these rigs — the MAN G90 and the Mercedes 814 Vario 4x4 version — are popular workhorses over in Iceland too. That Mercedes can haul a crazy number o’ tourists across lava fields, over glacial rivers, and down some of the wildest off-road trails you’ve ever seen.

But hey, if you can get your hands on one in civilian trim, you could go chasin’ after German RV folks and Bjørn & Thord with a vengeance — or just go tearin’ up the backcountry like a proper off-road outlaw.

Vil du ha en versjon som er enda mer hillbilly, eller skal jeg tone den litt ned til noe mer "standard sørstats-amerikansk"?


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