Inspired by sweat bathing experiences and sauna vehicles across Europe, Nick Rosenblum created his very own sauna on wheels, dubbed Vanya.

Based near Portland, Maine, the roving steam bath can be found along the state’s mid-coast region and has gone as far west as the Catskills. Pre-COVID, the van was a hit at events and pop-ups like beer gardens, yoga studios, beaches and urban art spaces. Now the van is available for private rentals and gatherings.

Rosenblum found the 2011 Mercedes Sprinter 2500 170” WB on the west coast in 2018, and drove it back to Maine with the intention of building a public sauna culture through events with friends.

“My creative work has always been about creating new social experiences and my vision for this project was a flexible, mobile wellness environment,” Rosenblum says. “After a few false starts with other builders and working through some initial design challenges, I was lucky to link up with AWOL Rigs who took the idea and executed it beautifully.”

Housing a hummum in a van is quite a feat, and AWOL had their work cut out for them with the Mercedes Sprinter.

“The sauna van is super cool. We are so proud of it,” said Eli Ellis, of Cushing, Maine-based AWOL Adventure Rigs, who handled the van build-out. “The aesthetics of it are one thing, but the way that it actually functions as a sauna really exceeded all of our expectations.”

Rigging a van with a sauna is different from a traditional residential van built-out. “The electrical system and the water system use the same components and approach that we use in our other van build outs, but the similarities ended there,” Ellis says.

Since metal is a great heat conductor, Ellis eliminated thermal bridges between the wood sauna and metal chassis for optimal heat retention. And from there AWOL built-out the interior according to the common best practices for sauna design and codes.

“When we finally fired it up, I wasn’t exactly sure how well it would perform as a sauna. I wondered if we were forcing a whimsical idea into existence,” Ellis says. “In the end, attention to design and detail paid off. You can get the sauna room very hot in a very short amount of time with a very small amount of wood. We were delighted with the results. This was a very fun project.”

Aesthetically AWOL brought Rosenblum’s vision to life with Scandinavian-inspired design elements like the Aspen-clad interior along with fun details like a deer antler used as the sauna door handle.

The front of the van is fitted with seating and under-bench storage systems, while the back houses a closed-off, wood-fired dry sauna.

Tiered benches make the most of the small space, so eight people can fit inside. A glass door and large rear window welcome in natural night. And fiberglass and epoxy flooring finished in marine paint allows for easy cleaning.

Two sliding air vents control airflow in the sauna and for the fire. And a double-insulated chimney cap detaches from the roof during travel.

Two water tanks feed an outdoor pull-chain shower at the rear of the van. The al fresco shower wall is clad in Eastern White cedar and Douglas fir. Outside the van, Vanya has a changing tent and outdoor cold plunge tub to complete the hot-cold spa experience.

Other bathing amenities, like sauna whisks made of balsam fir and eucalyptus, essential oils for aromatherapy infusions, incense, skincare products, Turkish towels, herbal teas, and meditative sound mixes, are available.

While the public programming is currently on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rosenblum is starting to take reservations for private rentals this winter. Private rentals start at $350, depending on location, duration, amount of people, add-on amenities, and services desired.

“The hope is to resume offering community sessions where individual bench space is offered at accessible price points,” Rosenblum says. “This previously ranged from $20 to $30 per person for a 60-minute schvitz.”

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Project credits:

Architect of Record: AWOL Rigs

Builder/General Contractor: AWOL Rigs

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