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Welcome back to Rigs We Dig, our monthly series highlighting the people behind thoughtfully built adventure vehicles. This month, we're featuring Erica Zazo's rig, "Urb": a 1992 Toyota HiAce Grand Cabin kept fully original, from community hikes and beer tours around Chicago to family camping trips across the Midwest. Outfitted with the HEST Foamy, comforter, and camp pillow, this nine-seat Japanese tour van proves an adventure rig doesn't need a build to be a home. It's a van built for sharing, proof that the best rigs are the ones you bring people along in.
Photo Credit: Erica Zazo
Your Name: Erica Zazo
Location: Chicago, IL
Rig Nickname:Urb
Make & Model: Toyota HiAce Grand Cabin
Year: 1992
HEST products:The Foamy, Comforter, & Camp Pillow
What made you choose the Toyota HiAce Grand Cabin as your base?
Fate. No, really. I was randomly scrolling through Instagram one day when a friend of mine posted an image of her neighbor’s car, which was for sale in their apartment building's parking lot. At the time, I had been dreaming of a new adventure. Turns out that new adventure was actually an adventure vehicle. The adventure van Gods were shining down upon me in Chicago in the summer of 2024, and they dropped this beautiful Toyota HiAce into my life. I never dreamed of owning a 9-passenger, right-hand-drive Japanese van, but here I am now.
Can you give us a top highlight overview of your buildout and its key features?
What were your main goals or priorities when designing and building your rig?
My van’s name – “Urb” – is a nod to our urban home in Chicago. And this "urban van” is not my van – it’s actually the community’s van. It’s shared among folks who come out with me on tours through Trail to Taproom. I get to share this van with friends and strangers that I take out on hikes and to local beer spots in and around the city. I also take it on camping trips in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois throughout the warmer months with friends and family.
I also bought this van to do some urban adventuring and go on car camping adventures with my family. Urb is unique in that it can fit allll of our camping gear – and still have room for several humans to go on the adventure with us, including my 1.5-year-old daughter who has been camping with Urb and us four times now. It’s our go-to family camping adventure vehicle.
As far as its build: This van is a tank. It runs on diesel. It’s a workhorse through and through. While it’s conquered mountain passes on cross-country road trips, it also helps me get my daughter to the suburbs weekly to spend time with her grandma. The most work it has needed in its first couple of years with me (knock on wood) has been a new battery and a coolant line replacement. Thankfully, I’m connected with a super reliable (super old-school) Chicago mechanic who loves working on my van because that means he gets to drive it around the neighborhood to “make sure it’s in working order.”
This van is beyond comfortable, too. The seats are plush velvet armchairs that feel more like a couch than a decades-old HiAce. The front seats spin around into “social seating,” which makes for an amazing place to camp out next to the beach and play some cards or simply hang out with friends. I’ve also taken the van to Superdawg to nosh on some Chicago dogs – I’ve never peaked harder as a Chicagoan than that moment.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the build process?
While I haven’t built out this van, it’s been a challenge to own a van in such a massive metropolis as Chicago. If you can imagine, parking is difficult here. At first, I was parking it on the street. Then I got nervous about theft and damage to my brand new baby, so I looked into a long-term Spot Hero rental and got super lucky with an alley spot only a block away. A year or so later, my neighbor got rid of her car, and I’ve managed to park it in her garage spot since. I feel so lucky to have a parking spot for Urb right out back of my condo. It seems that Urb has some undeniably good juju.
How many dollar signs on a scale of 1 to 5 is your build (5 being the highest)?
$
What products, brands, or upgrades are you most excited about in your rig?
I’d love to eventually get an awning to add to the side of the van so that when we camp, we have a shaded and dry place to hang out when it rains. I think one day, when we move out of the city, we will end up converting the van into a camper van of sorts. I’d like to start by removing the back row of seats (leaving me with six passenger seats) and putting in a kitchen off the back of the rig. Then, down the road, I would love to convert the entire van into a camper build-out with a full bed, small kitchen, and one row of seats for a couple of passengers. I’m completely in love with the buildouts and modular products that Onwards Adventure Vehicles designs and crafts. Now… to figure out how to get my van to Cornwall, UK, so they can help me build it out. 🤔
Are there any features or upgrades you wish you had added (or done differently)?
I still haven’t figured out a damn windshield wiper sprayer replacement. If anyone knows someone (or someone who knows someone) in Chicago who can help me out (or from afar) – hit me up. My go-to Chicago mechanic tried his best but, ultimately, couldn’t figure it out.
What’s one feature in your rig that you’ve learned you cannot live without?
It’s gotta be a tie between the "High Roof" design and the curtains. This especially hasn’t been more true since we’ve welcomed our daughter, AJ, who is now 1.5 years old. During her earliest months, around 2-6 months old, we spent tons of time getting around in the van. We found an attachment to hook up her car seat inside the van, and we’d drive down to the Chicago lakefront for some family hikes and time by the water. My wife nursed her in the van many times. We’d pull the blinds shut for privacy or to simply block the sun to keep AJ cool. I also can’t imagine having to get in and out of the van with a baby in tow without being able to stand up and move around with her in my arms. This super-tall rig is a game-changer for family adventure travel.
How much time and effort did the entire process take, and was it worth it?
The most time-consuming part of this van was deciding to buy it in the first place. But, mannn, am I glad I did. I hemmed and hawed about it for months. Thankfully (again, thanks to the van Gods who were looking out for me), the seller didn’t want to just sell this van to anyone. So, ultimately, he kept it until I was ready to make the move. He saw my vision for making this a community vehicle and resource – and I am so appreciative of him for making sure he handed off the van to me! I love sharing this rig with all of Chicago.
Where is the coolest place you have taken your rig?
On a cross-country road trip to Colorado for the last (*sheds tear*) Roam Fest in 2025. Along the way, I made pit stops in the middle-of-nowhere Iowa for an overnight camping trip, I spent a week in Fruita, Colorado at the mountain bike fest, and I spent a final week in Durango before heading back home. Pro tip: Never drive through Kansas; it has to be the most boring state ever… sorry not sorry, Kansas.
Honestly, I probably need more rig-building advice than I can give. So instead, here's what I'd offer: consider thinking of your van as something bigger than yourself. Find ways to share it with others. Doing that has meant a lot to me – and I bet it will for you too.
