The camper van’s roots can be traced back to the Volkswagen bus that was so popular with the hippie movement in the 1960’s.
Volkswagen Bus (Courtesy of Unsplash)
It has however, undergone many design changes, various power plants and a ton of amenities to include various levels of comfort, ease of navigation and ready to hit the road at a moment’s notice.
My RAM High Top Camper Van
The experience one gets from living and traveling in today’s camper van can be likened to living and touring in a small motorhome.
Finishing the interior build out of my camper van
The interior space, however, is lacking compared to its larger brethren, but the smaller footprint affords one the ability to wander the country and camp or boondock practically anywhere one can drive a vehicle.
My Camper Van in The Black Hills of South Dakota
Bonuses of owning a camper van is that it can be used as a daily driver and gas mileage is great compared to a full-size motorhome.
Camper van can be driven almost anywhere. My camper van at White Sands, New Mexico
Today’s camper vans can and are being lived in; not only by the single, free spirited, fun seekers, but couples and even some families. Some live in them out of necessity and others for the nomad types that don’t wish to be tied down to a single location. Some use today’s camper van as a week-end getaway while others use them for mobile offices. With access to the Internet, more and more young people use them for traveling and experiencing the country while they work remotely.
My camper van in the Arizona Desert
Over the years, more manufacturers, such as Mercedes Benz, Ford, RAM and Nissan began entering the market with larger and high-top vans. The high tops, with their stand-up room caused even more demand for the camper van.
Today’s recreational van market coupled with the lengthy Covid virus has seen a huge spike in the demand for camper vans as people are tired of being on lockdown in their homes. They are buying high-top cargo vans, converting them and working remotely while maintaining social distancing. This has caused prices of high-top cargo vans to spike and difficult to find at a decent price as of this writing. More and more build out companies are charging upwards of $60-80K just for the build out; not including the van. These build outs can include bathrooms with showers, full kitchens, entertainment centers, and plenty of sleeping areas.
My camper van in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado
Most of today’s camper vans have the ability to tow a good amount of weight. This opens up the possibility of bringing along your toys such as a motorcycle, a boat or even a small travel trailer.
How about you? If you’re looking for a vehicle that can double as a camper and family transportation, a camper van may be what you’ve been looking for to satisfy that nomadic lifestyle you crave.
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