STEEM DREAM: My Search for the Perfect Campervan

I’ll preface this exploration of the pros and cons of various campervans by saying that everyone’s perfect is different, and “perfect” probably doesn’t exist.

That in mind, let’s dive into my campervan dream, and the quest I’m currently on… finding the right one.

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A STEEM-Powered Campervan?

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I have a history with campervans, and generally tend to like vehicles where I can at least sleep in the back. Road tripping is my freedom. Driving has been my freedom since the day I got my license, way-back-when.

I don’t just want a campervan because it’ll be fun to have, to get out and go camping with my family. No, this is a deep longing born from the need for freedom and a lifelong love of seeing new places.

Why is this a Steem Dream?

Well, wouldn’t it be cool if I could pay for one of these with STEEM? Could get a little sticker for the side that says “STEEM POWERED,” or something.

Then I’d have to explain to people what it means. Hmmm… Guess I could just send them to a post. ;)

I’m a long way from being able to afford any of these campervans, with or without Steemit, but who knows what could happen. If I’m lucky, my campervan dream might come to fruition in the next couple years. Either way, this summer I’m hoping to drive as many campervans as I can.

Because I have two kids, I need a campervan that sleeps four, and I’m unwilling to look at options much over $100k. There are far more campervan choices if you only need to sleep two people, or are happy dropping $150,000 on an RV.

Yeah, no.

I’ve done a lot of searching, and gathered a list of campervans that sleep four, available in North America. Here are some I have my eye on, in hopes of getting on the road for views like this.

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Note: All photos below used with permission, courtesy of the companies listed in each respective section.

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VW Eurovan Camper

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Once upon a time, I had a Volkswagen Westfalia. I loved that van! So. Much. It was easy to drive. Slow, of course, but fun to drive. I could go anywhere, sleep in the back of up top, get up and go the next day or hang where ever.

The ultimate hippy van.

Unfortunately, it broke down. A lot. I can’t even count the number of times I overheated the engine, or drove around with the heat on in the summer. Yeah.

However, VW seems to have majorly improved things with the Eurovan Camper.

There’s a place in California called Pop Top Heaven that imports these in from Europe and restores them. They do mechanical and aesthetic updates, then sell the vans to happy campers, many of whom rack up the miles on these babies.

I want to climb in and drive away.

There’s a little kitchen with sink and two-burner propane stove. Also, storage compartments everywhere.

Rear seat folds into a bed, and there’s a bed up top, so this sleeps 4 people. There’s also a hand shower in the rear of the van, so you could shower beneath the back hatch.

Price Tag: Between $49,000-$56,000 USD for a 15+ year old van.

Things I like about the VW Eurovan Camper:

• It’s a small van I’d be comfortable driving anywhere.
• It’s a fun, familiar setup that reminds me of my Westy.
• It sleeps four, and the canvas gives it an open-air feel.
• I could use this as an everyday vehicle. << This is the thing that makes it most attractive.

Drawbacks:

• If it’s raining, or we want to sleep in a city incognito, we wouldn’t be able to use the roof bed.
• If the pop top is not up, you do have to duck inside the van a bit.
• If my family took this on a longer road trip, there would likely not be enough storage.
• No bathroom. We could use a portable toilet, but there isn’t really a good place to put it in the van.

Conclusion: Though I would love to have this as an everyday vehicle, it’s likely too small for long-term trips with a family of four.

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Roadtrek 170 Versatile

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Roadtrek offers some nice campervans, and they call the 170 Versatile “The ultimate small motorhome in a van.”

This rig has all the features you’d expect in an RV, with kitchen, water, and bathroom. The company said there is a shower in this unit, as well. The photo below shows a wardrobe past the kitchen, but all of that storage space would have to leave to replace it with a fourth seat, which we’d need for our family.

The seats in the front turn into two more beds.

Price Tag: Starting at $92,118 USD

Things I like about the Roadtrek 170 Versatile:

• It’s a smaller van I’d be comfortable driving anywhere.
• It has a bathroom and shower.
• The fuel economy is better than most bigger RVs.

Drawbacks:

• It still might be small for a long-term road trip.
• I’ve never trusted Chevy’s or Fords… but at least it’s not a Ford. (Not a fan.)

Conclusion: My partner thinks he wants a bigger vehicle, but I want one I’m comfortable driving. This van feels like a manageable size for me, while still having a kitchen and bathroom/shower. However, there might not be enough storage space for long-term trips with a family of four.

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Hymer Aktiv 2.0

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The Hymer Aktiv is a newer campervan option for North America. WIth European design, it's clean, classy, and has some fantastic features.

There are two possible layouts. This one includes a sofa bed in the back:

This layout uses a platform bed that you put together to create more space in the back. I especially like this option to lay out my yoga mat and stretch inside.

And here’s how it sleeps four. Though I think the bed in the front is pretty narrow, it would work for two kids.

Price Tag: Starting at $100,503 USD

Things I like about the Hymer Aktiv 2.0:

• The European design is pleasant and functional.
• It has a nicer bathroom set up, and more space inside.

Drawbacks:

• It’s a bit bigger than I want to drive.
• It comes with a higher price tag.

Conclusion: Of the choices I’ve found, this one is probably the best bet size-wise, even though my partner still probably thinks it’s too small.

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Why does Europe get all the cool campervans?

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I like Toyota trucks (we have two of them), and I’d love to see a Toyota campervan, mostly because I’d guess it would drive nice and be mechanically sound. Well, Toyota has a new campervan on the other side of the pond, very similar to the Volkswagen California, which is the current equivalent to the old Westfalia. The “Lernia,” built from a Toyota van and custom converted by Wellhouse Leisure, is rolling out this year.

There are a whole slew of cool campervans in other regions of the world, but looking at them is not lifting my spirits, since none of them are available in Canada.

If you happen to live in a place where campervan choices abound, more power to you. Hopefully you can have a STEEM-POWERED campervan, too!

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Bonus: VW Syncro

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Confession: If I were really honest, my ultimate campervan would be a VW Syncro, which is a 4x4 version of a Westfalia. These kick-ass campervans are quite rare, and I don’t know how much maintenance they require. Still, a girl can dream.

I won’t do pros and cons for this one. Let’s just rock out to some funky videos and bask in the awesomeness of the Syncro.

Here’s a Syncro rebuild done by Gregorie Blachon for a two-year, 50,000 mile, 15 country road trip through South America.

via Youtube

Here’s a video of Syncros looking badass and doing all kinds of things you didn’t think VW vans could do.

via Youtube

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Closing thoughts

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Part of me still wants the simplicity of a smaller campervan, but I’m not going to know what I’m comfortable driving until I get the chance to take different models for a test drive. Lucky for me (sort-of), I’m in no position to be making a major purchase right now, so I have lots of time to contemplate the possibilities.

What about you? What’s your dream vehicle? Is it a campervan, a Tesla, a jacked-up 4x4? Dream with me.

Peace. @katrina-ariel

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