Another big consideration for the type of van you choose should be your lifestyle while on the road. For example, if you’re going to be living the digital nomad lifestyle and working remotely from the road, you may want a van that has space for you to work out of.
Some vans are more suitable for off-road adventures, while others are more conducive to blending in and city camping. Depending on your budget, style of vanlife, and your needs in a vehicular home, some vans may be preferable to others.
Depending on your budget, style of vanlife, and your needs in a vehicular home, some vans may be preferable to others. Just under 50 percent of vanlifers are doing it full-time, with the rest doing it to travel for a few weeks or months.
Many of the newer vans have lots of extra road safety features included, as well as extras like parking assist and hill climb assist. Your van is about to become your home, but it’s still a vehicle and you will want to be safe as you travel the open road.
TrueCar has ranked the best cargo vans for the money for June 2022. Research the top-performing vehicles on our list before heading to the dealership!
Interior size is crucial. Full-size vans have up to 550 cubic feet of interior space, but you might not need so much. Interior space costs money. The more area you have, the more you can expect to pay for your work vans.
If you upgrade to the high-roof configuration, that number jumps to 323 cubic feet. The Nissan NV 1500 has a V6 engine and can tow 6,900 pounds.
You can choose a 1500, 2500, or 3500 configuration. The new ProMaster is powered by a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and a six-speed automatic transmission. If you prefer, you can choose the 3.0-liter 4-cylinder EcoDiesel option instead with a six-speed manual transmission. 6.
The City Express is equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 131 horsepower. This is on the low side but it helps with the fuel economy. 2018 was the last year for this model though.
First, they tend to have a rough engine and misfires during acceleration. This is caused by the ignition coils that can crack and allow arcing to occur. Fixing this can cost you a couple of hundred dollars.
Unlike Chevy, Ford did make updates to their commercial vehicle lineup. If you’ve driven in an E-Series, you know how they are. It features a decent fuel economy, plenty of interior versatility, an unparalleled cargo area, and it’s easy to use.
Cargo vans are the most popular vans for full-time vanlifers, and for good reason. These vans are usually tall enough inside for occupants to stand, have adequate space for a variety of layouts and features, and can blend in for stealt h camping. Several of the best van models for full-time vanlife are cargo vans, ...
Another popular vehicle for full-time vanlife is the RAM ProMaster. It is low-profile for stealth camping, has a high ceiling inside for standing room, and can be configured for many vanlife-friendly floor plans.
RAM ProMaster vans are more affordable than the luxury Mercedes Sprinter model, costing between $31,000 to $44,000 for a new van, before conversion.
Just under 50 percent of vanlifers are doing it full-time, with the rest doing it to travel for a few weeks or months. According to the survey from OutboundLiving.com, vanlifers primarily prefer cargo vans, but there are a few other popular choices for the types of vans they choose. The breakdown is as follows:
Vanlife-styles tend to vary greatly, and each vanlifer has a unique experience to be sure. Different vehicles will be preferable, depending on your travel plans. However, there are some commonalities for the types of vans or vehicles this group of people finds most successful for full-time life on the road.
More of an adventure van than a tiny home, the Sportsmobile Classic 4×4 is still a great vehicle for vanlife, especially if you need something more rugged for off-road adventures in the national parks. Plus, it’s already converted for living on the road in comfort, with a compact fridge, sink and even a microwave.
The Ford E-series (E150, E250 & E350) has been around since 1961. It was a top-selling van since the 1960’s and came in four different generations. This means it’s had a lot of time to work out kinks and make revisions for a higher-performance vehicle.
AWD or 4WD provides peace of mind when off-roading or driving in the snow. If you want to go off-grid for days or weeks at a time, this is a feature to seriously consider because many backroads aren’t maintained or frequently driven down. On the flip side, there are still plenty of off-the-grid camping options that don’t require AWD to get to.
The one feature my van does not have is AWD–it’s RWD–but after further reflection on the lifestyle I wanted on the road, I realized AWD wasn’t critical. I wasn’t planning on staying in cold-temp states during the winter months, so I would already avoid snow.
Ready to do some shopping around? Check out this pre-filtered link to RVT.com that will show you used campervans for sale across North America.
Choose Your Van by The WayWard Home: This guide covers all sorts of vans–big small, old, new, compact, full-size–and even goes into build detail for each one. Highly recommend.
Panel vans are mostly used by tradesman, labourers, or delivery drivers and ideal for this type of work due to the enormous amount of space in the back. They are the most popular type of vehicle for DIY campervan conversions for this reason. The first step with a panel van is usually to rip out the interior and start from scratch.
A throwback to 50's and 60's, the volkswagen westfalia is probably the best known of the classic-style campervans. This style of van is iconic and intrinsically linked to the vagabonding, hippy van-traveller. Known for their vivid colours, the vanlifer will surely stick out driving one.
The Sportsmobile Classic is a rugged 4×4 camper van for the overland adventurer. Its chassis is that of a Ford Cutaway with Sportsmobile enhancing its shell with steel and fiberglass. The
Go for a campervan that has enough storage space for you to your family. If you are a solo nomad, a mini camper will be perfect for you. A larger family will need to fork out a little more cash for bigger vans. Sizeable camper vans have more running costs than smaller ones.
Camper vans may look small when you compare them to larger RVs, but they are deceptively hard to drive. These vehicles are heavy and hard to maneuver. You will find out that driving a camper van is much more difficult than cruising around in a regular SUV. For this reason, test-drive your van before purchase. Make sure that it has an automatic transmission if you are not ready for manual driving.
Sportsmobile has a variety of leisure seating, dinette, bunk, platform, and convertible sofa bed options all at different prices. Should you prefer more light, they can custom build more windows at the rear of the van. The average Sportsmobile Classic 4×4 has window shades for the side windows.
While used vans may be cheaper, make sure that they are in excellent health before purchase. Avoid extremely old budget options that will leave you with high maintenance costs. The new camper van should have a warranty. Study the warranty to stay on the safe side.
The Ford Terrier M Sport is a looker! It has a racecar look and is an excellent choice for the outdoor enthusiast that loves the thrill of speed. The weekend warrior will love to race this camper can down the road and will capture lots of attention with its rally-style exterior. Its alloy wheels, tailgate spoilers, rear, front bumpers, and quad exhaust are super stylish.
For all their comforts and excellent compact sizes, camper vans can drain you of your savings. You, therefore, do not want to splurge on a dud. Do your research first and take the tips below into consideration before biting that bullet.
Interior size is crucial. Full-size vans have up to 550 cubic feet of interior space, but you might not need so much. Interior space costs money. The more area you have, the more you can expect to pay for your work vans.
If you upgrade to the high-roof configuration, that number jumps to 323 cubic feet. The Nissan NV 1500 has a V6 engine and can tow 6,900 pounds.
You can choose a 1500, 2500, or 3500 configuration. The new ProMaster is powered by a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and a six-speed automatic transmission. If you prefer, you can choose the 3.0-liter 4-cylinder EcoDiesel option instead with a six-speed manual transmission. 6.
The City Express is equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 131 horsepower. This is on the low side but it helps with the fuel economy. 2018 was the last year for this model though.
First, they tend to have a rough engine and misfires during acceleration. This is caused by the ignition coils that can crack and allow arcing to occur. Fixing this can cost you a couple of hundred dollars.
Unlike Chevy, Ford did make updates to their commercial vehicle lineup. If you’ve driven in an E-Series, you know how they are. It features a decent fuel economy, plenty of interior versatility, an unparalleled cargo area, and it’s easy to use.