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Affordable camper van comes with a rooftop deck

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Elevate your van life

A light blue camper van. The interior of the van is lit with a yellow light. The van is on the edge of a cliff overlooking a body of water.
San Francisco-based Glampervan is converting vans that work as a mobile office, weekend retreat, and a work truck.
Courtesy of Glampervan

The camper van craze has grown from a fringe Instagram hashtag to a national movement that has people ditching their jobs and hitting the road in Sprinters, Promasters, and the like. And whether you have an unlimited budget or want to DIY, it seems like everywhere you turn, people are talking about #VanLife. Love campers and trailers? Come join our new community group.

But what many people are realizing is that selling your house and moving full time into a van isn’t always the easiest thing. A more practical—and in some cases, economical—solution is to use your van as both a weekend retreat and a daily driver.

San Francisco-based Glampervan wants to capitalize on this trend by building clients a “multi-use vehicle” that can take you on vacation, work as a mobile office, and still haul things like a truck. Using a 136-inch wheelbase high-roof Ram Promaster (the medium-sized model in the Ram lineup) Glampervan maximizes space with a build customized for two people.

The interior of a camper van. The walls, roof, and cabinetry are wood. There is a bed with grey cushions and multiple pillows. There is a kitchenette with a sink.
Glampervan’s interior comes with lots of storage and a queen size bed.

You enter the van in a galley kitchen loaded with cabinet and storage space. A stainless steel sink and a drawer-based 65-liter fridge/freezer offer some functionality for meals, but the common two-burner stovetop is left out. To the right you’ll find the main cabin that uses driver and front passenger swivel seats to create a dining or office area.

In the back, a Murphy bed sits on the passenger wall and allows space to haul gear or supplies whenever you’re not resting. When in the sleeping position, the bed is just shy of a queen size, and overhead cabinets provide more storage. And while other, fancier vans offer more amenities, the Glampervan keeps things simple with batteries and a solar panel for off-grid power, interior lighting, and plenty of different outlets to keep your tech charged.

The interior of a camper van. There are black seats, a wooden table, and a kitchenette with a portable stove.
The driver and passenger seats swivel to become a dining or office area.
Courtesy of Glampervan

If the interior is rather basic, perhaps the coolest part of the Glampervan is the plywood roof deck. Climb the rear ladder, throw up two chairs, and two people can watch the sunset from an ideal vantage point.

With the goal of making van life both more economical and feasible, Glampervan’s conversion packages sound downright reasonable compared to pricier outfitters, but you’re also not getting as much luxury. A basic package with a bed, the electrical system, insulation and walling, and lighting starts at $22,351, while the company’s most expensive build includes the rooftop deck, solar panels, a heater, and more for $50,462. All prices are just for the conversion, so the Promaster van—which is around $32,000—will cost extra. Glampervan is taking deposits for builds now, so head over here for more.

The interior of a camper van. There is a kitchenette with deep drawers that are pulled out. There are black seats.
A small kitchen includes a sink but you’ll need to provide a stovetop.
The van with the Murphy bed in the up position provides space to haul gear or supplies.
Courtesy of Glampervan
A look at the rear area of the Glampervan.
Courtesy of Glampervan
Courtesy of Glampervan
Courtesy of Glampervan

Via: New Atlas