#2 - Owning a (camper) van – pros & cons

Welcome back!

In the previous post I listed my pros & cons of owning a motorhome. We will delve into what owning and using a van means in this one. So my story continues…

Photo by Brina Blum on Unsplash

What it has to do

After I few years owning a motorhome the cons of it became more and more obvious (and annoying). So I decided it was time to move to something smaller – a van. Something that is easier to drive and park and is more fuel efficient.  A vehicle that I can use as my daily driver –  to drive to work, kids to kindergarten and to school. Something that can transport my whole family (with kids in baby seats) plus baby stroller and some luggage. And sometimes even something larger like multiple bikes, furniture items or a lawn mower. A lot on it’s plate, I must admit. :)

Vans to choose from

I opted for one of the most common commercial vans in Europe – Renault Trafic (also known as Opel Vivaro or Nissan Primastar). It’s almost easier to drive than a car – you sit higher so you have more control over the traffic around you. It has big side rearview mirrors and parking sensors so it’s easy to park. And it consumes around 7,5 l of diesel per 100 kilometers (around 31 MPG). And I can park it where I would park a normal car.

My van -  Renault Trafic

All of the above is more or less true for other similar sized vans (in Europe, at least): VW Transporter / Multivan, Ford Transit, Fiat Scudo, Hyundai H1, Mercedes Vito (and others). There are a lot of used vans in different configurations on the market, so you can find something for your budget.

Ford Transit / Mercedes Vito / Nissan Primastar / Fiat Scudo / VW Transporter

Pros

Those vans usually cost way less than a full-size motorhome, they are fun and easy to drive, quick on the highway and they don’t empty your wallet at the gas stop. They are also comfortable when driving – noise is low, room for one’s head, legs and elbows is abundant. There is a lot of luggage space. They are hard to beat as a big family car. Transporting a lot of camping kit for family trips or holidays like tents, chairs, table, coolbox etc. is a viable option (while a regular car is on the small side for that). And if you fold or remove the seats, chores like moving furniture or a trip to Ikea are a lot easier than with a regular car (or a motorhome, for that matter).

Cons

But using a mid-sized van as a campervan? It’s doable, of course, but it’s not nearly as roomy as a motorhome. That usually means no shower, no toilet, no kitchen (or a small, improvised one) and less room for sleeping (if at all). And if you choose to use you van as a sleeper van, you are usually limited to 2 people, and you have to remove all (but two front) seats – so no seating for a family.

Camping with a van

Registration, insurance and tolls vary depending on the country and the (size of the) van. The costs might be the same as a regular car or it can be higher. And if you want to spend the night on a camperstop (essentially a parking place for motorhomes with mains hookup), some of the camperstops around Europe don’t allows regular vans – just bespoked campervans or motorhomes.

Despite all this I opted for a van for camping. How does this works? Well, there are several options, and you will find out about the simplest one in the next post. ;)

Somewhere in Italy :)

How do you fancy using a van? I would like to hear your experiences in the comments below...

Until then: God bless you all and take care!