Winner of a 2021 Red Dot Design Award, the Ventje campervan comes complete with a flexible central space that acts as a bedroom, living room, office, and dining room, as well as a tailgate kitchen that can be used from in or outside the van. The custom IKEA-style built-in furniture found throughout folds, unfolds, and transforms to offer work surfaces and plentiful storage. Would you believe there’s a toilet hidden inside, too?

Instead of placing the bed at the rear, Ventje centers it within the main area. By day, it can either function as benches that face a fold-out table, sort of like a restaurant booth, or it can be arranged into an L-shaped sofa to lounge and watch TV. By night, you simply lower the table surface and move the cushions for a nearly queen-sized bed measuring 55 inches wide and 83 inches long. This setup might not be similar to that of other campervans, but centering it allows for what might be the Ventje’s best quality: a surprisingly spacious kitchen.

When the seating is arranged as the L-shaped couch, the kitchen set along the rear can easily be accessed from the interior. Campervans are often designed so that the kitchen is either exclusively indoors, set directly behind the cab, or exclusively outdoors, accessed by opening the rear doors and standing outside. Ventje’s design isn’t just more practical, it also makes it easier to access storage under the counter. The kitchen features a dual-burner propane stove/sink combo, a 7-gallon freshwater tank, a cutting board, a refrigerator beneath a hinged panel, and bi-directional drawers that swing in or outside the van.

The campervan even has spare flat-pack outdoor chairs stored beneath the benches, so you can pull up a seat to a removable tabletop attached to the outer kitchen frame to create an outdoor dining and work surface. Also located beneath the benches are the toilet and a 95-Ah battery for the rooftop solar panel system. Extra storage compartments can be found in the driver and passenger sidewalls, where you’ll also find 12V electrical sockets and USB charging ports. In addition to the bed for two, another two people can sleep in the somewhat narrow pop-top bed.

Ventje uses either secondhand Volkswagen T5 vans or brand new T6.1 vans as the base for their campervan builds, with prices ranging from $52,600 to $73,600. That’s not bad for a specialty vehicle, but this is where the Ventje’s compact size is extra handy. When everything is all packed up, you can use it as your everyday driver, provided you don’t need to seat more than two passengers (in addition to the driver).

As the company explains: “Ventje is an extension system for Volkswagen buses or transporters, facilitating quick and easy conversions into campervans. With this product, the manufacturers and the designers have got their fingers on the pulse of the times, as it allows people to gain maximum use from a potentially already-available or relatively inexpensive-to-buy vehicle. The effort-benefit ratio of this solution is outstanding. It is fundamentally very simple, modular and logical, with surprising details, and it is smart and practical.”

The post Ventje’s VW Campervan is Conveniently Compact and Impressively Equipped first appeared on Dornob.

Designed in partnership between the two brands, the Pottery Barn Special Edition Travel Trailer is a 28-foot camper with a classic Airstream look on the outside and full-bore Pottery Barn catalog on the inside, including one of the most overstuffed couches you’ll ever see in an RV. You can choose between either a queen or twin bed floor plan to sleep up to five people, and both plans feature exclusive Pottery Barn bedding.

The design theme takes inspiration from the Pacific Coast Highway in California, featuring a soft palette of neutral textiles, pale plywood, gray cabinetry, Shaker details, and lush textures. The sofa is covered in boucle performance fabric made to stand up to kids, dogs, and the occasional spill, and it also offers a hidden airline-style table. The dining table is solid oak, inspired by Pottery Barn’s best-selling Benchwright Dining Collection. In the kitchen you’ll find a stainless steel apron sink with a walnut cutting board top, a pull-down faucet, a gas range with an oven, and a generously sized refrigerator.

Other features include a bathroom with shower, toilet, and sink made to feel as residential as possible, custom storage solutions like canvas baskets that slide under the bed, blackout curtains that wrap around the panoramic windows, and Airstream Smart Control Technology that lets you monitor and control onboard features like the lights, thermostat, and awning. Roll out that awning, set up the included Indio Outdoor Folding Table and Armchair Set, and hook the outdoor hanging table to the window for a cocktail bar on demand.

“Since launching two co-branded collections of home goods with Airstream, it’s become clear that fans of both brands understand the unique value of coming together,” says Marta Benson, President of Pottery Barn. “We were as excited as our customers to see how we could apply Pottery Barn’s design expertise to Airstream’s live anywhere mentality, and we couldn’t be more excited about the results.”

“It’s a match that makes sense in many ways,” says Airstream President and CEO Bob Wheeler. “Pottery Barn has this kind of magical ability to shape a space. You see it in their home interiors, where there’s a comfortable, functional beauty to even the smallest pieces. They understand how your home is this canvas where real life happens, and we love how they applied that to the Airstream lifestyle.”

The price for the Pottery Barn x Airstream travel trailer is steep, starting at $145,000, but plenty of #vanlifers end up spending that much on their conversions anyway, and this one’s all ready to hit the road. Since most Airstream interiors are built-in, it’s usually not a small project to customize one to your liking, and this one definitely has a feeling of home.

The post The Airstream x Pottery Barn Travel Trailer Makes Camping Comfier Than Ever first appeared on Dornob.

Even putting practical concerns like economics and fuel efficiency aside, the third factor throws a wrench in any efforts to create a vehicle design that’s too far outside the box. For whatever reasons, people are wary of cars that look “weird,” and since our ideas about what’s attractive tend to vary widely, nobody can seem to agree on the styles that make a car look cool and fresh. Just take the reaction to Tesla’s boxy Cybertruck for a recent example.

But that doesn’t mean auto designers shouldn’t keep trying. If we ever want to get our flying cars, we have to allow things to progress in increments, don’t we? So why should cars using the latest technologies look like any other car? BMW engineer Ulrich Kranz aims to take a few steps forward with the Canoo, a sort of van/SUV mix with a footprint the size of a Toyota Prius.

This shiny, beetle-like vehicle looks unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. The company calls it “a loft on wheels,” featuring a spacious interior with a U-shaped bench in place of back seats, tons of cargo room in the center, an overall design inspired by modern furniture, and a whopping 22 windows made to optimize light and visibility. In fact, virtually every surface from the doors up has been kept transparent, completely eliminating blind spots.

If you need to transport furniture or other large objects, there’s already plenty of space for that in the back, and the rear seats still fold down as usual. But when you need to fit additional people, the car really reveals its uniqueness: two “drawer” seats pull out in the upper part of the U-shaped bench, and two more fold down from the backs of the driver and passenger seats.

Bright T-shaped LED lights built into the body of the vehicle give it a little bit of a futuristic edge, while the interior features soft, adjustable ambient lighting. You’ll find all the expected pockets and cupholders inside, too, but you can also add on accessories like phone holders, skateboard racks, laptop pockets, and even tiny planters. And if you get bored having a car that looks the same for a long time, you can even switch out the “wrap” on the exterior for a new color, or add cool vinyl graphics.

The Canoo’s small footprint already makes it easy to drive and park, but it also boasts a fully digital steering system that will allow existing models to be upgraded to autonomous technology just as soon as it becomes widely available. Other components are upgradable, too, and there’s no built-in screen that will soon be obsolete: the company acknowledges that we all just use our smartphones most of the time, anyway. The battery also gets a 250-mile range and charges up to 80 percent in thirty minutes.

More importantly, the Canoo offers futuristic flair to everyone, not just millionaires who want to collect supercars. Users will even be able to rent the car for a fixed monthly fee that includes insurance, charging at existing stations, and registration without signing any long-term leases. It’s currently in testing, but production is expected to start by the end of 2020, with customers receiving the first cars in the Los Angeles area by early 2021.

Check out more features and details at the offuicial Canoo website.

The post Canoo Aims to Take the Electric Car Aesthetic Into the Future first appeared on Dornob.

In reality, it’s a lot more complicated than that. Converting a van can be a costly process, and hiring professionals to do it for you isn’t cheap. Standard camper vans easily cost over $80,000, while luxury models can cost as much as $200,000. If you opt to go the DIY camper van conversion route, you’re looking at a ton of labor, and even doing almost everything yourself adds up fast. But if you’re determined to make it work, there are ways.

Check out this $1,000 camper van build by Grace and Marlon of “The Sweet Savory Life.” Nicknamed “Flippie,” this 2017 Ram Promster 1500 cargo van started out as bare as vans get. Now, it’s a comfortable abode, thanks almost entirely to products purchased at IKEA. And this isn’t a recreational vehicle that gets occasional weekend use and sits in a driveway the rest of the time. This is the couple’s full-time home.

Grace explains: “We had to figure out what we wanted to have in the van based on the lifestyle we plan on living. Aside from the obvious things like the kitchen and bed, we added a desk, shower, cabinets, and drawers to our must-have list. We had to assess what things we’re bringing in the van and how much storage we really needed. At this point, we had already been living minimally in our backpacks for over a year and camping out on my in-law’s couch. We needed some storage but not that much! Also, I wanted a rear kitchen (very uncommon) and a desk (considered a luxury for many van design) in the van. Trying to figure out the layout was not at all fun, poor husband! He’s the one who tirelessly took measurements and laid out our floor plan over and over again!”

“After an exhaustive few months of trying to figure out our floor plan, we figured how little we knew about how this new living situation would look like for us. The best decision we’ve made was to move in with only our backpacks and two gaming chairs that reclined flat and served as our bed. We started living in our bare cargo van part-time in the middle of winter without insulation! This really helped us finally create our final floor plan! Most especially the need to insulate! Though our floor plan was set, we still wanted our build to be open-ended! Meaning… we want to be able to easily take it apart or switch it around if needed. And this is where the versatility of our build comes to place. We can easily gut it out and take everything apart if we want a completely different layout down the road.”

That’s where IKEA comes in. While most van conversions rely heavily on custom built-in elements, Grace and Marlon didn’t have carpentry skills, didn’t want to buy tools, and had to keep their budget low. As it turns out, all of the stuff they bought was pretty easy to mount to the IKEA SKADIS pegboard walls for safety — not to mention the fact that they’re lightweight and easily replaceable. Going off of that, they chose furnishings that wouldn’t be damaged by road vibration.

The couple uses the BALKARP full-size sleeper sofa as a convertible bed, placing it just behind the cab to free up the rest of the space for a kitchen and workspace. On their blog, they lay out every single element they purchased and how much it cost (though that total does not include items like their Eco power bank station and refrigerator).

All in all, this DIY van conversion would be impressive even if the couple were only using it for fun. The fact that they’re able to live in it just shows how successful their plan turned out to be.

The post DIY Van Life: Camper Conversion Completed with IKEA Products first appeared on Dornob.

The post Van Life: Convert to a Camper with This Kit first appeared on Dornob.

It wasn’t too long ago that Southampton born Aaron Goodfellow, 27, and Australian girlfriend Sophie Taylor, 24, decided to buy a van, convert it into a reliable motor home, and travel across Europe in it for as long as their budgets allowed for. The innovative couple has already racked up thousands of miles in their transformed 2004 Ford Transit “Stella,” and both of them have been embracing the rich European cultures they’ve stumbled upon since they left England nearly three months ago.

Converting the Van

Since it needed a lot of refurbishment, the pair managed to nab the old transit van for a mere £900. With the help of a few DIY hacks and some clever interior planning, they managed to complete the interior conversion for £1000, with an additional £450 needed to make it roadworthy. After a couple of weeks of gluing, hammering, painting, and fitting, the van was ready to move into and move around in.

Featuring fairy lights, a highly commended toastie machine, and a makeshift outdoor shower, this knackered old van seems to have undergone the fairy godmother’s “bibbety-bobbety-boo” treatment and is now the envy of all on social media. Other features include fitted carpet, spotlights, wood paneling, a double bed, a cozy kitchen area, and a few shelving units for storage. The couple even installed additional ceiling and back door windows to let natural light in and facilitate stargazing!

Life on the Road

Stella is about one-20th of the size of an ordinary house, yet the couple still lives and operates on a seemingly normal daily routine — with the one exception of having to be very conservative when it comes to using water for washing up and showering. Although they strived to save up enough to not have to work for a little while while they traveled, the couple are still cautious when it comes to spending money and trying to live frugally.

Sophie and Aaron have a minimum of two cooked meals a day, after which they spend their free time relaxing, hiking, going for long strolls, and exercising. Their minimal lifestyle has brought about a new sense of living: one characterized by planned meals, the cautious use of resources, talking, and spending quality time together over movies and Netflix series.

Travel Itinerary

Sophie and Aaron plan to drive along the coast around continental Europe, beginning in France and moving down into Spain, Portugal, and then over to Morocco, where they eventually hope to reach the Sahara desert. After that, they have plans to hit Italy (they’re especially determined to do some wine tasting in Tuscany), Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria, after which they’ll head up to Germany and visit Belguim, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden.

Aaron says of the journey: “Every day is completely different despite living out of the same van, the views in the morning and evenings are stunning…the freedom to drive almost anywhere at any time and choose to stay another day or move on. It’s very versatile.” 

The spontaneous decision to do this was reached over a bottle of red in a Clapham pub, with the couple leaving only a month after they set their minds on achieving the conversion goal. If nothing else, this story proves that when you’re passionate and dedicated to a movement or an idea, anything is possible.

The post Adventure Couple Turns Old Van into Traveling Home first appeared on Dornob.

Living in a van down by the river isn’t what it used to be. From outside, this Volkswagen T6 painted matte black doesn’t look like much, and upon opening the sliding door, you might expect to find the typical jumble of bedding and suitcases. But the interior of this particular T6 camper van is anything but ordinary, painstakingly renovated and customized to create a surprisingly elegant mobile home. Appearing inconspicuous was part of the point for designer Nils Holger Moormann, who aims to strip out all unnecessary extras for a result that’s refreshingly simple, beautiful and functional. It’s literally a designer’s dream, especially considering that Moormann himself prefers sleeping in campers over hotel rooms when traveling.

Collaborating with German company Custom Bus, which produces bespoke vans for all sorts of purposes, Moorman applied his signature aesthetics to a DIY camper van interior that packs in just about everything a traveler might need on the road. Known for his high-end minimalist furniture and interiors, the Bavarian-based designer carefully chooses materials and color palettes that evoke the feeling of being in a luxury suite complete with a mini-kitchen, ambient lighting and a place to store your bicycle.

Integrated LED lighting illuminates the kitchen counter, niches for books and the curving oak-paneled ceiling. A sofa bed upholstered in merino wool offers sleeping space for two, and folds out of the way during the day. A bench seat along one wall hides storage, including a cubby for a folding bike, and there’s dedicated space for items like shoes. The same matte black seen on the van’s interior continues inside. Moorman’s use of wood, wool, stainless steel and luxury textiles is a strategic choice to separate his design from the “exuberant luxury” and “fake materials” of most camping buses available on the market.

“No matter how small the caravan, Nils Holger Moormann’s sense of freedom knows no restrictions,” reads his website’s description of the project. “A self-confesed lover of minimalist design and authentic materials, there hasn’t been a suitable option on the market to date with regards to style. So it was only logical to follow his own path and create Moormann’s new standard class. The spatial distribution in a VW bus has matured over a number of years and leaves very little room for improvement. In reality it’s the carefully chosen materials and an exact eye for detail that shape the new overall appearance of the Moormann mobile. Nils Holger Moormann and his team have done what they do best: omitted everything that could possibly be omitted.”

The custom modern camper van is available for purchase through the Custom Bus website, with pricing available upon request. The design calls to mind that of filmmaker Zach Both’s custom cargo van conversion, which he renovated into a mobile office with a minimalist modern flair. That particular design can be replicated at home thanks to a set of freely available instructions Both calls ‘The Vanual.’

The post Luxury Minimalist DIY Camper Van first appeared on Dornob.

The post Tiny Mobile Office: Cargo Van Converted into Cozy Work Studio first appeared on Dornob.

When the zombie apocalypse comes, you’re going to wish you had one of these. The world’s most advanced expedition vehicle, created by a team of engineers, artists and scientists, can store three weeks’ worth of food and water onboard for three people, scale 45-degree slopes, desalinate salt water and deploy its own drones. HD cameras, LED work lights and a weather station are among the gadgets mounted to the roof.

Optimized for extended off-road capability as well as highway travel, the KiraVan by Applied Minds is packed with technology for remote exploration, physical and chemical analysis, communications, scientific field research, navigation and video production – so it’s not just a fantasy survival vehicle for end-of-the-world speculators.

Based on a tractor-trailer form, the van has a high-efficiency turbo-diesel engine providing up to a 2,000-mile driving range over average terrain. The fuel system and tanks can withstand extreme heat and cold. Mulitple communications systems for voice and data ensure constant connection even in difficult locations like remote canyons and triple-canopy rain forests.

A turbo-diesel motorcycle mounted to a small elevator on the back makes solo journeys quick and easy, and solar panels provide power inside. Interior comforts include a cabin that functions as a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, with the toilet incinerating all waste into a non-toxic, sterile powder. All vehicles are custom-designed so they can be kitted out with whatever technology is necessary or desired for its intended purpose.

“Preliminary conceptual work on the KiraVan™ began in 2010 as a natural follow on to the original MaxiMog® expedition system. After 15 years, it was time for something creatively new that reflects what is technically possible now and benefits from what we learned. Not coincidentally, the timing of this activity was also triggered by the arrival of our wonderful daughter, Kira, and the realization that accommodating the needs and safety of a child presents many new design considerations.”

“This new design benefits from the accumulated experience of the original MaxiMog project, which was built to our specifications by UNICAT in Germany, as well as the work of other excellent design teams and companies. The intent of the KiraVan is to create a superior large-scale expedition system for over-land exploration, still photography, film production, scientific research, and with which to show my daughter seldom visited places of unspoiled natural beauty.”

The post KiraVan: Ultimate Apocalypse Vehicle first appeared on Dornob.

Hitting the open road spontaneously is a dream of outdoors lovers and free spirits alike. The spontaneity is somewhat ruined when you need to go get the camper van out of storage and load it up – or even worse, plan out routes and book hotels. The QUQUQ Campingbox is a self-contained module that fits into a passenger car to complete your DIY van camper conversion in less than one minute.

The European-designed QUQUQ combines a sleeping surface, a mini kitchen and storage space in a convenient 132-pound (60 kg) box. The box can fit into the van even with the back seats up. With the seats put down, the bed rests on their backs. If the seats are removed, there is plenty of storage space beneath the bed, which extends with just the pull of a handle and secures to the seat belt hardware.

The QUQUQ consists of a wooden chest and a three-section folding foam mattress for two people. Inside the chest is a kitchen which contains a two-flame stove, a sink with a supply of fresh water, a workspace and storage area. No conversion is necessary to transform the vehicle into this truly useful home on the road; the entire unit can be easily lifted into a station wagon or passenger van by two people. It’s an instant DIY camper solution and couldn’t be more compact.

“Don’t have any craft skills, strong muscles or years’ worth of camping experience? No problem! You don’t need any of that with QUQUQ: you can simply carry the box using the fold-away handles on its side, easily pop it in the boot and fix it with straps. There’s no separate parts that you have to collect, meaning there’s nothing you can forget or lose. That’s it, you can set off on your travels!”

“The box is easy for two people to carry. The KombiBox weighs about as much as four crates of drinks. So if you can lift two crates of water, you’ll have no problems with QUQUQ. The bed can be detached from the larger BusBox, as well as D-Boxes and G-Boxes, to make setting up more simple. There’s 2 more fold-away handles located at the rear of the box to make it easy to handle, or you could also use them for attaching a cool box, bags or storage boxes.”

“The box can fit through any standard house door and can be stored in less than 1sqm. You don’t need to make any alterations to your car to use it, drill any holes, nor have to rewrite the car documents.”

The post Instantly Convert a Van to a Camper first appeared on Dornob.

The ultimate test of any mobile home design is the cubic footage it occupies when on the road versus when it is deployed, and on that metric, this new Doubleback is definitely a winning idea.

The flip-top is a familiar element in many travel vans, but the pull-out back is a lightweight yet robust way to effectively double the space found in the back of the vehicle.

Back supports drop down to support the extension when it is pulled out. Unlike many more flimsy variants, this added area can support hundreds of pounds of weight and packs up in seconds.

A very basic kitchen, some seating and beds are all the DoubleBack camper van boasts, but realistically, for a minivan, that is far more than a camper can generally expect, even a classic like the VW Transporter can barely fit in the essentials.

“The DoubleBack is exactly the same size as a regular VW Transporter, but press the button and the DoubleBack transforms in size…the DoubleBack’s technology incorporates aircraft industry techniques and materials in its build. This lends great strength for minimal extra weight; the slide out extension weighs less than 150kg.”

“The pod is hand built from honeycombed aluminum and is available in a number of different finishes. With removable rear seats or fold away bed options the DoubleBack is one of the most versatile vans in the world, and as the rear door still opens normally, in day to day use you can still carry around whatever you like as you would in a regular van.”

“The DoubleBack concept was conceived by Craig McCormack in 2009. Craig designed and developed the first prototype in his workshop over a 9 month period. Once finished he took it to Vanfest 2009 and the rest is history as they say.  Since then, DoubleBack has been featured in most media, starred on many TV shows and won countless design awards. All DoubleBack models have been custom built and designed to every clients individual tastes and specifications.”

The post DoubleBack VW Camper Van Pops Up & Slides Out first appeared on Dornob.

Living in a van down by the river wouldn’t be a cautionary tale, if all converted vans looked like these rustic reclaimed campers by Welsh couple Bill and Becky Goddard. The founders of Rustic Campers convert old vans into comfortable living spaces lined with timber from local woodlands. In fact, nearly every detail of each portable tiny home is crafted by Welsh artisans, including stained glass windows, leather furnishings, sheepskins and blankets.

A local blacksmith makes the fixtures and fittings, and will even create a custom wood-burning stove. Each rustic van camper is entirely unique, designed to suit the needs of the purchaser. They can be fitted with small two-burner stovetops, ovens, refrigerators, sinks, showers and other modern conveniences, and power comes from solar panels.

“Because we live and work in the countryside and our lifestyle is such that nature has a very direct influence on what we do,” says Bill Goddard in a press release. This is evident in the hand-hewn shape of many of the wood elements in the van interiors, from the cladding to the countertops.

The owners are van-dwellers themselves, so they’re intimately familiar with what’s required to make such a small space comfortable and livable. They have taken their own converted van on travels throughout the UK, Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

“Providing a unique service, we work with a range of specialists to source everything you might need in your custom conversion. As far as possible we use local Herefordshire materials. Much of the timber comes from local woodlands while fixtures and fittings can be provided by a local blacksmith. Sheepskins are from the butcher and we use local Welsh blankets. ”

“Each space we create is custom made, designed and produced by us to suit your needs. We are passionate about what we do and pride ourselves on creating beautiful one-off spaces, be it campervans, shepherd’s huts, glamping set ups etc. Each project is undertaken with a great deal of care and attention to detail which grows year on year. “

The post Van Converted to a Rustic Camper first appeared on Dornob.

The Volkswagen Microbus is a classic – even to those of us born after its time. Arguably unlike the newly remade Beetle, this remake of a VW classic is remarkably true to the original on the outside – but on the inside it is a bio-diesel hybrid stuffed full of high tech gadgetry and eco-friendly innovations.

Named after its designer, the Verdier is not bogged down by its sustainability – it is a turbo-charged, solar-powered, GPS-enabled contemporary car with all the retro elegance of its predecessor plus even more space-manipulating tricks to make it a highly compact mobile home.

The roof pops up, two awnings pop out the sides, a fridge and freezer reside within alongside a home entertainment center and a table and stove set are built right into one of the doors. The hippie heritage of this ride combined with its restyling, added gadgetry and new technology should make it a hit.

The post Eco-Friendly Van Meets All-in-One Mobile Home first appeared on Dornob.