I daydreamed about owning a camper van for years — to the point where I'd approach strangers in parking lots who had nice vans and spark conversations to hear about their road trips. I burned countless hours on Pinterest viewing custom DIY van setups that made me self-conscious about my apartment.
I was no stranger to life on the road, having done quite a bit of car camping as a young adult in a Toyota hatchback and frequently driving from the Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles. When I became a parent in 2018, I finally pulled the trigger on purchasing a camper van as an easy way to take family trips on the weekends.
My vision of a luxurious 4X4 Mercedes Sprinter was downgraded to a Ford Transit Connect, mainly due to the logistics of size and a need to street park in Brooklyn when it wasn't in use.
Two years later, my partner, daughter, dog and I have logged thousands of miles across states and over borders in our van. It's not the glamourous, Pinterest-worthy van I still hope to own one day, but it's unassuming and smartly organized. It's comfortable for the whole family to sleep in, cost-effective, and reliable. In other words, it's exactly what we need.
After countless days and nights spent on the road, I've gotten the necessary accessories and customizations down to a science. Sure there are still glamorous extras on my wishlist, but when it comes to starting out, just getting the basics right is the key.
As the novel coronavirus continues to upend travel plans across the country and offices largely remain closed, many people are considering buying camper vans and working from the road. Keep in mind that without a vaccine there is no guarantee of safety when it comes to any type of travel right now. And even in a van you will still have interactions with people when you inevitably need to stop for gas or to restock supplies. It's vital to consider your own risk factors and take into account local and state government guidelines wherever you may be headed.
All that said, if you are thinking about jumping into van life, my biggest piece of advice when it comes to outfitting a van is that you don't need the high price tag vehicle with every amenity already personalized into it. You can start small, simple, and inexpensive and have all you need to hit the road and be self-sufficient.
You can also opt to rent a van if you only plan on doing a couple of trips or if you want to try out the lifestyle before committing to buying. But even with a rental you may want to bring a few extra accessories to make your trip as comfortable as possible.
And while it can be easy to get caught up in the bigger accessories like mattresses and roof racks, don't underestimate the power of little items like gear ties, bungee cords, tarps, batteries, drinking water, and trash bags. These always come in handy and often when you least expect it. Things will inevitably go wrong on the road, so the more prepared you are for the small or large fixes, the better.
Here are 17 of the best accessories for outfitting a camper van: