Campervan content provided by Mom With A Map Staff Writer

Everyone loves the idea of a cross-country road trip. It’s a weird romanticized bonding experience that many parents ponder, even briefly. But the reality of the situation, can be tough in a small vehicle.

Is there a way to bring this travel dream to life without all your hairs turning grey? Absolutely!

Recently, there has been a revival of the campervan, a miniature home constructed inside of a van. Complete with bed, kitchen, bathroom, and a clear division between the driver’s seat and the relaxation cabin, these vehicles are the cross-country road tripping equivalent of “glamping” (glamorous camping).

Campervans provide a more comfortable form of transportation. They also allow you to avoid the hassle of building in so many rest stops and bathroom breaks along the way. Plus, now that there’s some separation between the driver and the passengers, you can avoid all the calls of “Are we there yet?”.

What type of campervan is best for you?

If you have even an inkling of interest, there’s a couple different ways you could go about obtaining one: buy one pre-made or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, build one yourself.

Buying Second Hand

For those of you who don’t have a lot of faith in your mechanics expertise and don’t want to give your local vehicle accident attorney a heart attack, there are plenty of online sites for you to browse for a pre-made and ready-to-ride campervan. On these sites, such as Quirky Campers, each campervan is listed with full details of everything you need to know before purchasing.

Sites list the make and model of each van, as well as a list of all the features included within the kitchen, bedroom, and lounge space. Most sites also include a cart feature that allows you to pick out a few campers that you like and compare them side-by-side. You can even adjust the location settings to find one closer to where you live and contact the seller directly with any questions you may have.

If you’re looking to set out across the country and live out your roadtripping fantasies but you’re not quite sure where to start, then purchasing a pre-made campervan is your best bet.

Do It Yourself Campervan

Alternatively, if you consider yourself to be a very hands-on and “Do It Yourself” kind of person, then there are loads of resources to help you create your own campervan from scratch. Or at least from a second-hand van.

Step one is, obviously, finding your van. Buying cars and vans second hand is relatively straightforward. Places like CarMAx sell high quality vans that previous owners have sold to the company and they’ll tune it up before your test drive and purchase. The next, and the most laborious, step is converting this new van into a mini home on wheels. In order to do this properly, a lot of research is required. But luckily those who have succeeded in building their own love their campervans so much that they have decided to share their knowledge with any potential addition to the campervan community.

Verified YouTube accounts such as Exploring Alternatives and Mobile Dwellings have created step-by-step instructional videos on how to convert your van into something magical. They also list different tips about what to look for when in the van-purchasing stage, different techniques for designing the blueprint of your mobile home, and even advice for what to do and where to go once your campervan is complete. Some channels go as far as to challenge themselves and renovate old school buses to create the most spacious and luxurious of mobile homes.

For those of you just starting out, just a regular sized van is a good place to start, and will definitely have enough room for you to remain comfortable.

Now where do you go?

Once you’ve got your campervan, either purchased or built, where should you go? How can you truly live out your cross-country road tripping dreams without a destination? Your new best friends and trusty trip-planning guide will be the lovely www.roadtrippers.com. This site allows you to look at road trip routes anywhere in the world and see the rest stops, restaurants, trailer parks, and tourist attractions within the area and plan your trip accordingly.

From the United States and Canada, to the United Kingdom,to Italy and more, no matter where you live, there is a road trip waiting for you and your new campervan to embark and discover new places. So grab your friends, your partner, your kids, or your pet and live out your roadtripping dreams in your new campervan.

You might also enjoy reading:

Travel Route 66: The Main Street of America

The One When Everyone Said We Were Crazy

Visiting Great Smoky Mountain National Park

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