I love the size of my Westfalia and have had a few over the years. I think it's the most affordable thing for camping out in the wilds but still keeping a certain level of comfort. However, over the years I have had repeated issues with the engine overheating and the car shutting down. This has caused me to only be able to camp during the spring, winter, and fall months since I have to avoid the summer. It definitely has some serious design flaws and isn’t entirely reliable, but overall it’s been a pleasure to have and camp with. I love these vehicles so much that, even when I went across country to vacation in Yosemite, I rented one to camp in! Once you get used to the cushy beds, it’s pretty difficult to even consider going back to tents. It has a few nice amenities, including a mini refrigerator by the rear seats, a two-burner stove, and even a little sink. I haven’t gone to many places with the water hook-up, but the few times I have, the faucet has worked great. Being in a vehicle, you get a lot more sound insulation than you would in a tent. With pull-curtains, you have privacy at your disposal if you want it.

I loved my Vanagon Camper. It came to me as a graduation gift in really good-seeming shape. It had previously sat in a storage unit for most of its lifetime, was bought by a German man and shipped to the West coast, tuned up and sold to me. It worked great... at first. Then the water pump went out. And the odometer stopped working. I replaced the pump to have it break again. My mechanics replaced it again, free of charge. I was later to learn that This is the first year of the water cooled Vanagons. I camped in it often the first year and lived it for the last 2 years I owned it. Those last two years it was broken beyond repair. In fact, I towed it 300 miles when I moved north because I loved living in it. She was a great home and a terrible car. She always did get you to the mechanic though when she started breaking down.

If you ever see a Volkswagen camper for sale and you enjoy camping or having a rare and beautiful example of German engineering - jump on it ! These vans are well engineered, and are an absolutely blast. The space is very well thought out, and while mine did not have the pop up roof I still thought it was spacious and a joy to own. If you can find one with a pop up roof - absolutely buy it.