Our 13 Favorite Camper Vans of 2020

Many words will be typed about 2020 in the years to come. But in the world of transportation, one could call it the year of the camper van — or, if you’re hashtag-inclined, #vanlife.

Plane travel, hotel stays and interpersonal interaction all lost their appeal this year, while he urge to get out of the house and into nature has never felt more pressing. For those of us unable to afford our own planes or ships, the camper van became the ultimate way to travel. And doing so has never been more accessible and affordable.

As it turns out, many camper vans debuted during 2020. Below are 13 of our favorites.

Affinity Camper Van

Affinity

You’ve probably never heard of the Polish company Affinity. We hadn’t either — at least, until they unveiled their new camper van at the 2020 CMT Show in Stuttgart. Sleek and modern, Affinity’s new ride has one of the best layouts for a camper van we’ve ever seen.

Alphavan

Alphavan

If you’re looking for a van that could truly double as a residence for just about anyone, yet still retains the proportions of a regular full-size van…you’d be hard-pressed to outdo the Alphavan.

Caravan Outfitters Backroad

Caravan Outfitters

The Backroad is less for semi-permanent residency than it is for short-term vacations — which, to be fair, is how most of us would likely use a camper van anyway.

Daon Ravy

Daon Ravy

If you happen to be of the shorter persuasion, then this adorable little Kia-based camper from South Korea could be exactly the vehicle of your dreams.

Knaus Tabbert Pop-Up Camper

Knaus

Their 2021 range adds a game-changing feature: the option for a panoramic pop-top roof. This new roof improves ventilation, provides a master suite with scenic views and allows the van to sleep up to seven passengers.

La Strada Nova EB

Nova

La Strada’s website describes the Nova EB as both a “mobile luxury hotel” and a “rolling space miracle.”

Oasis Camper Van

Oasis

In spite of the comparatively tidy proportions of a minivan, Oasis Campervans managed to cram all the comforts of home into a Toyota Sienna — though admittedly, you can’t use them all at once.

Outside Van Mr. Blue Sky

Outside Van

Outside Van’s latest custom Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based conversion, Mr. Blue Sky, is the perfect rig for people who want to experience the great outdoors the way you only can when camping…but also want to do a little gaming in their downtime.

Ready.Set.Van

Will Sabel Courtney

To see what it’s actually like to escape the madness of the rat race and the real world in a camper van, we borrowed one of Ready.Set.Van’s rigs — a brown model equipped with a large bed, a refrigerator, induction stovetop, pop-out table and outdoor shower, which retails for around $80,000 — for a serene weekend of camping.

Storyteller Overland Beast Mode

Storyteller Overland

The Beast Mode adds an Agile Offroad performance suspension that includes Fox shocks and heavy-duty leaf springs, an Owl swing-away tire carrier on the rear, LED off-road lights and a front bumper light bar, and roof, rear door and side-mount cargo racks — the latter made specifically for a surfboard.

TouRig Bruce Banner

TouRig

While this hulking van — nicknamed “Bruce Banner” for reasons we hope we don’t have to explain to you — may have started out as a simple two-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cargo van, like the old Virginia Slims ads used to say, it’s come a long way, baby.

Winnebago Ekko

Winnebago

#Vanlife is not optimal for families, though; so for those needing a little more space, Winnebago has now released the all-new Ekko motorhome.The brand describes the Ekko as offering the efficiency of a Class B camper van with the capacity of a Class C motorhome. (They call it a “B+.”)

Winnebago Revel

Winnebago

The Revel is packed with features designed to make life in the great outdoors better, and it’s fresh off an update for the 2021 model year. The biggest news is electric: a new lithium-ion battery pack setup, with two 125-Ah units replacing the old trio of absorbent glass mat units.

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