Free tips
Choosing an expedition or pick-up camper: honest tips
You choose a camper once, and then you live in it for weeks or months. In these tips we set out, topic by topic, what it gives you, what it costs and which questions to ask yourself. No sales talk, just honest trade-offs.
From cold and condensation to storage, beds, bathrooms and choosing your vehicle.
Three short questions decide which tips you start with.
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A few tips to start with
What you really miss after a week of rain
When you choose, don’t picture a sunny day but the third rainy day in a row. Where do you sit, where do you cook, and where do your clothes dry?
Making the bed
Work out how often you set up the bed: on a three-week trip it’s more than twenty times, over six months almost two hundred.
From −10 to +40 degrees
Condensation mostly forms at night: two people easily breathe out a few glasses of water’s worth of moisture. Without ventilation it ends up in your bedding and clothes.
Together in a small space
Test it first: spend a rainy day indoors together in a camper, a rental for example. You’ll soon notice where you get in each other’s way.
Other tips cover storage, repairs on the road, power and water away from campsites, and what to arrange at home for a long trip. You get them by email, with the trade-off per topic and questions to ask yourself.
Send me the tipsFrequently asked questions
Rooftop tent or camper: which suits me?
A rooftop tent is light, affordable and lovely in good weather. In rain, cold or on a long trip, what you mostly miss is a dry place to sit, cook and dry your things. If you travel a few weeks in summer, a rooftop tent is often enough. If you’re away longer or also travel in spring and autumn, indoor space is usually the better choice.
Camper van or pick-up with a cabin?
In a van you live and drive in the same space and can walk through to the front. With a pick-up and cabin, living and driving are separate, and you usually have 4×4 and more ground clearance. If you mostly stay on tarmac and campsites, a van is often more practical. If you also want to take unpaved roads, a pick-up suits you better.
Fixed or demountable cabin?
You take a demountable cabin off when you want to use the vehicle on its own. A fixed cabin always stays on the vehicle: nothing to put on or take off, but the vehicle is always a camper. The main question is how often you need the vehicle without the cabin.
What’s the difference between an expedition camper and a regular camper?
A regular camper is made for tarmac and campsites, with power and water from the campsite. An expedition camper is made to be self-sufficient for a long time and to handle unpaved roads too: 4×4, more power and water on board, and insulation for cold and heat.
Do you need a fixed bathroom?
That depends on how and where you travel. Your own shower and toilet make you independent of campsites and facilities, also in the cold or at night. On the other hand, a bathroom takes a lot of space and water in a small camper. If you often travel in the cold or far from campsites, a fixed bathroom is worth more. If you mostly travel in warm regions or along campsites, an outdoor shower with a separate toilet can be enough.
