It's hard to define in concrete terms the exact ingredients that make up "vanlife," but if you ask one young Austrian startup, they'd say that the list has to include the ability to live on the road while retaining the full functionality of the van when you're not traveling. A best-of-both-worlds-type of solution, if you will.
Most vanlifers today, or, at the very least, those who make a killing off their nomadic lifestyle online, live in converted vans full-time. They travel the world, work remotely, and create content focused on their lifestyle or their one-off build, so the only utility they have for the base vehicle is that of a mobile home.
But not everyone wants to become a digital nomad full-time, so there has to be something for them, too.
There is, and it's mostly shaped as all-in-one modules you can fit into most midsize vans. Some of these modules are easily removable; others only offer the basic features necessary to live comfortably on the road for more than a couple of days in a row.
Photo: Campboks
The Campboks does both these things at the same time, which allows the Austrian maker of the same name to claim that their solution has no real competitor on the market and that it offers "real vanlife luxury.""Luxury" is a relative term here, but not an inaccurate one: this module integrates a bed, a lounge, a complete kitchen, a dining area, and a bathroom. By comparison to other units of the kind, it is quite luxurious.
The Campboks is a box, as its deliberately misspelled name suggests. The production model was presented in May 2023, with the team traveling the country to show it off at trade events for the rest of last year. Its most recent appearance was at the Dusseldorf Caravan Show.
In travel mode, the Campboks is 119 cm wide by 137 cm deep by 90 cm high (46.8 x 54 x 35.4 inches), but in camp mode, it expands outside of the van into a kitchen with a dining area, with a hidden shower, a hidden toilet, and plenty of storage options.
Photo: Campboks
The layout is the same as with similar units: a bed on a platform with slide-out drawers underneath, making up the kitchen. Campboks takes this layout and adds cantilevered benches, over which you can slide out add-on modules that integrate the kitchen on one side and storage on the other. Each such module is made up of Euroboxes and comes with a maximum payload of 200 kg (441 lbs), so it should be enough for all the items you have to take with you on the road, from gear to supplies and kitchen utensils.
The kitchen is on the driver's side, with a fold-down sink with a pull-out faucet that can double as an outdoor shower, a small compressor cool box, a one-burner gas cooker, and some counter space. The Euroboxes on the other side double as storage, while the middle row can hold a Boxio toilet, which is offered as an optional. It's far from what you could call a bathroom, but it's better than no bathroom facilities at all.
The bed is inside the van, and it's also surprisingly compact. Campboks uses an A-frame type of folding mechanism, which turns the bed into two separate lounge chairs when not used for sleeping. They can work as extra dining spaces or as mobile office spaces, and they allow room to move around during the day. At night, the bed folds flat with a single motion.
Photo: Campboks
Extra deep drawers accessible from inside bring extra storage, including for the water canisters and a water pump.
Campboks says their module is compatible with a variety of midsize vans, including the VW Transporter, Caravelle, and Multivan, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Marco Polo, and Vito, the Renault Trafic, the Opel Vivaro, and the Ford Transit and Tourneo. The best part is that, besides bundling so many creature comforts into a very compact package, the Campboks unit can be easily removed when you're not traveling, so you can still use your van as a daily.
There's a sustainable aspect to the module, as well, being built with responsibly and locally sourced wood as a 100% Austrian product. The implication is obvious: you get all the perks of vanlife with a more convenient package and with an actually reduced carbon footprint. Plus, you're supporting a small local manufacturer.
Photo: Campboks
There is a catch, of course, and it's predictably related to pricing.
The Campboks starts at €6,590 ($7,100 at the current exchange rate) for the base module, which includes the cantilevered benches, the table, and the kitchen, but not much else. Add all the other options available, including the portable toilet, and you're looking at a €10,104 ($10,900) price tag.
Whether this kind of money is worth the promised "luxury" and retaining the full utility of your van is entirely up to every aspiring vanlifer out there.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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