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Hymer Free Camper Van Brings Affordable Van Life Experience With Pop-Up Roof

Travel-ready homes seem to come in all shapes and sizes, and one commonly encountered construction is the van. With their ability to sleep several people, offer off-grid living, all the while occupying no more than a parking spot, it’s no wonder folks are going crazy about the van life.
Free Camper Van Interior 15 photos
Photo: Hymer GmbH
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One common issue buyers encounter in their search for a camper van is that most are out-of-this-world expensive. However, Hymer, a manufacturer of RVs and other motorhomes, is looking to change all that with what looks to be a rather inexpensive and able camper can.

Never heard of Hymer? They're a team from Germany that has been hard at work in the camper game since 1957, time in which they’ve risen to make quite the name for themselves. Heck, this much history in the business ranks them right up there with teams the likes of Winnebago and Airstream. Time to see what this experience can offer in terms of an accessible camper van.

The camper in question today is known as the Free, and just like its name would suggest, it’s a van meant for people that like to live life without any sort of plan, in the spur of the moment so to speak. With a starting price from €47,100 ($54,634 at current exchange rates) and the ability to sleep up to five guests, it starts to make sense why it’s a van worth looking at.

Free Camper Van Exterior \(Action\)
Photo: Hymer GmbH
The base vehicle is a Fiat Ducato with FWD and a 2.2 MultiJet engine that pumps out just 120 hp. Since it’s not really the sort of vehicle meant to be taken off-road, this power should be enough to keep you moving along on that three-day weekend. With a length of 599 cm (19.7 ft), width of 208 cm (6.8 ft), and overall height up to 270 cm (8.85 ft), you may not think you can fit five berths, a bathroom, kitchen, and living room in this thing, but it does, not to mention the pop-up roof that’s available.

Now, three floorplans are available to future owners and each one aimed at slightly different needs, but all using the same base vehicle and chassis. There is a fourth option, the Free Campus, and this variation does include a larger engine and some interior modifications.

Speaking of interiors, it’s time to look inside the Free and see what it offers. Depending on the floorplan you choose, the main difference is how the bedroom is set up. Found at the rear, guests can rest their bones on bedding suitable for up to two guests.

Towards the front of the camper, the kitchen is equipped with a 70-liter (18.5-gallon) compressor fridge and a two-burner stovetop. Deep drawers and cabinets offer the necessary room to store foodstuffs and utensils. As for the bathroom, here you’ll have access to a shower tray, cassette toilet with level indicator, and ventilation. Nothing complicated, nothing fancy, just what you need.

Free Camper Van Rear Storage
Photo: Hymer GmbH
As for electrical and comfort systems, it would seem like Hymer put in quite an effort to make sure you stay nice and cozy. Warm air heating and water boiler, LCD keypad for heating systems, 100 liters (26.4 gallons) of freshwater, 95 Ah habitat battery, and 230 V external connection are just some of the features that you’ll receive as standard.

By now you may have noticed I've said nothing about options. Well, if I was to go into the array of options that Hymer offers we would be here for another one to two articles. However, a few important things to note are that you can opt for a bigger engine, 9-gear automatic transmission, extra safety features, and larger battery systems or water heater. Even an entertainment system can be added to both the interior and exterior of the Free.

If you’re curious enough to know what your dream Free would look like and how much it’ll run you, you can always use the configurator and go from there. I did this and built a basic Free with a pop-up roof, bike rack, and a few other comfort features and ended up with a vehicle cost of €57,760 ($67,000 at current exchange rates), but as I said, that’s a simple plan. Decking this puppy out with features and options and you can hit upwards of €75,000 ($86,997 at current exchange rates), good enough to consider for future plans.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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