Off-Road-Ready Camper Van Can Shelter up to Five People, Even Has Room for a Hammock

Your best bet for devising a camper that can fit many people is converting a bus – needless to say, they offer the most real estate out of any camper base vehicle. But for some adventurers, a bus is too big and expensive, so the next typical sensible choice is vans.

What we have here is a 2016 Ford Transit Dually with a 148" wheelbase converted by Freedom Vans. If you're unfamiliar with the term "dually," it means that the vehicle has four tires on the rear axle instead of only two. This feature enables it to carry a heavier load and tow more than a standard vehicle.

Freedom Vans is a specialized van conversion company based in Bellingham, Washington. They named this tiny home on wheels "Hasta Luego," which means see you later in Spanish. What's more, this is the company's first rental van, so if you're interested, you can get your hands on it. That's probably why Freedom Vans' team fitted more sleeping spots inside this van, as there's a high chance a family might rent this rig.

I'll start with the exterior – you'll notice the builders made several upgrades to the base vehicle. Perhaps the most significant one is a Van Compass Stage 2 Topo 2.0 suspension, which adds 2 inches (5 centimeters) of lift and makes the rig off-road ready. Pair that with the Wild Peak all-terrain tires, and you're good to go off the beaten path.

At the front, the van features a CA-tuned Hammerhead bumper with D-rings, while the rear houses a Backwoods bumper and a spare tire mounted to a ladder leading to the roof. Once you go up top, you'll discover a roof rack you've never seen before – I mean that quite literally, as it's the first Freedom Vans Transit roof rack, complete with a 370 W solar panel.

You'll notice it's taking up the whole width of the roof, and it's equipped with crossbars, an awning, and an extensive light system comprising many LED bars.

The van's blue exterior continues inside, as the cabinetry is finished in the same color. You'll find a layout commonly used in camper vans, with the kitchen on the driver's side of the vehicle, the dinette on the opposite side, and the bedroom at the rear.

Starting at the front, you'll see the driver's cabin is pretty much the same as it left the factory. The only exceptions are a reverse camera mounted on the windshield and the two seats, which can be swiveled.

It's safe to say that those renting the van won't have any issues cooking onboard. The kitchen features a spacious quartz countertop, a dual-burner induction stovetop, a deep sink with a built-in wooden cutting board and a water filter, a microwave, and a fridge. What's more, there's a 5-gallon (19-liter) jug installed under the sink, which serves as a grey water tank.

Other notable touches are a large soundbar, a tiny shelf, and a stainless-steel backsplash. Although the stainless steel wall matches the van's aesthetic, I can't help but think that choosing tiles or even peel-and-stick tiles would've been a nice design touch. However, this setup does have an advantage: the stainless steel is magnetic, so you can store all sorts of utensils on the wall.

For storage, the builders devised various storage and cabinets, one of which houses a Nature's Head composting toilet mounted on a drawer slide. Furthermore, overhead cabinets are running along the ceiling. One of them hides part of the van's electrical system: a fuse box and an AC distribution panel.

While we're on the topic of utilities, you should know there's no A/C on this rig. Instead, Freedom Vans equipped the van with proper insulation while a ceiling fan and windows ventilate the area. Furthermore, the company fitted a gas heater for colder days.

On the opposite side, you'll find the lounge area, comprising an L-shaped bench and two swivel tables. This space can be turned into a bedroom by rearranging the cushions and the table tops – it's roomy enough to fit two people. However, there's a slight drawback with this setup – you can't access the toilet drawer.

Here's something I haven't seen before inside a camper van: two hammock attachment points integrated into the ceiling. This way, an extra soul can sleep onboard, although it might not be the most comfortable solution. With the hammock included in the count, five people can sleep inside, or even more, if you squeeze an additional person on the queen bed.

And that brings me to the final area: the bedroom. The queen bed is mounted side-by-side at the rear of the van – the builders managed to fit it this way by cutting spaces into both side walls.

Just like in many other camper conversions, the remaining space under the bed serves as a garage. It can be accessed from the exterior by opening the rear door or through a door the builders devised on the inside.

You'll discover an outdoor shower complete with a teak mat, a 30-gallon (114-liter) freshwater tank, a 4-gallon (15-liter) water heater, and a 400 Ah battery bank. Other notable elements are several hooks for storage, a large gear tray with bike mounts, and another storage tray. A nice touch is that there's an additional small door leading into the interior, which allows you to store bulkier items, such as skis.

All in all, Freedom Vans has done a great job with this conversion. Even though it has some downsides, such as the lack of an interior shower or an A/C, it makes up for this with a practical layout and multiple comfortable sleeping spaces.