VanTourer Urban Is the Tiny, Compact Camper That Packs Full Kitchen, Sleeps 4

If wanderlust or the current travel restrictions are inspiring you to go road-tripping, you don’t necessarily have to go big to have the most awesome van-life experience. Sure, if you’re shamefully rich, you can always get yourself a land yacht for the ultimate experience, but regular folks have one more option to consider: the VanTourer Urban.

Unveiled at the 2020 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon that wrapped up last Sunday, the Urban is a compact, comparatively small but nearly complete solution for life on the road. It’s obviously not made to allow you to go off-grid for longer stretches, but it should be more than enough to give you a pleasant and comfortable vacation exploring local landmarks, wherever you happen to be living.

Built on the Mercedes-Benz Vito, the Urban comes in three configurations, according to New Atlas: the Base, Comfort and Prime. The premium model offers several engine options and extras, which add up to a complete, modular van that can sleep four people and double as a cargo van, thanks to the removable kitchen block and the ability to take out the rear seats by using rails.

In fewer words, this is a compact and quite elegant camper van that can easily revert back to its original form and become a minivan or work van. It is pretty much a 3-in-1 solution, if you’re willing to pay a little extra on options.

However, even the Base model is a complete solution for a camper, albeit for couples. It comes with a fixed kitchen block with attached extendable dining table, some storage space and sleeping for two in the extendable pop-up half-tent. By removing the rear seats, you can either get a “loft-like” living or storage for bikes or surfboards, or any other toys you might want to bring along on your vacation. Simply folding down the rear seats, you get sleeping space for another two people, though you will be cramped for space.

In this case, the Comfort and Prime configurations offer the mobile kitchen block option – which is to say you can take everything outside, hook the cooker and sink on whichever side of the van you prefer (gas, water and electrical hookups are available on both) and get started. The kitchen is complete but – you guessed it – compact: you have a dual burner and sink, but will have to rely on the foldable table as a countertop.

While the kitchen block can be mobile as an option, the 30-liter (7.9-gallon) compressor fridge is not and remains inside. The table has a metallic upper layer that keeps the magnetic-bottomed glasses in place. Swiveling the driver and passenger’s seats around creates dining space inside the van for four, assuming, of course, you’re not using the area for sleeping.

Storage space is available over the fridge and in a permanently installed, full-height cabinet in the back. It’s not much, especially if compared to more generously-sized campers, but it should be enough. A 95-Ah AGM battery powers up the interior, with a 230-V hookup included as standard. A heater is also part of the standard offer for the Comfort and Prime models, and offered as an option on the Base.

Pricing starts at €49,900 (approximately $59,118 at today’s exchange rate) for the Base model and goes up to €71,990 ($85,292) for the Comfort and Prime, without any extra options. In addition to several engine options, the Comfort and Prime configurations also offer 4Matic all-wheel-drive.