Why Buy an RV That Ruptures Your Bank Account? Camping Box Proves You Don't Need To

One such alternative is camping kits that can simply be slid or integrated into your current vehicle and help you unlock the joys of off-grid living for a fraction of the costs of owning a real RV. Sure, your experience may be to the detriment of your current vehicle, assuming it can accommodate such kits, but the tradeoff seems to outweigh the downsides.

For example, the creation we’ll be exploring today has been simply dubbed the Camping Box by its creators, Tailgate Gear. If this crew doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because they’re actually from over in Europe rather than an American company, as that name may lead you to believe. But, the work they achieve applies to just about any van in the world, as long as it fits the base criteria of size.

I mentioned earlier that this trinket can transform your vehicle into a basic RV for a fraction of the price of classic campers, and that’s true. For example, the smallest Camping Box sells for no more than €2,600 ($2,650 at current exchange rates), and that alone is a message that you should pay a tad of attention and consideration for such units. However, that doesn’t include a bed, and with the extra frame and mattress, €3,660 ($3,700) is the price you’ll pay for a complete unit. Not to mention that they’re quite easy to install and take out of your van.

What are we getting ourselves into if we drop near $4K on something like this? That’s what we’re here to find out, and we can embark upon this journey with nothing more than a tad of imagination. For example: when your friends ask you where your camper is, just tell them not to worry about it and go about driving as a group to your destination.

Once you’ve arrived, the gang is each taking the time to level and unhitch their RVs while you just put the thing into a park. Since you’ve integrated this bugger into a van, you open the side door, open up the tailgate, and voila, your RV is ready; your buddies are still trying to unhitch tow lines and already firing up the grill found on one of the slideouts. Actually, fridges, pantries for storage, shelves, all are at the ready. While you’re sitting down enjoying your fresh hashbrowns, bacon, and even coffee, the gang is looking back at you in amazement.

Since the setup is completed using an aluminum frame and birch plywood, it’s going to be rather strong, with each slider able to support 80 kilograms (176 pounds) of load, and light, allowing you to manipulate the entire system with just one person. The downside, if you haven’t picked up on it yet, is that the Camping Box is only suited for a number of vans. But, this seems to be balanced with the fact that you don’t need any permits or licenses to integrate this into your life.

Furthermore, the future seems to be bringing forth change because as I explored Tailgate Gear, I realized they have similar systems for other vehicles too, and more works seem to be in store. All I know is that I was thinking about buying a beat-up Mercedes-Benz and transforming it into a camper, but why go through all the trouble when you can just consider this alternative? Heck, maybe even buy a new van just to do it.

Sure, you won’t have the sort of setup that can sustain off-grid life in one place for too long, but if you consider the amount of additional gear you can integrate into the Camping Box, things like solar panels, shower, a portable toilet, and definitely more water tanks, you will be able to squeeze more hours and days out of your setup.

Again, a lot of folks think that the off-grid and adventure lifestyle is designed to sap you of your precious dollars, and it’s teams like Tailgate Gear that are changing this notion and thrusting us into the outdoor life for much less than we may have been told it would cost. Really give this one some thought.