Are Adventure Vans the ultimate campervans?

Here at Onyx, we specialise in adventure van conversions. But what exactly is an adventure van, and why are they the utlimate campervan? Read on to find out.

What makes a campervan an adventure van? Off-grid capability, off-road ready, designed for exploration.

What is an adventure van?

We define an adventure van as a purpose-built vehicle designed for off-grid travel, self-sufficiency, and exploration.

While all campervans and motorhomes can take you from a to b, not all are adventure vans.

• Many are not off-grid capable, as they are designed to be parked on a campsite with an electric hook-up. That means you can't really park up anywhere if you want to make use of your electrical appliances, including your lights.

• Many are not built with adventure in mind. While they will have plenty of storage for regular household items, it's unlikely that the designers have thought of storing your mountain bike or surfboard inside, or putting muddy kit away somewhere.

• Many off the shelf campers and motorhomes are not built from durable materials. While they will stand up to regular use, they won't withstand having kit thrown into them or boots kick them, things that are likely to happen when you start using your van.

In contrast, Adventure Vans are designed for adventure.

• Adventure vans are fully off-grid capable. They can able to take you off-grid and out into the wild for days or even weeks.

• Adventure vans provide complete self sufficiency, meaning you won't need a hook up or even a water source, depending on how long you want to get off the beaten path.

• Adventure vans will always have space for your kit. With customisation you can find a way to take anything with you. We've built vans to house rowing sculls, bikes, skis, and more!

• Adventure vans are built to be rugged and withstand a beating.

• Adventure vans are off-road capable. This is both in terms of the van itself, which often means having off-road tyres or 4x4 drivetrain, and in terms of the build quality, which can withstand bumpier roads and tracks better than standard build campers.

Adventure vans offer a robust interior designed to take you where you want to go. But robust can still be beautiful.

Core Features of an Adventure Van

Here are some core features of adventure vans that we think make them the ultimate campervans:

• Off-grid capability:

  • Power: Full off-grid capable electrical systems. We include a large lithium battery bank with substantial solar charging as standard. We also include dc/dc charging for topping your batteries up when you're on the move.

  • Water: Large capacity water tanks to make sure you have enough water for any adventure. We also include the option to have water filter, so you can fill up from any water source.

• Modular designs and storage

  • Adventure vans are designed to carry you, your friends, your family, and all your gear. We build vans with modular storage and clever solutions to fit everything you need be that your bike, your paddle board, your campfire, or your kids!

• Hard wearing materials

  • Adventure vans will get go on bumpy roads and get dirty, so they have to be up to the task

  • We manufacture furniture from lightweight ply with HPL and from powder coated aluminium - it's hard wearing, can handle rough roads, and it's wipeable. But it's also still beautiful.

  • Our floors, walls, and ceiling are all hard wearing and cleanable, but still provide a cosy aesthetic.

• All terrain upgrades

  • If you're taking your van off road or to remote places, you'll want a van that can handle it. A 4x4 chassis, upgraded suspension, upgraded wheels and off-road tyres, air compressors, winches - you name it, you can have it. Even if you don't want to go whole hog, thinking about some off-road upgrades means your van will be able to access more places

• Comfortable interiors for travel and downtime

  • An adventure van often serves as a base camp, so we make sure it's a comfortable place to come back to after a hard day out. Comfortable beds to get a good night's rest, good lounge space for debriefing the day, and enough kitchen space for cooking hearty meals on the go are all key features in our vans.

Adventure vans feature heavy duty off-grid systems as standard.

Who are adventure vans for?

Adventure vans can be for anyone

• Weekend warriors and short-haul explorers - adventure vans are great for short trips. Keep your van loaded and ready to go at the drop of a hat, and you can explore anywhere on a whim.

• Outdoor enthusiasts - adventure vans make the perfect base camp for cyclists, climbers, surfers, skiiers and more. If you love being out in nature, an adventure van is perfect for you!

• Families looking for flexible travel - Taking the kids? Adventure vans can provide you with all the room you need for a family holiday. Whether you're staying in the UK or heading abroad, you can travel and sleep families of all sizes in an adventure van.

• Full-time digital nomads - Left the office behind? Adventure vans are great places to work from. Design your van with mobile internet and space to work, and the world can be your office.

Adventure vans are for anyone who wants to get off the beaten track

Where can I take an adventure van?

You may be wondering where you'd use your adventure van. Here are some ideas

In the UK

• Wild Camping: Adventure vans are great for wild camping. While this is not legal in many parts of the UK, you can wild camp in parts of Dartmoor and in Scotland. Just remember to be mindful of your surroundings and leave no trace.

• Off-grid campsites: Even in parts of england where you can't wild camp, there are some amazing off-grid campsites available. Check out Wild With Consent (here) or Off-Grid Camp (here) for some awesome sites. These campsites are often completely private and will take you to some pretty cool places.

• Day trips: an adventure van can also be an awesome base camp for day trips. Even if you're not staying completely off-grid overnight, it's a great place to start and finish your day of adventure

Further afield

Adventure vans can really go anywhere with the right planning!

• Take the ferry or the train across to mainland Europe for endless adventures. Try the Atlantic Road in Norway, or check out Estonia, where wild camping is actively encouraged.

• For the more adventurous, take your van over to Iceland and try out the famous F-roads.

• Leave Europe all together. Ship your van over to North America to explore the US national parks and Canada, or drive your van all the way through Africa.

With an adventure van, the world really is your oyster.

Take your adventure van into the wilderness. There are loads of great campsites in the UK only accessible with adventure vans.

Ready to build your own adventure van?

Take a look at our gallery and follow us on instagram for some inspiration, check out our process, and get in touch if you're thinking about a build.

Here at Onyx, we offer both standard layouts and custom adventure vans. All our vans are fully adventure ready, and we can make sure that the van suits your adventures and your plans.

Start your adventure today.

Ready to start your adventure? We can help you build our dream van.