How living in a large van is so much nicer
While a small van gives you freedom, there are times when you have to be inside your van, and this is where a bit more space makes all the difference.
When the weather is great and you are enjoying the great outdoors, a small van is no problem. But when the weather packs it in, or when you are cooking, eating, sleeping, changing, washing or resting, that extra space can be the difference between a relaxing time and something quite annoying.
One of the great joys of travelling in New Zealand is how quickly everything can change. A calm, sunny morning can turn into wind, rain and cold within hours. The idea of “four seasons in one day” isn’t just a saying. It’s something you experience regularly on the road.
That unpredictability is part of the adventure, but it also exposes a common problem. What starts as a relaxed afternoon sitting outside in the sun can quickly turn into being confined inside a small, cramped space when the weather closes in.
That’s where smart design matters. If you’re going to travel properly, your space needs to work just as well in bad weather as it does in good.
Typically, in a small van, if one person is standing up, the other has to be out of the way. But the 8 m layout allows for lots of luxuries you just don’t get in a small van. Some designs we have seen include all of the following:
A lounge at each end of the van
Office working spaces at each end of the van
Comfortable seating and sleeping for four
A full bathroom with a separate shower
A large kitchen, fridge and appliances, even a dishwasher
Loads of storage space
Great indoor-outdoor flow, as the space around the sliding door isn’t cluttered with cabinets
A door that creates fully separate, private spaces for sleeping and relaxing
Basically, not having to make room for a double bed inside the van gives you so many more design options.
The end result of having more space is that you can enjoy your trip no matter what you are doing.