9 Budget Campers to Inspire Overland Adventures for Everyone
When we first got interested in overlanding, it honestly seemed unattainable for us. The people we saw adventuring out on the road appeared to have finances and expertise that we could never match. But we decided to go for it anyway, and put together our own budget campers that worked for us. Because the truth is: Overlanding is for everyone!
Vanlife doesn’t require a decked-out Sprinter. Overlanding can be done without a Land Rover. And you can absolutely go road tripping in a cheap car camper without a rooftop tent.
We see a lot of people and rigs that look the same and make the price of participation seem incredibly high. But in reality, overlanding isn’t limited to one type of person and doesn’t require the fanciest gear. No matter who you are or what your budget is, there’s somebody out there overlanding just like you. If you’re out there adventuring on the road, then you’re an overlander.
So if you’re afraid to get started because you think you need more money or expertise, these nine budget campers are here to prove you wrong. These folks made adventures happen with what they had, and kindly shared their advice for getting started. I hope they inspire you to get out there on the road!
Laura’s Budget Car Camper
Vehicle: 2005 Honda Element
What changes did you make to your vehicle to make it overland ready?
The Honda Element is already set up well for car camping without any major upgrades. With one person (myself) I take the front seat headrest off and fold the passenger side seats flat to create a twin size bed. I use a three-inch memory foam full size mattress pad folded in half, jump into a 32-45 degree lightweight sleeping bag, and use an eye mask to sleep.
When my husband or a friend has joined me for a long road trip, we have a cheap rooftop carrier to store extra things outside the car to create more space inside for two people. Each night we take the head rests off and fold all the seats flat, which basically converts the entire car into a full size bed. It is pretty spacious and I’m convinced tall people can even stretch out! My husband and friends were able to sit up right on the mattress without hitting their head on the roof of the car. This was key for me to be able to spend more time inside in case of bad weather while on the road.
It is a very easy and affordable set up, as all I needed to buy in addition to the vehicle was the mattress and sleeping bags. I made no changes to the car’s interior and left all the seats in.
Where do you sleep when you’re on the road?
I sleep inside my car! Most of the time I’m roadtripping or working alone in the city so I don’t feel as comfortable tent camping by myself as a woman. By sleeping inside the car I can lock all the doors and stay under the radar pretty well. This also comforts my husband and parents ever so slightly.
How do you cook?
I have a one burner propane stove I bought for $20 back in 2016 that works great! The Honda Element has a truck-style back that folds open. It makes a nice little table and sitting area to cook.
When I am car camping in a city, I tend to eat out more. I bring my coffee mug to a coffee shop and ask for free hot water for tea or coffee. My husband’s trick for saving money and eating well on a road trip is to stop by college/university dining halls and eat at the buffet!
What’s the one thing you can’t live without when you’re on an adventure?
Plenty of water! And a delicious instant coffee.
Where is your favorite place you’ve gone car camping?
I spent a month driving from Phoenix, Arizona up to Alaska and another month driving from Alaska back down to Los Angeles. My favorite place was definitely British Columbia and the Alaska Highway. The Canadian Rockies are incredible and British Columbia is huge! It takes around 20 hours to drive from the south to north and there are several different routes to explore. When I drove down I was alone and took random turn offs everywhere and every new scene made me cry with happiness. The landscape was truly spectacular.
Advice for people just starting out car camping/overlanding:
Don’t get caught up in the vanlife craze of building out a big fancy vehicle with all the luxuries. Car camping can look like a huge van or bus with $40,000 of improvements or a simple minivan or SUV with a cheap mattress inside!
My total costs were low: Honda Element was $3400, mattress pad $120, sleeping bag $100, stove $20, cooking pot and utensils I bought from Goodwill. Have fun! The best part is getting out and exploring!
You can follow Laura’s adventures on Instagram at @healthytravelnurse.
Kaelee’s Backpacking Base Camp
Vehicle: 2011 Subaru Forester
What changes did you make to your vehicle to make it overland ready?
None? I have an air mattress and a pump I keep in the back, and recently added a giant battery from Jackery to charge electronics.
Where do you sleep when you’re on the road?
In the back of my car on an air mattress.
How do you cook?
I basically treat it like backpacking and bring anything I would eat while backpacking, or I am a fast food monster and eat fast food things.
What’s the one thing you can’t live without when you’re on an adventure?
My air mattress and my Costco puffy blanket when it’s extra cold.
Where is your favorite place you’ve gone adventuring in your vehicle?
I mainly use this set up to sleep at trailheads and get an early start on busy backpacking trips or climbing trips that require a 1am start…ugh.
Advice for people just starting out car camping/overlanding:
Use what you have, as long as you can comfortably sleep in your car YOU. CAN. DO. IT.
You can follow Kaelee’s adventures on her blog, Seattle Bred, and on Instagram at @seattlebred.
Natasha’s Ever-Evolving Van
Vehicle: 2017 Ram Promaster 1500 136” HT
What changes did you make to your vehicle to make it overland ready?
I moved into it full time as an empty van in the excitement of procuring it. In the beginning a piece of plywood across the wheel wells was all I thought I needed. Now I have a raised bed for storage under, a storage bench, composting toilet, and countertop. Surf racks were also fairly important.
Where do you sleep when you’re on the road?
I have a bed in the van and I’ll crawl into it at the first sign of traffic or waiting. It’s got 8” of memory foam in lieu of a real mattress and that may be too soft but it’s in there now.
How do you cook?
I mostly cook breakfast after a surf or lunch and dinner out at the track or by the beach. I have a butane stove and camp oven. In the way that my van is ever-evolving, I think I will build them into the frame of the countertop at some point.
What’s the one thing you can’t live without when you’re on an adventure?
The sun. When I run out of solar power for the generator and there’s nothing but clouds in the forecast it can kinda kill the vibe cause you need to ration gas to get power and try to keep everything cold without really running the fridge. Other than that, the composting toilet cause it’s always nice to have a clean, familiar place to go to the bathroom.
Where is your favorite place you’ve gone adventuring in your vehicle?
I think my most successful trips have been to venues for activities like motocross and snowboarding. The van gives you the ability to stay if conditions are good and getting better. If it’s an expensive event or venue, it takes the lodging cost out and makes the trip more fun for less.
I’ve driven across the country a few times too, and another trip coming. Those are always great because you’re leaving one place on the way to the next. Much more novel than out and back routes.
Advice for people just starting out car camping/overlanding:
If you’ve thought about it enough to watch all the videos on it, just go. You’ll never know until you try.
I was only supposed to be testing this out then selling my van for a profit. Now it’s been nearly two years. No one else’s opinion of camping, overlanding, or vanning is ever going to tell you what yours is. It’s experiential.
You can follow Natasha’s adventures on Instagram at @theunprofessional.
Olivia’s Simple Subaru Camper
Vehicle: I had a BMW 325xi 2002 for most of our adventures, and now have a 2006 Subaru Forester.
What changes did you make to your vehicle to make it overland ready?
Just a Thule cargo box and a roof rack.
Where do you sleep when you’re on the road?
We often use a conventional tent, though in 2019 have tested towing a pop up camper with our Subaru. With conventional tent camping, we have ended up sleeping in the car due to inclement weather in the past.
How do you cook?
We love to book sites that offer grills or pits, however we also own a portable burner that operates on propane.
What’s the one thing you can’t live without when you’re on an adventure?
Good shoes, a water bag, and my camera!
Where is your favorite place you’ve gone car camping?
The Arizona/Colorado/Utah region, West Coast, and Florida Keys are my favorite road trippin’ regions.
Advice for people just starting out car camping/overlanding:
Don’t overthink it! Most things you might “forget” can be retrieved at a later point. Be sure to prep your vehicle with an essential check up, and don’t be afraid to step away from your daily amenities to find new comfort. Lastly,not everything will go perfectly as planned. And that’s okay. Prioritize safety, communication, and experiences and you’ll have a blast regardless.
You can follow Olivia’s adventures on her blog, O. Christine, and on Instagram at @ochristine.
Erin and Drew’s Budget Camper
Vehicle: 2007 Honda Element
What changes did you make to your vehicle to make it overland ready?
Removed the back seats, built storage drawers, bought a cooler, gas camping stove, portable battery, added a foam mattress, and built a 550 cord net to dry stuff on. Already had a water container, sleeping bags, and kitchen supplies. Sewed curtains and screens for the window.
Where do you sleep when you’re on the road?
In the car! It helps we’re short (both of us are 5’ 2”).
How do you cook?
Gas camping stove with option to be powered by butane or propane. And let’s be real…eating out! Half the fun of visiting places on the way to your more remote locations is trying out restaurants. Although we always had snack options in case Erin couldn’t find food (I’m vegan).
What’s the one thing you can’t live without when you’re on an adventure?
Water. I asked Drew for a less literal answer and he got all cheesy and said “each other.” Awww.
Where is your favorite place you’ve gone adventuring in your vehicle?
I jokingly hate this question. In fact we have a whole post about it! But if we had to list tops: Zion, Valley of the Gods, Snake River NFS campsite outside of the Grand Tetons, Olympic Peninsula (visited a ton of cool indigenous cultural centers there…what is especially neat is that people like the Quileute, Quinault, and Makah amongst many others have had access to their same lands – albeit much reduced because of colonization – for thousands of years), and Big Sur.
We’re looking forward to doing more adventuring in the Great Lakes region now that we’ve sort of settled down from our nomadic ways.
Advice for people just starting out car camping/overlanding:
Just try it! You don’t need a lot to have a good time in nature. You’ll learn a lot and figure it out as you go. That’s a lot of the fun.
You can follow Erin and Drew’s adventures on Instagram at @27thletterbooks.
Renee’s Adventure Van
Vehicle: 2001 Ford E250
What changes did you make to your vehicle to make it overland ready?
I built a cot-size bed, kitchen/bathroom sink, clothes cabinets (all from recycled cabinets and furniture) and electrical system with a 100-watt solar panel. The van is also fully insulated.
Where do you sleep when you’re on the road?
In my vehicle
How do you cook?
I used a single burner camp stove that I used very little because I would mostly eat foods I didn’t need to cook because, well, I was too lazy. It took far too much effort to cook and clean up after.
What’s the one thing you can’t live without when you’re on an adventure?
I can’t live with my Hydroflask water bottle.
Where is your favorite place you’ve gone adventuring in your vehicle?
Driving through southern Utah and exploring Moab was my favourite; I truly enjoyed the constant otherworldly views and weather.
A piece of advice for people just starting out car camping/overlanding:
Don’t overthink it, just go!
You can follow Renee’s adventures on Instagram at @ren.rover.
Lisette’s Homebuilt Rooftop Tent Camper
Vehicle: 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
What changes did you make to your vehicle to make it overland ready?
We built our own rooftop tent! (See next question). We took out the back seats, and designed and built an ‘overlanding interior’: cabinets for our stuff (reached through the side doors) and 3 huge drawers in the back – one of which is also our kitchen. No expensive fancy drawer system, but it works.
We used simple plywood for everything, and did all the construction in the little garage of our shared apartment in Squamish (thank goodness for enthusiastic and understanding housemates!), with secondhand tools bought from a local re-use it center. Found lots of things through Craigslist too, such as our golf-cart batteries and a huge collection of camping gear!
Where do you sleep when you’re on the road?
In our homebuilt rooftop tent! This was one of the biggest projects my partner and I have tackled together, andthere were many times when we wondered if we’d lost or mind and whether this was even possible…but we did it, and it’s still going strong after almost two years! (Yes, we’re surprised too!)
We saved a couple thousand bucks by building our rooftop tent instead of buying a commercial one, which was simply not within our budget.
How do you cook?
My partner cooks, I do the dishes. We eat local fruits and veggies as much as we can, and try to get them at local markets and roadside stalls when possible. We’ve got a blender in our rig: Nothing beats fresh smoothies and it’s insanely cheap to buy fresh local goods in Central and South America!
In South America we’ve been eating out more (lunch, since that’s the ‘big’ meal here), because it’s almost cheaper than what we can cook for ourselves. We often eat the same for about three days, my partner making a big pot of pasta sauce or curry for example. This cuts down the costs significantly as well, and makes cooking a bit easier and quicker logistically. Oh, and we do shop at big chains sometimes too..sometimes it’s just a relief to have everything you need in one place and to splurge on some luxury items like good cheese.
What’s the one thing you can’t live without when you’re on an adventure?
We got a cheap foldable bucket somewhere in the US and it’s SO handy for carrying water, doing the dishes, etc…best investment ever. And ShoeGoo. To repair said bucket, our coffee plunger, numerous shoes..ShoeGoo fixes everything!
Where is your favorite place you’ve gone adventuring in your vehicle?
Local places. Like, a little beach or a river just outside a small village where we meet some friendly locals and where it’s quiet at night. These are the best camp spots, in every single country.
Advice for people just starting out car camping/overlanding:
Don’t think you need a super expensive overlanding rig to cross borders and drive the Americas. With some creativity, it can be done on a budget! And there are many ways to stretch your finances (like housesitting and Workawaying) – consider making them a part of your travels!
You can follow Lisette’s adventures on Instagram at @elisabethjacolien.
Katie’s Upcycled Budget Campervan
Vehicle: 2002 Dodge Caravan
What changes did you make to your vehicle to make it overland ready?
A basic bed platform with foldup to give access to one of the back seats, and a power inverter that plugs into van. Almost the entire build is upcycled wood and hardware.
Where do you sleep when you’re on the road?
On my bed platform in my van.
How do you cook?
Double-burner stove
What’s the one thing you can’t live without when you’re on an adventure?
Snickers bars
Where is your favorite place you’ve gone adventuring in your vehicle?
Ooph, that’s a tough one. Three very different national parks come to mind: Lava Beds, Glacier, and Acadia.
Advice for people just starting out car camping/overlanding:
Don’t be intimidated by the technical aspects of a build-out. You don’t need to spend a billion dollars nor do you need an engineering degree. There are a billion resources out there and, if you’re both patient and persistent, you can find deals.
Also, as with all things in life, I recommend repurposing and upcycling as many materials as possible to have as light of an impact on the world so that there are still beautiful places worth visiting for future generations.
You can follow Katie’s adventures on Instagram at @lifeisatraverse.
Shruthi and Peter’s Vanagon
Vehicle: 1987/Volkswagen/Vanagon GL Westfalia
What changes did you make to your vehicle to make it overland ready?
The only major upgrades we really did for our Stateside travels were a new engine and rebuilt transmission, only because Peter had had the van for over 10 years at this point and it was just a precaution. Our van is pretty much stock as far as the interior goes, so we did small things to make it more livable (magnetic knife block/LED touch lights/hooks on the insides of the cabinets for hanging spatulas/cooking utensils, liners on the shelves, new truck fridge, solar panels, and a drawer for dish storage).
Where do you sleep when you’re on the road?
Most of the time, we sleep in our van.
How do you cook?
We have a two-burner propane stove in the van.
What’s the one thing you can’t live without when you’re on an adventure?
Snacks! We work hard, play hard and snack hard.
Where is your favorite place you’ve gone adventuring in your vehicle?
Our recent adventures on the Pan-American Highway were life-changing!
Advice for people just starting out car camping/overlanding:
Start simple and then build and adjust from there. It’s good to be as prepared as possible, but don’t waste time trying to make it all perfect. You’ll gradually learn how you like to live on the road as you go and it always changes.
For example, our organization of the van completely changed after spending a year living in it. We realized that some things work better in other places and vice versa. Over the last three years of living on the road, we’ve purged so many items that we thought we needed.
You can follow Shruthi and Peter’s adventures on their blog, Holiday at See, and on Instagram at @holidayatsee.
If you’ve been considering adventures on the road but felt too overwhelmed to get started, I hope these unique budget campers and van-lifers inspired you to just go for it!
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