Whether you want to buy or build a new van, rent one for the weekend, or just ogle at other people’s rigs, we’ve got some vans for you.
It’s no surprise that here at Flylow, we love a good camping vehicle. Just check out our Instagram feed for a glimpse at some of the vans, trucks, and other unique or retro camping rigs we’ve spotted out there in the world that we admire. This company was built on the idea of living life on your own terms and often that means throwing your duffel bag in the car, loading up the bikes or skis, and hitting the road.
So, whenever the Adventure Van Expo rolls into town, literally, you’ll find us checking out the latest and greatest vans. The expo takes over a massive parking lot for the weekend and brings in music, food trucks, and vans extraordinaire. You’ll find pro van builders, DIY-built vans for sale, rental van companies, and more. Parts and accessories companies are on hand too, selling all the nitty, gritty things you need to trick out your van for the most convenience and comfort.
The van expo goes from Chattanooga to Tahoe to Hood River and beyond. We stopped in recently for the expo in Homewood, California, on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. Here’s what we found.
Nook Vans
Meet Nook Vans, van builders out of Los Angeles that prioritize clean, simple designs and environmental conscious builds in Mercedes Sprinters.
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Luno Vans
Luno was there with the mattresses and sleeping pads you need to get a good night’s sleep anywhere. Their van front cab air mattress is pretty novel—you can blow up an air mattress that’ll fit snugly over the driver’s and front passenger seat, creating a guest bed or kid’s bed up front.
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If you can't commit, GoCamp
GoCamp is a peer-to-peer van rental company (think of like Airbnb but for campervans). They rent out fully-outfitted vans available for pickup across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. No two vans are the same and they come in every make and model you can imagine, from Vanagons and Eurovans to Ford Transits or Sprinters.
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New Native Camping
New Native Camping out of Santa Cruz, California, does van builds and offers van rentals. Their rigs were sleek, well appointed, and fully customizable. Don’t want to commit to a full van purchase? You can rent one of these beauties for the night for less than the price of a nice hotel room.
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Truckhouse
This vehicle wasn’t like anything else at the show. Truckhouse, out of Reno, Nevada, takes a Toyota Truck and transforms it into an off-roading, do-anything home on wheels. The end result is a single-piece carbon fiber-reinforced composite house that’s manufactured using a vacuum infusion process. You’ve got to see this thing close up to really get a feel for how cool it is.
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Egoe Kitchens
Cooking on the road can either be the best part of your road trip, or the worst—all depending on your kitchen setup. Egoe, out of the Czech Republic, aims to make modular, customizable kitchen and storage solutions to fit a wide variety of vans.
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OVP
The Overland Van Project, or OVP, out of Portland, Oregon, builds custom and semi-custom van conversions in Mercedes Sprinters. These vans didn’t spare any detail. We’re talking storage for your climbing gear, built-in espresso machines, and designated work-remote stations.