We love our Eurovan! I know they’re not for everybody, but they are good for somebodies, so if you’re considering getting one, here is my list of pros and cons. Note that we have the Full Camper version (which has a pop top, kitchen, and storage) as opposed to the Weekender version (which has a pop top but no kitchen, and more seating like a mini van).

What We Love About Our Eurovan:

It’s Small – it will fit in any regular parking space, such as your driveway and garage and the grocery store’s parking lot. Few (no?) other campers can fit in a regular garage! Therefore it also makes a great daily driver option (many Weekender owners do this) or for when your other car is in the shop.

It’s Fast – well, it’s meant for highway travel and is happy cruising at 70 mph, as opposed to being made for off-roading, so it’s great for long road trips.

It’s DIY (Do It Yourself) – Eurovans are around 20 years old, so while they’re old enough to need a lot of repairs, they’re also simple enough that you can do a lot of things yourself on them, if you are so mechanically inclined. There are lots of YouTube how-tos and Facebook group resources to figure it out.

It’s Used – and therefore beat up enough that we’re not afraid to do something to it, such as DIY repairs! At least for our van, anything we could do to it would probably just make it better.

It’s Community – there are some great resources for asking questions and searching posts to figure out anything you need to know about your Eurovan. I think the best for the US are Facebook’s VW Eurovan Campers and Eurovan Owners Unite, and The Samba Eurovan forums.

It’s Cheaper – Eurovan Campers are usually around $25,000-$35,000, and the Weekenders are even cheaper, from $5,000-$25,000. So at their most expensive, even with all the money you might pour into it such as replacing the transmission which is several thousand dollars, it will still cost less than any other conversion van or motorhome you can buy (such as the similar Winnebago Solis, which is $100k+). What more, Eurovans tend to hold their value, so if you take good care of it and nothing tragic happens, from what I can tell you should be able to sell it for around what you bought it.

It Seats and Sleeps Many – at this time, few other little camper vans that I know of can sleep 4 and seat 6 (with the middle bench). You can even jerry-rig a cot in the front cab area for a child and sleep 5. Right now (in 2021) the only equivalents I can find are the Solis, new VW California in Europe, the Safari Condo (used to have GMC vans but now they’re all bigger), and conversions like Adventure Vans, Sportmobile and VanWorks – and probably Peace Vans, Keystone and Contravans.

It’s Equipped – it has all the same basics as an RV, such as a heater, cupboards, closet, storage, house battery, fridge, stove, and table – except a toilet, shower, oven and microwave. No taking suitcases in and out. No setting up and taking down a camp stove. It’s all in there. And for what it doesn’t have, you can add on, such as a portapotty or tailgate shower.

It’s Fun – the pop top and fact that it’s a van are just super fun and unique; we always get comments or meet someone who wants to reminisce about their old VW camper.

What We Dislike About Our Eurovan:

It’s Old – Eurovans are now around 20 years old and will require yearly maintenance and probably major repairs every few years. It can be kindof a crapshoot depending on the car, though – some are at 200k miles and running strong, others need new everythings by 80k. If you’re looking to buy, make sure the van has been well maintained and has good records.

It’s Cramped – Eurovans are so small that they can be cramped for wiggly kids or people who like more room. When it rains, there is not much space inside to hang out – at least for families. We have found it handy to have an awning and a tent for all your extra stuff like carseats, to free up space inside.

No AC – when the engine isn’t running, there’s no air conditioning. So, you have AC when you are driving, but not when you are parked camping. I don’t think it’s that big an issue if you live on the west coast, but if you live in the Midwest it might cut out a few summer months of camping or limit where you can go. But, some ways to keep it cool inside include: window insulation (such as window insulation and window curtain), screens to let in air but keep bugs out (such as DIY window screens, window cover with screens, sliding door screen, DIY door screen, and rear hatch screen), using electric fans, and a DIY luggage rack AC unit.

No Toilet – Eurovans don’t have a toilet like most RVs. This is not a huge problem for us because any campsite with electrical hookup will have bathrooms for you, but it is a nuisance to walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night. However, there are a lot of cheap portapotty options – Google it and you’ll find lots of articles like Simple Van Toilet Options For Van Life and Best Portable Camping Toilets for Vans, Cars and RVs.

It Needs Electrical Plugin – the extra/house battery is mostly meant for keeping the fridge cold when the van is driving and for minimal electricity usage. If you don’t have electrical hookups, it will power part of the van (lights, outlets, and original fridge) for half a day or so (longer if you’re not using it for the fridge). So if you like secluded remote camping, you will want a solar panel to recharge your house battery for power needs like the fridge, which lots of people do.

It Doesn’t Off-Road – Eurovans are meant for paved road driving, with small wheels and low clearance, so folks that do off-roading will need to install a lift kit and upgrade the shocks and tires and many other things I don’t know about. We’ve taken ours on a simple dirt road easily, but on the graded gravel road I thought it was going to vibrate apart. However, this is not a problem for us because we’d rather do long highway road trips than off-roading.

If that all sounds great and you are in the market to buy a Eurovan, check out the Facebook forums I listed above under “It’s Community” for past discussions about what to look for when buying one! There’s a lot of great advice there.

Hope that helps!