The camper van is a staple of the Great American Vacation. Sure, they exist around the world, but on our side of the globe, they're beloved by their owners and collectively carry travelers millions and millions of miles every year, with all the comforts of home they'd ever need coming along with them.
And that's just it, they carry people for miles and miles, yet how often does the topic of an RV being a fun, dynamic driving experience make its way into a conversation about camper vans? Who honestly puts any more thought into it other than making the vehicle comfortable for long trips?
Given that RV enthusiasts tend to be quite eccentric people, the custom campers on this list are all very unique vehicles with equally unique modifications to make what each owner thinks is the ultimate travel machine. These are some modified custom campers that could take you anywhere you want to go, and some of them will get you there quite quickly.
10 1,000-Horsepower GMC Savanna
This may look like a typical homeschooled family conversion van, but the "conversion" here goes much further than some extra leather captain's chairs, a folding bed, and a TV. On top of all that, this van also has a massive turbocharger grafted onto its 6.0l Vortech V8, producing an approximate 1,000 horsepower to the rear wheels. The Partridge family will never be late for a rehearsal again.
9 Sportsmobile Ford E-Series 4x4
This is also based on a full-size passenger van, but this conversion is very different. For a start, this van, unfortunately, doesn't produce 1,000 horsepower, but it does have a custom 4x4 drive system, a pop-up roof reminiscent of the classic Westfalia VW vans, a solar system to charge onboard batteries, running water, lights and an awning. It also has a massive bull bar on the front that allows it to bash its way through just about anything.
8 Earthroamer LTi
I say "just about anywhere," because wherever the Sportsmobile can't go, this behemoth can go with ease. This is the Earthroamer LTi, one of the largest go-anywhere adventure vehicles you can buy. It's based on a Ford F-350 Super Duty, keeping the truck's 6.7l Powerstroke diesel V8, beefed-up suspension, massive tires, and of course, the requisite steel bumper, bull bar and LED lights. This is how you survive the apocalypse in style.
7 Airstream Interstate Touring Coach
Despite 2020 throwing just about all it can at humanity, the apocalypse still hasn't happened, so if you're going to spend a small fortune on a rolling home you might as well make it something as luxuriously appointed as the Airstream Interstate Touring Coach. Based on a long-wheelbase Mercedes Sprinter van, this custom camper is equal parts motorhome and luxury limo, complete with custom lighting, RV-class air conditioning, sleeping accommodations for 4 people, and some aerodynamic tweaks to the van for lower road noise and better fuel economy for long-distance trips.
RELATED: 10 Sprinter Van Conversions We’d Give Up Our Homes To Live In
6 Revcon Trailblazer
This beast was the precursor to the Sportsmobiles and Earthroamers of this world. It doesn't ride on a massive lift kit, nor does it have the same off-road capacity as a modern equivalent, but its existence alone is to thank for the rise of custom Overlanding campers, and this one looks like it could still hold its own on some challenging terrain. The extra rear axle keeps the camper section more stable, although the engine and transmission are 100% stock - don't expect a smokey 6x6 burnout from this thing.
5 Ford Transit by MS-RT
Why bother with off-road prowess or road-trip comfort when really, all you want to do is get to your destination quickly? This modified Ford Transit campervan might be the ideal solution. Its owner did the camper conversion first, building a full kitchen, double bed, and storage in the back of the van, then brought the whole thing to UK-based Ford Transit tuning house MS-RT for the go-fast exterior. No word on the official power figures, but I can't imagine you'd want it to be too quick; you'd risk some serious damage to all your worldly belongings in the back.
4 Custom “House Truck”
This charmingly colorful machine also comes to us from the UK. It appears to be based on an old box truck on a Bedford chassis, but very little of the original truck is left. What's there now looks like a split-level home on wheels, complete with two types of wood siding, a side-entry door, a corrugated steel roof, and custom-designed windows, not to mention the various shades of purple, yellow and wood grain.
3 “Brown Sugar” by River City Rods & Fabrication
While this might look like a hot rod truck with a normal truck bed camper in the back, in reality, it is a complete custom job, with a custom-made truck bed and camper to fit precisely to River City Rods & Fabrication's requirements. On top of the custom living accommodations and airbag suspension for the truck, the whole vehicle has a consistent brown-on-orange-on-light brown 1970s aesthetic, inside and out. It was built for SEMA in 2019, and hopefully, it helped the team that built it save a little bit on hotel costs.
2 Turbo LS-Swapped 1978 Winnebago
On the topic of the 1970s, feast your eyes on one of the most insane engine swaps you've ever seen. This is a 1978 Winnebago Chieftain with a turbocharged LS V8 up front; a rolling bachelor pad with the capacity to rip unholy burnouts on your way out of the RV park. It's not known what the official power output is, nor the 0-60 time, but it is a whole lot more than factory, and to call this thing a handful to drive would be a massive understatement.
1 454 Big Block-Swapped 1976 GMC Motorhome
The GMC Motorhome itself is an interesting nugget of automotive history. It was built entirely by GMC when demand for RVs was strong enough for GM to justify a factory-built motorhome. It rode on a front-wheel-drive platform that had some commonalities with the Oldsmobile Toronado and the Cadillac El Dorado of the era. This custom be-winged GMC Motorhome has a massive 454 big-block V8 up front, still driving the front wheels, and was used to try to set a land speed record at the Bonneville salt flats. Its owner claims it's the "world's fastest motorhome," though he has not stated the official time.