The road trip has been an American staple ever since the first beatnik read On the Road one too many times in the early 60’s, but the freedom of the open road has often been coupled with the inconveniences of living out of ones car for an extended period of time. While some people enjoy the endless hours of monotonous driving between destinations, few sane people will also enjoy spending the cold nights trying to sleep on the car’s back seat, with the seat buckle wedged into their side. The solution thus far has gone two routes: to either invest a lot of money in an RV and essentially bring your whole house on the road, or to pack a bulky tent that makes your car even more uncomfortable to drive around in and still leaves you at the mercy of the weather. To bridge these two faulty ideas comes the Vintage Overland Caravans, a reasonably priced alternative that allows one to still experience the quintessential road trip without driving themselves to the point of exhaustion. Built by hand in the classic teardrop shape, these caravans provide an enclosed place to store ones gear and at night function as a proper bedroom, with each model including a memory foam mattress. The caravan’s design is driven by an ecologic, utilizing a solar panel to power a series of LED lights, and repurposing denim as insulation for the nighttime. The three models available offer a range of features and sizes, with the largest (dubbed the “T.E. Lawrence”) including a queen-sized bed, a pull out writing desk (at which to pen yet another novel about life on the road) a rear hatch, and a multi-purpose storage boot that is “great for your camp kitchen, food supplies or gear.” This design will ensure one stays comfortable and well rested on even the longest and most demanding of adventures, at a price anyone with the financial state to not work for weeks on end can afford. Photography by Robb Reece.
