[nikhilarni]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

Bengaluru-based start-up Campervan Camps and Holidays India have unveiled LuxeCamper, which is said to be India’s first commercially approved premium motorhome.

Wow. This looks like so much fun to do.

however, I voted No. I don't think India is ready for a Camper experience as yet for the following reasons

1. Security: I am just not sure how safe it would be to take this in the wild / woods / forest area and camp there. It's just not safe.

2. Camper infrastructure : We don't have designated parks, Electricity connections and sewage outlets ready around places in India.

3. Cost: I am sure the cost would be forbiddingly high.

4. Hygiene and Maintenance: People around here just don't know how to maintain and respect things that are hired. Look at the state of the self drive rentals ( Zoomcars etc. )

However, I would be inclined towards the prospect of one-day trips ( depending on cost, location and objective ) , but definitely not for over nighters.

[aashishnb]

I got really excited to see the thread but got let down after reading what it offers. IMO, a copy paste of the RV concept seen overseas would not work here.

My wishlist of how it could suit our conditions. First the why (most have been already mentioned)
1. Safety, infra concerns, so will be using proper hotels/stay facilities along the way.
2. We prefer to travel with family or friends + family and rarely alone.
3. We enjoy local food at dhabas/restaurants and for hygiene issues there is the McD/Kamats, etc.
4. We generally like to carry some homemade food / snacks and a lot of our food can last a couple of days. Who wants to cook on a holiday!!
5. Can use this vehicle for long family trips across country in COMFORT.
6. Could become an effective alternate to the personal SUV/MUV for long distance holidays.
7. We like it to be airy instead of cramped with all the interior furniture/contraptions.

Therefore my idea of a vehicle would be:
1. Based on Tempo Traveller, a tried and tested platform in our country. It can also keep going all day long without fuss and do decent speeds.
2. Add a small portable toilet.
3. Have some seats and some beds (maybe even a convertible option like aircraft business / first seats), so people can travel and rest while traveling and also enjoy the group travel.
4. Maybe get a collapsible partition between the driving compartment and the rear, so can be removed if family member is sitting in front / driving.
5. All small fridge, microwave or heating unit instead of the full range kitchen and crockery.
6. Obviously, given the application, more suitable to be leased instead of bought. High level of maintenance & quality is a bare minimum requirement. Most of the demand will be for chauffeured use and therefore level if care is automatically better (generally, but not always taxis are better maintained than self drives).
7. Optionally, can add a tent support mechanism for when a camping option is used.

[Sran]

Why would anyone want to live in a camper van/ caravan? It is for western destitudes, not for some sane person. No decent person will make it as home, it is for stereotype American red necks or meth heads. The lot rents are cheap where these poor americans put their caravans plus water, power supply and lavatory waste cleaning is provided. American municipalities put lien on houses after 2 years of back taxes, we in India don't have such issues. Tax for a 3000 sqft land with built up area of 2000sqft is near about Rs. 2000 per annum. Water is cheap and electricity is at maximum 6 rs per unit on average. Stats show that in India crimes are far lower than America and some European countries. Even the recent reader's digest wallet experiment gave Mumbai better ranking than every major western cities.

To travel is a different matter. If readily available at good price on rent it surely will be a good vehicle for tour and I will happily rent it.

[superavi]

For people talking about the camper being too big and requiring a HGV licence, here's a camper (An indian camper anyone?)that I reviewed in 2007 - made in Pune.

[chaudh2s]

You remember people threw stones and damaged a seemingly modern looking train (assuming it to be some sort of an alien craft). Very high chance the RV would be stoned, scratched, occupants manhandled, etc., etc.
Not to mention commercial driving license required to drive one. In EU, such vehicles can be driven with regular B driving license (passenger car class 2) as long as total weight is below 3500kg.

[guranshwalia]

I voted no.
Though I am thought about the idea of importing something like Bruder Camper Trailer, to hitch with my D5. It is quite secure as a unit and would be awesome for expeditions and trails in HP and Sikkim. I already have a tow package in the car. Do you think it would be a decent addition? Cost should be around 30L and maybe less for a second-hand version.

[14000rpm]

Few of my most memorable Holidays were when I was driving around Norway in a campervan/RV/motorhome. I'll stick to calling it Campervan.

The Experience is amazing for a small family and I'll do it again. In fact I was even contemplating buying one and leasing it out to rental companies just so I could still use it when I wanted it and it would earn for itself later.

Why did it work?
Freedom to choose anyplace to park and stay overnight. No hotel bookings to worry about and no check-in/check-out timings to adhere to.
Food is at free-will of time. no need to rush to any given place just to make it on-time. Park at spot with a nice view and set camp. outdoor if weather is good, indoor when not.
I merely choose start and end date for rental and the rest was a peaceful holiday.

Will this work in India?
The beauty of such a holiday is when you drive it yourself. Privacy is the luxury here and self-service is the joy. If one needs a Commercial DL/needs a driver, according to me, this is Dead on arrival.

Even if the rare few do manage the license, not all places are ok to park. Much has been said in previous replies and I'll not repeat.

most Importantly- Food.
For most of us in India, going on a holiday is getting rid of all work. who wants to cook when on a holiday? However, that is really the beauty of such a holiday.

Even if some are ok, next comes the complexity of our cooking. Typically easy to cook with limited cookware is the way to go. Breads, Pasta's, Eggs, etc.


What all tasks are needed to be done?
Aside of driving around, the main bit of maintenance on day-day basis would be water - Fresh, Grey (from sink, wash basin, Shower) and Black water (Toilet).
One needs to be familiar and ok dealing with this. Mostly the Black water. it depends on the of toilet in the campervan. I have always used one with the casette type that can be pulled and dumped in designated sites since using such a toilet needs chemicals. I was able to fill up Fresh water and dump Grey water in petrol stations. Occasionally I had to stop over at Camp sites for this.

How will this work in India?
Assuming all the filter checks I mentioned earlier are ok and one gets to jump into a Campervan holiday, where to fill water/dump water?

There is a lot of infrastructure to be in place before this kicks off. I really hope it does.

As for me, I'm looking forward to my next campervan holiday.

[auxsend]

My old man built a couple of Caravans way back in the late 90's. Was indeed way way ahead of it's of time back then. The initial one was a tow type unit and the second one was built on a Tata 407 chassis. He subsequently built a few more on order on chassis from Eicher and Mazda as well.

Had to shut shop eventually as it never really took off to the level required in order for it to be financially viable.

Need to look around to unearth them pics. But here's one.

[superavi]

Originally Posted by superavi

For people talking about the camper being too big and requiring a HGV licence, here's a camper (An indian camper anyone?)that I reviewed in 2007 - made in Pune.

For what it's worth I voted no. I can imagine living in a camper for a long period say 6 months to a year - but not for the rest of my life. The need for a fixed address and solidity takes priority.

[jithin23]

It's about time that camper vans or motorhomes start gaining popularity. Agreed, that our country's night safety is questionable at night, but if the basic infrastructure such as parking spots with CCTV's and a power cord connector to connect the motor home(similar as a EV charging station) would do the trick. Motorhomes are very useful for long trips of 4 days or more.

It would be interesting if people build a motorhome based out of a pick up truck such as a Scorpio getaway, Tata xenon and Isuzu V-cross. If Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger launches in India,(possible because both share same parts as Fortuner/Endeavor and both are exported to Bhutan via Indian factories and roads) this segment would see some surge in demand.

Best part is for the vehicles I've mentioned, one can use it with a regular LMV license itself!

Pic from Google:

[TejasKinger]

There is another Indian company, based in Bangalore, by the name of Trippy Wheels (check out their website).

They offer caravans (with drivers, no self-drive option) for road trips across the country (primarily across Karnataka from what I see on their blogs).

They seem to have caravans built on the Mahindra Imperio, Tata Winger, and Force Traveler platforms.

Pictures Courtesy the Trippy Wheels website and blog

[TheHelix0202]

Voted no. We’re a country that haven’t even got used to the idea of mainstream pickup trucks yet. The Tempo Travellers might work to some extent though.

This might never happen



But these might (goodness knows when though)





But then again, there’s the traffic situation and lack of infrastructure and discipline to worry about. Also, when we can’t handle driving a small Polo out of a showroom without causing a scene I doubt we can handle these huge hunks of metal add-ons to our cars.

[landcruiser123]

Indians drive smaller cars and we'd require different licenses to drive these large machines. Labour is cheap to run jungle resorts rather then building large RV parks and having very few people afford them.

Originally Posted by Sran

Why would anyone want to live in a camper van/ caravan? It is for western destitudes, not for some sane person. No decent person will make it as home...

I wish to open your eyes to the other side of America- not all the people living in campervans are homeless.

National parks like Death Valley (pictured below) provide great opportunities to carry motorcycles, bicycles, canoes, and other recreational equipment to enjoy nature. People vacation out in the National Park many times of the year.

[premjit]

Hi All,

I voted NO.

While, I am totally for the concept of camper vanning having contemplated renting one during my NZ and Ireland trips, I feel, this concept for India isnt feasible. Reasons being:

1. SAFETY: Camping out in the open in a country like India is still a very rare concept. Security issues persist and it will be very difficult to predict situations when a group of drunk, boisterous locals decide to check out the camper in close.

2. FACILITIES: Globally, there are ample camper parks with basic facilities like Toilets, Showers, Convenience stores, Electricity, Water and Disposal facilities for Grey and Black water. In India, it will be difficult to do that, plus getting adequate fresh water for filing tanks is also a challenge.

3. COOKING: Globally, most individuals who use campers cook up simple meals with minimal ingredients, which are available at every convenience store. However, while in India also we can cook and eat the same stuff, it is difficult to find stuff like Pasta, Cheese, Sauces in the hinterland which is where most people will prefer to explore in a vehicle such as this.

What can be done for the people who own such agencies?

Well, I dont think its the end of the world as far as Campers in India are concerned. These companies can initially tie up with various independent resorts to offer facilities (Both basic and stuff like Pools, Gym and Breakfast) to those who rent campers. In post COVID scenario, most hotels and small resorts will go out of the way to attract usage of services since it will also help them break even faster.

Overall, I think the concept is great. However, I will still think 10 times before availing of these in India, owing to the above concerns,

Regards

[silverado]

Voted Yes.

But the i am sure all those who have voted YES, are saying YES from a holiday point of view isnt it?

I am sure none of us would like to stay permanently in a campervan, our society does not have a place for it literally.

As a country, buying a car itself is a big thing for us, buying a campervan is very very distant thing for almost all of us.

Renting a campervan is not very cheap as of now and there are no self drive campers available, and i do not forsee anyone giving a self drive camper after looking at how Zoom/similar rental cars are treated.

Safety issues can be tackled in a different way, thats a totally different topic to discuss, but one day camping ( without overnight stay ) should be safe in most tourist spots.