Forget Westfalia or Winnebago. Some of this year's most striking, innovative camper vans came not from dedicated RV manufacturers or small conversion garages but from much bigger household names: the automakers themselves. Okay, some of those car companies did get loads of technical help from the Westfalias of the world, but they debuted and marketed the campers themselves.
While mainstays like Ford and Mercedes updated their long-running production camper vans, automakers like Kia and Toyota got more creative with forward-looking tiny camper concepts. As for its part, Volkswagen, the most famous auto-cum-camper brand in the world, spun off an independent camper brand while launching what might just prove its most innovative camper van yet.
We're not sure we'll see another calendar year anytime soon with this many automaker RV introductions, so enjoy a look back at the auto-badged camper vans that turned heads throughout 2024.
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![Toyota reveals the Kayoibako concept at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo]()
October 26, 2024 | C.C. WeissIs there any vehicle more adorable than a sub-4-m Japanese micro-camper van? Maybe a next-gen micro-camper built into a versatile van platform that also works as a commercial goods-hauler and mobile pop-up shop? That's the Toyota Kayoibako. -
![Volkswagen gives the new California the full premiere treatment at the 2024 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon]()
November 08, 2024 | C.C. WeissVolkswagen has worked quite hard to optimize the all-new California eHybrid 4Motion for smart, affordable, carefree road trips. Not only does the new camper pack standard AWD, it boasts a virtually silent, zero-emissions electric range over 80 km. -
![The new Ford Nugget Active is available as a PHEV as well as a diesel AWD]()
August 23, 2024 | C.C. WeissFord fully updated its Nugget camper van series around the 2nd-gen Transit Custom a year ago. Now it's growing the family with some new additions, including a long wheelbase, sporty Active model, and introduction of PHEV and all-wheel drive options. -
![Kia further fleshes out the camper possibilities of its upcoming PBV ecosystem]()
November 06, 2024 | C.C. WeissWho would've thought less than two weeks after our late look at the Toyota Kayoibako mini-camper concept, Kia would release an adorable tiny camper of its own? It's the PV5 WKNDR, and it's even cuter than the Kayoibako, plus more modular to boot. -
![Nissan brings back the MyRoom]()
August 09, 2024 | C.C. WeissWe like Nissan cars and trucks well enough but wonder if the company is wasting its talents by not focusing solely on campers. Its latest, the Caravan MyRoom debuts as a warm, welcoming tiny RV with a clean-folding Murphy bed and sliding workstation. -
![The new Dacia Duster 4x4 is also the new Dacia Duster all-terrain micro-camper]()
November 21, 2024 | C.C. WeissThe all-new Dacia Duster 4x4 is available with a full lineup of "InNature" accessories that build it up into a tiny, feisty expedition machine more capable and less costly than the typical factory camper van. -
![The Citroën Holidays table can be used on the inside or outside of the kitchen block, or out of the van all together with the removal of the kitchen]()
August 13, 2024 | C.C. WeissVW's California remains the global vanlife icon, but other pop-top mini-camper vans provide a similar, even superior, experience. The Citroën Holidays becomes the latest, boasting conveniences like a removable kitchen and portable toilet. -
![The newly refreshed Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo climbs the highlands]()
June 18, 2024 | C.C. WeissMercedes-Benz has refreshed its midsize van camper, the Marco Polo, with an emphasis on making the four-sleeper mini-camper an all-out "smart glamping mobile." The new van features a bold, new look and even more smart home-style remote control. -
![The new Caddy becomes a versatile camper/minivan with the addition of the California package]()
August 30, 2024 | C.C. WeissVolkswagen has long been busy growing its iconic California from a single camper van to an entire family. Now, it launches an entire California brand, and with it, the all-new Caddy California PanAmericana mini-camper van. -
![We've seen many modular camper vans over the years, but the Iveco Daily Switch 4x4 is a bigger, badder take on the work/play concept]()
October 14, 2024 | C.C. WeissDon't let its bright stripes fool you – the Iveco Daily Switch 4x4 was the meanest camper van at the year's largest RV Show. It was also among the most versatile, "switching" seamlessly between rugged, all-terrain work and remote camping.
