The Rocket One camper van from Rocket Camper was one of the showstoppers at CMT 2020 ... but it definitely wasn't the camper for everyone. Its layout and versatile feature set had some advantages but also brought with it some clear downsides and question marks. With its newest camper van endeavor, Rocket Camper tones things down, adding select additions to a sleek, black-and-white VanTourer camper to create an attractive van life option for modern couples and families seeking a more adventurous lifestyle.
Rocket Camper is a camper van dealership and service shop in Remshalden, Germany, and VanTourer is one of the brands it specializes in. So after Rocket Camper showed what it could do in creating its own camper components and interior, a special edition VanTourer was a natural progression.
The Rocket One looked and felt like a concept van at its debut, but it was actually made available to buyers after its CMT appearance. In fact, Rocket Camper sold out its first production run and is now waiting on the delivery of more vans to begin a second round. So the 236-in (599-cm) White Rocket definitely isn't a watered-down production Rocket One, but an entirely different floor plan that borrows some of the One's more universal features. It won't necessarily turn heads the way the Rocket One does, but it is a sleek, functional camper van with a bit more flair than average.
The most substantial contribution from Rocket One to White Rocket is the sleeper roof, a streamlined pop-up that Rocket Camper developed specially to save weight versus other pop-up roofs while offering more interior space. The pop-up area includes LED lights and USB ports to create a functional, little bedroom, teaming with the van's lower rear bed to provide sleeping space for four people.
Down below, Rocket Camper gives the urban-inspired Black & White a bit more sense of boundless adventure with a suspension lift and a set of 18-in Delta 4x4 wheels shod in all-terrain tires. The van still relies on two-wheel drive, powered by a 118-hp 2.3-liter Fiat Multijet engine, but the tires and lift will certainly enhance its capabilities in rough, slippery terrain.
Inside, the White Rocket features a classic European camper van layout with front dinette, front/central kitchen, central bathroom and rear bed. In place of the lift/tilt-away rear bed VanTourer is better known for, the White Rocket features a simpler split folding bed that clears out the center aisle during the day, making space for cargo. Rocket Camper adds in a non-slip floor and tie-down rails to better secure the likes of bikes, surfboards and skis.
Another feature carried over from the Rocket One is the series of mounting rails around the interior. These rails allow owners to easily clip and hang various gear, from everyday essentials like hats and sunglasses, to cooking utensils and tools ... and perhaps even a tube of hot mustard. The rails also work with the included flat-pack Rocket Camper gear bags.
Nuts and bolts-wise, the White Rocket packs a dual-burner stove, sink and 90-L compressor fridge in the kitchen; toilet, sink and shower in the wet bathroom; and an electrical system with 95-Ah leisure battery, 230/12V outlets and USB ports.
VanTourer released the Black & White as a special aesthetics package last year, shading the entire interior and exterior with neutral blacks, whites and grays to lend a clean, bright and modern look.
Rocket Camper is offering the White Rocket for a starting price of €56,975 (approx. US$63,675), a savings of more than €7,000 as compared to adding the options individually on a VanTourer 600D Black & White. It plans to offer the special edition van for a limited time.
Source: Rocket Camper
However, I'm trying to imagine that "Rocket" with all those 118 screaming horses trying to make it through some of our mountain passes. I'd expect more from a 2.3.