Dub box USA offers a new solution for nostalgic folks yearning for a camper as cool as the Volkswagen Type 2 of the 1950s and 60s. Its line of camping trailers is inspired by the classic VW buses, and is offered without the expense and headaches of restoring an old Type 2. You get out-of-the-box convenience with timeless, retro looks.
It may not be the largest, most useful camper, but the converted Volkswagen Type 2 van - or Bulli, Transporter, Microbus, etc. - is definitely among the most iconic. Everything about the van just screams "open road freedom" ... except perhaps for the fact that the first two generations of the Type 2 - the generations that made the model an icon - are now more than 30 (and even up to 62) years old. That type of age in a vehicle means all kinds of maintenance and restoration work, money and headaches.
VW may eventually create a reinvented Bulli cool enough to command the love and admiration of the original, but so far it's been noncommittal. You could always go to Brazil where true-to-origin Type 2 vans are still built today, but in the United States and Europe, the options are largely to find and restore a classic Type 2 or buy a newer (not nearly as awesome) Type 2 camper.
Now there's a new option that lets you get a brand new camper while enjoying timeless, decades-old looks. UK-based Dub box makes exactly zero effort to hide the fact that its line of campers was inspired by the VW Type 2. It even shows them being towed by same-colored Type 2s in its marketing photos, and the name "Dub box" (as in boxy V-Dub) pays homage. The camping trailers feature the same rounded-rectangle shape and square windows as the original Transporters. They also get two-toned exterior paint jobs. The only thing that might be missing for some nostalgic Type 2 fans is the split windshield of the first-generation vans.
Much the way the original Transporters were a symbol of freedom and individual spirit, the Dub box is designed to be completely customized by its owner. The company offers it in do-it-yourself models and completed campers, both of which offer the buyer plenty of say in colors, materials and equipment. Buyers can individualize their trailers with exterior and interior colors, flooring, blinds, upholstery and countertop materials.
The Dub box sleeps two with a double bed and offers a dining area large enough for four. It has kitchenette with two-ring gas burner, stainless steel sink, pump-action tap and retro fridge.
Dub box USA announced US availability this week and a rep said that the first models will arrive in May. The standard Dub box retails for US$17,990 and the DIY version, which requires you to assemble and paint it, costs $8,990. Dub box also offers the trailers in retail and food vendor configurations ranging between $14,990 and $22,990. A larger pop-top version with two bunk beds and a queen will launch in the future.
