Off-grid

We've seen camper vans with Mercedes' MBAC smart tech, and at this year's CMT show, we took a look at the first MBAC motorhome. Bimobil's LBX 365 is an off-grid expedition vehicle that now brings a little modern convenience to rarely explored spaces.

The recently-completed Bradford 26' Tiny House from Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses looks unassuming from the outside, but has some notable features inside. These include an elevating bed, a home projector, and a jacuzzi-style bathtub.

Dethleffs isn't the only company pondering an electrified camping trailer. Australian firm OzXcorp is hard at work on a supplementary e-drive to turn hard-edged off-road caravans into semi-self-propelled machines with Level 4 autonomous capabilities.

The RV world reached new heights in the 2010s, laying the groundwork for a bigger decade to come. Camper concepts we saw over the decade showed an industry ready to apply the latest technologies in creating smarter, more luxurious, more stylish RVs.

The van life trend showed no signs of pulling back this year. In fact, 2019 was a pivotal year that saw camper vans growing smarter, more practical and more efficient with some impressive technological breakthroughs and design innovations.

Throughout 2019, we've reported on a range of tiny houses. Some are simple homes on wheels, while others boast novel ideas like sliding roofs and elevator beds. Here's our pick of the very best we've seen.

The new ERV from Retreat Caravans brings the race to go electric to non-motorized vehicles. Its lithium battery and solar roof are tasked with running all-season climate control, indoor/outdoor entertainment, electrified kitchen gear and much more.

The US may not have Europe's market of affordable, mass-produced camper vans, but it holds its own in off-grid vans custom-built around adventure sports. Many are focused on summer, but Titan offers a Sprinter year-rounder built for ski/surf bums.

Last time we looked at the SLRV Commander 8x8 two-story motorhome, it was still in the build, but it has since been completed. An engineering marvel, the wheeled explorer yacht brings together a military-grade shell with a duplex interior.

Australians don't compromise when it comes to tough camper trailers. So if you're named "Australian Off Road," your "most basic model yet" includes a galvanized steel foundation, airy queen bedroom, lithium-based electrical system and large kitchen.

Off-road teardrop trailers are all the rage right now, but a factor limiting appeal is that they generally sleep only two – and no bathroom. Into the Wild solves both problems, lifting the roof for a roomy trailer that sleeps four and has a wet bath.

Earlier this year, Ford announced plans to launch the 2020 Transit AWD van. The masters of modularity at VanDoIt become the first Americans to offer a Transit AWD camper van, expanding their flexible adventure van lineup with the new LIV van.