Get to know: Camper Van Beethoven

Montauk State Park, Missouri, in the fall.

Here’s a little bit about how we get from point A to point B, to points unknown, and back again.

She’s Camper Van Beethoven.

Specs

Model: 2021 Thor Sequence 20A
Built on: 2021 Ram Promaster extended high roof (that means she’s long and tall, y’all)
Exterior color: Charcoal
Interior color: Beige
Features: Solar power, pop-top, fridge, 2-burner cooktop, kitchen sink, shower over the cassette toilet, ac / heat, a bed that’s king-size in width but not length

Yep, she’s pretty sweet. Thing is, we didn’t pick any of it.

Origin story

In late winter / early spring 2021, it was pretty hard to buy a camper van without much planning or waiting. But, that was, in fact, our plan.

And, we had a timeline. We wanted to use it for our move from the Pacific Northwest back to our home state of Missouri in May or June.

We had three dogs and a cat to get across the country. And, I was over tent camping (didn’t have a big enough car for all the gear) and Airbnbs (too expensive, limit on how many pets you can bring) anyway.

So, I did what you do these days. I got online to look at some options.

Conversion van

I connected with a Seattle-area guy who built custom conversions, and that sounded pretty cool. Take an existing van and build the interior into a livable space.

He was flying to New York to get his next van to convert in just a few days. (He always worked with used vans, and they were becoming increasingly harder to find.)

I was all about being first in line for that build. Turned out, the van was rubbish and he flew home without it.

Of course, you can buy the van you want and convert it yourself — exactly how you want it. Or, have a professional do it for you.

That’s incredible, but it felt pretty daunting to us. Plus, the timeline.

Brand new van

As for brand new vans by RV manufacturers, they seemed a little cookie cutter. Every dealership had all of zero in stock anyway. COVID had made things like camper vans hot. We weren’t the only ones on the hunt.

It’s likely easier to buy one today. RV manufacturers seem to have more and more models available.

Take Thor. When we were buying our van, they had two models available, both built on the Ram Promaster. Each model had a few different layouts.

Today, Thor has eight models, built on a Ram, Ford or Mercedes chassis. Crazy, no?

Used camper van

Alas, in my second month of searching, a used van came in stock at a dealership a couple hours north. A Thor Sequence 20L, which, after looking at some of their van layouts online, I decided was my favorite. And, that the cookie cutter-ness wasn’t such an awful thing. We could decorate it, after all.

When we got to the dealership that weekend, it had sold. But, it was still around. We got a tour, and meh.

Despite having been driven cross-county just once, it felt pretty worn. I wasn’t too sad to miss out on it, but a used van is a great option for people who don’t have the time or skills to convert a van or don’t want to pay the price of a brand new one.

While the van options have grown in the past 2 years, so have the prices. Wowza.

Something bigger?

While we were at the dealership with no vans to buy, we looked at a Thor Class C, which was extremely lovely. I mean nice. But, this was our first RV.

We wanted to start small (if you consider 9’6”-tall and 21’1”-long to be small). Even if that meant doing without the big shower and comfy couch.

So, the sales rep did it. He found the only van at a sister dealership in Arizona. If we wanted it, we had to act fast — like, right now fast. (Of course.)

But, we were ready. So, I asked him to knock off 7 grand. He knocked off 3. And, the rest is history.

(Seriously, ask them to knock off at least a few grand no matter how hot the market is. You never know.)

An employee would drive it from Arizona to Washington, and she would be ours.

Waiting for the reveal

We didn’t get much info about the van, only that it was a Thor Sequence 20A, which meant a smaller bathroom than the 20L but a bigger bed in back that you didn’t have to take apart every day.

I, of course, was excited and anxious to know more.

I wondered what color she would be. Charcoal, silver, or white? Anything but white, I hoped.

I also noticed the price was a bit elevated despite her not having the fancy schmancy lithium ion battery option. That’s when I realized she must have a pop-top.

But, I didn’t push for details. I’d know soon enough.

Then, on March 27, we did the thing and signed the papers. We hadn’t had a vehicle loan in something like 10 years. Now we had a big one.

She was charcoal with a pop-top. Freakin’. Groovy.

Specs