This Company Turns Real Volkswagen Type 2 Van Parts Into The Coolest Cozy Campers

There’s a lot of romance in taking a vintage camper on a trip, and a truly iconic RV-of-yesteryear is the Volkswagen Type 2 van. Just the thought of one of these vans will have you longing to cruise California’s legendary Pacific Coast Highway with four air-cooled cylinders propelling your home on wheels to adventures unknown. You’ll very quickly return to reality when you see what nice Type 2s are going for these days. An example in good shape can set you back $50,000 – or even more.

If you want that vintage VW camping experience but also something a bit different, there’s an option out there unlike anything else. The Type 2 Campers T2.3 is about as close as you can get to sleeping in a Type 2 without actually buying one. Even better, the company that builds it uses reproduction Type 2 parts to make sure it’s as authentic as possible.

If this camper looks familiar to you, it could be because you’re familiar with Dub Box USA, the company that specializes in fiberglass business and food trailers styled like the Volkswagen Type 2 van. Type 2 Campers is an offshoot of Dub Box USA focused strictly on just campers, and big news: The company is now building its campers out of automotive-grade reproduction steel meant for Type 2 restoration projects. In other words, these campers are about as close as you can get to having a Type 2 camper trailer without taking a Sawzall to the real deal.

But I see more here than just a sweet camper for retro Volkswagen fans. These trailers stand so far out that they’re yet another option for someone who wants something with a bit more spunk than the common RV.

Why A Volkswagen Type 2?

To get the full story on Type 2 Campers, I spoke with co-founder Heather Gardella, who was also a founder of Dub Box USA some 12 years ago. The original fiberglass, Type-2-styled Dub Box was the brainchild of British couple Becky and Matt Clay. They were passionate about vintage campers and wanted a trailer that could comfortably accommodate themselves plus three kids and the family dog on their camping adventures.

The couple set out to find an old camper that met those needs and quickly found that there weren’t many options in the UK for two adults, three kids, and a dog. And so, they decided to build their own. Matt leveraged 11 years of experience building event trailers, and Becky added her flair for retro design. Matt says his inspirations were German vans, but also old American camper designs. So, the original Dub Box trailers had exteriors that looked like old VWs, but interiors with minimalist layouts and pop-top roofs like vintage vans and fiberglass campers.

Heather Gardella explained she felt the need for a change in her life about 12 years earlier. Her friend Shane Medbery then showed her a find on the Internet, a Dub Box trailer for sale across the Atlantic in the UK. Gardella and Medbery fell in love and were so excited about the trailer they flew to the UK to see the trailers for themselves. Along the way, they picked up the North American distribution rights to Dub Box and set up shop in Oregon.

Those first Dub Box trailers sold in the States were sturdy fiberglass units that weighed just 1,500 pounds and looked great hooked up to all kinds of vehicles, both new and old. The trailers came with custom paint, a custom interior, and modern equipment. Gardella also saw far more potential in these trailers and Dub Box trailers have been customized into food carts, mobile storefronts, and more.

Among the Dub Box variations was the Dinky Dub, a short 9.5-foot-long trailer with a 1,000-pound empty weight. That trailer came with a simple floorplan, not unlike a real Volkswagen Type 2 camper, and was perfect for those little getaways.

Jason Torchinsky has written about Type 2s before. In one of his past pieces, he notes that the Type 2 story started when Dutch Volkswagen importer Ben Pon visited Wolfsburg in 1947. While there, he was looking for Type 1s but saw crude utility vehicles in the factory. This inspired Pon to draw up a utility vehicle of its own. Yep, the Type 2 was not originally intended to be the ultimate beach camper, but the tool of a worker. The original Type 2s were built starting in March 1950 and featured 1.1-liter Type 1 engines under their floors in the rear.

Still, as Volkswagen notes today, the Microbus, as Volkswagen of America calls it, was an affordable van that quickly became the favorite of people wanting to travel the country and beyond. The van could swallow up to nine people and their gear while the expansive greenhouse gave everyone a clear view of the passing world. In addition to having an affordable price and excellent utility, the Type 2 boasted easy repairs and eventually, it became a cultural icon as a vehicle of counterculture. You may have had a car from Detroit with a bulging V8, but people were delighted to pile into a van with a comparatively wheezy four-cylinder. A bit of everyone from hippies to rockstars fell in love with the Type 2, so it’s no surprise that people still want to experience these vans today.

The Type 2 Campers T2.3

The big change with the introduction of the T2.3 is a major material and design overhaul. Fiberglass out, automotive-grade stamping in.

As I said before, the trailers are using reproduction panels meant for real Type 2s. That’s why this trailer looks like someone took a Type 2 and chopped off its face. Gardella told me that Type 2 Campers is obsessed with replicating the Type 2 experience, so the engineers used as many Type 2 parts as possible. The door, which has been moved to the rear, was made out of what would normally be Type 2 parts. The same goes for the hatch, the lights, the windows, and even the window seals. Even the trailer’s colors are replicating Type 2 colors. In other words, If you look at something in the T2.3 and wonder if that came from a Type 2, it’s probably a reproduction part meant for restorations.

The exception to the rule is the roof. It’s not metal, but it is a reinforced composite material made to withstand time and also to carry some gear on the roof.

Type 2 Campers says not only does its design overhaul provide a more authentic vintage VW experience, but it also should mean a more durable camper. Ryan Schassen, the co-owner of Type 2 Campers, goes as far as to say that there’s no other RV out there built to automotive standards:

“There is not a single other RV on the market that is being built like a car. VW buses and airstreams continue to be popular not only for their compelling design, but for their durability. We are literally using stamped metal that is following the engineering and the structural integrity of the now 60-year old VW bus.”

I wouldn’t go that far, because there are some seriously durable motorhomes out there. But it is a rarity to see a trailer that’s built like a car. You will more often see trailers claimed to be built like aircraft. In theory, building a camper like a car should mean a long service life. For sure, there isn’t any nightmare lauan to break on you in a few years. Gardella told me there’s a side benefit that it’s far easier and faster to make metal campers than it is to make fiberglass ones. She told me that Dub Box was pounding campers out using a single fiberglass mold, which meant builds took a while.

Gardella also says: “It was clear to me that the camper category was ripe for an evolution,” says Gardella. “We needed faster production times, lightweight and durable materials, and a form factor easier to tow and store.”

As for the name, Type 2 Campers has an explanation for that, too:

As VW aficionados may recognize, the T2.3 name is a tribute to VW’s iconic heritage, where the VW Beetle was referred to as “Type 1” post-World War II, and the subsequent bus in 1948 was named “Type 2”. The “.3” refers to the three windows on the sides of the campers.

All variations of the Type 2 Campers T2.3 are the same 9’6″ interior length, 5′ wide, and 7′ tall with the expandable roof in the stored condition. This allows the trailer to be stored in a typical American garage with room to spare. There are three levels to the T2.3, which determine your equipment.

For $29,950, the base model is the Sleeper. In the Sleeper is a U-shaped seating area with tweed cushions that converts into a 6′ bed. There’s also a window seat, a coat closet, storage compartments, and an extendable countertop. That’s it, you don’t even get a dinette.

Tossing in $35,000 upgrades you to the Sleeper+. This T2.3 has all of the bits of the Sleeper but adds an outdoor shower and a water heater.

Finally, the top model is the $39,000 Kitchenette (above), which nets you the features from the two Sleeper models (but no rear window bench) plus an induction cooktop, a sink, and a dinette. Type 2 Campers notes that when the roof pop-top is open, you get 6’4″ of standing room. Base weights are pretty low, with the T2.3 coming in at 900 pounds, 920 pounds, and 980 pounds, respectively.

Presently, Type 2 Campers is taking $1,000 deposits for the trailers. The company doesn’t currently have a pinned release date, but says to stay tuned.

Great For The VW Fan

Of course, there’s also a long list of accessories from a vintage-style roof rack to tweed curtains and more. With a spec sheet like the one provided, I wouldn’t expect a Type 2 Campers T2.3 to be something you stay in for very long. Like the fiberglass campers of old, this trailer would be great for a weekend getaway.

That said, I bet some people would get more time in one of these with the use of a cassette toilet, solar panels, and other modifications. I’m told that’s exactly what some people do. They’ll buy a Dub Box and modify it to be the perfect camper. I have no doubt the same will happen here.

Now we arrive at that price. $29,950 is on the high end for which amounts to a bed that you can tow behind your car. That’s almost $10,000 more expensive than a comparably-sized Scamp.

And I mean you could tow this behind an EV if you wanted to. A base weight of 900 pounds means practically anything with a tow hitch can hook up to a T2.3. I already have images in my head of little VW New Beetles towing one of these. My Touaregs would tow a T2.3 like it’s nothing and look fantastic doing so.

I think this is a case of a trailer that is more than the sum of its parts. It’s a trailer you can tow behind your vintage VW and it’s a trailer that isn’t going to look like much else out there. It’s a trailer that’s different and proud of it. This is a trailer that looks like a Type 2 van because it’s pretty much as close as you can get to one without just buying one of those vans. For some, that alone will make it worth the price.