[akash_v12]

Bengaluru-based start-up Campervan Camps and Holidays India have unveiled LuxeCamper, which is said to be India’s first commercially approved premium motorhome.



The LuxeCamper is built on a Ashok Leyland Chassis with a 4200mm and comes up with all the features of a normal house - beds, kitchenette, TVs and even Wi-Fi.





CamperVan are also said to be renting out these vehicles for holidays with personal drivers.

Link to Autocar news - https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...n-india-417676

[Geo_Ipe]

Are these camper vans for 'sale' to the public? If it is, what price point are we looking at? From all the news articles published, these vans are mostly for commercial tourism usage rather than for private registration and use.

I'm not sure india is yet ready for motorhomes and overlanding. Safety being the primary concern. The second being availability locations where you can take these vans & overlanders.

[shivshanker]

I do not think India is ready for this concept yet, first we need Parks for parking at night, else safety would be compromised, next the park will need amenities such as Power connection and also a waste disposal mechanism. Unlike western countries where the Camper Van "guys" would be happy with a Barbecue pit and free flow of fluids, in India we would need shopping areas near by.

The biggest drawback I see unlike other countries, where one can drive with their regular MV license, within India, for this size of the vehicle, we will need a Heavy license to drive this.

Then comes the navigation part in the city, parking at sight seeing spots. The list can be endless, good concept, but maybe a few decades early.

[lionell]

Oh how I'd love to have one of these.

Thorough fan of a motor home, but these crude 'base chassis' do not make sense for a motor home. They will hardly be comfortable given the crude engine and suspension setup. A real 'usable' motorhome would be on a higher spec chassis which are far superior in their overall driving refinements as well. You can dress up the inside as much as you like but if the foundation isn't strong the experience will fall flat. These advanced chassis not being available in India will just make these so called camper homes just another fancy vanity van, apart from all the other drawbacks.

A license for heavy vehicles can be achieved, but then what are the implications of pvt. vs. commercial, at every toll both you will end up with confusions, every cop will question its legitimacy.

Too many lingering issues to make it a memorable experience.

[2000rpm]

I voted yes in excitement as my July Iceland trip was planned in one of these.

The reality only hit me once I realized that in India, you are painting yourself with a Crosshair with such camping Ideas.

I have done a lot of camping but with a bunch of 10-15 guys, with family, this is a complete NO-NO.

[GTO]

They do allow rentals which is a far more viable business, as no one is going to buy a Campervan in India. We simply don't have that outdoorsy culture, and neither is it safe to camp in the middle of nowhere. You'll either get robbed, murdered or both. Also, I think one would need a commercial vehicle driving licence for this?

Just a note - they seem to offer organised-trails as well. Here is one from Bangalore for 40 grand. In this Covid-distancing era where we are avoiding hotels, this might not be a bad option to try out.

The company's founder Tiger Ramesh has also built a platform that allows guests to select recommended trails and customize and configure their own trails to various destinations. The company has partnered with small lodges, homestays and campsites located near beaches, historical monuments, hill stations and wildlife safari spots. At present, it offers travel packages to select locations in Karnataka. These include campsites at Aanejari, Bandipur, Bheemeshwari, Hampi, Kabini, Kodagu, Kudremukha, Sadashivgad, Sakleshpur, Sakrebyle and Sitanandi.

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by GTO

Just a note - they seem to offer organised-trails as well. Here is one from Bangalore for 40 grand. In this Covid-distancing era where we are avoiding hotels, this might not be a bad option to try out.

I'd do it in my own vehicle maybe. Not in a rented camper van, which in my opinion is not much different from being in a hotel room. Who knows who has used it previously & how well it has been disinfected!

[PetrolRider]

In addition to all those valid points, let's not forget that, we Indians love to travel with families and sometimes with joint / extended family. The Camper van might suit to young couple of bachelors, but never to families.

It mostly will suit to foreign travelers who are backpacking through India or might be resting facilities for high ranking officials in industries that involved in a lot of field works.

[d3mon]

Originally Posted by lionell

Thorough fan of a motor home, but these crude 'base chassis' do not make sense for a motor home. They will hardly be comfortable given the crude engine and suspension setup. A real 'usable' motorhome would be on a higher spec chassis which are far superior in their overall driving refinements as well. You can dress up the inside as much as you like but if the foundation isn't strong the experience will fall flat. These advanced chassis not being available in India will just make these so called camper homes just another fancy vanity van, apart from all the other drawbacks.

Fully agree. Quote straight from their website:

"The sounds and vibrations during the travel is a reflection of road conditions. You get the best experience of the LuxeCamper when the vehicle is stationed at a camping site"

Not very encouraging.

[KunalMadaan]

Voted No. Although a great initiative, but this could be a one stop solution for robbers out there.
Also, the comfort these vehicles might provide is questionable.

[Ketan]

Not sure if we are ready for MotorHomes yet. There are a few CarVan folks around in the Southern and Northern part but those are rare and they hardly get market for it. Infrastructure, safety and mindset are some of the challenges in our country. There aren't many who'd like to rough it out, as someone mentioned, they'd typically need streets full of good restaurants and shopping options close to their hotels. We have a community of campers and overlanding folks but very few compared to typical tourist janta.

I feel it may get some folks riding it out of curiosity and C-19 situation but it doesn't seem to be a sustainable option. Board of directors on that company have got some good influential folks and may get govt. to build some facilities around for camping culture, which would be a good outcome here. I wish they don't ruin the nature around and enjoy it in right sense.

I've got this RTT a few months back, I have used it just a few times, couple times during my recent RJ drive and then last weekend on a remote farm. I'm almost independent for a few days with the portable toilet with toilet tent, portable shower tool and a camping stove, lucky to have family who are okay to rough it out with me. Till we build the infra, safety and mindset, usual style of camping in our country is great way to enjoy outdoors.

[tejas.negandhi]

I have voted "NO" as I wouldn't permanently live in it. However this could be an awesome getaway option (provided I have money to spare, parking, etc.). This could be a nice getaway and avoid hefty hotel bills. Just drive and park at a nice spot.

Alternatively this could be a good idea for a business venture. People can rent such vehicles as shown in one of the Indian movie.

[windrider]

I voted no. I love the idea of camping and travelling around India, but when you really think about it, its not very practical in a country like ours.

Problems you will face:

1. RVs cost a ton and are a pain to maintain.
   
2. In countries where recreational vehicles are popular, they have designated Trailer parks, where you can pay a small fee and use the amenities such as electric power outlets, sewage disposal, workshops there.To my knowledge such facilities are few and far between in India.
   
3. Countries like US, Canada and Australia which are huge RV markets are 2 or 3 times the size of India with a quarter of our population. There are vast national parks, forests and open areas which are camper friendly and safe.Unfortunately most of the national parks and forests in India are under some form of threat either from dangerous wild cats or elephants, or even worse, dacoits, bandits and other organisations like Naxalites, ulfa etc.
   
4. Price of fuel. Fuel prices in America and Canada are half of what it is in India and those people have 6-7 times the income. For example the average starting salary for a teacher in America is 40,000 $ while in India it is around 5000 $. There are very few people in India that can spend truckloads of money on fuel expenses.
   
5. You will need to make a lot of compromises since space is at a premium. Maybe if its just you and another person, they you might be able to slum it out for sometime in your RV, but with kids etc, i don't think it would be fun after a few days or weeks.

[saum1230]

To the lack of spaces and safety concerns - I think we don't have that kind of infrastructure yet, but we are certainly ready.

We'll probably never have the freedom like that in developed nations - where you can just drive up to an empty spot and camp, but the India camping model will be different. In many of the national parks in South India - especially along the Kerela-Karnataka border, there are farm owners and estate owners who currently lease out space for camping (tents). They can extend their model to provide parking spaces for campers. The entry to these estates is limited and secured, and the estate owners often have basic supplies and toilet facilities. This model is of course not prevalent yet, and will take time to pick up, but for the entrepreneurs getting into this business - I don't think it's too early; they are entering the market at a good time.

[jagira]

No.

There are no safe camping and parking spaces here in India. Also, people will surround your vehicle and try to peek inside wherever you stop.