The 5 best campers for people with kids

An affordable Class B conversion van. A cozy teardrop with wood accents. A lightweight trailer with colorful, vintage style. All of these top-notch campers help you get outside, explore, and enjoy everything the camping world has to offer. The problem? None of them are built for families. Love campers and trailers? Come join our community group.

Camping with kids is good for the whole family; I know because my husband and I went from an avid tent camping and backpacking couple to a Sprinter-addicted family with two kids. But finding the perfect camper that can sleep a family of four—or more—can be quite hard, especially if you don’t want to buy a giant Class A RV.

In our past coverage of campers and RVs, Curbed has brought you lists of the best teardrops, lightweight trailers, and Class B adventure vans you can buy. I’ve also highlighted the top camper vans to convert if you’re going the DIY route, and how new innovative RVs are pushing camper design into the future.

Today the focus is on unique campers that can sleep a family, which means at least two adults and two kids comfortably. This list spans different types of RVs, so you’ll find everything from tiny trailers to camper vans below. But it’s all meant to show just how many different campers can accommodate parents, kiddos, and yes, even the dog too.

ModVans

Courtesy of ModVans

Cost: $85,000

Key Features: California-based ModVans is a Swiss army knife of camper vans, able to convert from camper to passenger vehicle and work truck. Removable, modular components let you change the layout with ease, and the CV1 uses the low-roof, medium-length Ford Transit chassis as its base.

It’s particularly great for families because the CV1 includes a second row of seats—two captain’s chairs and a middle seat—to travel five with seat belts. It sleeps a family thanks to a removable downstairs bed installed over the storage cabinets and an upper bed located in the pop-up top.

Head over here for more photos and info.

Colorado Teardrop Summit

Courtesy of Colorado Teardrops

Cost: The base price of the Summit teardrop is $21,500

Key Features: The Colorado Teardrop Summit model is 5 feet by 10.5 feet and boasts a dry weight of about 1630 pounds. The fully insulated trailer features an anodized aluminum exterior and light maple plywood on the interior for a woodsy, cozy feel. But the coolest thing about the Summit is the sleeping set up: The trailer cabin includes bunk beds for two children and a sofa that transforms into a queen-size bed for two adults.

When not in sleep mode, the cabin can be used for work or dining thanks to a removable table. There’s also storage shelves, two reading lights, a center cabin light, a large skylight, and a pop-up vent to help circulate airflow.

See the bunkbeds in action, right this way.

The Mantis by TAXA Outdoors

Courtesy of TAXA Outdoors

Cost: Starting at $32,500

Key features: We’ve previously reported on the Cricket and the TigerMoth, but for our money the best TAXA Outdoors camper for families is the Mantis. The Mantis weighs under 2,300 pounds thanks to a lightweight steel and aluminum frame, measures 18-feet-long, and boasts enough room to comfortably sleep four adults. It can also be stored in a standard length and height garage.

For sleeping, the main full-size bed—located in the rear of the trailer—converts into a sofa, while the front area houses two bunk beds. A wet bath and kitchen sit side by side below an orange roof panel that pops up to create more headspace.

We’ve got more info and photos, here.

Sportsmobile Conversion Van

Photo by Lucy Beaugard

Cost: Conversions start at $35,000

Key Features: There are plenty of Class B vans out there that sleep two comfortably, and even some that use a pop-top to sleep a family of four. But if you’re looking for a design that sleeps four people easily—even in the dead of winter—check out this custom build from Sportsmobile. It uses a high-roof 4x4 2017 Mercedes Sprinter 3500 cargo van and boasts a a microwave, refrigerator, sink, and two-burner induction stove. A full-height pantry lets you bring plenty of food for kids, and you can eat at a large dinette in the center.

Read more details and see additional photos, over here. If you’re looking for other companies that convert vans into campers, we’ve got that covered too.

Air Opus

Courtesy of Air Opus

Cost: The Opus Campers start at $18,999 and you can add the Air Opus inflatable option for $2,499

Key Features: The Opus camper is lightweight enough to be towed by most small SUVs and its flat top has room for a roof rack to haul skis, bikes, or kayaks. The inside features a top that unfolds into eight-foot ceilings, plentiful skylights, and twenty feet of living space inside.

A galley kitchen boasts a stove, stainless steel sink, and refrigerator, portable toilet, and the Opus also offers electric heating and air conditioning to keep things comfortable. In all, the camper can sleep up to six, with two double beds on either end of the trailer that also use interior zip sections for privacy.

Read more, this way.