Our Favorite RVs of 2016
Like the “Staff Picks” shelf at the bookstore, but for rigs.
If you work on a music site, you have your favorite playlists. A news site, your favorite stories of the year. A tech site, app roundups you’ve bookmarked as the best. Well, we’re no different. At Outdoorsy, we all have our favorites. In our case, our favorites are RVs! Here are our favorite RVs of 2016. Hear why from members of the Outdoorsy staff, then share your own favorites in the comments at the bottom!
Why is this rig your favorite?
“This is what a daydream looks like. As a guy who enjoys the simple things in life, this embodies the lightest form of camping on the go. People feel safe driving a truck compared to larger classes in most scenarios. The cherry on top is the fact that it’s located in Hawaii, which holds some of my favorite outdoor adventures. My perfect scenario for a vacation would be this camper truck, an early morning with some coffee, and the scenery of beautiful Hawaii.”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“I know you’re asking me to single out my favorite rig, but it’s impossible for me to choose just one. So instead I’m choosing one of my favorite businesses on the site. Michael Fisher-Vallen finds vintage Airstreams, restores them himself, and makes them easy and accessible for renters. He delivers them (so no one has to worry about towing them if they don’t want to) and provides amazing service.
I’m fairly certain these vehicles are some of the shiniest things on the planet. They’re like bright stars lighting up parks and the road. I’d never know you could build a business like this if I hadn’t seen Michael do it before my eyes.”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“This owner’s bio sold me — He’ll even pick you up from the airport if you fly in! I like the functionality of the rig. And it’s cool that the owner offers to do a guided trip for renters. So for a first timer in a more versatile truck camper, it may be sweet to have him guiding to all the coolest places.”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“When people walk into my house, they often say, ‘This reminds me of a Tahoe cabin!’ or ‘Oh, how cozy, like a little wooden ski chalet!’
I’m drawn to wooden-Scandanavian-outdoorsy-retro style. This Chevrolet Express is firing on all design levels for me. I can smell the cedar. I love the smart use of space with the cabinets lining the floor, ceiling and walls. And the clever small box for the little log pile.
It’s also really exciting, as someone who works at Outdoorsy, to see a van like this pop up on the site. One of the things I love about Outdoorsy is way owners express their personalities through their rigs. So that I was surprised by this rig just this morning also makes it my favorite.”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“I love rigs that promise the freedom of a forgotten dirt road crawling away from civilization — that promise of wandering with neither purpose nor destination in mind. In that sense, truck campers (and some vans) also wander into literary ground as the RV of John Steinbeck in his beat classic Travels with Charlie and William Least-Heat Moon in his Blue Highways.
This rig makes and meets that promise. Light, nimble, fast and a throaty (and thirsty!) V8 growl to match — it cruises effortlessly on the paved road, and crawls along a dirt road with aplomb. The camper portion is cozy, comfortable with huge windows. Inside a secret shelf, there is always a flask of fine gin and well-thumbed copies of the above mentioned books.
In case you haven’t already guessed, this rig is mine ;-)”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“I’m definitely someone who believes in the less is more concept when traveling. I’d rather be outdoors experiencing what’s around but it’s great to have a cozy camper to hold up in, in the evening and relax.
This vintage travel trailer has everything you could need and it’s been beautifully restored allowing you to relax but still enjoy getting outside. Who wouldn’t love this ‘50’s gem?”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“I know that some people go on vacation for relaxation.
They want to get away from the daily grind and disconnect. Other people take off seeking adventure, experience and, perhaps, a bit of danger. I’m one of the latter.
Because I’m all about experiences, this is the rig that draws my attention. Designed from the ground up for off-road, all-season driving, this hand-built van seems like it would take me exactly where I want to go. The spartan nature of the rig is not without purpose, having been built to survive in winter and go places other rigs simply cannot.
Adventure is waiting. Let’s go find it.”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“I like the idea of popup campers and the interior is smooth on this one.”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“Ski, snow, or summer and boating, this little jammed packed baby can go anywhere!
It’s got everything a couple needs and fits 2 smaller people too. And I love the classics in the “winnebago” and the “travato”.
Perfectly right-sized so you can focus on the road trip events and where you’re going rather than how to accommodate for where you need to park and stay. And it comes with a proper bathroom and shower.
The tech and pop of colour is just the icing on the top: nice bright digs on the road.”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“Let’s not kid ourselves, on any given weekend it’s a toss up where I’m headed.
I’m a millennial, that means there’s no telling what I’ll do next. I need a weekend warrior — light weight, rugged, all the toys, only good times.
Whether I’m headed north into desolation wilderness, down the Pacific Coast Highway, or into canyon lands, the Cricket has me covered. This all weather rig carries my gear and makes sure I look good getting there. Here’s the kicker: The Cricket offers a lofted roof which means I can actually stand up inside it even though I’m over 6 feet tall! Talk about a win.”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“There’s just something about this towable chrome pill capsule that makes me happy. It’s American-made, it’s classic, it’s no-nonsense. It’s the type of vehicle that I could see myself weathering the apocalypse in. Also, if I ever get tired of campfire sausages and burnt marshmallows, I can untether from this literal ball-n-chain and head to the nearest Taco Bell drive-thru.”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“When I was in middle school I went on an RV trip with my family down the east coast out of New Jersey through Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia to Washington D.C. We got to visit relatives, see battlegrounds, explore aquariums and admire the national monuments. For the trip, we traveled in an RV much like this Sunseeker and I love how it reminds me of the great times we had on that trip! ”
Why is this rig your favorite?
“I love every RV on Outdoorsy, but you’ve got to admit, this one is especially nice. Did you see that it has 2 bathrooms and 4 LED TVs?”
Now that we’ve talked about the best of 2016, let’s look ahead to 2017. Which of these amazing RVs are you going to rent? If you’re an owner, is this the year you’re going to list your rig and earn some income on it? We think it just might be.
Happy browsing, everyone!
Originally published at www.outdoorsy.com on December 26, 2016.
