Camper Van Coloring Page: Free Printable PDF Sheet

Camper Van: History & Fun Facts

From Converted Vans to Purpose-Built RVs

The first camper vans grew out of ordinary delivery vans in the 1950s and 1960s, when owners added simple beds, a small stove, and curtains to turn a work vehicle into weekend lodging on wheels. Manufacturers soon began building dedicated camper shells like the raised sleeping cab shown on this page, designed from the start to sleep two or more people comfortably.

One of the earliest and most recognizable versions was the Volkswagen Type 2, nicknamed the Bus or the Microbus, which German coachbuilder Westfalia began fitting with fold-out beds and small pop-up roofs starting in 1951. That boxy silhouette, rounded front, tall sides, and a low, simple cab, set a visual template that camper vans have followed for more than 70 years, right down to the rounded nose drawn on this page.

The Raised Cab-Over Sleeping Area

That boxy bump extending forward over the driver's cab is called a cab-over, and it adds an entire extra sleeping bunk without lengthening the van itself, a space-saving trick borrowed from long-haul delivery truck design. Inside, the cab-over usually holds a mattress just large enough for one or two people, reached by a short interior ladder like the one visible on the rear of this van.

Truck makers used the same cab-over idea decades earlier to fit a sleeper berth into semi trucks without adding extra length to the whole rig, since longer vehicles cost more to register and are harder to maneuver on tight roads. Camper builders borrowed that same logic: stacking the extra room upward instead of stretching the van lengthwise keeps the vehicle easier to park and drive on ordinary streets.

Why Camper Vans Fit Modern Road Trips

Because a camper van combines a vehicle, a bedroom, and a small kitchen in one package, families can drive to a national park, campsite, or roadside pull-off and set up camp in minutes without pitching a tent. Solar panels and small onboard water tanks let many modern camper vans run for days without needing a hookup, making them popular for long cross-country trips.

The United States alone has more than 400 million acres of public land, much of it open to car camping, which gives a camper van far more places to park overnight than a traditional RV that needs a full-service campground. A side entry door and roof vent, both visible on this van, are two of the simplest features that make that kind of overnight stay comfortable: one lets people step straight into the living space, and the other keeps air moving inside on a warm night.

Roof Vents, Windows, and Small-Space Design

Fitting a kitchen, a bed, storage, and sometimes a bathroom into a vehicle barely 20 feet long takes careful planning, and every window earns its place. The row of square windows along the side of a camper van, matching the ones drawn on this page, usually lines up with built-in bench seating or a fold-down table inside, so daylight reaches the exact spots where people sit and eat.

A roof vent does double duty beyond cooling the cabin: many pull double service as a place to mount a small fan or even a solar panel bracket, letting owners add power without cutting a new hole in the roof. Small design choices like these turned what started as a converted delivery van into one of the most popular ways families travel and camp today.