The van that enriches your life

Let’s Chill Out! is a new style event that combines car shows and auto camping around outdoor and custom cars. In 2023, the event was held in Saitama Prefecture on October 7-8, where a wide variety of cars, including classic cars, American cars, and campers, gathered to enjoy camping. Here are some of the cars and owners that caught our attention from the event.

A Ram van conversion model purchased 10 years ago

Mr. “Daddy’s Rood” was enjoying camping and events in his 1992 Dodge Ram Van and tarp, without a tent. The Ram Van is what is called a full-size van in North America, and his vehicle is a conversion model with captain’s seats, wood paneling, curtains, etc. installed in the United States.

“I replaced the over fenders, tires & wheels, side steps, and carrier when I bought it 10 years ago at DEEZ CREW in Yokohama, but other than that I keep the original as it was. It was originally imported by an American who lived by the sea, and the curtains, exterior, and interior were all original at the time, I have kept it in this beautiful condition for over 20 years.

He recently moved to a car-centric camp

The interior is the original after the conversion, but the owner has placed wood shelves and other items in the interior to improve usability. The second seat is a separate captain’s seat, but this time, the captain’s seat was removed for the event. The third seat, which was a bed at the time of the interview, is electrically expandable.

“I’ve done a lot of camping, but recently I’ve been sleeping in this tent because it’s too much trouble to build one. At first, I bought a lot of tents and other gear and laid them out, but now I camp mainly with my car and the bare minimum of equipment.”

Ease of use is the charm of the American full-size van

Since the Corona disaster, he has started a YouTube channel called “Daddy’s Rood” that specializes in van life, introducing old vans one by one. What is the appeal of these vans?

“It’s very easy to use, you can drive around town and go camping. This car is 2 meters wide, 5 meters long, and 2 meters high, so it can be parked anywhere except in narrow parking lots. Many people have the image that American cars break down and cost a lot of money, but that can be avoided with routine maintenance. I hope that we can communicate this to the public based on that aspect as well.”

“In the future, I would like to put a carrier on the roof and put a tent on it. But the higher I make it, the harder it will be to park, so I’d like to make it a dedicated event and camping vehicle and add a second seat so I can sleep on top.”