In our last post, we shared some of the reasons why the trailer was becoming a bit cumbersome and why the move to a van was welcomed. Well, some of you already think we are crazy for going smaller but here are the reasons why (in no particular order):
- Better fuel economy
- Easier to drive, maneuver, and park
- More options to moochdock. Sometimes our tiny travel trailer was still too big to park in driveways or city streets while visiting friends and family
- More inconspicuous than a bright red travel trailer
- Stealthier for boondocking in urban places. We don’t do this often but we did boondocks in LA
- Better technology options (lithium ion batteries, under the hood “generator”, solar, etc.)
- Cassette toilet. Yup, that’s where the poo goes. There are some many more options to empty our “black tank” now
- We can fit in just about any normal parking spot and any camping spot. To save a few bucks, we get tent sites instead of RV spots at campgrounds. So easy to fit just about anywhere!
- 6 year transferable warranty
Ok, enough of the why we switched and now more of the here’s what we switched to. Everyone, meet Ellie!!! Ellie is a Hymer Aktiv 1.0 Class B RV (camper van) on a Dodge Promaster 2500 chassis. As you can imagine, she has all of the comforts of home and then some in a sweet small package.
Painted Hills, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon
For those folks that want all of the specs, here you go!
So, what do you think? Doesn’t she kind of look like a little ugly elephant. Get it…? Ellie…
HI, congratulations! so you got the hymer activ 1.0 looks like color sandstone pearl same one I chose. Its awesome! I am down sizing from a house closing date sept. 24th I have a lot of “stuff” to get rid of in a short amount of time. Great ride and color of the black trim and the tinted windows make that color pop. like driving on a cloud took it for a long test drive you don’t realize it’s over 19′ long I’m naming mine Freedom seem’s appropriate for its the ultimate symbol. So did you get the 2018? or were you able to get a 2019? I was thinking of switching my purchase to the 2019 if they can get it supposedly it has a beefier suspension more payload capacity. Enjoy you Hymer Cheers!!
Hi Mark!
We’ve been fulltiming in our Aktiv for over a year now… With that said, we have a 2017 model on a 2016 Promaster chassis. To date, we’ve had very minimal issues, some minor cosmetic issues inside, but overall, it’s been great to us! We also have a Stowaway Cargo Rack on the back with makes it a bit longer (about 22 feet), but you don’t even know it’s there.
Speaking of suspension, we just got our Sumo Springs and will be installing those within the next week. That should help with some of the sway and soften things up a bit. We’re also looking at beefier tires. With the Sumo Spring combo and new tires, we should get a 2 inch lift in the back and a 1 inch lift in the front. More to come!
how is the head room? I noticed that the similar travato has more head room. Is it a problem? I’m 5’10” just don’t want to be scraping my head …
Hi Thomas! For you, the head room shouldn’t be an issue… I’m (Shea) about 6’1’’ and can lay from head to toe but I’m touching each wall. Typically, I sleep with my knees bent or at an angle. After about a year with the Aktiv, it’s still comfortable and we enjoy the bed size.
Are you staying with the Aktiv despite recent events? We just bought Aktiv 1.0. Even though Hymer NA sadly in receivership as of Feb 15, 2019. Picking it up next week.
Great question! Yes, we are still going to keep our Aktiv for the time being. We do have plans later this year to sell it and transition into a different mode of exploration. However, we were planning on doing this well before the whole debacle with Hymer/Roadtrek. We are bummed about the whole warranty thing… but I think that’s something that we can navigate around. Regardless, it’s still horrible news all around!
We have had our Aktiv 1.0 for almost 18 months now, got a deal after Hymer closed NA operation. We love it! Dodge serviced by local dealer and van serviced by Edge Van Works. If you are not DIY essential to have trustworthy expert like Gordon White