Ventje is a car made for the work-from-anywhere types benefiting from the new hybrid and fully-remote workforce enabled by the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve seen one in person and the build quality is impressive. It’s a German engineered Swiss army knife of Dutch design — on wheels.
Ventje starts with a new or used VW Transporter van and uses CNC precision to convert the interior into a multi-purpose space to work, lounge, cook, eat, sleep, and play. And when the weather’s good, the interior can be transformed into outdoor seating. Lift the tailgate and the surprisingly large and functional indoor kitchen becomes equally useable from the outside with drawers that open both inwards and outwards, no conversion required.
The kitchen features two propane gas burners, a 26 liter electric fridge, and 10 liters of fresh water. Ventjes are fully insulated and feature a diesel heater to keep things nice and toasty inside year-round when camping.
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New for 2022 is the option to add two seat belts in the back, allowing Ventje vans to legally transport an entire family of five while still fitting into a normal parking spot. That makes the miniature camper useable as a daily driver while still enjoying the more favorable road tax enjoyed by campervans in Europe.
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Each Ventje (which roughly translates to “little guy” in Dutch) includes a leisure battery that feeds 4x USB charging points, 1x 12V socket, and 3x 230V European wall sockets. It’s charged off the alternator when driving and via an optional 180W solar panel mounted to the roof. It’ll also charge when plugging in at a campsite. The battery has a capacity of 95Ah which Ventje says will last “three or four days” before needing a charge allowing for a long weekend off the grid.
When it comes time to call it a night then Ventje vans can be configured to sleep up to four people. After folding away the table and moving a few cushions, the lounge converts into a 140cm x 195cm (55 x 76.8 inches) bed that sleeps two. The pop-top not only lets you stand up inside but it also creates a third bed of 200cm x 120cm (80 x 47 inches).
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A fully-equipped Ventje van starts at around €35,000 when Ventje provides the second-hand T5 or T6 (customers can also purchase their van separately). That price includes all taxes, the cost of the van, and the interior buildout. A Ventje based on a brand new T6.1 costs around €50,000. At the moment, Ventjes can only be purchased in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, with more countries like the UK, Italy, and France likely coming next. Orders placed today will be delivered in six to 12 months.
You can also rent a Ventje if you want to kick the tires first. Something I’ll be doing this summer so stay tuned for the review.
wazup.