Anybody does car camping in China?
I customized my 8 seater Jinbei, 2008 model, long body as a camping van (light duty) putting in consideration my daily needs as I use my van to carry windsurf, kite equipments and customers.
The main features are a nice bed of 180 x 130 cm at the rear, super comfy for 2 people. Taylor-made by a professional CAD designer / furniture factory, the structure is in metal while the wood board is separated in 3 parts that can be folded if I bring my mountain bike with. The Leopard finish for the mattress is the ultimate detail to make Benz S500 owner's wanting to trade their +1 Mio RMB car for my 160 K one. Sleeping in your car can be really fun and cheerful especially with good company!
A gaz stove can be installed for long travels for cooking while shower can be taken outside using sun to warm the water during the day.
Whoever is interested in the topic of camping car travelling in China, come and share your experience. Might we can someday take a journey together.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Edbraz on -
Hey, I would mind to set up and join. As you might not know, I also had a VW camper 1986.....Cheers and welcome back.
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Permalink Reply by G on -
Great Van!!
I gave up windsurfing many, many years ago. I used to live on the Island of Jersey UK. Where do you WS around here? I might be tempted to start up again. Apart from that, I love taking photos of WS and and any other watersport etc. I have been in China just 10 weeks now, photography is my main passion, so getting a camper van would be great..... one day :o) Thanks -
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Tim San Nam F. on -
HI Graeme,
Happy you like my van I spent quite some time to make it at my taste. The bed is really super comfy, I sleep better in my car than most of the hotels I stay as I am 80% of my time on the road, one feature I added on the roof is a sailing boat hatch so that I can open it at night to get fresh air while keeping the side windows closed for safety.
The market now offers a lot of new models such as the Toyota Hiace or Ford Transit that are both more roomy and have a greater HP engine but over 200 K RMB. Larger size means also more difficulty to move around and parking so for a daily use I think my Jinbei is just not oversized yet 5,25 long. Hyundai/JAC are quite popular vans too and you'll find plenty used but in good conditions.
There is one cheap way to do a camping car is to buy the old version of the JinBei, still in production. It's like the 90's Toyota Hiace body. On the 2nd market, you can find a decent one for 40 K but I don't recommend to get the 15-25 K one coz they usually very tired... Best to buy the one that has the front extended (+110 cm) that has been launched after 2005 for the purpose of paying the normal car road fee instead of the next category. You can save a lot of money from the toll, trust me. Then it's up to you to create your interior cabine that suits you. -
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Permalink Reply by Sebastian on -
Nice hommade camping van. Looks like you can survive a couple weeks in it. I usually put out my tent but wake up no later than 7am due to noise and heat.
But where do you go camping? I have been driving up and down to Xiamen, camped at some beaches and parks there but i did not find any spot worth staying more than 1 night.. -
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Tim San Nam F. on
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There are infinite places to go camping in China. Nearby Nanao Island near Shantou is really great for instance. Guanxi, Yunnan are a bit further and of course Hainan. I usually go to Shimei Bay not far from Le Meridien Hotel coz the waves are fantastic for windsurf or SUP. I park at a friend's sea food restaurant so that I can make use of their shower.
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