The guide to traveling in a camper van

The Family Van Planifier roadtrip van aménagé électrique
The guide to traveling in a camper van Traveling in a 100% electric converted van

Planning your trip in an electric campervan

The Family Van, a specialist in electric camper van travel, offers you tips and tricks for planning your trip in an electric campervan.

The back-to-school season has just arrived, but you have only one thing on your mind: planning your next vacation.

Ideas are coming to mind: whether it’s about the destination, the length of your stay, activities… But something is bothering you: it’s your first trip behind the wheel of your electric camper van. You need to familiarize yourself with the habits that will make this electric vehicle journey an unforgettable experience.

Discover the typical route in an electric camper van for our itinerant surftrip, The Family Surf.

Travelling in an electrically equipped van is about choosing the right destination

Traveling in an electric van is to benefit from unparalleled travel comfort. Flexible driving, limited noise pollution, access to outstanding technology… We would like to travel the world in our electric van. In fact, it is equipped with the same technologies as a combustion engine vehicle, whether it is in terms of entertainment (music, dashboard…) or driving aids (speed limiter and cruise control). At The Family Van, all our vans are equipped with a speed radar, a reversing radar, Bluetooth and super comfortable speakers: in short, everything to make the journey a blast. While eliminating carbon emissions.

However, we must give technology time to catch up and adapt to what it can currently offer us. Thus, the key element not to overlook when preparing for a road trip in an electric van is inevitably the charging network. Therefore, choose a country that offers a supply capable of meeting your demand.

It’s a good thing that France has a very developed charging network throughout its territory (check on the Chargemap application). This will satisfy your desires for responsible outdoor adventures within the country itself.

Traveling in an electric van is also about identifying charging stations on your itinerary

In order to locate charging stations on your route, the best option is to download charging station apps.

Check out our article that details the various apps available to accompany you throughout your road trip in an electrically converted van.

The extra tip from The Family Van: it is possible to charge your electrically converted van from a power outlet, which can be found at your campsite (check out our tips on camping with an electrically converted van). How to proceed: use the charging cable provided for this purpose, which is different from the one used to charge at traditional fast charging stations. By doing this, you can spend the night and charge both the batteries of your van and your body at the same time 😉

Knowing your electric vehicle well before departure

The mistake not to make: overestimating the capacity of your car. Before your departure, make sure you know the total capacity of your vehicle in terms of range, whether it is equipped with the “fast charging” functionality, the type of charger provided and the one you will need, the type of roads you will take in order to optimize the moment when you recharge the batteries (pun intended). Don’t hesitate to take a look at this article which will give you the keys to successful recharge breaks.

At present, few electric vehicles offer a range greater than 350km. Enough to respect the recommended breaks by the government and avoid accidents.

Adopt a slow-travel driving style for a hassle-free journey

Finally, traveling in an electric vehicle means adopting a new driving mode. Before departure, anticipate and prepare yourself to opt for a simpler, slower, and more adapted driving style to the electric campervan.

Real-life example: on the highway, you will not exceed 110km/h in order to optimize energy consumption. The end result is that you can enjoy the scenery, take your time, and bask in the latest album from Harry Styles.

The Family Van borne recharge véhicule électrique
The guide to traveling in a camper van Traveling in a 100% electric converted van

Application for traveling in an electric camper van

The Family Van, an expert in 100% electric van travel, has chosen Chargemap as application for traveling in an electric camper van.

It is thanks to this gem that we have been able to create our itinerant surftrips in group, such as The Family Surf France and The Family Rando.

We also use Chargemap to create itineraries for our tailor-made trips.

Zoom on the Chargemap app

During your electric van road trip, the Chargemap app will be your best friend. It provides a reference map to find charging stations located along your route, whether they are public or not.

As a collaborative application, as an electric van driver, you’ll have the ability to upload photos, comments, and reviews of the charging stations you encounter on your journey. Chargemap also provides a level of detail that is useful to users, allowing them to know what types of charging stations are available, whether fast or standard.

The Family Van offers all its travelers a Chargemap pass that will allow you to recharge your electric van by simply placing your card on compatible Chargemap terminals.

Other charging station apps

While Chargemap remains our reference application and the one The Family Van team used when building its trips, there are several other available alternatives, such as Plugshare (more comprehensive map that covers the entire world), Chargeprice (which lists the charging stations offering the best recharge prices), and Nextcharge.

Individually, some private companies that offer charging stations have their own application: Inuit, Mobiv…

All of these charging stations are nevertheless listed on the Chargemap application.

Discover our article on how to plan your trip in an electric camper van.

Photo d'un van aménagé électrique en train de charger
The guide to traveling in a camper van Traveling in a 100% electric converted van

Traveling with a 100% electric converted van

The Family Van offers the experience of traveling with a 100% electric converted van in a group, around a sports or cultural theme.

Why did we choose the electric van? Out of concern for ecological responsibility and innovation.

Organizing trips with an electric converted van means choosing trips with a low environmental impact and a more responsible tourism model, while allowing our users to save money (it costs between 15 and 30€ for a full charge of an electric van).

Today, The Family Van is the only company offering this type of group nomadic adventure, in an electric converted van, and around a sports or cultural theme.

When the idea of The Family Van was suggested and implemented, the team embarked on a benchmarking process to learn about existing projects related to electric converted van travel.

Traveling with a 100% electric converted van is feasible!

We were able to exchange with Heloise, who took on a crazy challenge in 2016: to travel around New Zealand in a converted electric van for 8 months, in order to raise awareness among young people about the ecological transition! What better way to achieve this goal than by traveling in a converted electric van?

The project was implemented in partnership with the New Zealand government, which decided to cover all the expenses incurred for the trip, in exchange for a report on the future of electric tourism in New Zealand.

What Heloise drew from her experience of traveling in a converted electric van: positive outcomes! A new way of experiencing travel, fostering encounters and eco-responsible behaviors, as well as a totally different relationship to travel as a whole.

Ultimately, traveling in a converted electric van means taking the time to connect with people, traveling differently, and meeting locals in the places visited. It combines the “fundamentals” of classic van travel, making them even more attractive thanks to the ecological and responsible nature of this type of travel.

Traveling in a converted electric van also means adopting good practices in terms of driving and travel behavior in order to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. In fact, to make it easier for you, we have prepared a guide to good practices for traveling in a converted electric van.

Renting a 100% electric converted van with The Family Van

If you’re interested in discovering a new type of travel in a fully equipped electric van, you can always visit The Family Van website, which offers group sports and cultural stays in a converted van, centered around a sports or cultural theme. It’s also possible to rent a 100% electric converted van individually, according to your preferences.

Optimiser ses trajets et ses recharges en Roadtrip en van aménagé électrique
The guide to traveling in a camper van Traveling in a 100% electric converted van

How to optimize the autonomy of my electric camper van?

The Family Van, specialist in electric camper van travel, offers you the opportunity to discover how to optimize your trips and recharges in an electric van.

Choosing a stay in an electrical camper van means choosing a vacation from a new perspective. Here’s a closer look at the fail-safe techniques that will optimize the charging of your electric vehicle.

Planning a suitable itinerary

Before the big departure, look into the itinerary you will need to take to reach your final destination. At this stage, it will be interesting to use applications for traveling in an electrically converted van that will allow you to identify charging stations on your route and to be able to connect to them if necessary.

Take advantage of your breaks to recharge your vehicle

Driving cautiously goes hand in hand with frequent breaks! At The Family Van, we co-create circuits with our users based on their feedback and experiences, such as our group trip, The Family Surf, which allows for breaks close to charging points. Your time is optimized if, in any case, you take advantage of your coffee break to recharge the batteries.

Moreover, many highways now offer fast charging stations for users, allowing a full electric charge in about 30 minutes. Even though the cost of using these stations is slightly higher than standard ones, the time saved in charging is well worth it.

To choose eco-driving

Driving in an eco-friendly way means increasing your chances of preserving your autonomy and traveling peacefully. In concrete terms, this means driving at a steady pace for as long as possible, avoiding sudden and strong braking (thanks to engine braking). The goal is to avoid the succession of slowdowns and accelerations, which consume more energy than a smoother driving style.

It is also recommended not to aim for 130 km/h on the highway, but rather to stay in the right lane and drive at a speed of 90 km/h, which is much less energy-consuming.

This example is even more concrete in the case of descents: if driving at 80km/h consumes electricity, by letting go of the pedals, you will recharge your vehicle. What could be better than eco-driving to recharge your battery while driving? The wonders of technology.

By the way, speaking of uphill and downhill driving, we invite you to learn more in our dedicated blog article about driving an electric vehicle in the mountains.

Choosing the right campsites for free charging

One of the key points in traveling with an electric campervan is to optimize your itinerary by choosing campsites (as beautiful and in nature as they may be) with domestic outlets that deliver at least 10 amps.

Charging your converted electric van on a domestic socket at the campsite allows you to recharge at a rate of 2% to 3% per hour, which means you can charge up to 36% overnight!

This will allow you to travel thousands of kilometers without paying for any charging.

Discover how The Family Van team traveled more than 1500km in Portugal by only recharging in their accommodations.

Van aménagé électrique en train de charger au camping
The guide to traveling in a camper van Traveling in a 100% electric converted van

Travel in camping with an electric camper van

It’s decided, you’re taking the plunge: you’re going to travel in camping with an electric camper van!

Whether you choose to rent a van individually, build a tailor-made trip with our advisors or opt for a surftrip in group, camping will be an inevitable stop on your itinerary, since wild camping is prohibited in France and requires special parking permits.

But how to optimize your time on campsites while traveling in an electric camper van? Let’s take a closer look at our tips for a successful trip.

Charging your electric campervan overnight

After a good day of surfing, hiking, or discovering the local cuisine for the more foodie among you, it’s time to set up your base camp for the night. Arrive in the late afternoon, before dinner (or drinks) and voilà, you’re there.

Here is THE advice we give to all our travelers: recharge your electric vehicle all night long! What could be better than waking up the next morning fully charged, ready to continue the adventure?

But be careful: it is not possible to recharge on all available outlets in the campsite. We will give you the keys in the few lines below for a successful recharge at the campsite.

Choosing the right amperage for the electrical hookups available at the campground

All campsites offer, depending on their capacity and type of clientele (mostly cars and tents or caravans), a specific amperage that can meet different needs. This usually starts at 2A and can reach up to 16A in the best-equipped campsites.

If you want to charge your electric van on the charging stations provided, please make sure that the amperage selected is equal to or greater than 10A. Otherwise, your charge will stop after a few minutes and you won’t be able to take advantage of this benefit.

Let’s take the example of our fully electric (75kW) camper vans. With a 10A power supply, you can recharge 2.5% of battery per hour, which means 36% if you stay from 9 pm to 9 am in the morning!

To refill water and recharge the batteries

All of our vans are equipped with a 30L water tank that allows you to cook, do the dishes or take a shower during any off-road trips. The stopover at the campsite is an opportunity to refill with water if you have run out.

In addition, you can recharge the internal (alternative) battery of your van. It allows you to power the lights, the fridge, and the various USB outlets in the living area of your mobile home.

Choosing campgrounds with electric charging stations

Another option: some campsites have chosen to equip their site with electric charging stations similar to those typically used to charge electric vehicles.

But if campgrounds need to catch up more with electric vehicles and improve their equipment to cater to this growing clientele, at The Family Van, we already work with different partners who are aware of this new way of traveling, which is more flexible and responsible.

And you, when are you planning your electric van trip with The Family Van?

The guide to traveling in a camper van Traveling in a 100% electric converted van

10 good reasons for traveling in an electric camper van

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned van traveler, traveling in an electric camper van may still seem quite futuristic to you. The Family Van, a specialist in 100% electric camper van rentals, gives you 10 excellent reasons to travel in an electric van.

1. Enjoying an environmentally friendly adventure

Every year it’s the same, with your crew Louise, Gabin, and Théo, you explore beautiful landscapes by van. You are completely in awe of this nature. What spoils the scenery a bit is the smell of gasoline from vehicles like yours… but not this year! You have decided to travel in an electric van, and now you are driving without emitting any emissions, you can take a deep breath at the top of this mountain and just feel… nature. Congratulations to you!

2. Being in total harmony with nature

Traveling in an electric van allows you to be as discreet as a chameleon and in harmony with the nature around you. Arriving at a spot and hearing the sound of the ocean waves, admiring the wildlife on the edge of a forest without disturbing them, or even hearing Gabin snoring between two trips… All of this is part of the adventure thanks to your wonderful electric van.

3. Traveling in an electric camper van is finally taking the time

In everyday life, you barely have time to take a bite out of your sandwich when your phone vibrates to remind you of the 2 PM meeting. Traveling in an electric van is saying hello to slow travel. Here, we organize our trip a bit and take our time. During a recharge, we have a coffee, we play UNO and chat, we drive at a pace that allows us to take in the views… We rediscover that days have 24 hours and savor each one of them.

Discover here how Héloise embarked on a completely crazy adventure of 7500km in an electric camper van in New Zealand.

4. Saving on fuel costs and being able to enjoy other activities

Going on an electric van trip also means your wallet thanks you. This fuel savings allowed you to treat yourself to a surf lesson on the Basque coast. Louise and Théo loved it and Gabin took unforgettable photos of their falls… For you three, it’s for sure that next summer you will go on a surf trip with The Family Van!

5. Optimized charging at night and without a charging card

You are all three sitting facing the sunset at the campsite where you will spend the night. You discuss tomorrow’s itinerary and consider a route, but you can’t decide. Gabin winks at you and takes out the domestic plug of the van. He plugs in your electric van. It’s as simple as that, you sleep, it recharges, and tomorrow you can improvise freely.

6. Your VIP parking spot for electric vehicles!

In the middle of the afternoon, you arrive at a square near Collioure. You can already smell the waffles and spot an Italian ice cream stand. Théo lights up like a Christmas morning. You spot the parking lot, it’s full. Before Gabin can even sigh, Louise cuts him off. She parks on the square’s parking lot, but on one of the spots exclusively reserved for electric vehicles. A few minutes later, you’re enjoying your ice cream cone and toasting to your VIP spot. Your van is charging, and you’re savoring the moment.

7. Traveling in an electric camper van is like taking a trip in a van from the future

Traveling in an electric van camper is like taking a trip in a van of the future. Traveling in an electric van is, of course, first and foremost a van journey! All the benefits of van travel, such as freedom, autonomy, and communion with nature, are there. What’s different is that you’re engaging in an innovative, more responsible type of travel.

8. We settle comfortably and reliably into the future

This journey has been an adventure, and on top of that, it has made you evolve. You, who had questions, have been able to learn, test, explore and adopt electric vehicle travel. You know that transportation will gradually transition to this mode of travel, and you are proud to have had this experience, and to be able to adopt new modes of travel in the future.

9.Being able to convince your Uncle Bernard that "everything was not better before."

After this trip, each of you can testify and debate from your own experience. No more prejudices about electric vehicles, you know it, you had an incredible vacation. At Christmas, you can finally convince your uncle and tell him that no, “everything wasn’t better before”!

10. Adventure and The Family Van community

Traveling in an electric van is done with The Family Van, through surftrip in group, custom-made trips, or simple rental for independent travel. Traveling with The Family Van means giving yourself the opportunity to meet travelers from different backgrounds and sharing special moments together. We help you embark on an adventure with a community of enthusiasts and a team always by your side, so you can travel with peace of mind.

You now have all the reasons to travel in an electric van: visit our website to start your adventure with The Family Van.

electric camper van rental agency
The Family Van ecosystem The guide to traveling in a camper van Traveling by van from the South-West Traveling in a 100% electric converted van

Traveling with an electric camper van rental agency

As an adventurer at heart, traveling by van has always appealed to you. Why not consider an electric camper van rental to unleash your inner adventurer while protecting the planet? Let’s take a closer look at traveling with an electric camper van rental agency.

electric camper van rental agency

The Family Van, the electric camper van rental agency

If you’re looking to rent an electric camper van, these are THE specialists: whether you’re planning a group trip, an individual rental, or a custom-made stay, you’ll find what you need at this young startup created in March 2021. On the agenda: comfortable electric vans and advisors available to meet your desires for unique and more responsible travels.

Visit their website now to book your next vacation.

Wikicampers and Yescapa

Although Wikicampers and Yescapa are currently the leaders in peer-to-peer camper van rentals in Europe, they don’t yet offer electric vehicles from individuals. However, in an effort towards responsible practices, The Family Van’s electric vans will be available and listed with these two rental companies.

Travelers who are more concerned about current environmental issues

Today, rental agencies must meet the desires of users who are concerned about choosing new, more responsible ways of traveling.

The idea is to find alternatives that combine tourism, environmental awareness, and pleasure. Why not try out The Family Van by choosing a 100% electric camper van trip?