This New Camper Van Service Is Like Airbnb for #VanLifers
Texino can overhaul your van for life on the road—and they’ll help you rent it out when you aren’t using it.
The allure of #vanlife is hard to ignore—but most campers aren’t on the road for more than a month each year, which makes storage and maintenance burdensome. California-based camper van conversion company Texino just launched a new program that makes it easy for #vanlifers to rent out their rides while recouping costs and skipping some of the hassles of van ownership.
Texino can help you purchase or finance a camper van, which they’ll kit out with your choice of colors, materials, features, and equipment. You can then rent the van through Texino to help recoup costs—so long as it’s available for at least two weeks each month. After program fees, income generated from the rental is split down the middle.
Texino’s designers are experts at Sprinter conversions. These two-person excursion vehicles are packed with camp-ready functionality.
Photo by Sinuhe Xavier
Texino’s cabinetry is sleek, hardy, and functional. In this Sprinter, a kitchenette with installed bench seating makes the saying "home is where you park it" a reality.
Photo by Sinuhe Xavier
As a licensed upfitter with Mercedes-Benz, Texino excels at converting Metris and Sprinter vans. Their design team is adept at installing everything needed for on-the-road living—including cabinetry, kitchenettes, solar panels, shower attachments, and dimmable lights.
"We’re focused on providing a modern, minimal look in contrast to outdated aesthetics like tribal tattoo stripe kits you used to see in the U.S.," says company founder Nick Devane. "We are continuing to experiment with sustainable and durable raw materials: wool, cork, bamboo, recycled plastics, etc. We then pair our design with the best equipment and components available."
Caffeine is at your fingertips with a stashed pour-over kit.
Photo by Sinuhe Xavier
Drawers with routed cutouts store rugged camp essentials.
Photo by Sinuhe Xavier
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Primus Tupike Outdoor 2-Burner Stove
Bring the heat. Consider your outdoor cooking game changed thanks to a setup that feels a little more kitchen-like. Strong and study, this camp stove is also a real beaut—fashioned from stainless steel with wood and brass details that just look better with time and use. Open this baby up for full wind protection to ensure steady boiling, simmering, pan-frying (need we go on?) on its two 7,000 BTU burners. It comes with a small nonstick griddle plate to quickly serve up burgers or grilled cheeses while a drip tray is easy-to-remove and clean so you can get up and go as soon as your pals devour your famous chili. Photo Courtesy of Food52
ShopFellow Stagg Pour-Over Kettle
Stagg Pour-Over Kettle’s beautifully functional design kicks your brewing up a notch. Enjoy an intuitive, steady pour with Stagg’s precision pour spout. Keep track of temperature with a built-in brew-range thermometer. Pour at an even, slow pace with Stagg’s counterbalanced handle that moves the center of mass back towards your hand.
ShopStelton Collar Coffee Grinder
Italian design duo, Daniel Debiasi and Fredrico Sandri have created a minimalists and anesthetic coffee collection designed especially for all coffee aficionados. With Collar coffee grinder you can grind your own beans by hand which is essential for the characteristic espresso brew. The designers have taken a modern spin on the classic design for all coffee makers and combined it with the Scandinavian design anesthetics.
ShopTexino’s rental model aims to make #vanlife accessible to more people by helping owners offset the costs of ownership, and by making more vans available to rent. But Devane is careful not to mince their offering with the lifestyle of the live-aboard road warrior. "We’re most interested in the part-time escape for urban dwellers and making owning and using a camper van more accessible," he says.
The income generated can help owners pay off the loan from financing the build. Those with already kitted-out vans can also rent through Texino to help cover basic ownership costs. Texino covers cleaning, routine maintenance, and storage of your vehicle when it isn’t being used.
This van conversion with an extendable shower head lets riders rinse off with heated water after a long day on the trail.
Photo by Sinuhe Xavier
This Mercedes-Benz Metris conversion features a pop-top that provides extra standing room while camping.
Photo by Sinuhe Xavier
Texino currently operates out of Los Angeles, where renters can pick up and drop off vans. One-way trips can also be arranged for an added fee—although Mexico is unfortunately off-limits for insurance reasons. And yes, you can take your dog with you.
Related Reading:
10 Cool Trailers and Campervans You Can Rent For Your Next Adventure
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