A house that moves! Dream Vehicle, a campervan for an extraordinary world . | feature

Life with a motorhome learned from the real America.

One of the charms of campervan life is the ease with which you can set up your camper by pulling out the awning, setting up the table and chairs, and you are ready to go. Lone Chair x PFS Parts Center] chair, ¥8,500 each (PFS Parts Center), Blue Ridge] Voyager table, ¥34,000 (A&F)

Actually, "camper" is a Japanese word, and in the U.S. it is commonly called RV (short for "recreational vehicle") or motorhome. Therefore, in the U.S., a camper is more of a tool for traveling than for camping. The idea of moving the whole house is one of the major ways of spending leisure time in the U.S., which has been strongly rooted in the U.S. since the horse-drawn wagons of the pioneer days of the West.

Takeshi Kajikawa, who provided the car for this photo shoot, is one of those who enjoys the old camper motorhome lifestyle. His means of transportation and lodging is a Winnebago "Brave" model from the 1970s. There are probably only a few of them in Japan, and they are the embodiment of the "American motorhome" look.

You don't need a TV for a campervan trip. . A campfire is the best entertainment in the outdoors. Petromax fire pit ¥16,000, glove ¥5,100 (all Star Trading), Wood & Fork stool ¥26,800 (Canvas), Snow Peak fire scissors ¥1,900 (Snow Peak), Fireside fire stick ¥4,300 (Fireside)

Mr. Kajikawa, who owns a surfing store, goes surfing in the U.S. several times a year for work, and that is where he first encountered "Brave. He immediately decided to purchase the boat, and drove it by himself from the port of LA to Japan. Of course, he enjoyed a movie-like road trip to various places in the U.S. along the way.

Knowing the American way of enjoyment, the way of use in Japan is more like that of a motorhome than a campervan. We don't have a destination in mind, and when we come across a scenic spot, we make it our lodgings for the day. If you like it, you can stay there for a few nights and just relax while watching the bonfire, and the retreat effect will be outstanding.

. the usefulness of the camper as a means of obtaining freedom.

With gear that matches the age and color scheme of the camper, you can travel back in time to the 70's. .

. If you own a campervan, you can also use it as a base for outdoor recreational activities. For example, if you are surfing, you can move your place of stay according to the waves of the day, and the same goes for skiing, snowboarding, fishing, etc. . Just by having a mobile home, you can expand the range of your leisure activities and increase the amount of time you can spend playing.

The high windows provide good interior daylight.

The view from inside the car is another pleasure of traveling in a campervan. Every New Year's Day, Mr. Kajikawa visits the coast to watch the first sunrise of the year.

Many camper owners speak of freedom. This is because, when traveling normally, you are inevitably tied to where you stay, and the place you stay is your destination. However, owning a mobile home is almost synonymous with the entirety of Nippon becoming an inn. You are free to go wherever you want, whenever you want. Owning a campervan means being free from all kinds of constraints. Once you get into your moving house, you can leave the restrictions of everyday life and set off on an extraordinary journey of freedom.