The ULTIMATE winter camping vehicle: The ChefCamper Pod
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ม.ค. 2025
- Here's a tour of our demountable VW Amarok Camper Pod.
We hope you like it!
Check out our Instagram for more interior shots and some behind the scenes footage on our stories;
/ chefcampers
Our facebook page is a place we host our banquest
/ chefcampers
Please support us by subscribing to our Channel. We love to go on Campervan Cooking Adventures and hopefully we can inspire you to do the same.
Take care,
Michael, Steph and Rupert
Great set up love it thank you , great tour.
I saw your truck parked up yesterday in Morrisons. The truck stood out so had to check it out. Its amazing! Great work guys.
Thanks! It was laundry night and we use the self service machine in the car park! The reality of van life hey!
What an interesting setup, been looking forward to seeing it. Enjoy your winter adventure.
Thanks Simon, a bit different from our old way of living. I’m sure our lockdown camp would have been easier though!
OMG what a unit!
You’ve done a cracking job 👌🏼
I love the setup. I love the vw Amarok. I live in the u.s. but iv always loved the Amarok. Looks and capabilities.
The Amarok is the best modern vehicle I ever owned! We now have a mercedes 310 Allrad! I bet you don't get them either!
@@ChefCampers nope. Not a chance.
@@jacobduncan8875 you do get plenty of cool stuff in the states though. I hope to take my van there soon and explore the national parks 😁🚒
Marvelous set up!!!
Thanks 😊
Great video. Just saw it and wonderend what brand the black roll up cutlery is. Finally something that looks Nice. Thanks and stay warm!
Thanks and sorry for the late reply. The roll up cutlery is the clear view set. We have a front runner one too.
Very interesting, looks great
It is! Thanks, we now have a mercedes 310 Allrad! Which I think might be better?!
Hi, I don’t suppose you remember the type of snow board holders you used as I like that idea as a folding table?
Saw your Merc parked recently at Campervan Culture, nice rig 👍👍
Hey, they were front runner snowboard holders, I bet a pair of decent hinges would do the job if it was just for a table though👍
We absolutely love our merc, it’s the best vehicle we have ever owned, it’s the most capable too 💪🚒
Oh! Good car♡
Thanks, we now have a mercedes 310 Allrad!
Looks amazing.. i know I'm late to the party but where did you buy the pod from?
Thanks
Hi there. It’s from a Russian company called GeoCamper, so no longer available. This pod is currently for sale though, from the guy who bought it from me.
I think he has it up for £20,000.
Great review. Thank you. Did you forget to mention how much it cost you or I missed it?
Thanks. They are available kitted out for around £27k, empty shells are around £18k.
I wouldn’t buy from geocamper now though or azar4. I would be tempted to build a composite box, with a bigger area above the cab for sleeping across! Maybe something easily demountable too.
was it insulated enough? and how was bathroom?
Yes it was, the bathroom worked well. It takes up a lot of space, so only worth it if you need to work and shower regular in cold climates etc
Finally British couple in a azar 4 did you go to Poland to collect?
It’s a Geocamper, not an azar4. Be mindful you can’t drive these back in without paying the tax now (ours was pre brexit). Very similar to azar4 though and good all rounder. We prefer our 310 now though 😁🚒😉
This is AWESOME! Did you order an empty pod and build it out yourselves? Would love to find out more about the build out process.
Thanks, we documented most of the build in live stories at the time. The pods are delivered empty, ready to be kitted out. There’s loads of super helpful build videos on TH-cam to check out from others, which helped us a lot too.
@@ChefCampers thanks for the response. Will check out the stories if they are still available.
Were the videos you watched specific to this pod? Can you point me in the direction of a video you found helpful?
@@KindofCooking there are no videos specific to the pod I’m afraid. We were looking at importing and supplying them at one point, but find that we encounter a lot of time wasters. We have built up our knowledge from lots of real life travel and over 12years of being in our own camper. At the time, TH-cam wasn’t over saturated with view hungry content, it was created as a community for the community. I wouldn’t be able to find them anymore, but I’m sure the search feature could help.
We only tend to delve into that stuff when we are working properly, rather than eat into personal time etc 👍
good boys
Thanks, we now have a mercedes 310 Allrad!
So good to see the set up! It looks amazing and we are so jealous that you are in such a beautiful location. Love the ‘Rupert the explorer’ sticker he is such a cutie. Brilliant vlog and so good to see you guys 👍🏻♥️
Thanks so much, that means a lot. Rupert is actually the boss now, we just follow his orders 😆
How or where do you buy a pod like that?
I purchased it second hand in Germany. Geocamper sell them, but I can't recommend them to deal with. Used is your best option
@chefcamper where did you get the pod built?
I purchased it from Germany, it was originally built in Russia. I sold it a couple of years ago and remained friends with the new owner. He might be selling it soon, so feel free to drop me a message if you have more than £23,000 burning a whole in your pocket!
@@ChefCampers do you know if it is still available??
@@utedauenhauer9630 yes. It is currently for sale. The person who bought it from me now has it for sale. I think the pod is up for sale £22,000
Super!!! What is the weight of the loaded module?
Thanks. It weighs 380kg in total, with all the furniture inside. We kept the fridge in the truck and other storage. The tub can carry around 1080kg, so we have plenty of leftover cargo weight to carry, it’s not something we have to worry about now.
Great Rig. Well done! How do you heat hot water for the shower - heat exchanger piped into engine coolant? Have a great trip!
We run the heat ducting through a heat exchanger. In 20minutes we have really hot water! Easily enough for 2showers. In winter, we have the heater on and always have hot water on tap 👌. In summer, the heat exchanger can be powered through our solar set up, it takes longer, but works well too!
@@ChefCampers Cool. Nice compact simple solution 👌
I fitted a separate small coolant heater to mine plumbed into the coolant system along with a calorifier so I can heat hot water either from the engine when driving or use the coolant heater if camped up for a while. Also useful for pre-heating the engine in cold climates prior to starting. Can also use it to produce hot air via the existing heater matrix as a backup. Roll on post lockdown van trips!
@@pajefferies that’s awesome. We did look into this, but we are really trying to keep the pod separate from the Amarok, rather than treat them as a combined unit. I really like the fact we can switch trucks really easy, if we want too. If we end up deciding on this for super long term, we will replicate what you and Jed have done, it’s nice to drive and get hot water.
@@ChefCampers its a sweet setup you've got there. Really compact, functional, light and flexible. I'm just re-working the interior in mine to make it more spacious and less cluttered inside. Putting a full width rock & roll seat/bed in (rather then the 3/4) and added more storage at the back and roof to compensate. Something to do at weekends during lockdown anyway. All the best!
Wow lovely setup. Its like the TARDIS. Was the Pod pricey. When the wife kicks me out I'm gonna get a setup like that.
Thanks, if you get kicked out. The pods are in between £20,000- £30,000. They don’t depreciate like a van though and they can be switched on to any truck. So a cheaper long term option.
Hi could you post the link to the camper pod please. I have look on camper van culture but can’t see it. Best wishes
Hi Wes, we are able to import the pods into the UK, they start at £16,000 for an empty pod, which includes windows and fully lined with insulation. If you wanted something built like ours, then you are looking at around £28,000. You obviously need to buy a truck too and they will fit on any European pick up, but some mods are needed for an Amarok. You can email me at Michael@chefcampers.com for a more serious enquiry. thanks
What the heck was that passed behind you at 10:15-10:20 ? Don't think it was your dog 🙂
Car
Shout out to Ged. 👊💙😂
Good to have you with us Ged. Meet my mate Jed
Is that AZAR4 Camper?
no, it was a geocamper. Very similar though!
@@ChefCampers Interesting! Never heard of geocamper- just had a look at their website. Looks like AZAR is a ripoff of russian technology... Have you heard about KIMBO campers? Another variation on the theme. All the best!
@@mazatlan79P they started out as business partners, fell out apparently. Azar4 is a better design. The overhead cab has more room. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t sell me an empty shell and quoted €27,000 for one.
@@ChefCampers I was in touch with Azar few months back-they did offer empty shells @ 15k euro
@@mazatlan79P Maybe they have realised people don't want their layout and build. I would have purchased one for that price. You would have to pay import duty now though (Brexit). Anyway, I'm much happier with our latest vehicle now
Great video, but think you need some French or Russian music....😉
Anyway, everything looks great and very well put together...Very professional and informative video, stay safe both of you... big hugs.
Great video, my friend! Great winter camp! Enjoyed watching, your and bushcraft skills are terrific! And the surrounding nature is amazing. Cheers from Russia, bruv, and welcome to my channel about special Russian bushcraft tips and hacks! Best Regards, Yuriy! ✌
Heavy snow falls in Stratford upon Avon? 🤨🤣
This was filmed in the French alps.
It;s crazy looking at truck campers in the EU vs. in the U.S. Here every truck camper is just massive or costs more than an imported luxury car. American manufacturers really said go big or go home.
We have some massive ones in Europe too, this is just a very compact lightweight truck camper. We could hit 100mph in Germany with it 😆
@chancer194 There are still a ton of small truck campers out there but I agree, they are much less common to see than they used to be. I guess these days many people have moved towards teardrops and other small travel trailers. I kind of blame the truck camper manufacturers though. They basically abandoned the affordable bed campers of old and moved everything upscale. Then there's the cost of trucks capable of carrying one. Truck prices have gone insane as well.
When I was younger these were a really popular and convenient option for crew workers and linemen etc. But still, then their costs were also within the reach of average blue collar folks traveling for work. A lot of today's manufacturers priced themselves out of that market as many modern truck campers can be exorbitant. Unless you have a specific need for one like off-roading or overland I can't imagine why the average person would even consider one over other options.
They do tend to be built better and easier to keep warm if you camp in the winter so there's that. It's a shame that they disappeared to this level. Here's to hoping builders recognize and fix the problem. Or maybe they'll just keep serving the market they are if it's keeping them busy.🤷🏽♂️
So much better than the Westy. Enjoy 😊
It is for us, I still can’t believe we worked winter with a westy 😆
its like a Tardis, cracking set up
Nobody ever believes us when we say we have a full double bed and an actual shower room 😁
What price is the pod ?
this cost us around £25k in the end (that doesn't include the Amarok)
Ace
Hi, Love the video, how do i get one of the pods?? Putting a round the world trip together and it could be an option.
Hi Wes, we are able to import the pods into the UK, they start at £16,000 for an empty pod, which includes windows and fully lined with insulation. If you wanted something built like ours, then you are looking at around £28,000. You obviously need to buy a truck too and they will fit on any European pick up, but some mods are needed for an Amarok. You can email me at Michael@chefcampers.com for a more serious enquiry. thanks
Not really an off-road vehicle no low ratio gears
th-cam.com/video/Isp4L0JeF2o/w-d-xo.html
In Australia you can buy an Amarok with manual gearbox and a proper tranfer case.Aussies ask for it so much that the VW made it only for their market.Now,these trucks(being manufactured for AU) are RHD,so maybe a special order from a client in the UK can be satisfied...
Not a fan of the pod , prefer a gazell
We like the gazelle, but it would be a terrible choice for us, we aren’t fans of pop tops for winter/snow adventures. They are perfect for summers though.
Great video. Just saw it and wonderend what brand the black roll up cutlery is. Finally something that looks Nice. Thanks and stay warm!
@@DikvanderStroom thanks! We have tried the front runner one, but not that keen on that. We also tried the clear view set, which is a bit better. I would take a look at knife bags.