The Coachmen Camper Van an Insider Would Actually Buy

The question worth asking anyone in the industry

Ask someone who works around camper vans every day which one they would spend their own money on, and the answer is usually more useful than any brochure. We put that question to Tanner Carroll, and his answer was specific: a Coachmen Beyond in a rear-bath configuration, and in particular the 22RBBC LI.

What follows is his personal preference, not a manufacturer position and not a claim that this is the best van for everyone. The value is in the reasoning — because the same reasoning is how you should be narrowing your own shortlist.

Why 22 feet

Length is the first real decision in a camper van, and it is a trade rather than a ranking. Shorter vans park anywhere and drive like a tall car; longer vans give you a bathroom you can actually use and somewhere to put your things.

Tanner's argument for the 22-foot Beyond is that it lands on the useful side of that trade: enough interior space to live in comfortably, while still being a vehicle you can genuinely travel in and take off-grid rather than one you plan routes around.

The bathroom is not a minor detail

The rear-bath layout is the heart of his pick, and the reason is experience rather than theory. His girlfriend's time with a much smaller wet bath shaped the preference — a small wet bath is the kind of thing that looks acceptable in a showroom and wears on you after a few days on the road.

A larger rear bathroom costs you floor space elsewhere. That is the trade. But of all the compromises in a camper van, the bathroom is the one people most often say they wish they had taken more seriously, especially when two people are travelling together.

Lithium and going off-grid

The LI designation matters to his choice: the lithium package is what makes time away from hookups practical rather than theoretical. Lithium storage, and the charging and inverter capacity that come with it, are the difference between a van that needs a campground pedestal and one that can sit somewhere quiet for a few days.

If off-grid time is part of why you want a van, this is not an option to defer. Adding capability later is possible but rarely cheaper or tidier than buying it built in.

Production van or custom build?

The conversation also covered the choice between an RVIA-certified production van and a highly customized build. A custom build can give you exactly the layout you want. A production van gives you something different: a unit built to a certification standard, on a known specification, with parts and service procedures that already exist.

That distinction shows up later in ownership. When something needs warranty attention, a production model has a documented path through a dealer network. A one-off build often does not, and the person who can fix it may be the person who made it.

Resale and service

Resale follows the same logic. A recognizable model in a popular configuration has a market of buyers who know what it is. A deeply personal custom build has a smaller audience, and its value depends heavily on whether the next buyer wants the same choices you made.

None of this means custom builds are a mistake. It means the trade is real and worth entering with your eyes open.

What to take from an insider's pick

• Choose length by how you will actually travel, not by the biggest number you can afford.
• Take the bathroom seriously — it is the compromise people regret most.
• Buy the power capability you need up front if off-grid time matters to you.
• Understand what certification, service access and resale are worth to you before choosing a custom build.
• Ask anyone in the industry what they would buy for themselves, and listen to the reasons more than the model name.

Watch the full conversation

Tanner's answer, in his words, is in the video at the top of this page.