We like Nissan cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks well enough, but we’re starting to think the company is wasting its talents and should be focusing all of its attention on RVs. It’s designed some of our favorite RV concepts lately, and even sells a few versatile mini-campers in dealerships around the world. The latest model hits the market, the Caravan MyRoom, a decidedly warm, inviting little camper with space-enhancing features like a neat fold-down Murphy bed and a sliding desk/workstation.
Forget Volkswagen for a minute. Nissan has been quietly doing some seriously memorable campervan-related things for the last decade. It’s produced an average of one campervan/adventure vehicle concept per year since Covid-19 hit, and these concepts are among the most intriguing we’ve looked at in that time, from all-electric ski huts to expandable digital day campers to beachside mobile office mobiles.
Beyond concepts, Nissan has added a number of camper vans to its global product lineup, from all-terrain Japanese fishing huts to German sand-and-sun vehicles to Spanish electric pop-tops.
Looking back a bit further, Nissan’s history makes it clear that it’s not a Johnny-come-get-my-pandemic trying to cash in on the popularity of RVs pre- and post-pandemic. Nearly 20 years ago, it helped create what was arguably the coolest little camper van ever to come out of a mainstream brand, later revived as the Airstream Basecamp. And it’s had a thing for sporty extender vans for a while now.
Nissan
Nissan’s latest contribution to the camper van market has come full circle, from fantastical concept to limited-edition model and now dealership foothold. Nissan initially introduced the Caravan MyRoom as half of a conceptual double-launch at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon, and to be honest, it was the least likely of all the concept campers to ever make it into production at the time. However, it actually got the green light in 2023 and was announced as a special edition for the Japanese market last October.
It looks like the MyRoom “Launch Edition” has been a huge success, as Nissan is bringing it back this month as a more regular part of its domestic Caravan lineup. Sure, the automaker has toned down the design considerably from the original concept of a cluttered hotel room with TVs and mattresses hanging above the windows. But it still does a nice job of conveying the spa-retreat feel of the original concept, and continues to think of it not as a camper, but as a brand-new category of vehicle for drivers who want a personal space to relax and connect with nature.
Nissan
The wood grain panels are slightly darker than those on the 2022 concept, but they still define the entire interior, covering the walls, floor and center headliner. The long cross-section sofa has been replaced with a multi-purpose second-row bench that uses a swivel design to switch between forward- and rear-facing modes as an alternative to the swivel seats common in camper vans. The two-person bench even provides firmer back support when facing forward while driving and a softer, more sofa-like feel in rear-facing rest mode. It also reclines completely flat.
As for the primary bed, Nissan offers two options. Our favorite is the Murphy bed, not only because it's a classic design element in its own right, but also because Nissan covers the entire bed base in the same wood-grain panels as the rest of the cabin, so when folded down for the day, it disappears into the larger motif.
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The other bed option is a multi-piece folding mattress that is mounted on wall-integrated ledges at night and disassembled and stored neatly on the same ledges during the day.
Nissan has integrated a sliding table into the sidewall slots that run the length of the cabin, allowing the movable surface to be used as a formal upright dining table and workstation with the front seat bench, a casual desk and laptop table above the bed, or a side table with the left passenger-side seat bench. The tabletop can also be removed and stored when not needed.
Nissan
As the model name suggests, Nissan has taken inspiration from hotel room design rather than RV fit-out, emphasizing space, minimalism, and comfort. So MyRoom skips RV essentials like kitchen and bathroom equipment to maintain a spacious feel, relying on stackable furniture to further enhance the sense of openness. Horizontal blinds over the windows and a privacy curtain at the front add a bit of privacy and light control to the personal retreat, making it feel more like hotel features than RV options.
While there’s no LPG or water tank on board, MyRoom does have electric power. Nissan is adding the “Portable Battery by Leaf” power station, which it developed last year with JVC Kenwood and 4R Energy. The all-in-one rechargeable power station relies on repurposed battery cells from the Nissan Leaf to provide 100V AC power for plugging in devices and electronics. It’s neatly integrated into the van behind wooden panels to provide a more residential plug-in experience.
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MyRoom will be available this month in Nissan’s Japan dealer network in a variety of trims, both 2WD and 4WD. Pricing will start at ¥5,516,500 (approximately US$37,475).
Source: Nissan (Japanese)