1970s Volkswagen Beetles Converted into RV Hybrids Called “Bug Campers”

You’d never expect a car developed to Hitler’s specifications in Nazi Germany to eventually become an icon of the hippy counterculture, but that’s exactly what happened to the Volkswagen Beetle. The name Volkswagen is derived from “folks wagon,” in keeping with an official slogan that deemed it the “People’s Car.” The Beetle was designed to provide an affordable way for all Germans to travel, complete with simple mechanics and easily replaceable parts.
Once the war was over, Volkswagen managed to open a few factories in Britain and America. In 1959, an ad campaign still considered to be among the best in history urged car buyers to “Think Small.” The idea—and the Beetle’s unusual design—quickly caught on. The hippies were able to turn a machine built for combat into a vision of peace and love. The Beetle made it easy for young people to take long road trips, but its small size made it hard for larger groups to travel together.

Very neat!

MyStarCollector found one of these vehicles at a car show in 2016, which even came with some of the original advertising materials

On the front seat of the vehicle, there was a issue of Mechanix Illustrated magazine where the converted RV Beetle appeared on the cover

There was room for a kitchen, but unfortunately not a bed, but it appears that if renovated properly, the kitchen table could fold down to make a bed.

The vehicle sold for about $6,000 in 1975 and was never sold directly through Volkswagen, but through a number of third-party companies.

These cars were a novelty item for a short amount of time, but as more competition came on the market they went out of style.