Volkswagen Is Launching Its First US Camper Van in Almost Three Decades

It’s not quite a Transporter California, but it’s the closest we’ll get, for now.

Green Volkswagen electric van with sliding door open and camping chair and table outside.

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By Chris Chin

Published 1 hour ago

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Volkswagen of America appears to be getting back into the camper van space that it once championed. Sort of.

The ID. Buzz is set to gain a unique camper van-like trim here in America, making it the first of its kind since VW even offered any sort of vehicle like it. It’s called the Tourer.

And while the German automaker very subtly announced it last month with rather minimal detail, we now have more clarity in regards to how it stacks up in the ID. Buzz’s lineup.

VW’s first US-bound camper van package in decades

Teal camper van with sliding door open showing a bed inside, a black folding table with two bowls and a frying pan on a portable stove, and two gray folding chairs on a sandy beach. — The new VW ID. Buzz Tourer will come with its own outdoor kitchenette set, along with a portable interior bed system.

Believe it or not, VW of America actually put the ID. Buzz on hiatus for the whole 2026 model year after originally launching to a very slow start. It’s officially back now, specifically for 2027, complete with some revisions and new variants, which will hopefully attract more buyers.

The one that caught our attention the most, however, is the new Tourer variant. And that’s because it comes with a whole bunch of upgrades which make it the closest thing to a Transporter camper van that we’ve had in years.

Green Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric van driving on a sandy beach under a cloudy sky. — Despite being on hiatus for a year, the ID. Buzz returns to North America.

It’s based on the European-spec ID. Buzz and its recent “Good Night Package.” If the name is any indicator, the Tourer hosts some new interior that transform the electric van into the camper van that the ID. Buzz was always meant to be.

Sadly, it does without the expensive, yet awesome powered pop-up roof tent that the regular, iconic Transporter California still comes with. But owners can now transform the van’s rear passenger area into an overnight’s accomodation.

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With the ID. Buzz Tourer, it comes complete with its own folding and stowable mattress. Owners can flatten both rear bench seats and set up a nearly full-size bedframe, which supports said portable mattress.

The Tourer trim also includes opaque privacy window shades, two vent grilles for the front windows for fresh air while keeping unwanted insects out, and an outdoor kitchenette set, complete with a two chairs and a table.

Close-up of a black rear window louver on a green vehicle. — Vent inserts for the front windows come standard with the ID. Buzz Tourer.

The Tourer also features the Euro-spec Good Night Package’s “Overnight” mode. That enables the ID. Buzz to power its onboard HVAC system, allowing occupants to control the climate inside the van while parked for up to 48 hours.

What the Tourer supposedly omits however, is the Good Night Package’s vehicle-to-load capabilities, for now. The latter allows users to plug electronics into the ID. Buzz for power, or specifically, up to 2,000 watts worth.

Not quite the VW camper van America’s been clamoring for, but close enough

Open rear of a teal van showing a folded bed with checkered bedding and storage compartments underneath. — When deployed, the ID. Buzz Tourer’s bed system can transform the entire rear quarters into a nearly full-size arrangement.

The last time Volkswagen even offered any type of camper van was the fourth-generation T4 Transporter. The German automaker colloquially marketed it as the “EuroVan” for North America.

Although VW is known for its Transporter California variant, which includes the van’s iconic pop-up roof tent, the automaker actually outsourced conversions to Westfalia.

Black and silver Volkswagen van with sliding side doors parked on a road with trees in the background. — It’s no T4 EuroVan, but the ID. Buzz Tourer is now the closest thing we’ve gotten to it.

But after the T4’s departure from the States in 2004, VW of America remained absent from the space. With the huge influx and continuously popular #vanlife trend, VW hopes to recapture some of its former glory.

Availability and pricing

When the 2027 Volkswagen ID. Buzz hits dealers later this August, the Tourer trim will reportedly add around an estimated $3,000 to the ID. Buzz’s starting price. In Europe, the Good Night Package, which is the equivalent to the Tourer, starts at €2,600.

Green Volkswagen electric van parked on a sandy beach under a cloudy sky.

2027 Volkswagen ID. Buzz

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About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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