Wim Opbrouck, passionate about camping

Hello Wim, have you been a passionate camper for a long time?
You can certainly say that! The very first car I bought was a Volkswagen T2 van. My dad and I converted it into a beautiful campervan. I did all my transport with that T2 for years: I went to work with it and I went on holiday with it. Even the children were in that van as babies. We also used it as the backstage of "De Dolfijntjes" for performances at home and abroad! In 2017 I finally decided to buy a new camper. I needed a little more luxury and comfort, but I wanted to keep the convenience of the compact dimensions. So it became another camper van with a pop-up roof, but this time on Mercedes!

What does your ideal camper holiday look like?
In my spare time I prefer to seek total peace and quiet. And when I camp, I really camp. This means being free to stay in the same place for a maximum of two days and cooking our own meals. We go on a big trip every year, but we also go out with the camper whenever we have free time for a weekend or even just a day trip. We take a bowl of soup with us that we heat up after a long walk in nature, which I think is wonderful.

So traveling with a camper means total freedom?
Total freedom is an illusion, after all freedom means something different for everyone. For me, freedom means being able to be in peace and alone in nature. And the camper indeed plays a crucial role in this. But you also have to learn the freedom of a camper. We like to solve the puzzle when packing, we have developed antennas to find a suitable place to spend the night and we sense perfectly when we need to plug in to charge the batteries or when we need to refill with water. But we have learned that over the years. And after all those experiences, I now dare to say that traveling with a camper is the ultimate freedom for me.

What is the most memorable moment of your travels?
We experience one memorable moment after another! But if I have to choose one... at some point during our journey in Spain we pass close to the Vuelta route. My wife and I are super fans. We drove there the day before with the camper and looked for a good spot to support. We settled in in peace and solitude, just the way we like it. But before nightfall we were suddenly surrounded by a whole group of Spaniards who had also chosen that spot to support. We got sangria and tomatoes with salt and they had a real party, that was great! Until we were surprised by a storm, as can only happen in the mountains. After a restless night, we got up to bright sunshine and really enjoyed the atmosphere of the race.

Thanks for the chat Wim, and we wish you a great year!
"Come on, en route!"

Pictures - Wim Opbrouck & Damon Debacker