FOUR VANS · WESTERN GHATS & KONKAN

Four old vans, kept properly, lent out slowly.

Wayside has four campervans and no plans for a fifth. Each one is serviced between every hire by the same mechanic, comes with a route book we wrote ourselves, and goes out with a full tank and a real conversation about where you are actually going.

Check dates

The four

Marigold

1994 Force Traveller · sleeps 2

The original. Slow, loud, and the one everyone asks for. Fixed bed, two-burner hob, no shower.

₹6,400 a night

Bramble

2016 Tempo Traveller · sleeps 4

The practical one. Two doubles, a proper fridge, an indoor shower, and air conditioning that works at idle.

₹9,800 a night

Sorrel & Fern

2019 Bolero pickup conversions · sleep 2

Four-wheel drive, roof tents, and the only two we will let up the Chikmagalur estate tracks.

₹7,600 a night

The route book

Every van goes out with a spiral-bound book of eleven routes we have each driven at least twice, with the things a map will not tell you: which ghat road is single-track after the third hairpin, where the diesel runs out, and the four places you can legally and comfortably park overnight in each district.

Konkan coast, Alibaug to Gokarna — 6 nights
Chikmagalur and the coffee estates — 4 nights
Tamhini and the Mulshi lakes — 2 nights, the beginner route
Spiti in September, for people who have done this before

In the van already

✓Bedding, towels, and pillows that are not decorative
✓Gas, cookware, plates, a decent knife, a moka pot
✓Cool box or fridge, filled with ice on the morning you leave
✓Camping chairs, a table, a good torch and a first-aid kit
✓The route book, laminated maps, and our phone number

Bring your own

Food. There is a market three minutes from the depot
A driving licence held for at least three years
Patience on the ghats — none of these vans overtake anything
A cash float; several of the best overnight spots do not take UPI

Do I need a special licence?+

No — all four are under 7,500 kg and drive on an ordinary LMV licence. We do ask that you have held it three years and we will decline a booking if you have not.

What about breakdowns?+

Twenty-four-hour line, and if the van cannot be fixed within four hours we refund the remaining nights in full and get you home. It has happened twice in five years and both times we paid for the taxi.

Where can I legally park overnight?+

The route book lists four vetted spots per district — mostly farm stays and estates who charge ₹300–600 and expect you. Roadside parking is legal but rarely a good night's sleep.

Is there a mileage limit?+

250 km a day, averaged over the hire, then ₹18 a km. Nobody has ever been charged for it on a trip of four nights or more.

Can I take it to Goa in December?+

Yes, and you should book in August. The last three Decembers were fully committed by the end of September and we do not overbook to create urgency.