We Camped in the Peace Vans VW ID Buzz Pop-Top Camper, and Now We Want One

The key to leveraging an iconic vehicle the buying public has an emotional attachment to is leaning into those buyers’ fondest memories. For the vehicles like our yearlong review Volkswagen ID Buzz, and the OG Type 2 Microbus it hearkens to, legions of folks grew up camping in pop-top versions of those early VW Buses. In those days, the factory-distributed supplier was Westfalia, but it’s no longer VW’s camper-conversion partner (and in any case VW primarily focuses its factory camper efforts on the Multivan rather than the Buzz). So Seattle-based Peace Vans, which has been maintaining, restoring, and electrifying vintage buses and other air-cooled VW/Porsche products since 2012, has jumped into the breach.

Peace Vans Modern first introduced a pop-top camper for Mercedes-Benz Metris vans in 2017, just months after VW unveiled the original ID Buzz concept. PVM has delivered more than 1,000 Metris pop-tops while patiently awaiting the production Buzz, and now, at last, it has a full roster of camping upgrade options for the Buzz. We snatched our first opportunity to sample the top offering: a Full Camper with Pop Top.

Weeks before our trip to Seattle, we met up with repeat PVM customer and brand ambassador Barb B. in Otsego Lake, Michigan, for this photo op. We kinda want a smile sticker like hers.

The Iconic Pop-Top

For Buzzes like our long-termer, equipped with the electrochromic panoramic sunroof, PVM pops that out and mounts its pop-top unit over the open hole, hinging it at the back like the Westfalias most of us remember. It adds around 3 inches to the vehicle height when stowed, and its slick aero profile shouldn’t impact aerodynamic drag by more than that slight frontal-area increase. The sleeping area measures 43 x 78 inches, and the area above the sunroof rises on struts to provide ample standup room on the van floor. The conversion costs $15,995 (add $1,495 for solid-roof vans—precisely the factory price of the sunroof), and it takes five business days to install.

Full Camper Conversion

This is the part that replicates what those early Westies were like inside: seats that pull out into a bed plus cabinetry housing a sink, fridge, stove, pull-up tables, and storage, all rendered in handsome CNC-cut Europly wood. The setup includes a sink with a retractable faucet and a two-mode sprayer on an extension hose, a 36-liter fridge, a 1,200-watt induction cooktop, and ample pop-up counter space allowing you to prepare meals just like at home. With dual sliding doors, there’s even a prep table that opens up on the driver side, where your sous chef can access the sink and fridge.

The sink’s electric pump draws from a 3-gallon reservoir and drains into a 3-gallon gray-water tank. Fridge access is from the top and includes a basket to separate items. It draws power directly from the van’s 12-volt source, while the cooktop and other higher-power 110-volt outlets draw from a separate 1.5-kWh 12-volt battery that gets topped up by the main electrical system when the van’s ignition is on. The counter above the cooktop slides out to provide a work/eating surface for the front passenger seat, to which PVM adds a swivel base. This package also includes folding, insulated blackout panels for all windows.

Today, the Full Camper conversion renders the van a two-seater, as no federally compliant seat belt attachment has been engineered by Peace Vans (the in-floor battery complicates this). The two lounging seats pull out individually to form a second bed about the size of the upper one. Two front and two rear storage drawers are provided under this bed, and there’s more long stowage in the driver-side space next to the bed for folding tables and chairs. This option runs $24,995 and takes five days to install.

Side Awning & Accessories

Nobody wants to climb into a camper directly out of the rain, so Peace Vans Modern offers an 8-foot-long, 6.5-foot-wide crank-out awning for $2,795. Collapsed, it mounts close to the bodywork and pop-top to minimize aero drag. The blackout shades mentioned above are available à la carte for $995, a pair of sliding-door window screens costs $125, bug screens to fit the entire opening of a sliding door or hatch cost $295 per door. And front-seat swivel bases cost $895 each.

Weekender & Kitchen Box Alternatives

For those looking to retain four seat belts, the Weekender package retains the third row, replacing the middle-row seats with a 24-liter fridge inside a table whose top hinges up from coffee table to dining height, plus storage on each end, with swivel bases for both front seats to facilitate board and card-game play on the table. It also includes a sleep platform that provides a wider 52-inch by 78-inch fold-out bed with a thicker mattress. That one costs $11,995 and installs in two days.

Or remove the third row and replace it with an elaborate slide-out kitchen that includes a 25-liter fridge, 3 gallons of water dispensed via a magnetic-base sink faucet into a collapsible sink tub, and a Fire Maple backpacking style isobutane/propane stove for cooking. That setup runs $7,995 and installs in four hours. You can add a bed like the Weekender’s that extends over the folded second-row seats for another $2,000. These conversions are completely reversible to stock.

Camping in Olympic National Park

We availed ourselves of the opportunity Peace Vans offers potential clients to rent before they buy, using dedicated campsites Peace Vans leases at Aliya Preserve near Kalaloch Lodge, overlooking the Pacific. We drove off, remarking at how quiet and rattle-free this aftermarket camper sounded on bumpy streets. It’s a tribute to both the workmanship and the selection of a lot of magnetic organizers to keep silverware and metal dishes from rattling. The drive took just over three hours with one quick stop to charge while we purchased breakfast and lunch supplies.

Upon arrival, we popped the top in a matter of minutes after undoing the snaps holding the access-hatch cover, unhooking the safety straps, releasing two over-center latches, and giving the top a shove. With no front center console, it’s best to stand between the front seats when opening (and closing) the top, which is assisted by gas struts.

Next, we swiveled the passenger seat, popped up the kitchen and sous-chef tables, assembled the two compact camp chairs and camp table, and cranked open the awning—an easy two-person job, with one walking the support legs out. Finally, we installed all the window blinds (via snaps, magnetic clasps, and/or simple friction), remarking at how completely they block the light.

Our spectacular arrival dinner was catered by local chef Maggie Boyd of Maple Creek Outfitters sourcing every ingredient from within two miles of her home. But the next morning we slid open the induction cooktop and whipped up sausage patties and scrambled eggs for three. The fridge works for weekend camping but might be less convenient than the horizontally oriented ones in the Weekender and Kitchen Box. And the sink is great for rinsing produce and washing hands, but 3 gallons goes quickly.

How’d we sleep? Two adults of a certain age and stature quickly decided to sleep up and down, swapping locations on the second night. Neither of us had difficulty climbing into the Pop Top bed from standing on the front seats, but we both found the pop-top’s 1.5-inch-thick mattress to be less comfy than the lower bed’s much thicker padding. That low, aerodynamic profile prevents taller permanent mattresses, but an inflatable might be worth considering.

The van stayed cozy with overnight temps in the 40s. Screening on three sides may make the Pop-Up bed the place to be in hotter weather unless you pop for the full sliding-door screens (and blackout eyeshades). Of course, until the 2027 ID Buzz Tourer model arrives with Overnight Mode accessory power, you could also keep the windows closed, buckle a backpack or suitcase into the driver seat, and keep the climate control running. Hopefully that new mode will disable all lighting when a door opens, enabling stealthier bathroom runs.

Knocking the campsite down is equally easy. Stand between the front seats and pull down on two handles, watching to ensure both sides fold inward (we had to help one side), then fasten the latches and safety straps, snap up the cover, stow the awning, stow the window shades, and go. Properly striking a dome tent can take longer.

Price of Our Peace Vans Buzz

This Mahi Green and white ID Buzz Pro S 4Motion with glass roof would start today at $72,035. Adding the Full Camper, Pop Top, and Awning brings the total to $115,820. (Note, our photo van also features an experimental 1-inch suspension lift, black wheels, and more off-road-ready tires likely to further compromise range, so we’re not including those prices.)

Modern-day hippies could also consider a rear-drive Pro S with no options ($61,545), adding only the Pop Top ($17,490 with no glass roof), plus the Kitchen Box with bed ($9,995), and source a 270-degree awning (mounted on the driver side to fully cover the kitchen) for maybe $800, and the price drops to $89,830.

Bottom Line

This is not a tiny house. This is not a Class B motorhome. It’s a comfortable daily driver you can use for weekend outings to established campgrounds. And it’s first and foremost a time machine to transport your weary psyche back to a simpler day and age. It’s infinitely cooler than a Metris pop-top or, for example, a DM Vans LV6 Class-B motor home based on a Ram ProMaster van that costs about the same but might end up sitting in the driveway between vacations. Your aging scribe is eyeballing a 2027 ID Buzz Tourer with just the Pop Top and an awning. Wire in a Dometic fridge, get a Coleman stove, and drive off into a campsite sunset…

More on Our Long-Term 2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz Pro S Plus:

• Arrival: Weighing Charm Against Range
• Setting Up the 2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz Was Surprisingly Painless.
• 2,000-Plus Mile Road-Trip Learnings.