the happiest he's ever been while driving a car on the camera. Never seen him so dreamy, nostalgic and just having a blast

Hammond Un-Cut (ish), on his own, in a van.. getting soppy - this is such a treat for fans of him and the original Top Gear! More of this please. I’d love to see him drive The M5 one day, just him and the car, nothing else.

Clarkson - makes anything he narrates intersting. Hammond - Emotional narrator May - Poetic and informative.

This hit home! I got a job at 22 delivering wine all over Florida in a brand new Ford Transit van. I treated it right, cleaned and checked it often. A huge smile hit my face when you started talking about using it as a camper van on weekends, I did the exact same thing. Cheers Richard.

This is one of the best videos the Hamster has made and that includes Top Gear and Grand Tour. No silly gimmicks or planned things to go wrong. Just pure emotional chat that hits home with every van driver. Bravo Hammond, more of this please.

Richard's stories about the vans of his past were lovely I do love it when any of the 3 tell heart warm, ing stories or real opinions rather than cocking about (which I love too) it reminds you of the passion they have and the fact that they love what they do

More of this!!!! This is why I LOVED Top Gear. We don’t need fancy drone shots and crazy super cars all the time. This is greatness.

This man has driven all sorts of amazing car's all his life, still driving a van is giving him happiness. Is this what life's about.?!

This sir, is why you're one of the best TopGear presenters ever. Engaging story from the heart.

Vans really are awesome. I took the same 8-hour trip I usually take in my Subaru STi and it was like floating around on a big comfy couch vs sitting on an angry charging hippopotamus with a drinking problem.

The happiest I’ve ever been in a vehicle was when I moved house for the first time and I rented a van just like this. It was a 15 mile journey and I loved every second of it. Something about a van full of stuff, don’t know what it is, but it’s a very fulfilling feeling to transport things.

Mr. Hammond, you've certainly struck a chord in this old boy with your tales of vans past. My wife and I have been married almost 30 years and the large majority of those years have been with a Dodge Caravan in one form or another. We really had no money when we got married so it was a Dodge Aries wagon to start (K Car), then we hit the jackpot a couple of years later and bought a used 1987 Dodge Caravan with a blown up 3.0L. No problem for a long time Mopar man like myself, and in short order we were going through Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies stopping at all the little historic plaques and breathing in the fresh mountain air while marvelling at the glaciers. Our toddler (at the time) enjoyed plenty of room in his 'truck' and we had loads of room for a stroller, suitcases, and whatever else we had packed for a mountain vacation in August....snow boots, jackets, sleeping bags, etc. Sadly as the old Mitsubishi engine miled out, the van went by the wayside and we got yet another...Dodge Caravan. Of course! This one was brand spanking new! Obviously hard work had improved our station somewhat and we were now going further and longer than ever before taking a now older son to the dinosaur museum, aircraft hangars, music festivals, and everywhere you can only enjoy in a van. This timeline just carries right along....another Dodge Caravan (new!) as we decided that Mama was the benificiary of our success and hereby entitled to new wheels every couple of years...warranty, etc,etc. Of course I drove (and still affectionately drive) rebuilt Dodge trucks that should be retired, but we love them so....another story someday. Anyhow, now we've taken the teenager to his first rock concert, we've gone flyfishing in the Rockies again, and again, and again (it helps when you live there!), etc,etc... Next thing you know, we're now in our current 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan GT. Boy, does that 3.6L Pentastar ever rock n roll! That van is so nasty we nicknamed him Black Bart. But be that as it may, Bart is a phenomenal piece of kit. As life moves on, Bart helped us move the university student into his new life in the Big City away from mom and dad so he can go forth and be the man that hopefully all those van excursions helped him to become. It's only Mama and I now when we go out and about, but Bart is always up for an adventure. A yard sale, a trip to the farm to visit the grandparents, and when possible....a drive to the Big City to see our brilliant young programmer! I find it absolutely relatable when you say you become the adventure instead of merely remembering it. Oh how right you are! As I get older and my industrial life winds down, I can clearly see that a 2nd van will probably make it's way home. There is no prying Mama's Caravan away from her, and if I want to go fishing (obviously in places no longer requiring 4 wheel drive), pack the upright bass to the jazz gig, or do a little RC flying, the only proper and civilized way to get there...is a van. P.S, and I apologize for being long winded, my son and I used to watch Top Gear when he was younger, and now we're both hooked on Drivetribe. We love the format, the whole idea of the Smallest Cog, and wish you every success in the world with it all. As a mechanic (and lover of old machines), I get it...I really do. Cheers!!

A strangely warm and wholesome review of a vehicle from the Ham-man. The type that makes you smile at how sentimental the moment is for him, and how it makes you want to join in on the journey down memory road.

23 years old (now 44) I worked for a company collecting grain samples from farm all across England. When I picked the VW Caddy van up on first day it had 9 miles on the clock....over 9 weeks I drove 10k. On my last day when I returned the van it had 10009 miles....every mile was a memory 👌 when I slept I was dreaming of A-Z road maps trying to find farms in the middle of nowhere 🤣

Love this. The story telling, the emotion, the nostalgia, the involvement in a conversation where it literally just feels like you're sat there, chilling, having a chat. I don't know why I didn't find this video sooner but I love it. And to top it off, I love driving vans. I've only driven a few in my time and they were literally either work or hired for a day to do a job and then move on. Each time I couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear! Totally get it, resonate with this more than any other vehicle video, full stop.

I had a mini van as my first vehicle. I can still hear the screech as the back doors were opened followed by that final click. No car since has even come close. I slept in it in car parks after I had had a few drinks, I took my girl friends out in it. I had their foot prints on the ceiling. Such fun.

Anyone else watch this with a smile the whole way through the video? Very heartwarming

I've seen every episode of top gear and the grand tour probably quite a few times and never knew about Hammond's love for vans! Quite a nice story

It's like a dream seeing Richard at his most happiest point in a vehicle like he's off in lala land ♥️warms my heart to tears of joy😀🤗

All three of them tell the best stories. I have shed a tear hearing all of them tell a story.

This brought back so many memories from Top Gear... Loved it, thank you for making this!

You can only expect the unexpected from Hamster.

That was as near as possible to the most heartwarming thing I have seen from ol'dicky. It resonates for people of a certain age, with a similar story of which I am. Chucked the dogs and wife in my ' can I borrow the van for the weekend boss' brand new 1985 Iveco daily hi top for a trip to Skegness. Strap everything down and hold on... I am the king of the road in this beast... and it did go.... it had a turbo...!!!! As an hgv mechanic for the past 40 yrs I appreciate the leisure vs workman comments, tool of the trade or lovingly polished, either way the modern van can cut it anywhere and don't forget the fastest thing on 4 wheels is the white van man 😛👍

The story of camping with his dog is so sweet. I need to be mindful of simple pleasures like that! Great video!

Listening to him talk about his enthusiasm for any vehicle is a joy him , may and Clarkson have perfected the art of story telling about vehicles

Only Richard Hammond can make us all watch a video about vans LOL Superior

When I was a teenager I worked for a staging and lighting company. As soon as I passed my test they put me in the vans delivering bits of kit across South Wales. They trusted me and equipment to represent the company. It was my first real taste of responsibility and working life and I loved it. I'll happily take any opportunities to drive a van to this day. When I was in uni I was one of the only people to be allowed to drive the university van on a film course. It was an absolute shitbox, but it was the way to get things done and I loved it. First real experience driving through London was in a clapped out old transit. I learned to drive the roads of the UK in vans, and I hope it's made me a more confident driver. Not better, but confident and happier getting on with it. Vans for life.

This is wholesome. The first van I enjoyed was a Mitsubishi L400 with a manual column shifter. I used to go to the beach with my friends and my siblings. We would bring our dogs to the beach. Now I’m 26 years old, living in Europe and I want to buy a van of my own so my girlfriend and I can go on road trips. Thank you for inspiring me.

Of all the vehicles I have driven over the years, the Ford transit (Mk3 to current model. I've not driven a MK1 or 2) has the best cabin for driver comfort. Not only the seat, but the space (I'm 6'3"), the layout, and visibility. Whenever I have driven a Transit, it feels like a you are home. Every control is instinctive. You hardly have to look at the controls. You just know where they are. The latest Transits have more 12v sockets than you have things to plug into them. The large drinks pockets designed to take a 2litre bottle. The pocket that is large enough to take paperwork. I don't think any other vehicle has ever had such a thoughtful cab. Close second, the latest Scania cab.

Now you just need to drive up to the Nurburgring and do a lap for Sabine

Never in my life did I ever think that RH, could bring me to tears. Time machines that take you back to the first time someone (besides your fam) trusted you with the keys to something. Making a living, and then getting away from it for a weekend. My brother and I split the cost of a 1 ton Chevy van. She went from Maine to North Carolina on weekend getaways over the 10 years, and 120,000 miles we had her. She drank gas, like it was free. I remember getting my first Honda, and why am I parking at the pump to go for a Big Gulp, and some Hotdogs? Because the Honda got 36 mpg. Treasures only to me. Thanks Richard!

This is why I appreciate the trio. Car or van, they don’t just see it as a moulded piece of aluminium. It’s not even seen as something that someone has spent months on designing. It’s not seen as a vehicle. It’s like a person. A pet. A memory. Wether new or old, there’s a story to be remembered or made. They’re as nostalgic as a song or a picture. Replace the three with whoever you want. But no one can look at a car and honestly say, it’s more than that.

As a former Asda van driver in mid Wales, everytime I get into a van now I'm instantly transported to ragging on the Black Mountain Pass in an Iveco Daily hoping the smashing in the back wasn't the coleslaw again (it was). When you drive vans when you're young I think they'll always have that effect on you. A '64 plate Daily was also the first absolutely brand spanking new thing I drove.

With you 100%. I had a summer job as a van driver when I was in uni, and because I was student I tended to take a pretty leisurely approach to work. Every time I drive a van it takes me back there.

Great video Hamster, the smile on your face says it all.

Every thing Hammond says here about the van (sans. the furniture story) is exactly why I love my Ranger Wildtrak so much. For such a more affordable amount of money you get a lot of car, and all the luxurty items you could need, without being the techo-babble infested touch screen on every surface that most modern luxury vehicles have turned into.

I had the absolute pleasure of driving a brand new Mercedes Sprinter for my old job. It was, by far, the fastest vehicle I have driven. What an absolutely wild machine.

Love your van and I fully understand the point you are making. My first car way back in 1972 was a 10year old Anglia van bought for £75. It had no rust which anyone who knows old Anglias will be as surprised as I was. I loved that van and was very sad to sell it. It lasted at least 6 years afterwards.

Videos like this are why Hammond is my favorite journalist.

…and I thought it was just me that thought about vans like this! My campervan is a Ford Nugget, based on the same vehicle as this. It’s a wonderful thing to be in and eats the miles whilst being an incredible family car. Best vehicle I’ve ever bought.

I love how he takes us back to one of his experiences, and makes us feel like we were there.

I'm a car salesman and I absolutely agree. We have a Mercedes Sprinter 319 extra long to haul parts and I have fun doing the weekly parts run in it. It's automatic and it has a suspension seat - it rides more comfortably than my company car! I've also taken it for the weekend to use it as a pseudo-camper van. And it was great fun. Going to the lake, with my girlfriend and some friends. Suddenly weather turns bad, everyone gets in the van. We have dinner inside, only side and rear doors open slightly for ventilation. We share stories and have a few more drinks than we should and it was fantastic. An air mattress, plastic boxes for small car parts to hold our belongings and a small camping stove. It's all we needed. There was space for everyone to sleep in the van and it rained all night, so my friends couldn't put their tents up. They weren't as comfortable as us, cause only we had an air mattress, but whatever - they were dry. We all shared the van. That same van that has car parts and oil drums in it during the week. It's a workhorse, it's transport, it's refuge, a camper van, a friend. With that said, if I ask a friend of mine about his van, he'll say he wants to set fire to it. He's a Hermes driver (delivery driver with 100+ stops a day).

Van is the way!! I have 6 vehicles, from a motorcycle to an off-roader to 2 sporty BMWs, and my microcamper converted Mazda5 van still gets the most love- because I can live in it. That is truly the way to travel, it genuinely makes you feel like you're prepared for anything. Even better if it's a little ratty so you can wail on it :) Thanks for the stories, Hammond. The TG Africa Special inspired me to convert my Subie wagon to sleep in, and I've looked for vehicles from that perspective ever since. And it's been lovely.

You could see that camping pal dog in his eyes. Core memories.

This explains so much about Hammond's ideology towards modifying cars he's used in episodes

Drivetribe is great to see the true personality of each presenter ,and as a fan of the old top gear it's great to see Richard, Jeremy and James having fun with general vehicle's, in my opinion top gear will never be the same without the original 3 and of course Ben Collins, still watch the repeats 👍

Totally agree. I'll always have a soft spot for minivans. All my childhood in the 90s, I associate being in a minivan with going on family trips: going to the mountains, going to the beach, going to the lakes. Going from California to Vancouver for 15 hours in the back of a minivan I have memories where my dad took out the middle seats, and put carpet and hooked up a little 9inch tv, and our toys and that was our "living room" during the drive. And we slept in the back bench seat. Looking back that was wildy unsafe in a moving vehicle. But fond "going somewhere fun" memories associated with minivans

Had my converted Ford Transit Custom 2015 for a year or so and absolutely love it. The driving, flexibility..I get a smile every time I look out of my window and see it there. Can't wait to take it to the Lakes. Did Spain last year. Amazing.

Great stuff! More van adventures please!

The best video ever was Hammond an sabine schmitz going around the nurburgring in a ford transit van 😀

I used to work away all week cleaning and servicing supermarket fridges at night. The company gave me a brand new vw transporter, which had barely 500 miles on it. Alot better than the tatty vivaro I had used previously. I drove that transporter all over the country through Devon and Cornwall to central London. To my personal favourite the highlands in Scotland. There was always 3 of use wedged in the front. Had the most memorable moments at work in that minty fresh van. To cut a long story short, I was off ill for a week. Another lad on my team had been using the van and had smashed the side in against a bollard badly. At this point the van was barely a year old, I quit the job a few days later in anger. I even used to take pictures of it

I'm with you Richard, I used to be a carpet installer and always had one of those Dodge extended vans. Many great adventures were had and absolutely loved it!

I love my van, best vehicle I have ever owned and its the future. Vans are better than cars nowadays.

Only think missing is a sign that says “FREE CANDY INSIDE”.

I'm from America and my family used to take trips from Ohio to Florida in a 1988 full size maroon Chevy van. Now whenever me and my family take a road trip in the family minivan I love the leisure and nostalgia of getting on the road to see something new along the way and at the end of the journey.

Back in 1970 I was a student and I managed to get a temporary job as a van driver. The vehicle I was given was a Commer 15cwt forward control-the one with the front wheels close together. In 6 months and 7,000 miles I managed to wear out those front tyres driving the back roads all over South Yorkshire delivering drawing office requisites to little and big companies alike. I'd only passed my test a few months earlier but the days I spent in that van enabled me to hone my skills and was a great basis for the 1.5 million accident-free miles I've now driven. I really enjoyed that van.

Hammond`s story about his experiences with a van also reminded me of my experiences when I was an apprentice at a coach workshop... I started being sent all over the place to get parts and such, pretty much as soon as I got my licence, I started off with a vw caddy, but I very quickly started being sent all over the place with one of the mobile repair vw transporters, for a bunch of different missions, from going to repair client`s coaches or get parts around the parisian area (where our workshop was located), to going on multi-day missions where over the course of 2-4 days we would go out and visit one or several customers that would be located several hours away from our workshop (and often times from each other... There was this one time where we went to visit a client about 500km from us, to than visit a 2nd client also about 500km from the 1st client, to than do the about 500km trip back home, so 1500km in 3 days), and on a couple of occasions I was even handed the keys to the big boy VW crafter, with the tall and long body, and duallies in the rear... On one occasion I was even sent near Callais to drop off a couple of voach gearboxes to a client, and recover 3 more gearboxes for repair, which also meant a day on the road... These are fond memories for me because thanks to these experiences I realisec that you don`t need a sports car to have fun, and that even the most seemingly mundaine and uninteresting vehicle can be a blast to drive... And boy were those vw vans fun to drive around and do long journeys in

I wish the Smallest Knob....I mean Smallest Cog could restore a vehicle for me.

I have a connection to my lockdown purchased van that we converted to a campervan.. i live in the lake district and always have fond memorys of my dad being self employed and having vans . Always beat up or not very cool ( citreon c15 , BEDFORD RASCAL ! Aha but we always knew when climbing in the back with my sisters on a friday after school that we were going camping ! Its was always a rush to see who could grab the comfyest toolbox to sit on!! Which is the reason now at 31 years old with my old kids i watch their faces as they climb into ours ! Always filled by excitement and joy... vans are for life , not just for christmas 🤙

We should have heard this story 10yrs ago. Thank you for sharing!!

To be fair vans are quite fun and Hammond is fun man 😂just hope he doesn't flip it

Tbh, I think the “luxury van” opinion is age related as I feel exactly how Hammond described old vans with any van I get into nowadays. In comparison to an equal year normal car, they are rattly, wobbly and uncomfortable 😂

Him talking about his memories really hit a heart string. Seeing someone that has deep emotional roots with a van really hits home. Considering I’ve driven box trucks so much and having incredible memories in it, it really touched me. Love seeing Hammond in his element, love this channel, thank you for this.

Currently on my 4th van and I have a cot in the back of my van. Was car camping in it this last weekend. Laying in the cot, looking out the back window at the stars the same as I have done since I started car camping in the mid 1980's. Time machine indeed.

Don't crash it.

You leased a VAN with a 8K limit on it. You've been mugged off.

What a treat. This is what current automotive journalism is missing. Heart.

I used to help my best mate with his PA system that he ran as his hobby/side-job. As soon as I got my driving license he added me to the insurance of his 20 year old, knackered blue Ford Transit so he could have some nights off. It had no power steering, conversations were "difficult" (the exhaust fell off one night and it actually got quieter) and you just had to kind of trust it to stay in its lane on the motorway. Driving that thing was some most fun I have had in a vehicle - including being a passenger in an F1. 18 years later, I distinctly remember driving down the A3 singing "Runaway Train" by the Gutter Brothers at the top of our lungs and having the time of our lives. Like Hammond, I still get that same time capsule effect each time I hire a van.

Also love being in and around vans, went to karting with my dad my whole childhood and now only use one for picking up parts for my project car. Happy days every time I get in one! Hammond was completely right about the connection

My work van is a transit, and I absolutely adore driving it, and I think that's a part of its charm. It's the joy I have between the times I have to stop and work.......

Richard is one of the most likeable genuine personalities on the internet. No snide comments, no self promotion, jus this delightful sweet nature every time.

I am a 20 year old from from North Yorkshire. I drive a 2002 Citroen C15 as my daily driver (we're the same age). I love everything about it. I resonated with your story because I know in another 20 years time, I will tell my children stories about my friends and I, what we got upto and the things we did, all possible because of my awesome little van.

As a tradesman, who came off the tools and went into management. I absolutely miss driving vans! Love 'em!!

I’m with you all the way Richard

I was in a band until a few years ago and I used to be "the driver". We've used a variety of vehicles, but our van I liked the most. I have great memories of driving through night Prague, not knowing where I'm going, with trumpet and trombone playing behind my back :D

This was the most wholesome thing I've seen in awhile. Hammond. Never change-

What a lovely insight, my first car was a van, a 1972 VW bay window. I loved that van, was a rust bucket even at 18 years old!

Couldn’t agree more recently bought a van! Always loved driving them and they are so useful 👍

How candid and lovely is this, what a great video

No leisure van driver, but a professional one. Yet, being a railroad tech, I practically live it it at times. I'm usually amazed at the many ( hidden ) storage spaces, cup holders and 12v power outlets. Our Ducato has a storage compartment in the dashboard, passenger-side, that... and get this... is AC cooled! It can fit a 750ml bottle! Places to hang you coat, clip in a ballpoint and so much more. Same with those French people-carriers though! SO much stuff built in and a joy to travel/roadtrip with.

i was only 25 in 1966 when i bought (with money earned after 2 years teachin Kenya) my first brandnew camper van (a vw splitscreen devon conversion). I drove it to greece and Italy, shipped it to Mombasa and drove it all over east africa..a true magic carpet. (Those were the days when a teacher overseas was relatively well paid). Since then I have had 4 more vw campervans and currently have a 1990 T25 hightop which we just drove this June, 2000 miles from devon to stornaway and back via the Lake Districy, Falkirk Wheel andRosslyn Chapel....HAPPY DAYS...ENJOY YOUR VAN. JOHN SPIVEY.

I`ve a rattly 10 year old Transit, I`ve spent a small fortune keeping it on the road, All the usual faults, Starter motor, Alternator, EFG or something, New Discs and pads and 2 sills..etc etc... But I love it...

The gaffs of Hammond always loving camping now comes to life.....love the stories!

Hammond certainly was smiling a lot during this video. He's a great presenter for sure but the stories he was sharing were genuinely from the heart - had me smiling as well.

I just got my first vehicle and it's a Van! VW Transporter T5. It might be 7+yrs old but what Richard Hammond said really speaks to me. Every trip on the van is filled with purpose.

Hammond's sympathy for vans is quite wholesome and refreshing. It's nice to see a bit if appreciation for these machines that are usually just driven endlessly until they fall apart. I enjoy each time I get the chance to drive one myself aswell. They're just... fun. Nothing special, as he said, but still fun.

Awesome video Richard. Thank you.

That was incredible! My only van driving experience comes from a vacation road trip, from my home in the southern California desert to Yosemite National Park and on up to Big Trees State Park with my grandparents, parents and siblings. An incredibly comfortable LWB Transit. Big glass all around to take in the scenery.

From one leisure-van-driver to another, wonderfully explained Richard! Life with a van is full of options which are not available when driving a car, like your beach camping trip.

i bought a 98 transit semi hi roof 2.5 none turbo to do a job, did the job and loved the van so much i still own it after 5 years, its slow to the point its almost dangerous but its such a chilled drive it puts a smile on my face every time i drive it.

wow, very clever, this is why as a presenter I think Hammond is among the best 3 best entertainers ever, this trio will not be repeated again, the capacity to transmit a message is just ... well better.

Richard Hammond you killed it! I don't know if this was scripted or not, but the whole vibe that was set up was amazing. The camping story and the love just transported me back with you too! Loved this one!

This was such a sweet and sincere sentimental piece of Hammond. You make me long for memories that aren't even mine. Enjoy your Van

I recently purchased a 2017 Ram Promaster City Tradesman (Fiat Doblo) as both a leisure vehicle and a work one. I love every minute I get to drive it for any reason. I had been coveting cargo vans for years so I could finally stop using my Sentra for work. Now I have the perfect work vehicle and the perfect “swiss army knife” vehicle to get me and my stuff where it needs to be, and back home. One of these days I’ll use it to holiday the way Hammond has.

That was a lovely video Richard. More like this please from the three of you. That was great.

That was rather lovely, Mr Hammond 😍

For my work (in IT, around 1997) I drove a Volkswagen Caddy, 2nd generation. And indeed, when holiday time came I was allowed to take it abroad. I went from the Nethelands to Denmark, no budget, just me and the van which I also used as a camper. In Denmark nobody really cared much if you slept in your vehicle, just about anywhere you could park it. One day I parked it about ten meters from the water near the Eastsea on some slab of concrete still left from the war. The next morning I woke up with the sun shining into the van, I opened the backdoors and had breakfast right there. Great place, great memory...

One of the first new vehicles my family purchased was my dad’s work van. It was a cargo van, so just the front seats and the rest was empty space. This was the 1980s, so seatbelts we’re not a priority. My brother and I would “surf” in the empty cargo area as my dad drove it. Lots of laughs and a few bruises would result. Like Hammond, every time I get into one, it takes me back.

Hi from Oz, what a great story from a genuine nice guy, I just love Hamster & his 2 mates. Always refreshing & entertaining, these guys could make watching paint dry entertaining. Listening to Hamsters story took me down my own memory lane where I grew up in the UK. Beeeutiful, thankyou Sir.

fantastic story, thanks for sharing!