The Claude Jean Damme Van is located in the quirky and uniquely “Asheville” Baying Hound Campground. Experience #VanLife without the car payments or headache of converting your parents' minivan. Bring your own sleeping bags and pillows. This van is "off grid" so there's no power in the vehicle, but indoor bathrooms and outlets are just steps away. Newly pet-friendly, so if you've got allergies, check out our other spots. *Read the full description below.* The space The Damme Van Our converted van is a couple steps up from setting up your own tent and roughing it, but certainly still a "camping" experience. Is it glamping? Nope. Is it a sweet camping set up? You bet. Is it one of the closest-to-downtown, most wallet-friendly options in Asheville that captures that "Asheville" flavor? Heck yeah. Note that we're not calling this "glamping". :) Please read the FULL description. PET POLICY We've recently updated the Damme Van to be a PET FRIENDLY spot! Please respect the following strict rules: - LEASHES are required at all times. For reals. Everywhere. - Excessive barking is a no no - we'll give you 2 warnings before we ask you to leave, but pls don't make us do that - Never leave your animal unattended in the vehicle. Ever. THE CAMPGROUND The Baying Hound Campground is where rural Appalachia meets “keep Asheville weird.” You’ll see sleeping pods decorated by professional artists, upcycled building projects, and permaculture experiments in the making. Think “if a European backpacker hostel and an Appalachian campground had a baby.” Not quite glamping and definitely not KOA, we're happy to offer you a more social alternative to cookie-cutter lodging. SHARED CAMPGROUND AMENITIES: - Indoor bathroom and sinks with hot and cold running water - Outdoor shower with hot water (seasonal = April-October) - Indoor hangout area with couch, books and outlets - Charging station for your phones and tablets behind our graffiti’d garage - A re-imagined, yet decidedly old-school pit latrine - Outdoor sink with cold running water (seasonal = April-October) - Community fire pit with wood for sale for $5 a packet - Community charcoal grill (be sure to bring your own charcoal) + picnic table - Omoplata Overlook hangout area with deck furniture, table, hammock and solar lights - Multiple picnic tables where you can hang out & eat - Wi-Fi - Nearby Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym! Ask us more if you’re interested. - Curiosity Trail… :) Things we DO NOT provide: indoor showers, linens, pillows, sleeping bags, microwave, fridge, kitchen, bug spray, control over the weather, control over our neighbors (or their animals), beautiful mountain-top views, secluded remote sites, electricity for any of our sites Things we DO provide: a funky unique atmosphere, proximity to downtown, opportunity to meet other interesting campers, lodging in Asheville that won't break the bank, complimentary farm noises, did we mention we’re less than 10 minutes from downtown? *The great outdoors will have more dirt than a hotel and less aspects that can be closely controlled - please keep that in mind when rating your stay. THE NEIGHBORHOOD The campground is located in the "Emma" area of Asheville. Also known as "Wild Wild West Asheville" (to distinguish it from regular West Asheville), this is the last bastion of non-gentrified Asheville. Emma is completely un-zoned, so you get an interesting mixture of mostly residential properties that scatter the area. Just like most areas in Appalachia, our neighbors are fiercely independent, yet simultaneously open-minded. Full disclosure: While you'll be surrounded by nature, the sounds of a rural neighborhood are certainly present. Neighboring farms have horses, donkeys, chickens, dogs, pigs, goats and more! As a result, farmyard noises (and sometimes smells) are present and the occasional farmyard animal may wander into the campground. Please keep in mind that we've tried to set our campground at a fair price for what we can offer our guests. GETTING AROUND There is a bus stop about 30 minutes walk away from the campground, though the roads are not terribly safe for walking (no shoulder, windy, and drivers who are training for Nascar). If you get an Uber/Lyft into town from our spot, it typically costs about $12 at peak hours. WINTER DISCLAIMER Between NOVEMBER and MARCH, we can not guarantee access to our outdoor solar shower or outdoor sink due to occasional sub-freezing temperatures. While we still allow winter reservations, please be aware that conditions are on the more primitive side of "primitive camping" and we highly recommend you come prepared for winter camping. FAQs Q: Can I sleep in my vehicle? A: You’re welcome to book any spot and sleep in your vehicle! The parking area is up on a little hill and the campground is down in a valley, so you will not be able to pull up to your site. The parking area is right off a private road that we share with two elderly neighbors and other campers. Q: Are there power outlets at my site? A: No. There is no power in the campground valley. We do have a Recharge Station by our bathrooms on the side of the graffiti’d garage. Q: We want a romantic, private get away - which site has the most privacy? A: The Baying Hound Campground is a great place to hang out and meet fellow campers due to the multiple communal hang out spots and the proximity of the sites to each other. While there is certainly privacy in your sleeping area and folks can’t watch you snoozing, you can see at least one other site from anywhere in the campground. Q: I want to book Friday and Saturday, but it only lets me book one night. A: Our site availability calendars are kept up to date, so if you can only book one night, it usually means the other night has already been booked. Q: Is there a place I can plug in my heater during the winter? Or do you offer heating in any of the sleeping pods? A: Nope and nope. If you make a reservation during the winter months, please remember to bring all your warm camping gear. If you’ve ever slept in your car in the winter, that’s pretty much what it’s going to feel like. :) Is your favorite spot booked? Want to try out one of our Turtle Shell-ters or other structures? Check out all the Baying Hound Campground sites by visiting our profile (click on our profile pic till you get to the page with all of our listings). Other things to note Yay for discounts! We're offering a Summer of 2025 discount for the Damme Van for those of you planning ahead of time. We'll only accept bookings at least a week out from your vacation. *NO LOCALS, PLS* We love our local community, but our accommodations are intended for out-of-town visitors. If your phone number starts with 828 or your home is within 20 miles of Asheville, we unfortunately can't accept your booking.