Van conversion

We’re considering going with a new van conversion. The internet is full of info but it’s absolutely overwhelming so I figured I’d see what you guys have to say. Because god knows, MP is full of opinions!

Looking for feedback on van conversion companies. Which to use and which to avoid. Your experiences good and bad are helpful! 

We currently have a DIY schoolie conversion so we’ve learned a LOT about what we like and what we don’t. One thing I’ve learned- I’m too old and busy to do it alone again. We’re not looking for a $200k sprinter but paying for a solid build is worth it to us at this point of life. 

Side note- I’m open to used but I’m not sure I’m feeling taking on someone else’s headache. I buy all my cars used so feel free to convince me this is the way to go.

ETA- I don’t need a build for instagram photos. I just want to be warm and dry with good storage options. 

Have you considered going class B? Generally cheaper and waaaaaay more features for the money. I made people with $60k+ rigs jealous with my $9k Roadtrek lol 

The downside is not controlling the floor plan, but having a furnace when it's cold out and a 30 gallon fresh water tank and built in shower, etc. is pretty bad ass

Ricky do you mean class B CDL or something else?

Seth Morgan wrote:

Ricky do you mean class B CDL or something else?

Class B RV. $20-40k will get you an amazing rig that needs nothing and is easy to work on anywhere in the country. I personally really like late 90s to mid 2000s Roadtreks in that price range. Those are smaller than full size modern sprinters, but those are available also but for $60k+ used. 

I used Serg Supply for our Sprinter.  They are definitely a high value (ie. price vs quality) bolt-in kit and do have kits for all the typical van models.  The bolt-in installation took me about 2 full days, plus a few hours over the next couple weekends for small things.  They will also install it if you get your van out to California.  

Tec Van also looks like they do really high value bolt-in kits for Sprinters, with the option for installs in Vancouver, BC.  I have some of their components, really nice stuff imo.

Value wise, one of the things I felt like I got a really good bang for the buck was using a stand alone power system (Bluetti was my choice), rather than a full battery build. If one doesn’t care about overnight AC, it’s fully functional. 

Class B‘s are a pain in the ass to drive and park. Buy a sprinter cargo van and find a trusted local dirtbag/fabricator/handyman type person to build it out exactly how you want it. Especially since it sounds like you’re not looking for anything fancy. You’ll pay less than half the price of a van building company. 

Not Not MP Admin wrote:

Class B‘s are a pain in the ass to drive and park. Buy a sprinter cargo van and find a trusted local dirtbag/fabricator/handyman type person to build it out exactly how you want it. Especially since it sounds like you’re not looking for anything fancy. You’ll pay less than half the price of a van building company. 

Class B RVs are literally built on the same chassis types as cargo vans. It's literally just a cargo van converted for you professionally at a factory. They include many many extremely nice features I have never seen in a self converted van despite being able to get them cheaper. 

They have downsides of course, but buying the same van built nicer for cheaper doesn't affect how it drives. 

Ricky Harline wrote:

Class B RVs are literally built on the same chassis types as cargo vans. It's literally just a cargo van converted for you professionally at a factory. They include many many extremely nice features I have never seen in a self converted van despite being able to get them cheaper. 

They have downsides of course, but buying the same van built nicer for cheaper doesn't affect how it drives. 

And a VW Touareg and Lamborghini Urus are literally built on the same chassis.…class B’s add a shit ton of weight by having all those features. More weight affects how it drives.

Aside from a pop out  and/or a shower/toilet, what are some of the features the class b vans offer that a van builder would not offer or provide? Genuinely curious. In my experience all those nice “factory” options turn into nuisances and maintenance after the first year or two. 

Ricky Harline wrote:

Class B RV. $20-40k will get you an amazing rig that needs nothing and is easy to work on anywhere in the country. I personally really like late 90s to mid 2000s Roadtreks in that price range. Those are smaller than full size modern sprinters, but those are available also but for $60k+ used. 

I hadn't considered these, mostly because I haven't seen one that will easily hold mountain bikes in a "garage".  My strong preference is to have them inside the van rather than on a rack outside.

My beef with Class bs is that they seem to all be built around watching TV and not adventure travel that requires massive storeage capability. I dont need couches and TV rooms. I built mine from a $9k  ncargo van and put less than $5k into the build and it rocks for adventure travel but I also put a shit tonn of hours into it. 

Nick Goldsmith wrote:

My beef with Class bs is that they seem to all be built around watching TV and not adventure travel that requires massive storeage capability. I dont need couches and TV rooms. I built mine from a $9k  ncargo van and put less than $5k into the build and it rocks for adventure travel but I also put a shit tonn of hours into it. 

Sounds about the same for what we did with the bus. This time around I’m definitely low on available hours. If we’re being honest, I’m also low on the mental energy required to plan and execute a build. These days, my spare hours go into playing. 

Not Not MP Admin wrote:

Class B‘s are a pain in the ass to drive and park.

I have owned a class B for 2.5 years now.  I bought it new. It’s a Winnebago Travato, which is a Ram Promaster chassis.    In my experience it drives more or less like a car, super easy.  I have no problem parking it.  It’s not very wide, fits in a typical parking space, of course it’s longer than a car at 21 feet. It has a quite good turning radius.   It’s quite stable up to 70-75 mph on the interstates in non-windy conditions.  

I’m not arguing it’s a better choice than what you are suggesting. That all depends on what features people are looking for and how they are going to use it.

I drove a class C with a tow car for 17 yrs before the class B. That is light years different in skill and endurance to drive.  Parking is logistically complex. But a class B is piss easy.

Climb On wrote:

I hadn't considered these, mostly because I haven't seen one that will easily hold mountain bikes in a "garage".  My strong preference is to have them inside the van rather than on a rack outside.

You'll need to spend >$200k for a Storyteller or have a custom build.  We elevated our bed so our bikes just fit in the garage on a slide out tray in a custom build on a Promaster 2500 chassis. I can send some photos your way if you like.

Tim Schafstall wrote:

You'll need to spend >$200k for a Storyteller or have a custom build.  We elevated our bed so our bikes just fit in the garage on a slide out tray in a custom build on a Promaster 2500 chassis. I can send some photos your way if you like.

That would be great thank you!

phylp phylp wrote:

I have owned a class B for 2.5 years now.  I bought it new. It’s a Winnebago Travato, which is a Ram Promaster chassis.    In my experience it drives more or less like a car, super easy.  I have no problem parking it.  It’s not very wide, fits in a typical parking space, of course it’s longer than a car at 21 feet. It has a quite good turning radius.   It’s quite stable up to 70-75 mph on the interstates in non-windy conditions.  

I’m not arguing it’s a better choice than what you are suggesting. That all depends on what features people are looking for and how they are going to use it.

I drove a class C with a tow car for 17 yrs before the class B. That is light years different in skill and endurance to drive.  Parking is logistically complex. But a class B is piss easy.

Fair enough! 

Hoping to bump this back to the top. I had a couple of really solid messages but hoping for a couple more. 

Can't really help because you don't want a DIY conversion which is what I did 8 years ago on a new Promaster 2500. 

Good luck with the project,

Tad. 

I have a 2010 odyssey-it’s a piece of shit but does sweet burnouts.  Bed-I put the driver seat down and go to sleep. Shower, I dump water on my head. Pee & Shit-I do that in the woods or in a bathroom.. Bikes/climbing gear in the back with third row down.  Kayaks on top.  Conversion cost = $0. In my old age I’d rather just stay at the Ritz Carlton and get a good night sleep. I’ve been told camping is what poor people do