New Atlas takes a look at an all-new Class B motorhome made in North America rather in Europe, where many of the electric innovations have been introduced.
One such camper van hitting American roads, the Ram Promaster-based Tofino from Canada’s Pleasure-Way, is a compact powerhouse with a lithium battery bank and a focus on electric appliances. Drop in the available solar package and you can start up an extended off-grid adventure.
A sort of revival of Pleasure-Way’s old Ford-based Traverse, albeit on a different van platform and packed with the latest technologies, the Tofino debuts as a new entry-level option for the Saskatoon-based conversion company. The new camper starts life as a 213-in (541-cm) Ram Promaster 1500 van with 280-hp 3.6-liter V6 engine and 136-in (345-cm) wheelbase. Pleasure-Way toughens up the exterior look with a set of tubular running boards.
The Promaster base van is the American-market version of the Fiat Ducato, Europe’s most popular camper base van and the heart of several recent debuts, like the Hymercar Free and Adria Twin Supreme.
What gives the Tofino bragging rights over many other camper vans its size is its beefier electrical package, beginning with dual 100-Ah lithium coach batteries. The batteries power the induction cooktop, Dometic AC/DC refrigerator, LED lighting and more, with help from a 2,000-watt pure sine wave inverter. An available 100- to 200-watt solar system keeps the batteries topped off while traveling between corners of the map, and the electrical system can be monitored and controlled via a touchscreen panel with remote control.