In the video below, Robin Barrett, of Creativity RV (one of our FAVORITE RV vloggers), introduces us to the most affordable Class B camper van option. If you thought prohibitively expensive Class B’s or going the DIY route were the only options, the innovative modular Wayfarer Van lands somewhere in the middle.
Robin first discovered Wayfarer Vans during a meetup she posted for her Patreon subscribers. One of the subscribers pulled up in a 136-inch wheelbase, snub-nosed Ram ProMaster Van. When she saw the interior, Robin was blown away!
She thought it was one of the most beautiful and functional van builds she had ever seen. But what truly stunned her were the details of how her friend got this van and how much it cost.
Wayfarer Vans, of Colorado Springs, CO, did the buildout. This company has a mission:
“To build simple, quality camper vans that introduce and inspire connections to the outdoors and community.”
But Robin’s friend never went to Colorado for her van build. You could choose to go to the factory, but instead she worked online to build her floor plan. The company then helped her source the van, and then the interior camper van components were delivered to her!
Another advantage over traditional Class B vans is timing: You can have your new van conversion built and delivered in about four weeks. They provide a turnkey camper van solution that’s an alternative to expensive Class B camper vans or clunky homebuilt versions.
Her curiosity was more than piqued, so Robin arranged to tour the Wayfarer factory and interview the owner and his team.
How Wayfarer Camper Vans works
- You bring the van, whether new or used. Wayfarer offers modular camper van options for 136-inch or 159-inch wheelbase Ram ProMasters or 148-inch wheelbase Ford Transit vans. If you don’t already have a van or are having difficulty finding what you need, Wayfarer partners with a bunch of different dealers to help you source the van, should you need.
- Next, choose one of the premade floor plans. Your van may or may not end up that way in the end, as you do have the option to further customize.
- Once you choose a floor plan, the project goes to a journey architect who will complete the plan as to your needs and specifications.
Advantages of Wayfarer Vans
- While you can provide your own van, if you choose to work with one of Wayfarer’s dealer partners, you can roll the cost of the van build into your vehicle financing.
- The build is turnkey, meaning the walls, ceiling, and floor are built out and well insulated. It includes some furniture, a bed, a kitchen sink, and small fresh and gray water tanks.
- You can choose to add options to your build such as a furnace.
- All the furniture and components of the build are attached to a track system on the floor, which means they are movable. One person can completely reconfigure the entire floor plan in just a couple of minutes using nothing more than a socket wrench. This feature opens up endless possibilities because you can take out the camper and use it as a van, or take out part of the camper to move a large item, etc. You can even sell the van and keep the camper, or vice-versa.
What’s not to like?
There’s no bathroom. There is space for a cassette or composting toilet, but the only shower option would be an outdoor solar shower.
The kitchen is basic, at best, i.e., there’s no fridge or cooking appliances, just a sink. But you can certainly create a functional mobile kitchen pretty inexpensively (here’s one for inspiration).
On the plus side, because there is no plumbing, this rig needs no winterizing.
Be sure to watch the video to see how these innovative camper vans are produced. (Spoiler alert, pre-assembling all the modular components helps keep the cost low.) And be sure to leave your thoughts about this affordable Class B camper van option in the comments. It would not work for me, personally, but I think it will be mighty appealing to a lot of folks.
Learn more about having a custom modular Wayfarer Van built here.
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Thank you, Cheri! It would work for us as a travel vehicle for longish drives, but is too basic for us to use as an RV. DW will not discuss composting toilets and solar showers are something we might have done 40 years ago when we were in our youth. Still, it is great that this company is offering something well-made and inexpensive, depending on ones perspective. You really have a knack for finding interesting stuff that is somewhat off the beaten path but usually in sight of it. Thank you! 🙂
What a nice compliment Neal, thank you!
I think my neighbor down the street did something like this. We’re in the Reno area and he took his Mercedez over to Sacramento to get his ‘build’. It looks nice but it’s just too small for us. And since we’ve been spoiled by our 30′ TT for years and years, something this small and compact just wouldn’t do. BUT, if I were single (like 40 or so years ago), I think I could make something like this work.
Yeah, the cost of the brand-name campervans is over the top crazy! You could buy a diesel pusher for what they charge for some of them. Although this represents two different styles of RV’ing.