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Camper vans are everywhere these days as people jump on the van life trend. If you’re lusting over van life but don’t want to build out your own DIY camper van….you’re in luck. Two custom van build companies are now offering Ram Promaster vans that are more affordable than some other custom builds, which can easily get up over $100,000.

These companies do all the heavy lifting. They figure out the woodwork, solar power, the electrical system and the kitchen for your Dodge van so you can buy and start adventuring immediately.

Both are using the new Dodge Ram Promaster, which starts around $27,000.

Then, the builds range from $25,000-$50,000 depending on how many bells and whistles you want for your Dodge camper van conversion.

Check out these van conversion ideas for your new camper van build. 

Glampervan builds you a custom Ram Promaster with a rooftop deck

Glampervan is based out of San Francisco, California, and is the brainchild of Robert Novotny. He used to rent out Dodge Promaster camper vans and then decided to start selling the Dodge Promaster 136 High Roof vans as a custom build van. This is the medium size model in the lineup of Promasters.

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“One thing I learned from my rental business is that people appreciate small camper vans,” Novotny said. “They care about driveability and stealthiness, not a big RV footprint. I decided on the Dodge Promaster van because you can still stand up inside, it has a great turning radius, and you can sleep sideways in it.”

instagram.com/glampervan

Two cool features of Novotny’s Dodge campervan builds is that they come with a queen-sized memory foam Murphy bed, plus a rooftop “deck” for hanging out.

The Dodge Promaster vans also come with a full campervan kitchen, including a 12-volt fridge, stainless steel sink, cabinets and drawers. There’s no installed camping stove, though, so you’ll have to provide your own.

Also, the camper van comes with plenty of storage space, including your very own “garage” under the bed, where you can store gear you don’t use on a regular basis.

“We’re not trying to be everything, just to include what you need,” said Novotny. “So many RVs and the bigger, luxury vans are trying to do it all, we’re trying to compete with your car camping days, your tent camping days.”

So how about paying for this Dodge camper van conversion?

“What you can do is finance the Promaster van with the dealership, put the conversion amount on a credit card, then refinance the entire amount and reclassify the van as an RV. That way, you can get a long-term, low-interest loan so it becomes really affordable,” said Novotny.

Off-Grid Adventure Vans builds an eco-friendly Dodge van

C: Richard Greenhouse Photography

Off Grid Adventure Vans is located near Washington, DC, and is committed to creating a budget-friendly Dodge Promaster camper van that’s also good to the environment.

On its website, OGAVans says: “All of the wood in our vans is harvested from stable local forests and processed from a Mennonite mill just an hour away from our manufacturing facility. Our vans come standard with 200w of solar power on the roof so you can live comfortably with minimal use of fossil fuels.”

These Dodge camper vans are constructed by a team of experienced outdoor enthusiasts who are carpenters, electricians and designers.

“We strive to maintain the highest environmental standard possible and as such go out of our way to use products that do not give off volatile organic compounds,” said owner Aaron Fensterheim.

C: Richard Greenhouse Photography

There are two models to pick from if you want a Dodge camper van conversion from OGAVans.

• Dodge Ram Promaster 2500 159” Wheelbase (includes wet bathroom)- Starting at: $60,000  assuming an approximate $30,000 for the vehicle in addition to the $30,000 for the conversion)
• Dodge Ram Promaster 1500 136” Wheelbase (does not have wet bathroom)- Starting at: $52,000 assuming an approximate $26,000 for the vehicle in addition to the $26,000 for the conversion cost.

You can also bring in your own used Promaster van and OGVans will convert that for you.

“There are two primary reasons we went with the Ram Promaster as our primary vehicle,” said Fensterheim. “The Promaster is the only front-wheel-drive van on the market; and the Dodge Promaster is a quality van that is considerably less in both the initial purchase price and overall cost of ownership than the Sprinter camper van, the other van we have investigated.”

It is possible to finance the entire Dodge van conversion from the van dealership OGVans works with, called DARCARS.

To check these two companies out, head to their websites, where they have much more detailed information about what’s included in each build and what add-ons are available for your campervan adventure.

• Off Grid Adventure Vans
• Glampervans

Don’t want a full Promaster build? Check out Wayfarer vans

Photo: Wayfarer vans

Wayfarer vans sells a Dodge Promaster campervan kit that’s less expensive than a full campervan build-out. The Walter campervan conversion kit is meant for the 136″ wheelbase Dodge Ram Promaster. 

Here’s what you’ll get with the Wayfarer vans Promaster camper kit, which costs $8,795

• Flooring
• Integrated cargo management tracks
• wall and ceiling paneling with wool insulation
• perimeter shelving
• a kitchen galley with 5-gallon fresh and grey water tanks
• sink and hand pump
• bed platform
• privacy paneling

Read more about Wayfarer vans here. The company also offers a campervan conversion kit for a Dodge Promaster City, if you’re looking for a small camper van. 

Get started with your DIY Promaster van build right now

This awesome book will help you DIY your van. Check it out here.

If you’re ready to start building your own DIY Promaster camper van conversion right now, there’s an amazing book that will help you convert your van. And despite the title, this book doesn’t only apply to Sprinter vans. I asked the author this question myself as I bought the book to help me with my Chevy Astro van.

The Sprinter RV Conversion Sourcebook is 378-pages of pure conversion gold, written by Greg Keith, who is currently on his THIRD Sprinter van conversion. I’d say this guy knows what he’s talking about when it comes to camper vans.

Here’s some of what you’ll get from the book: 

• An RV plumbing chapter on pipes, fittings, tanks, pumps, water heaters, toilets, you name it
• How to get internet access in your van
• The five criteria to think about when insulating your camper van
• Advice on choosing solar panels
• How to install blackwater, greywater and freshwater tanks 
• Fifty pages of information on designing an electrical system and wiring your campervan conversion
• And soooo much more!

Check out the Sprinter RV Conversion Sourcebook and start working on your van right now.

Remember, so much of this info can also be used on a small camper van, or any type of van, really. 

Good luck with your build, whether you do it yourself or get a custom van build.

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Kristin Hanes

Kristin Hanes is a journalist and writer who lives on a sailboat and in a Chevy Astro van in San Francisco. She worked in radio news for 15 years before a massive layoff in 2016. Kristin has written articles about alternative living published in Good Housekeeping, Business Insider, Marie Claire, SF Gate and The Bold Italic, among others.