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Honest review of Wayfarer Vans - an affordable van conversion

Tony Barthel

Today’s RV review is a new look at a company called Wayfarer Vans. The Colorado-based company essentially offers very simple, but mostly complete conversions of vans. We got a chance to speak with Austin Boehnlin about the company and the process in this week’s StressLess Camping RV podcast here.

One of the key things about the company is that you can bring your own van or buy one from their inventory which means you might be able to find a good used van and really save some money. But with their conversions starting around $21,500 (excluding the van) you’re already dollars ahead.

Who is Wayfarer Vans

Like so many good ideas, Wayfarer Vans started on a camping trip. Essentially the founders of the company were coming home from a trip in their Honda Element and realized that that was just too small a vehicle for two people to camp in. So they stepped up the size and created a business to convert Ram ProMaster City vehicles to camper vans, which expanded to now include the Ram ProMaster van and Ford Transit.

The way the company works is to start with very specific vehicle platforms. The nice thing about this is, you can bring your own van or they have a relationship with a dealerships local to them. One of the advantages of this situation is that, if you find a good used van, you can utilize that and potentially save a bunch of money.

The conversion process is really, really quick. Essentially you find your van and set an appointment to have it converted. Typically the conversions themselves only takes a few hours and you’re ready to roll.

By having everything relatively standardized and ready to roll, the cost of the conversions is relatively low. For example the “Wilma” package, which utilizes the Ford Transit van, starts at just $21,500 installed. Compare that to some of the vans we’ve been looking at lately where the finished price is close to, and sometimes well over, $200,000 and you see a real bargain for the right customer.

One of the interior configurations of a Wayfarer Van which can be reconfigured by the user

What’s inside

It should be noted that these vans are not the fully featured models that might come from companies like Winnebago and the like. But they do offer pretty much a good foundation on which to fully outfit a van.

The basic package includes bed frame, cabinetry, storage platform with bungees and a flooring system with rack rails that will let you tie-down your gear. From the company’s website, which is really good, “The complete Walter conversion comes with: flooring, with integrated cargo management tracks, wall and ceiling paneling with 100% natural wool insulation, perimeter shelving, a kitchen galley with five gallon fresh and grey water tanks, sink and hand pump, bed platform that measures 54″ wide x 6’1″ long with cushions, boot box and privacy paneling for the sliding and rear door window areas.” Bam.

You can also upgrade with more features if you choose including a slick spice box, hideaway table, 12 volt cooler, propane heater, lighting and side windows.

Wayfarer Vans water system couldn't be simpler - two five gallon water jugs for fresh and gray water storage

The water system is dead simple - it’s essentially two five  gallon containers under the sink. There’s a manual pump on the faucet (reminds me of vintage VW campers) and the water gets pumped from one container and drains into the other. That’s it. If you wanted something fancier perhaps you could get one of these Dometic Go Hydration jugs that we have and like.

Interestingly the company provides a choice of three fabric colors for the padded surfaces but you can also ship them six yards of fabric and they’re make the interior with that.

While the company offers a few options, a blank slate like this can really be inspirational and it’s no stretch to imagine heading over to your local camping store and adding things like induction cook tops, battery systems, solar, a portable toilet, a shower and more. Yes, this is almost more of a camper in the state you get it from Wayfarer but it’s also a blank canvas.

The upside of starting from this point is that the price is relatively affordable and the materials are certainly good. For example, the bed frame rails are quarter inch thick “L” brackets on the side with square steel bars spanning the space. These are also slotted bars so you could also hang things from here and the elevated bed leaves plenty of cargo space below the bed.

The shelves on the side are also really unique in that they’re a flat horizontal surface but then there are bungees that contain your stuff.

One of the interior configurations of a Wayfarer Vans with a 12 volt refrigerator.

Change along the way

One of the other highlights of these van conversions is how flexible they are. Much of the permanent installation involves what are called click track. These are metal rails that allow you to install things like cabinets, seats, beds and all manner of other components.

Since these components are installed into the click track, you can move them if the placement doesn’t suit you. Honestly, who hasn’t bought any RV and immediately starting wondering if something might serve your camping style by being in a different place? With these vans it can be.

Or, you could remove all the camping bits during the week and just use the van for work. The ability to reconfigure things on the fly is remarkable. Further, if you didn’t add a feature in your initial build you can add that later if you feel you’re missing out.

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Storage is a strong suit in Wayfarer Vans upfits with easily reconfigured items that open up the space

Listening to customers

Since I’ve looked at these vans in the past the company has been listening to customers and making changes. There are also a lot of people with a lot of hacks and ideas about making their own conversion more accommodating, fancy, VANcy, or different.

As such the company has upgraded a lot of the processes and materials they use and the surfaces have a more upgraded feel. I did like that the cabinet doors were aluminum in the past but now they’re a laminate composite. Some of the things that had been optional are also now included but the modularity, a real highlight of these vehicles, has also been improved.

The soft surfaces, which had been magnetic, are now a diamond-stitched material that is attached with hook and loop fasteners (that means Velcro). This still means you can get behind it if you find the need to make a repair, but it also means you can literally launder the fabric sidewalls. Cool.

The cushions are covered with a higher-quality fabric that has the benefit of being created from post-consumer waste materials. Hey, the company is in Colorado, after all.

The floors, ceilings and walls are all insulated with wool insulation. Lighting has been upgraded, too, with LED puck lights that are touch-activated.

The booth boxes, which are what make up the dining and seating space, have a higher back so they’re more comfortable. The conversions also come with a Lagun table. I like these.

And since the seat cushions were upgraded, they also upgraded the mattress that’s included to a memory foam model. The company claims you no longer need a topper to make this comfortable.

In summary

One of the universal truths about any RV is that you get it and then immediately want to make changes. This looking at greener grass philosophy is what keeps people reading my RV reviews, I think. Maybe it’s the puns.

But one of the things that makes the Wayfarer vans different is that you can reconfigure the items easily. Simply unscrew the various components from the “L” track on the floor and move them around to your liking. Nice!

This is certainly not the van conversion for everybody but it’s one that’s one of the most affordable and promising that I’ve seen. Considering how many Class B vans I’ve seen that do try to be everything to everyone and come out just badly, I like this much more simplified approach and now with improved materials and finishes.

Furthermore you can be as stealthy as you wish in something like this. If you happen to find the right van in an auction and it still has a delivery company or plumbing company logo on the side, maybe this is the ideal vehicle for camping in the city where nobody even knows you’re in there.

Of course if you go all crazy with solar and awnings and put your Instagram and Facebook stickers on the van all bets are off but at least you have a choice. Wayfarer can also now arrange for delivery of these vans all over the US but, honestly, if you’re doing something this cool wouldn’t you want to go to Colorado and then drive home and test out your new camper? Or maybe delivery is for you. I don’t judge, I just camp.

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