Why the ProMaster 1500 118” WB?
Because nothing else comes close. The amount of cargo and living space you get—while still fitting in a regular parking spot—is unmatched. And if you’ve spent any time on this site, you’ve probably noticed: fitting in a parking space is kind of a thing for us.
“But It’s Not a 4x4...”
Yep—we hear this one a lot. And while we totally get the appeal of 4WD, it just didn’t make sense for what we’re trying to build. Sure, four-wheel drive is nice to have in certain situations, but it comes at a cost—literally and otherwise. It's more expensive, adds weight, complexity, and in our case, would mean switching to a different van platform that brings some big compromises.
For example, if we went with a Transit AWD, you'd be looking at just 246 cubic feet of cargo space compared to 393 in the 118" ProMaster. And the van itself would be 14 inches longer—220" vs. 196". That’s a huge difference, especially if you care about maneuverability and city parking. To us, it’s just not worth the tradeoff. And honestly? There are already a ton of builders out there doing 4WD vans. That’s just not our lane.
I haven’t had this van long enough to speak from deep personal snow-driving experience (yet), but from everything I’ve read, folks with the 118" ProMaster say it handles just fine in snow and most off-road situations you’re likely to find yourself in. Just make sure that when you’re reading about a ProMaster’s snow or off-road abilities, they’re talking about the 118”—it makes a huge difference compared to the big and biggest versions.
Air Conditioning—Powered by Solar?
Here’s the honest truth: we haven’t been able to fully test our AC setup yet. It’s winter, and the venting system is one of the last pieces we’re still dialing in. But I want to share why I’m confident it’s going to work—and why we made the design choices we did to give it the best shot. It’s definitely going to cool things down—the big question is just how many degrees it can drop the temp.
There are a bunch of air conditioning systems out there made specifically for campervans and RVs—and in my opinion, most of them just aren’t very good. When you’re trying to run AC off solar, efficiency matters a lot. In home systems, this is where SEER ratings come in—they measure how well a system turns electricity into cooling. But most van AC units? Not efficient. Not even close. And they’re almost always roof-mounted, which eats up valuable space for solar panels and just makes things harder.
That’s why we chose the EcoFlow Wave 2 portable AC unit. It was originally designed to run off its own battery pack—so energy efficiency is baked into its DNA. We don’t use that battery pack though—we’ve got our own fully integrated power system that’s optimized for the van. Portable units need proper venting—specifically a 6-inch intake and 5-inch exhaust with minimal airflow restriction—so we designed a custom vent system that’s water-resistant (even in a high-pressure car wash!) and visually low-key.
So why do we think this will work where others have struggled?
Because we’ve optimized everything—not just the AC unit. We’ve packed 900 watts of solar on the roof and paired it with a 200Ah 24V battery (5kWh), so we’ve got plenty of power. The van is a short wheelbase, low-roof build, which means it doesn’t take much to cool the space down. Combine that with serious insulation and a highly efficient cooling unit, and we’ve got a recipe that just might pull off what most say isn’t possible.
We’re planning to do some real-world testing over the next couple months—and maybe even go full mad scientist with charts, graphs, and data so you know exactly what to expect. It’s gonna be fun.
The EcoFlow puts out about 5,000 BTUs while drawing around 500 watts of power, and we’re confident that’s enough to keep the inside of the van noticeably cooler than the outside. Will it fully cool down a van that’s been baking in the sun all day? Probably not. But that’s where the engine AC comes in—it cranks out 20,000+ BTUs, so you can blast it for a few minutes to bring things down to a reasonable temp. Then let the EcoFlow take over and keep it comfortable.
We’ve told folks for years that true solar-powered AC in a van just wasn’t really possible—but with this setup? We think we finally cracked it. And honestly, I get a weird thrill out of proving myself wrong. Maybe I’m the only one—but hey, it’s a good time.
Does the Color of My Van Impact How Well the AC Works?
Absofrikenlutely!
What I can’t tell you (yet) is exactly how much—but we’re planning some side-by-side comparisons later this summer and will report back with the nerdy details. In the meantime, here’s what we do know: white reflects solar energy, and darker colors absorb it. Simple as that.
The 118" ProMaster weighs around 4,500 pounds, and a big chunk of that is metal—which acts like a heat sponge. It absorbs solar energy all day and then slowly releases it, depending on conditions. That can actually work in your favor in cold environments, but in hot ones? Not so much.
Say you’re parked somewhere that hits 100°F during the day and only cools down to 80°F at night. In that scenario, a dark-colored van could still be radiating heat hours after the sun goes down. Not exactly ideal for staying cool.
We insulate the interior of the Medium Van as much as possible to create a barrier between you and the metal shell—but if that shell is toasty, it’s definitely going to influence the temperature inside. So yes—color matters more than you might think, especially when you're relying on solar-powered cooling.
Where Can I Park Overnight?
Damn near anywhere!
One of the biggest perks of a van like this is how stealthy and low-key it is. There are tons of great YouTube videos out there showing you all kinds of spots where you can park overnight without hassle—and we’ll be adding more links and resources here soon.
My longer-term goal is to spend some time talking with local governments about creating safe, legal places for folks in vans like this to stay. These rigs are not the falling-apart RVs that sit in one spot for weeks or months and make everyone nervous. But unfortunately, most of the rules currently in place were written with those vehicles in mind.
So stay tuned—more to come on that. And hey, if you’ve got contacts in city government or want to help push this conversation forward, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s keep building a better path for responsible, respectful vanlifers.
How Do I Shower???
Ah yes—the eternal vanlife debate.
The reality is simple: when you’re building a camper that fits in a regular parking space, you’re not going to get a full indoor shower. It’s just not in the cards. But don’t worry—there are plenty of ways to stay clean and happy on the road.
Most folks go the gym membership route, using nationwide chains like Planet Fitness or YMCA to grab a shower while in town. It’s affordable, gives you access to fitness equipment, and works great as part of van life.
Now, this might be a little controversial... but the truth is, most of us don’t actually need a shower every single day. There’s a growing body of info out there around natural skin care, and a lot of vanlifers find that once their body adjusts, they feel great with a less frequent shower routine. Your skin stops overproducing oils once you stop stripping them off daily. It takes a minute to balance out—but it happens.
We are planning to include a handheld shower attachment that can be used outside the back of the van—perfect for quick rinses, trail cleanup, or beach days. And if a hot outdoor shower is a must-have for you, there are some excellent rear-door-mounted propane water heaters out there that are easy to add on.
How Can I Fit All of My Worldly Possessions Into This Van?
You probably can’t—and honestly, we don’t think you should try.
If you’re planning to live full-time in one of these vans, you’ll likely need some kind of additional storage for the things you don’t use daily but aren’t quite ready to part with. And that’s totally okay.
What you need access to can shift with the seasons, too—think snow gear vs. beach gear. A small storage unit, or even a generous friend or family member with some extra garage space, can make all the difference.
The beauty of van life is in embracing simplicity—but that doesn’t mean you have to give up everything you love. Just maybe... store it somewhere else.
Will It Fit in a Garage?
Probably not—unless you’ve got a newer house.
We’ve designed the Medium Van to fit through a standard 8-foot garage door, which many newer homes have, and there’s a couple inches of wiggle room built in. That said, not every “8-foot” door is exactly 8 feet, so your mileage may vary.
If you’re giving it a shot, definitely have someone spot you the first time. You may need to make a small adjustment to how far your garage door opens to get that extra bit of clearance. So, will it fit? Maybe! But it’ll be close—and it’s worth double-checking before you commit to calling your garage its home.
Can I Leave My Dog or Cat in the Van?
The Medium Van is designed to run the AC all day long—as long as you’ve got good sun. But here's the deal: nothing in the van has been built to life-support standards.
We never want to hear that someone’s pet got hurt—or worse—because something failed. No system is foolproof. Whether it's the AC, solar, or power storage, things can go wrong, and animals can't tell you when they’re in trouble.
The best solution? Use a dedicated pet temperature monitoring system, like the Waggle or something similar. These systems are built to alert you the moment something goes wrong, giving you time to get back to your van and help your pet. Just make sure you stay close enough to actually get back in time.
We love our furry copilots too—and keeping them safe has to be priority number one.
Do You Sell Complete Campervans?
Short answer: nope.
We’re here to add value where we can and focus on what we love doing—which is building awesome campervans, not dealing with piles of paperwork and all the financial gymnastics that come with buying and selling vehicles. Honestly, that part’s just not fun. It’s also super time-consuming.
Living by our win-win-win philosophy, we’d have to charge a lot more to make it worth taking on that hassle—and that doesn’t sit right with us. One of the ways we keep our conversions affordable is by having you go out and find the van. It keeps our pricing lower and our process more focused.
That said, we’re actively working on building relationships with local dealers who get it—folks who understand that if they mess around with one of our customers, they’re risking the steady stream of business we’re sending their way. If you’re an honest, easy-to-work-with RAM dealer and want in on a whole lot of good people coming your way... hit us up!
Why Not a High Roof?
Simple—because they don’t make a high-roof version of the 118" wheelbase ProMaster. If they did, we might’ve had a tougher decision on our hands. But since they don’t, it was easy.
That said, I actually prefer low-roof vans. They stand out way less, which is a big deal for stealth and everyday usability. Pretty much every other van builder out there focuses on high-roof, stand-up models—so if full standing height is a must-have for you, you’ve got plenty of options.
The interior height of the Medium Van is 5’3” inches, which means some folks will be able to stand up straight. For others—like me at 5'9"—you’ll need to duck just a bit. I like to think of it as a high-ish roof. You’re upright enough to move around comfortably on two feet without crawling on your knees or scooting around on your butt.
One of the great things about the ProMaster is that it’s front-wheel drive. That means there’s no driveline or live axle in the back, so the floor sits much lower than other rear-wheel drive vans—giving you more headroom without needing to raise the roof.
Will You Build Anything Other Than a 118” Wheelbase ProMaster?
Nope.
The reason we’re able to offer such high quality at an affordable price is because we’ve streamlined everything—especially the time it takes our skilled builders to assemble your van. And I say “assemble” on purpose. Every single component has been designed in CAD, tested in real life, and iterated on—sometimes a couple times, sometimes many times—until we got it just right.
That level of detail and refinement only works when we’re laser-focused on one specific platform. At some point, we’ll probably design a kit for another van, but that’s at least a year down the road. For now, it’s all about the 118" ProMaster—and we think it’s the perfect foundation for what we’re building.
Will You Make Any Customizations?
Nope.
We’ve got (and are working on more) ways to let you make the van feel like yours—but we don’t make changes to the core design. Why? Because the strength of our process comes from doing one thing really well, over and over, with obsessive attention to detail.
Think of it like this: if you went down to a Honda dealership and said, “Hey, I love this car, but I need an extra half inch of legroom because my dad’s really tall,” what do you think they’d say?
We make it exactly how you want it—as long as you want it is exactly how we build it.
Can People Ride in the Back?
Technically, in many places, it’s legal to have someone ride in the back if all seat belts are already in use. But we’ll be real with you: we absolutely recommend against it. It’s just not safe.
None of our vans are designed with rear seat belts, so passengers riding in the back wouldn’t have proper crash protection. Please check your local laws to confirm what’s allowed in your area—but from our end, the recommendation is simple: if someone’s riding along, they should have a proper seatbelt.
We Want to Travel with More Than Two People...
Then we’re probably not the campervan for you.
The Medium Van is really designed for two people max. That said, there is a caveat: the ProMaster does have a 40/60 bench seat option, which adds a third proper, safe seatbelt. The trade-off? You lose the ability to walk easily from the cab to the living space—so it’s a compromise.
We don’t source or install those bench seats ourselves, but they’re out there if that third seat is a must-have for you. Just know that this van is best enjoyed as a cozy two-person setup.
If you’re in the market for a medium-sized camper that’s set up for as many as five people, check out our buddies over at Peace Vans. They build a really awesome Metris-based campervan—and yes, it even has a pop-top!
Will You Ship Our Completed Van to Us?
Outside of extreme cases, the answer is no.
And yeah—we know we lose some business because of that. But for us, this is about people helping people. We want to meet you in person, walk you through your new camper, and take as much time as you need to learn how every single thing works. We’re confident your experience with the van will be better because of this kind of hands-on hand-off.
We’ve done it this way hundreds of times, and it’s one of the core values that’s been with us from the start at Cascade Campers. And we have no intention of changing that.
I Live a Long Way from Nevada City, CA…
Then we’d love to either welcome you out here—or ask you to hang tight for just a bit.
One of the most exciting things about this new design is that we’ve built it to be scalable. The plan from day one was to make it possible for multiple builders—across the country (and maybe even the world!)—to bring this van to life.
To start, we’re working with Preston Vans, our first build partner here in Nevada City. But the long-term goal is to expand, depending on how many of you out there want one of these vans.
The beautiful thing about this model is that it lets us scale without crazy waitlists. If demand is high, we can ramp up production quickly—and you won’t be stuck waiting months or years. The standard industry move would be to solve that by raising prices. But that’s just not what we’re about.
How Is It So Cheap?
Simple: our vans take drastically less labor to assemble than custom builds. While most custom van conversions take weeks—or even months—ours come together in just a few days. That efficiency is no accident; it’s the result of years of design work and iteration.
And here’s the best part of the win-win-win: our builders actually make more per hour building our vans than they would on a custom job, and you get a van that delivers incredible value for your money.
Why Is It So Expensive?
Could you build your own van for less? Absolutely. Could we have cut corners and used cheaper materials? Sure. But that’s just not who we are.
The reason it’s not cheaper is because I have a high standard for what I put into the world. If I don’t believe in it—if I’m not genuinely excited about it—I’m not going to build it. Every single piece of this van is carefully chosen and built to last. We don’t cut corners. We create value by designing smart and building efficiently—not by compromising on quality.
Where’s the Pop-Top?
Ah yes—the pop-top. Everyone loves the idea of one, and we get it. There’s something undeniably romantic about a van that transforms into a little loft on wheels.
But here’s why we don’t currently offer them: pop-tops go against two of our core design philosophies.
First, stealth. One of the big advantages of the Medium Van is that it doesn’t scream “camper.” A pop-top, on the other hand, makes your van’s camping intentions loud and clear—which can limit where you can stay and how low-key you can be.
Second, cost. Pop-tops are expensive, plain and simple. And keeping our vans as affordable as possible is a major part of our mission. We want more people to be able to experience van life, not just those with deep pockets.
We’ve been camping in classic German campervans—both with and without pop-tops—for over 30 years. And honestly? While they can be handy, we’ve found we rarely use them. (Sorry, VW friends!) Most of the time, the pop-top ends up being a place to pile stuff after you park—mainly because, let’s face it, those beloved old vans weren’t exactly known for stellar storage.
Still want a pop-top in a small campervan?
Check out our friends at Peace Vans—they do a beautiful job with their Metris-based builds, complete with pop-tops and thoughtful craftsmanship.
Is the Camper Removable If I Want to Help My Friends Move?
Nope—it’s not.
We get it. Modularity sounds awesome. Everyone loves the idea of being able to easily pop parts in and out depending on the day’s mission. But we’ve taken a long, hard look at this, and the truth is: the added cost, complexity, and reduced camper functionality just aren’t worth it.
If you need a fully empty cargo van once in a while? Go rent one.
I know—it might sound silly when you already own a van. But trust us on this. Trying to build a van that’s both a full camper and a modular cargo hauler ends up being a compromise in all the wrong ways.
That said, we did leave the center aisle wide open, so you can easily haul a full 4x8 sheets of plywood. There’s also a surprising amount of floor space for moving gear, bins, boxes, and more. We’ve been using our prototype van as our go-to hauling mule for the last couple months—and it works great.
We’re Used to a Queen or King at Home—Will We Be Comfortable on a 54" Wide Bed?
Totally fair question.
Here’s the thing: a 54" wide bed (that’s a Full XL) might sound small compared to what you’re used to at home. But the experience is different in the van—and in a good way.
At home, a bed has drop-offs on both sides, so you naturally leave a buffer near the edge. In our campervan, one side is up against a wall, and the other is next to a cabinet. That means you can scoot all the way to the edge without worrying about falling off. So even though it’s technically narrower than a queen, it feels more spacious.
We’ve designed it to make the most of every inch—and we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how roomy it actually feels.
And the XL part? That means the bed is as long as a queen or king, so taller folks are still covered. Plus, there’s a a few extra inches at the front of the bed to let your feet hang over if you’re really tall—no curled-up sleeping required.
Why a 24V System?
We’ve chosen to run a 24V system because it hits the sweet spot between 12V and 48V. When you're working with higher-wattage solar and larger inverters, 24 volts allows for significantly smaller, more manageable cables—which saves space, weight, and cost.
Here’s a little electricity lesson, campervan-style:
Think of electricity like a river.
The width of the river is the amperage.
The pressure/speed is the voltage.
And the amount of water flowing? That’s your wattage.
So, if you want to move a lot of water (watts) and only have low pressure (low voltage), you need a really wide river (lots of amps)—which means thick cables. That’s why your 1,500-watt space heater has a tiny cord (it runs at 120V), but your 12V car battery has thick, heavy wires. Low-pressure flow needs a big pipe.
With a 24V system, we get the benefits of lower amperage for the same power output, which means smaller cables and more efficient components—especially for things like solar charge controllers and inverters, which can handle way more wattage at 24V than they can at 12V.
But don’t worry—some gear in a camper still runs on 12V, so we’ve got a 24V to 12V converter built in. You’ll still be able to plug in all your 12V gadgets without a problem.