Introducing the Medium Van—aka the Van-partment

Why two names for one van? Great question. Maybe one day we’ll land on a perfect, all-encompassing name, but for now, we’ve got two—because we’re talking to two different kinds of folks.

“Medium Van” just makes sense. It’s the natural next step from our Little Van (the RAM ProMaster City builds we cranked out over 400 of!) and a solid alternative to the big and extra-big vans the rest of the industry is focused on. Our last van was tiny—and perfect for the right kind of person. This new one, built on the RAM ProMaster 118" wheelbase, fits beautifully in the space between our Little Van and the giants everyone else is building. Honestly, we’re kind of shocked more builders haven’t jumped on the 118—it’s the sweet spot! Big enough to live in, small enough to park just about anywhere.

Now, “Van-partment”—that one’s about the why. This van was designed from the ground up to be an apartment alternative. A real, liveable space that you can take with you. Judging by the millions of YouTube views of folks living in vans while holding down regular jobs in the city, there’s clearly a huge community out there that’s curious about this lifestyle. The problem? Most of the vans on the market are massive and expensive. And most folks don’t have the space, tools, or time to build their own. That’s where we come in.

And hey—if you’ve got a better name idea, send it our way! We’re looking for something playful, approachable, and clear about what this van is all about.

We’re van builders—not marketing experts ;-)
We’re also not here to hard-sell you on anything. Our job is to tell you everything we can about what we’ve built and why we think it’s pretty dang great (we’re obviously a little biased). But we’re not trying to talk you into anything. If this van is the right fit for you, you’ll feel it. You’ll just know.

A Life That’s Also an Adventure

At Cascade Campers, we believe life’s meant to be lived boldly, creatively, and with intention. We started building campervans so regular folks could experience the freedom and joy of adventure—without the heavy weight of sky-high costs or over-complicated gear. We’ve found that the best way to hear your own intuition is to give yourself space—mental space, physical space, and yes, literal space. In a van where everything you need is right there with you, you’re free to follow your gut. No need for strict plans or reservations. Just head where the day takes you. Our vans are all about accessibility, reliability, and stealth—the kind of setup that fits right into everyday life but is always ready for something spontaneous. If you’ve ever traveled this way, you know exactly what we mean. Road magic. It’s real.

Campervans That Are Small, Simple, and Affordable

The idea of what a “campervan” is has changed a lot over the years. A decade ago, if you said the word, folks would picture a pop-top VW bus parked somewhere gorgeous (or maybe broken down on the side of the road). These days? Say “campervan” and almost everyone pictures a Sprinter-style rig. I see it firsthand all the time—when people ask what I do and I say, “I build campervans,” the response is nearly always, “Oh, you build Sprinters.”

Now don’t get me wrong—Sprinters are awesome. They’re perfect for a lot of folks, and I’ve got plenty of good friends who live happily in theirs. But here’s the thing about those big vans: they don’t fit in a regular parking space. And for me, it doesn’t matter how many fancy features it’s got—if I can’t park it easily and go where I want, it kind of defeats the whole point of being in a van in the first place.

We build vans for people who want freedom. Real freedom. The kind that lets you roll into cities, slip into a regular spot, and move through the world without a second thought about clearance or curb space. Like anything in life, campervans are a compromise—but for me, giving up the ability to park just about anywhere? That’s one I’m just not willing to make.

Why We Built the Medium Van

With our newest creation—the Medium Van (or, as we sometimes call it, the Van-partment)—we’ve taken our passion one big step further. This van was designed from the ground up to be a true home on wheels. We wanted to make van life easier, more comfortable, and a whole lot more accessible—without draining your savings. This is our take on what a campervan should be: comfy enough for daily living, compact enough to park just about anywhere, and built solid to hold up to real life, day in and day out.

How We Keep the Quality High and the Price Low

We believe that good design, top-notch materials, and the best gear shouldn’t be out of reach. Everyone deserves access to a well-built, thoughtfully designed campervan—and we’ve figured out how to make that happen. Instead of building one-off customs that take weeks or months, we stick to a standardized design that lets us complete your build in just a few days. That means our skilled builders spend their time doing what they do best—building—with no time lost reinventing the wheel.

And because we’ve fine-tuned every single part of our system (we’re talking over 100 individual components, each tested, tweaked, and optimized), you end up with a van that’s more polished, better equipped, and better designed than custom builds costing tens of thousands more. That’s what over 2,000 hours of development will get you—thoughtful design that works, day in and day out.

We like to say: we’ll build it exactly how you want it—as long as you want it exactly how we build it.

We're all about materials that are built to last, feel good to use, and serve a real purpose. But we’ve got no interest in using fancy stuff just for show. You’ll never hear us call our van “luxury”—because honestly, the whole idea of luxury kind of goes against the spirit of van life. Luxury is about extravagance. Van life is about freedom, simplicity, and resilience.

No judgment if you’re after luxury—there are plenty of builders out there ready to take your money (and your granite countertops dreams). But if you’re looking for something that’s solid, smart, and made to last, you’re in the right place.

A Labor of Love

Designing this van has been one of the most fun and rewarding projects I’ve ever taken on. And the best part? I’ve had my son Max along for the ride since day one. He came up with our logo when he was just 12, and now—at 20—he’s officially my favorite person I’ve ever worked with. (Okay, I’m a little biased... but still.)

As part of the Medium Van design process, Max became a total wizard in Fusion 360, the software we use to design every single part and piece that goes into our builds. His skills have been a huge part of how we’ve been able to iterate quickly and refine the design down to the last detail. Altogether, we’ve poured over 2,000 hours into this new van. It’s been a true labor of love—and it shows. This thing is built from the ground up with passion, purpose, and a whole lot of heart.

Campervan Design as Art

This might sound a little out there—and honestly, I’m fine with that—but I’ve come to see campervan design as one of my forms of art. I’m a big fan of Rick Rubin and others who talk about creativity in that wide-open, intuitive way, and it really resonates with how I approach building vans. For me, the goal is to create the best piece of art I can—for myself first. Some folks will connect with it. Some won’t. And that’s okay.

What I can tell you is this: it comes from a place of deep passion. Anyone who’s ever talked to me about campervans knows what I’m talking about—you can see it, feel it, and yeah, you’ll probably hear it too. Fair warning: if you strike up a conversation with me about vans, you’d better be ready to have your ear talked off.

Better for You, Better for the World

Choosing the Medium Van isn’t just about getting a camper—it’s about stepping into a lifestyle that lines up with your values. Our vans are built as an affordable alternative to traditional renting, giving you a chance to build equity instead of watching your hard-earned money disappear into someone else’s pocket. And by championing smaller, smarter living spaces, we’re doing our part to push the world in a more sustainable direction. Less clutter, less consumption, less stress—and a whole lot more freedom. That’s the heartbeat behind our design.

By the People, For the People

We live in a new era—one where rapid prototyping and modern and inexpensive manufacturing like CNC, laser cutting, and 3D Printing make it possible to bring ideas to life without massive overhead or big-money backers. That means regular folks can build for regular folks. And we love that.

Both our Little Van and our new Medium Van were created without outside investment, and that’s been key. It’s allowed us to stay focused on what really matters: our win-win-win philosophy, rather than maximizing profit. Funny enough, we believe that by prioritizing people over profits, you actually stand a better chance of building something that really resonates—and yep, that can still lead to financial success.

Could we charge more for our van conversions because of their quality and features? Definitely. Could we toss in a bunch of “luxury” bells and whistles just to pad our margins? Absolutely.
But will we? Hell no.

The Win-Win-Win Philosophy

Our guiding light is simple: in every situation, aim for a win-win-win.

We apply this to every part of our business—from our customers, to our suppliers, to our community. When it comes to the vans themselves, the first win is making sure anyone who drives away in one of our builds is genuinely better off—ideally drastically better off—than they were before. The second win? It’s gotta work for us—Max, myself, and everyone who helps make these vans happen. And the third win is for our wider community and society as a whole.

That might sound like “pie in the sky” stuff, but honestly? We’ve found it’s surprisingly easy. Ask anyone who’s worked with us or bought a van from us—we mean it.

If my only goal was to make as much money as possible, I promise you... this isn’t what I’d be doing. But it is what fills my cup. And we think that matters.

If this resonates with you—yay! And if it doesn’t, I still appreciate you taking the time to hear me out.

Welcome to your next big adventure.
Welcome to the Medium Van.