cost

Why are these vans less expensive than other conversions I've seen?

Short answer: We aren’t a custom upfitter. We create a standard build that streamlines our inventory and building processes, keeping our costs down. If you are looking for lots of custom work, we aren’t the upfitter for you. Long answer: There seem to be an infinite number of van up fitters converting Sprinters these days. We think that is awesome! Many of them focus on building “dream vehicles”, capable of being off-grid in Baja for two months, or vans designed to induce Instagram Envy. Our focus is different. We want to help families get out for a long weekend, by providing them a minimalist camper van with everything they need, and nothing they don’t. We don’t equip our vans with fancy wheels / suspension / roof racks, all of which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. After years of van camping, we have refined our design for simplicity and cost. We do offer some simple, optional upgrades, like swivel seats, heater, flooring selection, and more, for additional costs.

Don’t get us wrong; fancy wheels and tires look great! If that’s your thing, you can take your Weekend Van to your local wheel and tire dealer and go nuts. The van you’ll get directly from us will have the basics to get you started, and you can go nuts with the rest.

How does pricing work?

We want to to make getting out on the road and making memories more affordable than other companies and up fitters. When we buy a van, we take the cost of the van and add the cost of the upfit. It’s that simple and that transparent. The standardization of the build keeps it simple.

For example, if we’re doing our standard AWD conversion ($30,500) on a van that we purchased, we take our total cost of purchasing the van, and add $30,500. The AWD configuration that we generally order has an MSRP of $60,768, which costs us about $65,500 including tax, title, etc. Add our $30,500, and we’d sell that van for $96,000. We simply add our conversion cost to that total when we sell a van to a customer.

*While we try to be ethically priced, are are susceptible to rising costs and our standard uplift costs may rise from deposit to build time.

These vans are a little out of my price range. Any suggestions?

Honestly, they were out of our family’s price range too! We found that many RV owners are offsetting their cost of ownership by renting their vans out on platforms like Outdoorsy. (Think of it as AirBnB for your van.) We rented our van out a few weeks a year, and covered 90% of the cost of van ownership! Feel free to reach out via email if you’d like to talk about our excellent experience on Outdoorsy.

Do you offer financing?

Our vans qualify for an RV note, up to 20 years. We partner with a few lenders that are familiar with our builds and process. Check out more info HERE.

How do I pay?

When your van baby is born, we will send you an electronic bill. From there, you can wire money, use a credit card for a fee, or bring a cashier’s check to the delivery meeting.

design

Can you convert a van that I already own?

Yes, if you have a 2019+ Mercedes Sprinter Crew 144 High Top, let’s talk! That’s all we offer at this time. Conversions start at $29,500.

Can I order a sprinter with specific features?

You can from your local dealer, but not from us. We source Sprinters with a relatively standard set of features to keep things simple. We buy vans that feature the comfort, driver, and premium packages from Mercedes and usually stay within the blue and grey color spectrums. If you feel strongly about a particular color or feature, send us an email and we’ll see what we can do.

Can I order a custom configuration of my van?

Nope. Sorry. One of the ways we keep our prices reasonable is to standardize parts and features. Feel free to send us an email if you have specific concerns, but we don’t customize vans. We do offer a robust list of options.

Beds: can we move them and are they removable?

The beds we use are designed in a CAD program and ordered six weeks in advance. You can customize a bed with ample order time and very specific dimensions. The beds we have can move up or down 1-2” and are removable with two people. We do not recommend planning on taking the beds in and out frequently, nor while traveling. These beds are about $1,000 each, again, keeping costs low. We do offer a fancy bed upgrade starting at $3k, per panel.

What options do you offer at this time?

Check out a simple list of our build and our options here.

Why don't you include a kitchenette and other fancy features in your van layout?

This is still supposed to be camping, friends. We want these vans to work as daily drivers, and no one wants to drive around with the “kitchen sink”!

After buying many different kinds of vans, we experienced that cooking inside the van can leave you smelling weird smells all night, and a sink in the van means you need to manage the used water. We prefer cooking outside, and use the shower hose in the back for our water source. Plus, leaving out a kitchenette leaves room for the factory bench seat (with all of its safety features), and saves a ton of money! Get outside and cook a meal.

Do you build other vans, like Transits or ProMasters?

Not at this time. One of the ways we keep our prices low is by focusing on a small number of standard configurations, all based on 144 Sprinter Hightops.

logistics

How do I get one of these vans?

You have two options— 1. buy your own van and bring it to us for an upfit, starting at $29.5k. 2. We source a van for you, matching a few preferences and meeting your budget needs, then we buy it and build it. Right now, option two is taking longer.

Do you ship to my area?

Yes! We can ship from our headquarters, in Carlsbad, CA, to any area of the US. We have several solutions for distance logistics. Contact us at info@weekendvans.com for pricing and options.

How do I get on your build list?

The best way is to pay a $100 refundable deposit. This places you next in line on the schedule.

What is your turn around time?

Once we receive a van, it takes us 2-3 weeks to perform our standard build. The more options and parts a van has, the longer it takes. We are usually building 2-3 vans at once.

Can I schedule an appointment to see a van?

Absolutely! We love giving van tours. Email info@weekendvans.com to schedule.