📍 Port Townsend, Washington, USA
🌐 https://campncar.com
📷 @campncar
📽️ https://youtube.com/campncar
📲 https://tiktok.com/@campncar
Building vans: 4 years
The 'Yes Men' of Vanlife
Meet Camp N Car – one of the few companies that just love to say ‘yes’! They will convert just about anything on wheels! While many companies shy away from smaller conversion jobs, Camp N Car has said yes to turning vehicles like a Honda Fit into a camper with great success. There’s quite literally no job too big (or small!) for these guys. They have a ton of experience with full van builds and can cover everything from complex electrical jobs, to indoor showers, cabinetry, and beyond.
So Camp N Car, tell us where it all began!
It all started with two friends – Steve Moore and Martin Nerbovig – who share a dream of adventure, and a little technical know-how! Having long wanted to spend more time traveling and exploring the northern reaches of the continent, Steve initially hatched the plan to buy a Honda Element, trick it out and live life on the road for a while.
After sharing his plans with his lifelong friend, Martin, they decided to work together on a sweet custom unit. With some 3D modeling work, CNC machining, and no small amount of sandpaper later, Steve’s build was complete and ready for adventure in Alaska. The product proved inspiring to many and would ultimately spark the idea to start Camp N Car after Steve returned from his journey in the north.
We’re several years into the development of Camp N Car now, and the business has grown to a team of 8 highly skilled professionals, each bringing their unique background to the table to ensure that everything that comes out of the Camp N Car shop is world-class in quality. We have former boat builders, tiny home designers, van converters and so much more among our team! Converting everything from Sprinters to SUVs and ProMasters, the professional and lived experience of Camp N Car’s team offers a significant edge to the mobile camping world.
What's unique about Camp N Car?
Honestly, we will work with just about any vehicle. Want a full conversion with nice amenities in a Sprinter van? Done! Need a creative solution for camping in your Toyota Prius? We got you! There are hardly any boundaries to what our talented team can accomplish on a wide variety of vans, cars, trucks, and more.
We love your build style. What inspires it?
We are 100% inspired by our customer’s needs and vision, combined with our dedication to skilled work. Each custom build is a process of creating something based on the inspiration the clients bring to us, combined with our love of the best the world of van conversions has to offer today.
What’s your favorite layout, and why?
We have a design we love with an extremely comfortable and functional layout that prioritizes creating a nice homey feeling in the van, without compromising on the essential amenities for life on the road. Here’s an example:
We love layouts that give plenty of room to enjoy your time hanging out in the van, but we prioritize the needs of clients when it comes to our custom conversions – it’s about what they need, and how they plan to live vanlife.
What’s your favorite van base to build from, and why?
We love working with the Ford Transit, Dodge RAM ProMaster, and Mercedes Sprinter but will happily work on just about any vehicle someone brings us.
Do you take built-to-order commissions?
The custom shop at Camp N Car is the bread and butter of our business. We happily work with clients from all walks of life to design a camper around their specific needs. While we may offer suggestions or use previous designs as a jumping-off point, the priority is making something that allows for the kind of travel experiences our customers want to have. We encourage anyone interested in working with us to reach out and schedule a custom work consultation today!
Help us end the eternal debate: which is the best shower format, and why? No shower...outside shower...pop-up shower...fixed shower...
For our signature builds we prefer to do outdoor or popup showers because they don’t take up as much real estate inside a van as a fixed shower. That said, if someone wants a fixed shower we will happily make it happen for them!
Let's cut the crap, give us your top toilet recommendation, and tell us why!
We are big fans of the OGO and Airhead brand composting toilets. They work fantastically in van systems and are great for overall use.
How do you live your best vanlife?
The team at Camp N Car is comprised of outdoor lovers from all walks of life, whether they are hikers, climbers, or surfers. We also have multiple musicians, DJs, and other entertainers on our staff. Side crafts – such as artisan woodworking – are also popular.
Where’s the best vanlife destination?
Not a van – but Camp N Car’s founder Steve spent 6 months living out of his Honda Element in Alaska! A few of us have been, and we highly recommend Alaska as a place to visit, it’s a vanlifer’s paradise!
Are there any particular ride-or-die brands you insist on for your builds?
We love Webasto, Espar, Victron, Maxxair, and Edensaw products! Truth be told there are too many to list, there’s lots of good stuff out there.
What do you think will be the next big thing for vans?
We are hoping to see more electric vans with long ranges become more widely available in the coming years!
What's one van item that you couldn't live without on your journeys? and why?
Nothing is more important than a comfortable place to sleep!
What's your message to people just starting out or thinking about getting into vanlife?
If you aren’t sure if vanlife is for you then start small, and have a simple conversion or do a basic build. Once you try it out for a bit and can determine what works best for you then go bigger!
If buying a used camper van, what are the must-ask questions?
When buying a used campervan, nothing is more important than the integrity of the vehicle itself. Get it checked out by a mechanic before buying! Getting a van can be a big investment and you don’t want to be bogged down by engine issues or other expensive repairs to the van.
Why go pro, rather than fly solo on a conversion?
Buying from the pros ensures there is accountability attached to your build. For example, Camp N Car offers a generous warranty on all of our custom work. Additionally, vans from pro shops are easier to insure and can more readily be classified as Class B RV’s for the sake of fully insuring your van.
What’s next? What are your dreams for your business?
We are stoked to convert more vehicles for a growing number of adventure enthusiasts! In addition to that, we are going to continue developing and releasing epic new products that will help people camp in all kinds of vehicles.
