- Cascade Campers converts Ram ProMaster City Vans into camper vans for only $7,000, not including the price of the vehicle.
- The converted campers include a kitchen and a couch that can pull out into a bed for two.
- As of February, the company converted over 95 Ram ProMasters.
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Cascade Campers converts Ram ProMaster City Vans into camper vans for only $7,000.
Camper vans often have large price tags, including Airstream’s Mercedes-Benz Atlas camper that start at $238,000. However, for those who aren’t willing to shell out large sums of money for a tiny home on wheels, there’s also a market that specializes in cheaper conversions and alternatives, whether it be a $2,800 inflatable camping tent that can be placed atop a car, or a $12,000 conversion kit.
California-based Cascade Campers sits squarely in the lower price range, in part because the company does not supply the van, and because the production process is completely standardized. By using trusted materials and components that the company has created and tested, Cascade Campers can make quality campervans at a lower price, according to the company.
Cascade Campers was founded in 2017 by Zach Yeager, whose first car was a 1967 Volkswagen Bus camper van. As of February, his company has built over 95 campers.
The van can accommodate two people …
… and the company designs its vehicles to serve two roles as both a campervan and a daily driver.
Cascade Campers calls its conversions "vehicular Swiss Army Knives" because of this multi-use versatility.
Source: Cascade Campers
The company focuses its conversions on any ProMaster City starting from the 2015 model year to the most recent build.
Cascade Campers opted for the ProMaster — instead of the popular Mercedes-Benz Sprinter — because it's much cheaper than the alternative.
While the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Cargo Sprinter starts at $34,495, the 2020 Ram ProMaster City has an MSRP of $26,295.
Source: Ram, Mercedes-Benz
The interior height is four feet, five inches.
According to Cascade Campers, the ProMaster City vans have a rating of 25 miles-per-gallon between city and highway and can traverse around 350 miles before a pit stop is needed.
Cascade Campers' conversions include a 75-amp hour battery stored in the floor of the van.
However, to save money on the build and to decrease the van's weight, the battery isn't lithium-ion based.
The vans also rely on its 100-watt solar panels to provide environmentally friendly energy to power the van's features.
There's also a charge controller to monitor the power sources, as well as a 100-amp battery isolator and a 400-watt power inverter.
There are two USB and 12-volt charging ports around the camper.
To maintain the interior temperature of the van, Cascade includes a six-inch adjustable roof ventilation fan, which accompanies the 0.5-inch closed-cell foam insulation that covers the interior of the van.
To hide the insulation, there is 0.13-inch thick birch paneling to give the interior a wooden look.
If the client plans on taking the camper van to hotter climates, Cascade Campers can also install a second fan for an extra $200.
The flooring of the van has also been upgraded to a slip-resistant Hexa-Grip floor.
Source: Wood Products
There's also a sound dampening mechanism underneath the flooring to ensure a quieter interior.
The couch — which comes in tan and green — can fold out to become a 42-inch by 76-inch bed that can sleep two people.
The interior is lit with LED light bars that have two settings, as well as a red LED light bar that can be dimmed.
Cascade Campers included the red light bar to "preserve night vision and create a chill mood while camping."
Source: Cascade Campers