Is there no middle ground between a $200,000+ deluxe camper van and an arduous, time-consuming DIY build? Established camper van nameplate Outside Van is looking to till that ground, providing buyers with a Goldilocks solution in which some of the flexibility and affordability of a DIY build meet the hassle-free ease of a prebuilt camper van. With its Baseline van, Outside puts its decades of experience into handling the heavier conversion work, leaving the rest to the home builder. And thanks to an included stowable bed, the Baseline is ready to travel and camp from the moment it rolls off the lot.
Outside Van has made a name for itself building some of the most impressive custom Sprinter camper vans in the US, including one meant to shuttle bikes by day, then serve as a remote arcade through the wee hours of the night.
Since being acquired by Fox Factory in 2021, Outside has been moving more and more into dealership van models with fixed floor plans that still exude custom levels of comfort and style. The Baseline is the entry-level model of the family, giving DIY buyers an elevated foundation for their builds. Outside takes care of the unglamorous professional work, like cutting vents through the sheet metal and bolstering structural steel, leaving the fun part of designing and developing a floor plan full of furniture, appliances and accessories to the buyer.
The Baseline build starts on buyer's choice of 2019+ Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 144- or 170-wheelbase. Depending on model year, the van will come equipped as standard with Mercedes' newer Sprinter AWD system or previous 4x4.
From there, Outside gets to work handling the obligatory conversion and install headaches likely to prove daunting to first-time DIY builders. It adds in powered roof vent fans wired to the Sprinter battery and T-vent camper windows. It then lays down flooring, installs a full insulation package with sound dampening, adds dimmable ceiling lighting, and finishes the interior with wall and ceiling paneling. It also adds wire passthroughs for easier electrical work, a fuse/switch box, wheel well boxes, and a CO2 detector and fire extinguisher.
Outside then makes it a light camper van right out of the shop by adding a three-panel bed and wall mounting system. The bed comprises an aluminum-and-plywood frame cushioned with closed-cell foam and finished in interweave fabric, while the mounting consists of aluminum rails affixed to the structural foundation for quick install and removal of the bed panels. With this bed, the Baseline seamlessly and comfortably sleeps the driver and passenger before they even get to work finishing out the interior with components like kitchen hardware, water storage and rear seating.
Beyond that, it's back to the (home) lab with a pen and a pad. Buyers can now lay out their own floor plan as they want it. Better yet, they can adventure a little bit with just the bed and a capacious cabin filled with camping gear, sports equipment and luggage and figure out their exact needs and wants through experience. Unlike buying a complete turnkey camper van, they're free to put the money in over time rather than all at once.
Outside launched the Baseline last year, and it's available to order now for a starting price of US$89,000 for the Sprinter 144 or $96,000 for the Sprinter 170. Those prices might look steep when compared to a regular passenger vehicle but compared to the six-figure prices of complete camper vans, it's certainly a more affordable starting point that could prove a feasible compromise between starting from scratch and buying a high-priced turnkey 4x4 adventure camper.
Source: Outside Van