Whether it's a family weekend outing or a solo multi-sport expedition, Colorado's Adventure Vehicle Concepts (AVC Rig) has a camper van package fit for many a van camper's needs. Its four adventure van tiers range from a minimalist sleeper van to a fully equipped gear-hauling mobile suite. Starting under $16,000, the conversions meet nomadic needs with equipment like solar power, camp heating and legitimate queen-size beds.
Out of AVC's four camper van packages, the Base Camp was the one that really caught our eye. This family-size camper fits four inside the original dimensions of the Ford Transit 148, eliminating the pop-up roof often necessary for four sleeping berths. Its rear is filled out by a dual bunk layout with an 80 x 60-in (203 x 152 cm) full-queen bed over top a convertible dinette that changes over to a 64 x 67-in (163 x 170 cm) bed. The upper bed lifts manually out of the way for access to the six-person dual-bench dining area, and AVC also offers an electric lift.
Diverging from the typical camper van floor plan, AVC splits the Base Camper's kitchen into two separate blocks. The driver-side block houses the 119-L 12V TruckFridge refrigerator and available dual-burner stove. The deep, rectangular sink is across the way on the passenger-side cabinet unit, which also includes a fold-down tabletop that drops outside the sliding door.
Splitting the kitchen this way clears the space needed for the large dinette while maintaining space on the driver side for two rear passenger seats. On the downside, it lacks dedicated counter space, but we suppose the cook can use the stove lid when not actively cooking and/or the dining room table between the two kitchen areas. The design does seem like it'd benefit from the common flip-up counter extension on the sink unit, though.
The Base Camp does not include a bathroom, but it does have a rear outdoor shower connected to the 76-L fresh water tank and water pump. A water heater is available optionally.
Other standard onboard Base Camp equipment includes dual 100-Ah batteries, dual 100-W solar panels, a 2,000-W inverter, 3M Thinsulate insulation, wall/ceiling paneling, marine-grade flooring and an Espar B4 heater. The full Base Camp package costs US$37,600 with tax, and AVC makes it possible to delete items customers don't want to bring that price down. Like many camper conversion shops, AVC focuses on converting customer-supplied vans, not selling full vehicles, though it says it can help customers source vans through local dealerships.
Those that prefer to load in gear over fellow camping enthusiasts might prefer AVC Rig's Gear Hauler floor plan, a hybrid four-person day trip adventure van and two-person overnight camper. Like the Base Camp, the Gear Hauler includes a lift-away rear queen bed in back of a Ford Transit 148. However, there's no convertible dinette below, keeping the load area clear for carrying bikes, boards, kites and other sports gear. The van includes two rear seats and a longer driver-side kitchen block with sink, fridge and countertop. Equipment like the electrical system, furnace and water system remain much the same as the Base Camp, and pricing drops to $35,748 for the full package.
Other AVC floor plans include the $38,205 Hybrid, which combines the cargo-carrying utility of the Gear Hauler with a dining room space more like the Base Camp, and the $15,607 Vanlite minimalist sleeper van with queen bed and five van seats. AVC has its first camper vans based on the new Ford Transit AWD in the works right now.
Source: AVC Rig