We're going to Adventure Van Expo this weekend. I'm excited to see what options there are and what I might be able to create. A custom or semi-custom van is likely to be my best bet. I came to this conclusion after looking at all the potential RV options for several years.
First of, it needs to have a minimum of five legal seat belts. Finding 5 legal seatbelts is probably the most restrictive feature, as many RVs do not have 5 forward facing car seat compatible seats. Class A RVs are not regulated the same way regular cars are, so they have side facing seats with lap belts. Side facing seats are not safe for passengers. Period. Even if an RV does have some forward facing seats, such as in a Class C dinette, they are typically not welded to the frame, and do not usually have 3 point seats belts or car seat attachments. So Class A and C are out. Most class B RVs are designed for two people. The few that are set up for families tend to assume a family is 4 people. So that rules out almost all the Class B RVs as well. There are a few exceptions to this such as the Hymer Activ or Winnebago Solis, IF you get the rear sofa model which provides 2-3 additional seats. So all really all standard RVs are incompatible, minus the Activ and Solis.
Second, it need to have sleeping areas for 5 people. You can sort of add a tiny mattress to the front of a Solis or Activ, but it is not elegant. Many other camper van options also struggle with this. There are a few companies that can accommodate 5 people, but it's not usually pretty. Seating areas need to be converted to beds every night.
The third major exclusion is interior height. My partner is 6'3". They would like to actually stand up inside and not crouch or crick their neck all the time. The interior height of a Solis is 6'2". An Activ is 6' 1". :(
So that basically rules out all the commercial or standardized RVs and vans. It also rules out anything on a Dodge Promaster base, because the interior height of a Promaster is 6'1". So that leaves a custom or semi-custom van using the classic Mercedes Sprinter, or the increasingly popular Ford Transit.
The Sprinter vans have a wider assortment of plug and play accessories. They tend to have a higher resale value. Diesel vans tend to get better fuel economy and last longer. Some people feel they drive better as well. The downside is they can be expensive to own and hard to find a mechanic if something goes wrong. You are more likely to find someone who can work on a Ford in the middle of nowhere because Ford trucks use a very similar motor. The Transit has a better infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Car Play. The Transit also has an interior height of 6'5" which is 2 inches taller than the Sprinter. That difference doesn't matter to most people, but it might to my partner. I added up the options I wanted and they were within $1k in price. So the next logical thing to test drive them, and also figure out which options are possible. Sprinters are a lot more common among van enthusiasts, so you can find a lot of ready made solutions. Transits are less common, but are definitely gaining a foothold.
Ideally I would like to be able to use the van for transporting large amounts of people too, so I need to also brainstorm how seating will work.
