With the preponderance of campervan upfitters located in the Rocky Mountains and on the West Coast, it feels appropriate to turn the spotlight back east to BRAV, aka Blue Ridge Adventure Vehicles. BRAV’s team has converted Ford, Dodge, Nissan, and Mercedes vans, so it’s fair to say that they can upfit just about any van available on the North American market. Using appliances from industry-leading brands, their work is characterized by high-quality finishes and designs tailored to their client’s specific use-case.
Breaking down Build Pricing
BRAV’s website does a great job of breaking down their build options in a way that makes the pricing a bit more digestible because, let’s be honest, hiring an upfitter is a huge investment. With a price list for all major build components as well as labor estimates for primary conversion steps like electrical rough-in, window installations, and insulation, BRAV sheds light on the bottom line. Of course, hiring an upfitter like BRAV also includes consultations to develop a build plan that delivers a finished product with everything the client needs and wants for their campervan.
Range of Offerings
Ranging from $5K to $45K+, BRAV offers a build for just about every budget. Starting with the most affordable and increasing to the fanciest, they categorize their builds into four groups.
Basic: Blue Ridge Adventure Vehicles’ most affordable category, known as their “basic” builds, range from $5-$10K and are their simplest offerings. Both the Ford Transit Connect and Nissan NV200 are included in this price range with a variety of systems and accessories. These builds are generally simple, with the addition of awnings, roof fans, insulation, wall paneling, convertible beds, flooring, and additional windows.
Weekender: Coming in between $10-$25K, the weekender category builds are more complete in their range of amenities, making them more comfortable for longer trips. The ProMaster and Sprinter conversions that make up this category of builds have everything from custom cabinetry and bed platforms to solar electrical systems, awnings, roof racks, additional windows, vent fans, flooring, wall paneling, L-track, and more.
Middle of the Road: At $25-$45K, the middle of the road category has a fairly wide range of amenities and finishes available. In this category, builds generally have all of the basics included in the less expensive builds, but within this category, systems are more robust and better suited for both seasonal and full-time vanlife adventures. The middle of the road category includes custom solutions like surfboard storage, higher power-drawing appliances like microwave ovens, and convertible dinette seating areas.
High Altitude: As the name suggests, the pricing in this category of conversions is “up there.” The High Altitude build vertical spares few expenses but what you get in return is an off-grid home with everything needed to remain comfortable on the road. These campervan builds include heating/cooling solutions, bathrooms, kitchens, and technology solutions for working remotely. They also include some vehicle accessories like bumpers with bull bars and exterior auxiliary LED lighting.
To explore the full range of BRAV’s campervan conversion offerings, visit their website.
