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Hand-crafted van boasts custom woodworking and clever foldaway furniture

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It’s a work truck by weekday, adventure van by weekend

The Ryda Van, a converted RAM Promaster featuring custom woodworking.
All photos courtesy of Rydawell Woodworks

Adventure vans come in many shapes and sizes, from pop-tops that can sleep a whole family to cozy custom builds that offer a taste of home. It’s rare, however, to see Class B vans decked out with a lot of custom woodworking.

Sure, plenty of rigs use wood—or maybe a linoleum that looks like wood—on the floors, and there are lots of teardrop trailers that favor wood as a building material. But RV makers mainly use laminate countertops, vinyl flooring, and plastics to keep things sleek and clean.

Seattle-based Ryan Wells of Rydawell Woodworks takes a different approach. As a design/build shop, Rydawell Woodworks uses carpentry skills to create custom vans, furniture, built-ins, and fine cabinetry. The Ryda Van, for example, transforms a 2015 Ram Promaster 136” wheel base into a woodsy haven.

Designed to function as both a cargo van and a weekend adventure vehicle, the Ryda Van prioritizes floor space by making sure everything can fold up into custom cabinets. A fold-up Murphy bed uses a piston lift system and counter balancing to ensure smooth operation, measuring just 16 inches wide in the up position.

Similarly, a gorgeous dinette table and seating for two flips up from the opposite cabinet, while storage above allows plenty of room for your stuff. The wood-theme continues with hardwood oak floors, cedar accent ceiling, and LED lighting to make it all look good.

The high-end kitchen features maple panels and a striped wood butcher block counter top complete with a sink and two-burner propane stove. The van also uses a 320W solar system to help offset power needs and boasts a 33-quart refrigerator.

If you’re interested in learning more about Rydawell Woodworks, head over here. The company is currently working on converting a 2017 4X4 Mercedes Sprinter with all the bells and whistles, so check back for more.