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Camper vans are an investment—both in time and money. Of course, there are ways to keep costs more reasonable, whether by buying a more affordable van or converting it yourself. But then there are the splurge vehicles, the vans that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars with a seemingly limitless list of upgrades. Love camper vans? Come join our community group!
We’ve covered some of these luxury vans on Curbed in the past (like this tricked out four-wheel-drive Sprinter that can power an e-bike), but even the most expensive vans have topped out around $250,000. When RVs cost more than that, you’re usually looking at a giant Class A or a burly expedition vehicle.
Today’s camper van, however, is a $328,000 Mercedes Sprinter from Ohio-based Advanced RV. The 2019 van—called the Baja—is on a 170-inch wheelbase and foregoes the traditional RV “look” in favor of a bright green and silver palette. The green is ubiquitous; you can find it on the upper storage cabinets, in the galley kitchen, on one wall, and on furniture.
A rear sofa works for movie watching on a 24-inch smart TV, and then at night it folds down electrically into a double bed. A kitchen boasts a microwave, a large fridge, and a long stainless steel counter that folds out to create an L-shaped dining area. A few hundred thousand dollars also gets you a wet bathroom with a small sink, shower, and toilet.
Beyond these amenities, an 800Ah lithium-ion battery provides power while off-the-grid, and a touchscreen command system in the front cabin allows you to control everything with the touch of a button. Throw in the ambient lighting, on-demand hot water, air conditioner, upgraded suspension, and security system and you have a tricked out van, to be sure. But is it worth $328,000?
To some, perhaps, but it’s hard to see where the extra cash has gone, especially when it’s almost $100,000 more than luxury vans from competitors like Outside Van. And it seems guaranteed that the camper’s lime green interiors will be a deterrent to some customers. New Atlas reports that if these factors make the van unsellable, Advanced RV has plans to add it to its rental fleet.
Even with a base van that costs over $60,000, the Baja prompts the question: How much more expensive can converted camper vans get? If this neon camper is any indication, it looks like we haven’t seen the limits of #VanLife price tags, quite yet.
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