Van Chassis Options
While they range in length from 18' to 24', van campers in today's market are built on the high roof version of only three van chassis.
The Ford Transit Cargo van is the least common choice for upfitters, but that's almost certainly because of supply chain challenges rather than lack of interest in the platform. Indeed, the Transit is the perfect gas engine alternative to the Mercedes Sprinter, which comes only with a diesel engine. Upfitters use two different high roof Transit vans, both of which are on the 148" wheelbase: a 19.5' version (pictured above) and a 22' version with dual rear wheels. Ford produces these vans with two engine choices (3.5L regular and 3.5L EcoBoost) and either rear wheel drive or all wheel drive. But upfitters almost always choose the AWD EcoBoost option because it's the most capable despite getting a few miles per gallon less than its Mercedes and Ram counterparts. The Pleasure Way Ontour and Coachmen Beyond are the two best examples of van campers on this chassis. Like the Sprinter, Transits are slightly narrower and taller -- which is good for tall van camper owners but can make the space feel a bit narrow.
Like the Volkswagen Bus in the latter part of the 20th century, the Mercedes Sprinter is today's iconic van camper chassis. The 2024 model year features two wheelbases (144" and 170") and three lengths (19.5', 22' and 24'). Pictured above is a 22' van on the 170" wheelbase. All models come with a twin turbo four cylinder diesel engine and either a rear wheel drive or all wheel drive powertrain. Older model years had six cylinder engines and a true four wheel drive option. Van campers on the Sprinter chassis tend to be higher priced, in large part because the chassis itself is more expensive. That higher price, however, tends to include safety features and comfort that the Transit and ProMaster cannot match. Like the Transit, Sprinters are slightly narrower and taller -- which is good for tall van camper owners but can make the space feel a bit narrow. If you're considering a van on a Sprinter chassis, the biggest question, besides price, is whether you want a diesel engine or not.
The Ram ProMaster is the North American version of the Fiat Ducato, which is ubiquitous in Europe. It's a popular choice for upfitters due to its lower cost, front wheel drive powertrain and wider body (although its ceilings are a bit lower than the Transit and Sprinter). Also, established upfitters currently install pop top sleepers only on the ProMaster chassis, although that could change in the future. Van campers on the ProMaster chassis all have the same 3.6L V6 gas engine and come in two wheelbases (136" and 159") and three lengths (18', 19.5' and 21'). For many, the 21' length is a sweet spot because it affords extra room inside but still more or less fits into a standard parking space. While all the chassis have their fair share of quality and reliability issues, the ProMaster seems to fare just a bit worse, although Ram made some adjustments and improvements beginning with the 2022 model year.