Our Story

Built for the People
Who Couldn't Afford
$300,000.

Caravan Woods exists because there was nothing between a fully custom van build and a pile of plywood. We fixed that.

Caravan Woods founder's 2022 Sprinter 144

"I was always the one driving to the beach at 4am. I wanted to be the one who woke up there."

Where It Started

Growing up in California, some of my friends would get up at 4am just to drive to the beach to surf. But I was always envious of the ones who slept in their camper and made coffee before they even hit the water.

I grew up an hour from the coast and spent my teens modifying a truck into a camping and surfing rig to drive up and down the California coastline. That instinct, to make something that takes you places comfortably without spending a fortune, never really left.

At the start of COVID, a friend bought a Sprinter shell and spent close to $300,000 building it out into a custom camper van. It was incredible. It was also completely out of reach for almost everyone. And on the other end, DIY kits meant weeks of carpentry, guesswork, and results that looked exactly like what they were.

There was nothing in between. So we built it.

The Problem We Solved

The Gap Between Custom and DIY

Van conversion used to mean choosing between two bad options. We built a third one.

Custom Build $80k–$300k

Full Professional Conversion

Custom fabrication, professional electricians and plumbers, bespoke cabinetry. Results are exceptional. Lead times are 6 to 18 months. Accessible to almost nobody.

A friend spent $300,000 on his Sprinter build. It was stunning. It was also the moment this company was born.

Caravan Woods $12,999+

Factory-Built, Ships Assembled

Everything built, wired, and finished before it leaves our facility. Slides into your van in under an hour. The quality of a considered build without the custom price tag or the DIY time commitment.

This is the gap we built to fill.

DIY Kit $3k–$8k

Flat-Pack Panels and Instructions

Affordable entry point, but you are buying materials, not a finished product. Expect weeks of weekends, carpentry skills you may not have, and results that vary widely.

Most people underestimate how much time and skill a real DIY build actually requires.

The Proof of Concept

We Drive What We Build

Every Caravan Woods kit is designed around a real van with real use. Our 2022 Mercedes Sprinter 144" is a fully functional mobile showroom with the production kit installed exactly as it ships to customers.

It's the same steel frame, the same finishes, the same electrical system, and the same LED lighting. If you're near Portland, Oregon, reach out and we will show it to you in person.

Van Mercedes Sprinter 144"
Year 2022
Roof High Roof
Kit Production model, as shipped
Location Lake Oswego, OR
Available to View By appointment
Caravan Woods production kit installed in 2022 Sprinter 144 Production Kit • As Shipped
Justin Metras, Founder of Caravan Woods
Justin Metras Founder, Caravan Woods 📍 Lake Oswego, Oregon
The Person Behind It

A Builder Who Got Tired of the Alternatives

I have been designing and building things most of my life. As a teenager in California, I turned a truck into a beach camping rig. As an adult, I have designed products from scratch, worked with manufacturers across multiple continents, and run businesses where the details matter.

Caravan Woods is the product I wished existed when my friend dropped $300,000 on a van build. Not because I wanted the same thing at the same price. Because I wanted something real, something well-made, and something I could actually afford, that didn't look like a craft project.

I drive a production Caravan Woods kit in my own Sprinter every time I take it out. That matters to me. I'm not selling something I haven't lived with.

Built on real manufacturing experience

Designed with production processes that bring the cost down without cutting what matters: the frame, the finishes, the electrical work.

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Lighting designed in-house

Interior LED lighting is designed by our own specialty lighting team. It's not sourced from a catalog and installed as an afterthought.

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You talk to the founder

When you contact Caravan Woods, you are not going into a support queue. You will hear back from a real person who knows this product inside out.

How We Make It Affordable

Manufactured at Scale. Priced for Real People.

Custom van builds cost what they cost because every one is different. We solved that by designing a single, well-engineered kit and producing it at volume overseas.

That decision is what makes a $12,999 kit with a steel frame, professional electrical, and premium finishes possible. It's also why we can offer a 3-year structural warranty on something at this price point.

ASTM A572 Grade 50 Steel Frame

Commercial-grade structural steel. The same spec used in building construction. Doesn't warp, swell, or fail under road conditions.

Quality Inspected Before Shipping

Every kit goes through a full inspection before it's packed. Electrical tested, plumbing checked, structure verified.

3-Year Structural Warranty

We back the frame for 3 years and all other components for 1 year. If something is wrong, we make it right.

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Fire Retardant + Safety Equipment Included

Every kit ships with fire retardant materials throughout, a dry powder fire extinguisher, and a carbon monoxide alarm.

Ready to See What We Build?

Browse the kits, compare models, or reach out directly. If you're near Portland, come see the van in person.