Thanks for your attention!
It’s been nearly six months since the purchase of our Ram ProMaster 3500. At the time of the deal, I had no plans, no CAD drawings, and very little idea what I was doing.
Several iterations later after prototyping different aspects of the camper van systems, we completed our first trip with a nearly completed tiny house on wheels.
The Ram ProMaster is an excellent candidate for camper van conversion projects. There are several aspects of the Ram ProMaster that make it perfect for this project.
- Significantly less expensive than Mercedes Sprinter Van
- Wide enough to fit a full-sized mattress across the width of the van (allowing you extra living area)
- Lowest center of gravity / step up into the van of any comparable van on the market
- Tightest turning radius of comparable vans.
The Ram ProMaster is only available in Front Wheel Drive. While this can be considered a negative, the advantage is that all of the engine systems of the van are located under the hood or cab area, allowing the low center of gravity and step into the van.
Time will tell how two wheel drive will fair in the Wyoming winter. After totaling the weight of subfloor, laminate floor, ceilings, walls, cabinetry, water systems, battery systems, and all the other gear that you’ll be brining along, I’m hopeful that the sheer weight will go along way to add traction in the winter weather.
I decided to go with the 3500 model for the upgraded suspension, in the 159″ wheel base. I test drove or looked at every different variation of the ProMaster, from the 1500 136″ up through the 3500 159″ with and without the extended cab, and found the 3500 without the extended cab to be the best mix of ride quality and maneuverability for parallel parking.
Backup cameras will be mandatory in 2018, and I would strongly encourage you to buy your ProMaster with the backup camera. The positioning and angle of the camera make it a pleasure to drive in reverse through parking lots.