After purchasing my 2020 Ram Promaster City cargo van in November 2020, I had Cascade professionally convert it to a 2-person camper van. Five months later, I saw this article posted on a Facebook (Cascade Campers Customer Forum) page. It made me chuckle, plus reinforced my personal reasons for choosing a Cascade conversion over the more costly, Recon pop-top van:
https://www.marketplace.org/2021/04/26/why-older-single-women-are-buying-camper-vans/amp
For two years, I had searched for reliable, micro vans at affordable prices. I fell in love with the Recon Envy pop-up camper on a Nissan NV200 cargo van platform. But their $60K total price including the cost of a new cargo van, sales tax, registration and shipping fees broke the bank for me. That hefty amount would make a good down payment on a condo or single family home! Another huge factor is that Nissan had announced its future discontinuation of NV200 cargo vans. Wonder if the Recon builder in Southern California and their new facility manager in Michigan got the memo or read the news release last year (2020)?
Source: https://carbuzz.com/news/nissan-will-discontinue-three-models-next-summer
I also researched why pop-tops are so expensive to install on vans. They require most of a metal roof to be removed with an electric saw. This adds a minimum of $10K to the price tag. Like many other pop-tops, the Recon Envy latches from the outside. This eliminates stealth features for urban parking. Imagine trying to stay secretive in a Walmart parking lot with a pop-top in the “up” position! You might as well unroll the awning or put a camp chair & fire pit outside the van.
During the Pandemic of 2020, camper van builders increased their costs at dramatic rates. Only Cascade Camper Vans in Nevada City, California remained reasonably priced at $8K for their basic camper van conversion package. Windows are extra at @ $400 each, installed by a local Grass Valley window company. Two exhaust fans now come standard. Note: California sales tax is not included in the Cascade (build) price. It’s an extra add-on.
As a recent owner of a 2020 Cascade Camper van and someone almost six decades in age, I want to give my two cents why older women are buying micro vans today. #1 reason is affordability over pop-top & Sprinter vans. #2 reason is maneuverability and great gas mileage. Micro camper vans can go anywhere there’s a paved or gravel road. Air down the tires and go on dirt paths, overland style, if the hills are not too steep for vehicles like the Ram Promaster City van, Nissan NV200, Mercedes Metris or Ford Transit Connect.
My conversion cost me $10K because I had 4 extra windows installed, plus I ordered a second set of curtains & a second, electric vent fan not included last year. Cascade builds on the Ram Promaster City Tradesman cargo van platform only! No passenger vans with rear seatbelts or rear airbags allowed. Their sofa bed is sideways instead of forward facing to make more room for sleeping. It’s very difficult for any camper van builder to get DOT approval for seatbelts without strenuous and lengthy safety inspections. Cascade’s comfortable couch converts into a 42-inch-wide, 6 foot 4 inch long, two-person bed. It now comes in two vinyl colors: desert tan and slate grey. Forest green was discontinued in Spring 2021.
Cascade Campers will convert a Ram Promaster City cargo van up to five years old. This gives a van owner greater affordability unlike other builders who only convert brand new vans! Therefore, I came to a financial conclusion that a new Ram Promaster City Tradesman cargo van with a two year extended warranty (cost $25K including sales tax and Ohio registration) plus the $10K Cascade van conversion is a much better investment than a $60K micro popup camper van! I can park my Cascade inside a standard condo garage protecting my asset as a daily driver, weekend camper van and “bug out” vehicle!
Micro Van Life 
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