Conversion van

A conversion van is a full-sized cargo van that is sent to third-party companies to be outfitted with various luxuries for road trips and camping. It can also mean a full-size passenger van in which the rear seating have been rearranged for taxis, school buses, shuttle buses, and limo purposes in place of a family van. Other conversions include bespoke fitting services to be undertaken to make the load area of light commercial vehicles suitable for industrial work. This includes various things such as racking systems for the storage of tools and goods so they can be kept safe and utilise the full storage capability of the vehicle.

History

Conversion vans came into style during the 1970s and 1980s. Early conversions were simply vans with seats put in them, often with murals painted along the sides. One of the pioneers in developing the industry from the beginning was Dan A. Welsh of Goshen, IN. His first venture was Rockwood Vans started in the summer of 1977 in Goshen, Indiana (the hub of the van conversion industry). He was also a major player in the following companies from the early 1980s through the late 1990s: Advantage Corporation (Goshen, IN and Tempe, AZ), Midwest Vans (Elkhart, IN), Kustom Kreations (Oneonta, AL). These companies helped grow the conversion van industry to record levels and in later years developed the truck conversion industry.