Freedom Vans' Witch Van Is a Bewitching Conversion Into a Home on Wheels

Those are exactly the sort of people that run Freedom Vans, a company from the U.S. that currently produces custom order vans that go far beyond what most people are accustomed to.

Autoevolution sat down with co-owner and founder of Freedom Vans, Tom Doran, and talked about how and what is going on with this team. To my surprise, upon asking Mr. Doran the simple question of “How did all this start?” I soon realized that it wasn’t just about business. No, this is the sort of team that grew from a passion for doing the whole thing (life) differently.

One thing to note about Freedom Vans before I go on is that they do 100% custom work. That means that if you want a van that will offer you and your family a home with wheels, they can do it. If you want a van meant to carry out ski trips safely, they can do that too. MTB excursions, they’ve got you covered as well; actually, that last one is part of how this business started.

Now, to get an idea of the sort of work this team can achieve, it’ll help to show you one of the freshest designs they’ve completed, the Witch Van. As far as a mobile home goes, this must be one of the most clean-cut, fresh, and minimalist camper vans I've seen. Actually, to call it a camper van feels like I'm doing it a bit of injustice; it’s a downright home.

Seeing this van for the first time, the exterior doesn’t say much, which is all part of the plan; after all, it’s meant to be a stealth van. However, the interior reminds me of a quaint European cabin, for lack of a better word, homey. Upon discussing with Mr. Doran about the build, I soon found out that the client who owns the van can live out of it and can do it in quite the comfort.

Like most vehicles Freedom Vans works on, the Witch Van uses a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a 170-inch (431-centimeter) wheelbase. Why a Sprinter? Simple. They're an absolute beast of a machine and have even been seen running well over 500,000 miles (804,672 kilometers) with only regular maintenance costs.

To be sure clients can perform their daily operations without any issues, this van is equipped with an array of electrical systems. A 400-amp-hour lithium battery bank, two additional batteries, a 3000-watt inverter, and 72-cell LG solar panels with about 400-watt capacity seem to be all one person needs. A Victron 100-50 MPPT solar charge controller and monitor are also included in the build.

For a bedroom, the Witch is equipped with a 6-inch (15.24-centimeter) king-size memory foam mattress that has been cut to size, all on a bed platform. Underneath, there's plenty of storage space and a slide-out tray that could easily hold a bicycle or an array of other gear.

Flooring in the van is Pergo Outlast Thornbury Oak laminate, while those clean-cut countertops are acacia butcher block. The dinette table is made from the same stuff. Speaking of dinette, this area can be converted into seating for multiple people and even looks like it could sleep one extra guest.

To help the client stay clean, an indoor shower or wet room is equipped with a Natureshead composting toilet, showerhead, and hose, as well as a sliding door to keep water out of the rest of the van. Water is provided by a 30-gallon (113.5-liter) freshwater tank, 10-gallon (37.9-liter) graywater tank, and 4-gallon (15-liter) electric heater.

One other aspect I enjoyed about the Witch Van was the integration of storage space. The dinette seating allows for storage, but there are overhead cabinets, dresser/closet, and a headliner cabinet too.

Now for the question on everyone’s mind, how much is something like this going to cost you. Well, it’s hard to say, really. Since Freedom Vans is the sort of team that will build a custom-design vehicle tuned exactly to your needs and wants, the sky’s the limit. To give you an idea and a reason to get ahold of Freedom Vans, their builds, excluding the donor van, usually range from $40,000 to $200,000 and beyond, depending on customer needs and wants, of course.

One thing I must add before I go is this: after my conversation with Tom Doran, I got one of those feelings that the way I've been living my life has been all wrong. But there’s hope, it can all be different if I just get myself a van.