A silver Highland Vans Sprinter parked on a mountain road below snow-capped peaks, with a person leaning out of the open driver's window

About Us

Three brothers, one production floor, and every van built to order.

Our Story

Three of the Highland Vans team standing shoulder to shoulder in front of an open Sprinter conversion at an outdoor show, under a Highland Vans canopy

Highland Vans was founded in Chicago in 2020 by three brothers who love the outdoors — and who believed adventure vans could be built better. Six years and more than 150 delivered vans later, that belief has become a proven platform: a team of designers, engineers, and craftsmen building some of the most capable Sprinter conversions on the road.

Highland Vans is more than a business — it’s a family legacy. Our three founding brothers discovered vanlife the way most of our owners do: on the road, chasing trailheads and campsites, realizing the van itself could make or break the trip. They started building for themselves. Then for friends. Then, in 2020, for everyone.

What started in a Chicago garage is now one of the Midwest’s most trusted adventure van builders — with Highland Vans exploring everywhere from the Boundary Waters to Baja. The mission hasn’t changed: build the ultimate adventure vehicle for people who want to experience the world on their own terms.

The Team & Our Standard

Your van should be an extension of your lifestyle, not a compromise on it. Our designers, engineers, and craftsmen sweat the details — from aluminum-framed cabinetry that won’t rot or rattle, to electrical systems chosen for serviceability a decade out. We don’t consider a van done until we’d take it on our own trips. And we stand behind every build with our 3-year / 36,000-mile warranty — longer than most conversion shops offer.

Manufacturing

Every van is built in our manufacturing center in Elk Grove Village, IL, where computer-aided design and precision manufacturing meet hands-on craftsmanship. We’ve refined our layouts year over year across every build — so the van you order today carries six years of lessons from owners putting real miles on real adventures.

Every van starts as a complete digital model. Computer-aided design lets us use every cubic inch of a Sprinter; computer-aided manufacturing means cabinet number 150 fits exactly like cabinet number one. Precision isn’t a luxury at highway speeds on a washboard road — it’s why our interiors stay quiet for years.

It’s also why we build standard models instead of one-offs. The Aoraki, Parbat, and Kinabalu have each been improved every year since their introduction — upgraded materials, refined layouts, better systems — informed by feedback from 150+ owners. When you order a Highland Van, you get a design that’s been road-tested for years, not sketched last month.

A Highland Vans Sprinter parked on the Chicago lakefront at sunset, its rear doors open on a wood interior, with the city skyline and a marina behind it

Our Vision

Using design, engineering, and the latest technologies in manufacturing, we can improve people’s lives through purpose-built adventure vehicles that target utility, durability, and modularity in a sophisticated and modern style.

Our Mission

To produce the ultimate exploration vehicle that elevates your adventure while traveling.

The community around these vans

An owner sitting in the open side door of his Highland Vans Sprinter at a mountain show, beside a Highland Vans flag reading Elevate Your Adventure

We started in 2020 with an idea: build the ultimate adventure machine and share it with people who get it. Six years later, we’ve delivered more than 150 vans — and refined our three layouts, generation after generation, until “stop stressing over floorplans” became something we could actually promise. Our passion has only grown for the vans we build and the people we get to build them for.

The ability to share this adventure through vans and the travel we can do in them has been wonderful. We have met so many amazing people, explored new places, and best of all we have built a community around your vans.

Our mission to share the ultimate adventure with you would not be possible without your support. We can’t even begin to thank you for being a part of what makes Highland Vans so special. As we begin new adventures together and apart, we want to encourage you to share our mission. On social media, we would love for you to share your ultimate adventure with us. Tag us or use #highlandvans so we can stay connected. We love watching where your Highland Van takes you.

5.05 out of 5

37 Google reviews

5 out of 5
I originally purchased a new Sprinter with the intention of building it out myself. … once I visited their shop, the quality of their products completely exceeded my expectations. … I was pleasantly surprised by how competitive their pricing was for a complete, turnkey build. … my build wouldn't have been possible if they hadn't agreed to take my van in immediately, allowing me to hit the road for my trip south just six weeks later.
Thomas Thompson
Posted on Google
5 out of 5
The whole team is very professional … They did amazing job for me. Don't waste time going to big camper dealers. The difference between them and companies like Highland Vans are like day and night.
Mark Dembicki
Posted on Google
5 out of 5
We had a great experience working with Highland Vans on our camper build. … While the build did take longer than we initially expected, the final result was absolutely worth the wait. … If you’re considering a custom van build and want something made with quality materials and attention to detail, we would definitely recommend reaching out.
Patti Wayne
Posted on Google

Meet the people who will build it

The design center, the production floor and the service bay are one building in Elk Grove Village, and it is open to visitors.

Book an on-site visit, or start with a video call if the drive to Chicago is a long one.

Let’s Chat