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When Austin Bell set out on an overland trip in a Sprinter van that he expanded with a bed, batteries and a roof rack “Veranda”, he thought he’d be gone for a month.
Two and a half months later, Bell returned to Harrisonburg with a business idea that took up the West Coast lifestyle and aimed to make it more accessible on the East Coast.
“I planned to be gone for a month, and after a month I realized I was in Portland, Oregon and realized, well, I’m halfway there,” said Bell. “It was fantastic, it opened my eyes. I did it on my own, everything was decision making [great for me.]”
Bell wanted to share its experiences and make traveling in a van with a camping function accessible to people of all price ranges. As a result, he started a new company called Skyline Van Design with his father, Ken Bell, which started earlier this year. The company offers modular components that make DIY easy while providing services and custom builds for customers.
“We’re focused on creating a modular system of components that is essentially plug-and-play and can be built on top of it so that you don’t have to buy the entire kit at once,” said Austin Bell. “There are a lot of companies out there making these top notch builds, but they cost $ 200,000 and it is [an expensive] Entry for many [customers]. “
With the help of his father, who runs a company called Tradeshow Direct that makes bespoke trade show displays, Austin Bell was given a space, manufacturing tools, and funding to start the business.
“My experience so far is making bespoke exhibition counters that are all modular and things like that,” said Ken Bell. “So basically we have been building custom-made, modular exhibition furniture for 25 years and transforming it into modular vans. It just flows out of us because I’ve been doing it for so long. “
Austin Bell, a 2019 University of Virginia architecture graduate, used computer-aided design to create a kitchen cabinet. It contains a freezer with cool box, a microwave and three different power sources. The electrical system includes an AC-DC charger that connects to the vehicle’s alternator to charge while driving; a solar charge controller connected to solar panels on the roof of the vehicle; and an inverter charger that can be plugged into an electrical outlet or a campsite.
Bell said he used a combination of solar power and car charging to power his trip, which returned the northern US to Portland and the southern US to Harrisonburg.
“Between solar power and charging the car, I had no problems driving around the country for two and a half months. My batteries never went below 80%, ”said Bell.
Another big part of the business that runs in a warehouse next to Brothers Craft Brewing is customization and aesthetics. In addition to integrating branded components, customers buying modular offerings can choose accent colors. Van customers can also opt for an individual floor covering in their van and choose between a variety of multi-colored textiles for floor mats.
“If you ever walk into a high-end kitchen design center, this is what we want when you come here. You can explore these different color options so you can really make it your own. So materials and finishes are things that we’re really interested in, ”said Ken Bell.
The Bells are currently fully equipping a beige-colored Mercedes Sprinter Van 2021 with roof rack, ladder, lighting and more in part of the company’s storage space.
Austin Bell said he plans to use the van as a display at trade shows, as a rental property, and possibly sell it to a customer after its completion.
“We’re definitely pushing this level of curb aesthetics. We’re going to make it look tough. It will be functional and tough at the same time. Not everyone who comes to us will want the off-road wheel and tire combo and all of those exterior components, but it shows the potential of the products we are going to offer, ”said Austin Bell.
Van fitting out is often a do-it-yourself activity, but Austin Bell, who spent about four months fitting out his own van, said it was done with electrical installation and other large projects like cutting a new window, can be difficult.
Jeremy Wimpey, director of Applied Trails Research, spends much of the year designing and maintaining forest trails across the country, relying on an equipped van to do the job.
“With my first van, I was worried that it would burn to the ground because I did the wiring myself. I did two [vans] in the past and I just don’t have the time to do all of this, ”said Wimpey.
Wimpey, who recently got a new van, said he chose to become a Skyline Van Design customer because of its location and the expertise of the team.
“You are close. Most of the places Vans work in are in the west, so it’s really nice to have a van resource on the east coast, ”said Wimpey. “[Until] During the pandemic, I spent half the year working in my van. But I always wear things in it. So to have something like a convertible that doesn’t rattle when you drive on country roads. “
Austin Bell relies on his ability to design fully functional vans using computer-aided technology before making anything that sets his business apart from home improvement enthusiasts who want to experience a van life.
“We first created a lot of prototypes on the computer. We design the van on the computer before we start cutting the wood so we can imagine how it will flow. I feel like a lot of people think that every van starts from scratch. But when we cut our first piece of wood in the virtual world, we prototyped it about four times, “said Ken Bell.
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https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/skyline-van-design-co-sprints-into-east-coast-outdoor-and-off-road-market/article_6f5b49a9-06f4-5741-9c08-c231152d2005.html
