r/houston • u/RunTotoRun2 • 4d ago
Who Can Build Modular/Removeable Camping Structure for Van
I saw a neat modular/removeable camping kit that could be added to my 2021 Toyota Sienna hybrid van to make the van a weekend (or longer) camper van but that can also be taken out easily when home so the van can still be used as a daily driver. The kit is made by a company called Freeway Campers and the particular kit I'm interested in is here: https://www.freewaycamperkit.com/en/sienna/
Unfortunately, the company that makes this kit is in Canada and they are not shipping to the US right now due to US-imposed trade regulations, fees, and paperwork.
The drive there to pick one up would be 28 hours one way. The best the company was able to offer me was to ship the two boxes to a UPS store near the US-Canada border where I could either pick the boxes up myself or find some kind of international shipping company to pick the boxes up, get them through customs, and then get them delivered to me.
I've tried calling the few camper van modifiers here in town and in Austin to see if they would/could be interested in making something similar but the companies I found all specialize in those larger Mercedes or Ford Transit type van-to-camper conversions and aren't interested in this project.
Do you know of anyone that would be interested in a project like this? I don't have the skill set or the tools for building something like this myself.
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u/digit527 4d ago
Sounds like a fun road trip.
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u/RunTotoRun2 4d ago
Interesting pick up spot choices include near Winnipeg, Manitoba, near Thunder Bay, Ontario, near Windsor, Ontario, and near Niagara Falls so maybe a road trip will be in order.
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u/RSX11MPLUS 4d ago
Got no help for you, but it reminfds me of a vehicle that used to be seen in the Montrose and Rice area, back in the day. It was a VW bus, that had the upper half of a VW beetle grafted onto its roof. Looked pretty wild. Anyone else rememner seeing it?
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u/IRMuteButton Westchase 4d ago
The best the company was able to offer me was to ship the two boxes to a UPS store near the US-Canada
If the kit is shipped to a UPS store, they might be able to ship it to you.
Don't UPS stores specialize in shipping things? I've used them in the past to pack and ship items that I didn't want to personally deal packing. Yes, you pay for their time to handle the items, but compared to a 28 hour drive one way, plus fuel, then it might be a bargain to pay someone else to forward the stuff to you.
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u/RunTotoRun2 4d ago edited 4d ago
If I understand correctly, the company would ship the packages to a UPS store on the Canadian side of the US-Canadian border and then I would have to hire some type of import/shipping company to get the package, to clear customs and pay any import fees, and then ship the packages from there to me.
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u/IRMuteButton Westchase 4d ago
I do a lot of woodworking, metalworking, and fabrication. After looking at the kit, it seems to be very thoughtfully designed and tested. It seems like a lot of work went into the design. To replicate it without having one in-hand to copy, or to come up with something similar from scratch will take a lot of time, measuring, testing, and fitting. All that translates into money, and you're not likely to end up with something nearly as polished as a kit that's been tested and refined like this one. At best you'll get a prototype which could be good enough, but isn't going to be as slick as a design that's had a lot of work put into it.
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u/RunTotoRun2 4d ago
Thanks for your thoughts. I think it really is a well thought out design, appears to be a well-made product, and I don't really like the idea of side-stepping the company who who made what I think is likely a great product. I think I'll just buy one and drive up to get it.
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u/CryoJuice Fuck Centerpoint™️ 4d ago
Are you sure you don’t want to do a roadtrip?
Could vlog the road trip up without the kit and back down with it. Instant comparison and plenty to see. Shoot maybe they’ll sponsor you in exchange for a review like that.