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B Box Prototype camper van | Advance RV

This Camper Van Steers Into Ugly for a Good Reason

Another day, another custom camper van. Not sure if y’all have heard yet, but 2020 has been a tough year, and we are all looking to bugout into the woods to be around the best kind of Americans – trees. As more of us continue to flock into the wilderness or even wilderness lite (RV …

Another day, another custom camper van. Not sure if y’all have heard yet, but 2020 has been a tough year, and we are all looking to bugout into the woods to be around the best kind of Americans – trees. As more of us continue to flock into the wilderness or even wilderness lite (RV camps), we gotta have the right wheels to get there and stay safe and comfortable. Advance RV is yet another group of folks out there building badass custom camper vans, ready to bug out for the seclusion of the woods.

The truth is, there are very, very few good looking camper vans. To be fair, some campers are totally boss looking, but most are blocky, chunky, flat, and all-around ugly creations that only a mother could love.

As highlighted by Gear Patrol, Advance RV felt like it may be slipping off the ugly tree and started flailing to hit every branch on its way down. It must have figured, “Hell, campers are ugly at their best, so let’s completely give up on trying to look cool and optimize the hell out of this van.” 

The Advance RV B Box prototype

The name won’t win many style points either, but I can respect the dedication to brutal practicality. Advance RV must have taken the Mercedes Sprinter van base’s cultural cues with the Germanesque stripped down, no paint, U-haul-looking square on wheels. Its plainness makes me smile.

B Box Prototype camper van | Advance RV
B Box Prototype camper van | Advance RV

B Box prototype camper van features

Advance says that part of the plainness of the camper’s exterior actually has a purpose. The B Box is supposed to be as understated as possible to keep people from assuming that anyone is living in it. 

Between COVID, civil unrest, and political anxieties, many RV buyers have expressed the desire to spend extended time off the grid. Advance RV heard this concern and decided to oblige. The B box has 15.2 Kilowatt-hours of on-board battery power connected to a friendly interface. This interface runs the various auxiliary power gadgets and can turn on the ignition if battery power gets low. 

Like any good camper van, the B box prototype has a 50-gallon freshwater tank and a 27.5 greywater tank. This glorified moving truck is a bit too cumbersome to overland with any sort of effectiveness, but if you find yourself needing to hop a log or small rocks, the 9 inches of ground clearance will help. 

Inside the cabin

The freshwater tank is put to use in the shower that cleverly lets the user hygienically recycle the water for reuse. The common area also features a fridge, kitchen sink, freezer, and microwave. Of course, the common area’s sofa unfolds into a bed with a few windows nearby offering fresh air and views. 

B Box Prototype camper van | Advance RV
B Box Prototype camper van | Advance RV

What’s the B Box camper van going to cost?

I’m not gonna lie; if you are feeling the B Box camper van, be prepared to burn the pocketbook to the ground. Advance RV is charging (depending on options) between $300,000-$500,000 big ones. That is clearly an exorbitant price considering you can get well into EarthRoamer territory, or ya know, a whole house, for money like that. 

Don’t fret, though; for every half-million-dollar RV that exists, there are dozens of reasonably priced camper vans, motorhomes, and trailers that offer plenty in the way of comfort and rugged practicality.

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