A couple in their 20s converted 11 camper vans before building their dream one. Take a look inside the $127,000 Ram ProMaster.

• Scarlett and Seth Eskelund spent five years building and converting vans.
• In 2023, they quit their van conversion business to build one final dream van to travel in.

Scarlett and Seth Eskelund started their van conversion knowing exactly what they wanted.

There was no debate over adding a pop of color; the couple planned to stick to neutrals. When deciding if it was worth spending the money and time building a shower, the answer was an easy yes. Straight lines and Scandinavian influence were styles the pair had eyed for years, so naturally, they agreed to incorporate those elements in their van.

These quick answers — and the conversion for the van altogether — took a mere six months. But Scarlett, 26, and Seth, 27, told Business Insider that their van was really five years in the making.

Before the build, the couple had spent years converting and selling vans. After a bout of burnout, the pair decided to quit their conversion business and prioritize building a van to travel in.

It's been a year since they completed the build, and they said it's exactly as they dreamed.

"I wouldn't change — down to centimeters — hardly anything," Seth said.

"It works really, really well for us," Scarlett added.

After five years of converting and selling vans, the couple was ready to build their dream one

In 2018, Seth and Scarlett felt stuck.

"We were just in an unhappy place in life," Scarlett said. Scarlett had recently graduated from college and entered a field she wasn't passionate about. Meanwhile, Seth was doing freelance videography.

To shake things up, they decided to purchase and convert a van.

The van would allow the pair to avoid rent, freelance, and travel to jobs across the country.

Scarlett said that while a van suited their needs at the time, the goal of exploring was never their driving force for van life.

They spent about a year on their first conversion, and during that time, they fell in love with the process.

Then COVID-19 hit, and Scarlett and Seth saw an opportunity to capitalize on the wave of interest in van life. RV park conglomerates witnessed stocks surge and camper conversion businesses advertised lengthy waitlists, The New York Times reported in 2020.

In response, the pair started their own business converting vans.

It was a success. For the next three years, the pair converted and sold vans for an average price of $85,000. Since 2018, Seth and Scarlett converted 11 vans, including three they lived in; their builds typically took three to six months.

"Eventually, the need to get into a van fell off around 2023 or so," Seth said. "And everything kept getting more and more expensive."

Faced with higher vehicle and material costs, Seth and Scarlett decided to shut down their business.

"We suffered extreme burnout toward the end there, and ultimately, we decided our mental health was worth more than that," Scarlett said.

They both agreed they had enough energy for one more project: a dream van in which they'd live and travel indefinitely.

They spent 2,000 hours over six months building out the van

Scarlett said they started this project knowing it would be their last conversion. With that in mind, their goal was to prioritize a space that catered to their needs and comforts.

The pair started by outlining what their dream van would house. A shower was a must for both of them, as was creating a stealthy van that didn't scream luxury from the exterior.

With a list of amenities, they mapped out the design and got to work.

They purchased a new 2023 Ram ProMaster in January 2023 with an MSRP of $60,000.

Their previous vans had been Mercedes Sprinters, but for their final vehicle, they picked the ProMaster for its width. Seth is 6'2'', and the ProMaster is wide enough to stretch out in their bed fully.

Their van had a black exterior and tinted windows, which would help it be more discreet when parked in large cities. They also made sure that the van's exterior features were unnoticeable.

"We kept all of the stuff on our roof really minimal," Seth said. For example, the highest item on top of the vehicle is a fan, which sits just three inches above the roof. Their solar panels are thin, and the couple used boat hatches instead of skylights, which sit flush with the roof. Plus, they flat-mounted a Starlink internet system as well.

The pair's exterior must-haves also included plenty of water storage. Their van can hold 48 gallons of fresh water and 30 gallons of gray water in a tank system underneath the van. This allows them to be off the grid for two weeks.

As for the interior, the pair prioritized kitchen space, storage, and a litter box for their two cats.

The shower is noticeable when you first step inside the van. It's about two feet by four feet and made of lightweight, waterproof materials.

Next to the shower is a hidden litter box for the couple's two cats, Lula and Sasha. The litter box also functions as a bench.

Near the bench is the kitchen area.

"I cook at least two or three times a day, so that was important," Seth said.

Their kitchen has an oven and a propane stove, as well as a fridge, sink, pantry area, and hidden laundry basket.

At the back of the van is their bed, which they convert to a table and seating area during the day.

The couple agreed that while they wanted to add smart amenities, the design and feel of the space were equally important.

"We've always been under the opinion that when you live in this small of a space full-time, clutter is your worst enemy," Scarlett said. "So we wanted to feel very clean all the time and very calming — almost like a sanctuary."

They drew influences from Nordic design, which can be seen in the space's simplicity and clean lines. The van has two main elements: gray Roman clay and natural wood.

Some of the van's more expensive features include an electrical system that cost $20,000 and the shower, which they estimate they spent close to $10,000 on.

Overall, they value the van at $127,000. Thanks to relationships they had built from previous conversions, Scalett and Seth received some discounts and deals throughout the project.

But labor isn't factored into that price tag. Seth said they spent more than 2,000 hours working on the van over six months.

"The most expensive thing you're going to run into is labor," Scarlett said.

While the conversion took six months, Scarlett and Seth said five years of experience was required to make the build possible.

"You could not build this with only six months of knowledge," Scarlett said. For example, Seth has years of electrical experience and certifications that allowed him to build their van's system.

They finished the build in June 2023 and were thrilled with the result.

"This van had to be the thing that could get us as much time as we need — and want — doing this," Scarlett said. "We can confidently say we did that. This van has everything we need to do it forever."

The couple has spent the past year traveling around the continent

"We gave up basically everything — we gave up our business, we were shutting it down, leaving a warehouse we had been in for three years," Scarlett said.

Seth said that leaving that behind was both stressful and invigorating.

Their first stop was Colorado, a state they hadn't visited yet. There, they spent nights near water, where a mother and baby moose would frequent — a highlight they still talk about a year later.

In the past year, they've explored a handful of states and parts of Mexico and Canada.

So far, they haven't changed a single element or feature in the van and don't plan on it.

And while they accomplished their dream van, Scarlett said, "You couldn't pay us to do it again."

Instead, their future goals include owning properties across the country and building tiny homes.

But for now, their focus is to continue their van adventures.