16 Forest Service, 15 National Park Service and 8 BLM. 26 can be booked ahead
Building a van for Nevada
A van can see a great deal of Nevada, because most of its documented drives are roads, not trails. Most of the BLM’s byways here are at least partly Type II, which asks for high clearance, not four-wheel drive, so ride height and tires matter more than a transfer case. Length matters once: on the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive the Park Service allows nothing over 24 feet beyond Upper Lehman Creek Campground.
Build for heat and cold. The Desert refuge can pass 120°F in summer and the mean elevation is about 5,500 feet, so one van needs shade and ventilation in the south and a heater in the high basins.
A conversion is a small house on a moving, flexing, weight-limited platform. The builder insulates and lines the shell, installs the electrical system, plumbing, heat and ventilation, builds the bed, galley and storage, and cuts the holes for windows, fans and vents that you do not want to get wrong.
Some shops build complete vans to a set floor plan. Others build to order, and a few will take on partial work such as electrical only.
A typical conversion includes
01Insulation, wall and ceiling panels, and flooring
02House battery, alternator charging, solar, inverter and shore power
03Roof fan, heater, and sometimes air conditioning
04Fresh and gray water, a sink, and sometimes a shower and water heater
05Bed, galley, seating and storage
06Windows, racks, ladders, awnings and exterior lighting
How to choose a van builder
Floor plans are easy to fall for. The questions underneath them matter more.
01Decide between a shop's standard layout and a custom build. Standard layouts are faster, and the shop has already solved their problems.
02Ask what the finished van weighs with water and gear. Sprinters are sold in several gross weight ratings, and a heavy build on the lightest chassis leaves little margin.
03Ask how the electrical system is protected and documented, and whether the components can be serviced on the road.
04Ask how cabinetry is fastened to the van. Furniture that is only screwed to thin wall panels works loose on rough roads.
05Ask how added seats and seat belts are engineered and anchored if anyone rides behind the front row.
06Get the scope, price, payment schedule and delivery date in writing.
What to have ready before you ask for a quote
The van you order decides what can be built in it, so it helps to talk to a builder before you buy.
01Model year, 144 or 170 wheelbase, roof height, and two-wheel, all-wheel or four-wheel drive
02How many people sleep in it and how many ride in it
03The seasons and climates you travel in
04Whether you need to work from it
05What goes inside with you: bikes, boards, dogs
06A budget range and the date you want to be traveling
Questions people ask
Do I need to own the van before I contact a builder?
No. Many builders would rather talk first, because the wheelbase, roof height and drivetrain you order decide what can be built. Some shops can also source a van.
How long does a Sprinter conversion take?
A full custom build is usually measured in months, plus whatever wait the shop has before it can start. Standard layouts are quicker. Ask for both numbers.
Should I get the 144 or the 170 wheelbase?
The 144 is easier to park, turn and drive on tight roads. The 170 gives you room for a fixed bed and a real galley without compromise. Think about where you will actually drive it, then about how you want to live in it.
Can these builders work on a Ford Transit or Ram ProMaster?
Many do. If you are on another platform, say so in the form and we will look for shops with that experience.
How high is Nevada?
From Mesquite at 1,607 feet to Boundary Peak at 13,140.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,000
Feet above sea level
Towns
AustinOn US 50 in the middle of the state. Forest Service office for the Austin-Tonopah Ranger District.6,644 ft
ElyWhere US 50, US 6 and US 93 meet. BLM district office and Forest Service ranger district. The Park Service puts it 68 miles from Baker.6,436 ft
PiocheOn US 93. The Mount Wilson byway ends here, where State Route 322 returns to the highway.6,076 ft
TonopahWhere US 6 meets US 95. BLM field office and a Forest Service office. The Lunar Crater byway leaves US 6 to the east, at about mile marker 79.6,045 ft
WellsWhere I-80 meets US 93. Forest Service office. The California Trail byway starts 26 miles north on US 93.5,633 ft
BakerFive miles from Great Basin National Park, at the foot of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. The Park Service lists fuel here year-round.5,311 ft
ElkoOn I-80. BLM district office and a Forest Service office. The Forest Service puts Thomas Canyon Campground, in Lamoille Canyon, 30 miles away.5,067 ft
Carson CityState capital. BLM district office and a Forest Service office. NDOT’s Tahoe chain rules apply on US 50 between here and Glenbrook.4,680 ft
RenoOn I-80. Home of the BLM’s Nevada State Office. The road to the Black Rock leaves I-80 to the east, at Wadsworth.4,505 ft
CalienteOn US 93, east of Basin and Range National Monument. The BLM’s Caliente Field Office looks after the monument and the Mount Wilson byway.4,399 ft
WinnemuccaWhere I-80 meets US 95. The BLM’s Winnemucca District and Black Rock Field Office and a Forest Service office. The Fish and Wildlife Service routes visitors from here to Sheldon refuge by way of Denio.4,295 ft
LovelockOn I-80. Start of the BLM’s 20-mile Lovelock Cave Back Country Byway.3,980 ft
GerlachPortal to the Black Rock Desert, 75 miles north of Wadsworth on State Highway 447. The BLM lists fuel, food and motels here, and the nearest tow truck to the conservation area.3,943 ft
AlamoOn US 93. North end of Alamo Road from the Desert refuge, and the nearest tow service to Basin and Range National Monument.3,462 ft
Las VegasWhere I-15 meets US 93 and US 95. BLM district office and a Forest Service office. The Desert refuge’s Corn Creek entrance is north on US 95.1,996 ft
MesquiteOn I-15 in the far southeast. The Gold Butte byway starts off nearby Exit 112.1,607 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Boundary PeakThe highest point in Nevada, in Esmeralda County13,140 ft
Wheeler PeakGreat Basin National Park. The scenic drive ends below its face13,063 ft
Charleston PeakTop of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, outside Las Vegas11,918 ft
Ruby DomeRuby Mountains, above Lamoille Canyon11,387 ft
Hayford PeakThe highest point in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge9,924 ft
Wheeler Peak CampgroundWheeler Peak Scenic Drive: Baker and State Highway 488 to the Wheeler Peak trailheads, in Great Basin National Park9,886 ft
Road’s End TrailheadLamoille Canyon Road: State Route 227 to Road’s End Trailhead, in the Ruby Mountains8,800 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
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