With more than 160 recreation sites and 80 free campgrounds
Of ocean beach that is legally a public highway 10
62 miles
Street-legal vehicles only, 25 miles per hour
Building a van for Washington
Start with the winter rules, because they decide hardware. When WSDOT posts chains required, an all-wheel-drive van is exempt only if all wheels are in gear, all carry approved traction devices, and chains for one set of drive tires are in the vehicle. Olympic National Park requires every vehicle on Hurricane Ridge Road to carry chains all winter. Plan where they live and how you reach them without unloading the bed.
Then think about size. A van under 22 feet can drive Cascade River Road; a longer one cannot. Ask how the heater and batteries behave through a wet, dark Cascade winter rather than a dry cold one.
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 Washington?
From Long Beach at 20 feet to Mount Rainier at 14,411.
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
RepublicWest side of Sherman Pass on SR 20, in the middle of the Colville National Forest and the Kettle River Range.2,564 ft
SpokaneOn I-90 near the Idaho line. Base for the Colville forest, the Kettle Crest and the eastern scablands.1,870 ft
WinthropMethow Valley town on SR 20, east side of the winter closure. The Harts Pass road leaves from up-valley.1,761 ft
ColvilleOn US 395 in the northeast. Services for the Three Rivers and Newport ends of the Colville forest.1,612 ft
EllensburgI-90 at the north end of the Yakima River Canyon byway, below the Naneum Ridge state forest roads.1,536 ft
LeavenworthOn US 2 below Stevens Pass, at the mouth of Icicle Creek.1,171 ft
ChelanAt the foot of Lake Chelan, the road gateway to the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.1,130 ft
YakimaSouth end of the Yakima River Canyon. Gateway to the Naches and Ahtanum country and the Green Dot roads.1,067 ft
PackwoodOn US 12 between White Pass and Mount Rainier, at the north edge of the Gifford Pinchot.1,054 ft
OmakOn US 97 in the Okanogan valley, east of Loup Loup Summit and south of the Canadian border crossings.845 ft
WenatcheeHeadquarters town of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, on the Columbia where US 2 meets US 97.668 ft
MarblemountLast services on SR 20 before the North Cascades. Cascade River Road starts here.322 ft
ForksUS 101 town for the Hoh and the Olympic wilderness coast. Fuel before the long empty stretch south.305 ft
SeattleWhere I-5 meets I-90. The usual arrival point and the last big-city parts supply before the Cascades.173 ft
Port AngelesOn US 101 at the bottom of Hurricane Ridge Road, the main entrance to the Olympic high country.67 ft
Long BeachOn the 27-mile Long Beach stretch of the Seashore Conservation Area, where driving on the sand is legal.20 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Mount RainierThe highest point in Washington. No road to the top; Sunrise, at 6,400 feet, is as high as a vehicle gets14,411 ft
Mount AdamsYakima County, the volcano the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route passes on its way north12,276 ft
Mount BakerWhatcom County, above the far end of the Mt. Baker Highway10,767 ft
Mount OlympusJefferson County, the high point of the Olympic Mountains7,928 ft
SunriseSunrise Road, Mount Rainier: SR 410 at the White River entrance to the Sunrise visitor area6,400 ft
Harts PassHarts Pass Road, Forest Road 5400: Mazama in the Methow Valley to the Pacific Crest Trail crossing6,200 ft
Sherman PassSherman Pass, SR 20: Republic to Kettle Falls across the Kettle River Range5,575 ft
Washington PassNorth Cascades Highway, SR 20: Marblemount and the Skagit valley to Winthrop and the Methow5,475 ft
Chinook PassChinook Pass, SR 410: Enumclaw and Mount Rainier to Naches and Yakima5,430 ft
Hurricane RidgeHurricane Ridge Road: Port Angeles to the Hurricane Ridge visitor area5,242 ft
Artist PointMt. Baker Highway to Artist Point, SR 542: Bellingham and Glacier to the end of the road below Mount Shuksan5,140 ft
Blewett PassChelan County, between Ellensburg and the Wenatchee valley4,138 ft
Stevens PassKing County, the US 2 crossing of the Cascade crest4,117 ft
Loup Loup SummitOkanogan County, between Omak and the Methow Valley4,017 ft
Cascade Pass TrailheadCascade River Road: Marblemount on SR 20 to the Cascade Pass trailhead3,660 ft
Snoqualmie PassKittitas County. The lowest Cascade crossing measured here, and the one I-90 uses3,014 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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