Most people generally believe that the conversion van had its origins in the free-spirited era of the ‘60s and ‘70s and that’s understandable. It was during that time that the van made its great leap forward from a commercial vehicle to a recreational one thanks to counterculture activists and nature lovers who saw vast potential in the vehicle’s open space.
But for the actual origins of the conversion van, you might have to look a bit further back in time, as far back as the 1930s, to find a vehicle that could truly qualify as one that was able to be repurposed at the owner’s whim.
In 1930, Plymouth introduced the sedan delivery panel van. While it appeared to most people to be little more than a regular sedan, what made the Plymouth sedan panel van special is that is had a wide rear door that made loading delivery items easier. This made it perfect for commercial purposes as well as for transporting passengers. Now while there were many vehicles out at the time that had rear doors and were used for delivery, what made this the first conversion van was that it also had a rear seat that could be removed or installed to accommodate passengers or cargo as needed. Furthermore, the Plymouth sedan panel van came with panels that could be placed over the side rear windows, on which the owner could print the name of his company, not too unlike the way it’s done today.
Despite these innovative features, the Plymouth sedan panel van failed to ignite the business community’s interest and only 800 were built before it was discontinued.
Following this, many of the vans developed served specific purposes and were designed for one purpose only. There were delivery vans that had built-in refrigeration units, vans that required the driver to stand to allow more room for cargo and frequent delivery stops and vans designed for light hauling only.
In the 1950s, Chevrolet introduced their panel van which came with a single front bench seat, an empty rear cargo area with a steel-ribbed interior and no addition seats, insulation or noise reduction features. What made this model notable is that it allowed the purchaser to configure the interior any way they desired, to suit their own purposes. Shelves could be added and secured to the inside to transports plants or baked goods or refrigeration units of any size could be installed.
This ability to reconfigure a panel van as the user saw fit marked a turning point in the development of the conversion van and led the way to the conversion van boom in the ‘60s and ‘70s that kicked off with the introduction of the Volkswagen Type 2, better known as the VW Bus.
In the era of free love and free spirits, the idea of being free to outfit your vehicle to suit your needs seemed to be a perfect fit. As the ‘60s progressed, members of the counterculture (hippies and back-to-nature enthusiasts) saw the van as the perfect getaway vehicle. Given several nicknames (the microbus, micro, bulli, samba and splittie because of its split front window), the Type 2 came in two models: the Kombi, with middle and rear seats that were easily removable by one person, and the Commercial, a panel van without side windows or a rear seat. While they could sometimes be unreliable (the earlier versions had engine overheating problems uncharacteristic for a VW), their easily accessible engines, convertible interiors and relatively cheap price (particularly for used models) made them a favorite of a new generation with limited means (either by choice or circumstances). So it wasn’t uncommon to see VW vans roaming the countryside and converted into makeshift motorhomes, complete with beds, stoves, cabinets and pop-out tents. In mere seconds, the second row of seats could be added to increase the seating capacity.
That creativity extended to the exterior of the VW vans as well, as decorating the outside of these vehicles became a popular form of expression. Designs featuring the “logos” of their lifestyle (flowers, peace signs, anti-war slogans, etc.) were common themes.
As the era changed, so did the approach to conversion vans. Though primarily still the domain of the do-it-yourselfer, the designs and usage changed a bit from an expression of the state of the world to an expression of one’s self. In the 1970s, van conversions took a more personal approach and often transformed the vehicle (most often a Chevy panel van) into “rolling rooms”, an extension (or sometimes replacement) for the home. Shag carpeting, elaborate stereo systems, convertible beds and even mood lighting were becoming standard add-ons in converting a van, with outside graphics which
tended to reflect the owner’s personality, or at least how he saw himself.
This isn’t to say that the conversion van fans ended their affection for the vehicle’s outdoor capabilities. Volkswagen continued to produce the successful Westfaila campervan that included a standard icebox, water storage system and pump, electrical outlets and plywood cabinets. Optional features included a canvas top that could be popped up, a portable toilet and a camping stove. And campervans were created from other converted vans (such as the Ford Econoline) that included a fridge, sink, sofabed and toilet.
While there have almost always been vans converted for specific uses (medical, etc.) in the 1980s and ‘90s these types of conversion vans became a specialty market. Instead of vehicles merely being retrofitted with the required features, companies working in close contact with the major automakers began creating conversion vans with the desired features already installed.
Conversion vans specially designed for the medical or disability field were pre-equipped with features such as wheelchair lifts, outlets for electrical medical equipment and raised roofs to accommodate physicians who had to sit or stand or administer treatment. Office conversion vans let busy executives travel around town with computer access, fax and phone lines and Internet connection. And television and radio stations found they could be at the scene of the action, rather than confined to a studio, with conversion vans that contained broadcast equipment that was designed to fit in the back of a vehicle.
From modest beginnings in the 1930s, the conversion van branch of the automotive industry has undergone a number of changes, but received a big boost from the do-it-yourself van conversion era of the 1960s and 1970s.