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Concept
Conversion van
Summary
A conversion van is a full-sized cargo van that is sent to third-party companies to be outfitted with various luxuries for road trips and camping. It can also mean a full-size passenger van in which the rear seating have been rearranged for taxis, school buses, shuttle buses, and limo purposes in place of a family van. Other conversions include bespoke fitting services to be undertaken to make the load area of light commercial vehicles suitable for industrial work. This includes various things such as racking systems for the storage of tools and goods so they can be kept safe and utilise the full storage capability of the vehicle.
Conversion vans came into style during the 1960s. Early conversions were considered camping vans, some having pop tops or fixed fiberglass bubble tops. They sported gas stoves, places to sleep, tables, carpet, lights etc. Later in the 70's often with murals painted along the sides, portal and other shaped windows.
After the mid 80s, luxurious interiors featuring thickly padded seats, wood trim and luxury lighting began to appear. At the same time, both the U.S. federal government and vehicle manufacturers began efforts to exert some degree of control on the van conversion industry, demanding that certain safety guidelines be adhered to. The price of conversion vans also started to increase as things such as sleeping accommodations, cooking utilities, televisions and other items were added to the conversion vans. The higher pricing and smaller market segment meant a resulting decrease in sales. Also, DVD and flat screen technology meant that many automobiles now have features once exclusive to conversion vans. At the same time, the price of gas was also increasing, leading still more people away from these large cargo vans, whose V-8 engines and poor aerodynamics resulted in poor gas mileage. Finally, the growing demand for minivans and SUVs siphoned off even more potential customers. Despite these setbacks though, as the economy boomed in the 1990s, conversion vans sales began to improve, with almost 200,000 units sold in 1994 alone.
Official source
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