Dial in your perfect camper van design with ease on your computer.
Whether you are transitioning into a life on the road or perfecting your weekend warrior getaway vehicle, camper van buildouts are tedious and time-consuming from the moment you turn down that road. Luckily, Vanspace 3D software is here to help you visualize before you build.
Vanspace 3D Software Review
Once a road less traveled, van life has become increasingly popular and is now supported by a big industry with endless options, lifestyles, and an ever-expanding product catalog to choose from. The skyrocketing popularity of the van life lifestyle has also provided a platform for community and shared ideas around ingenious space-saving hacks and tips on how to live your best life on the road.
A van life buildout is a game of Tetris. How do you fit your 1,500-square-foot life into a delivery van? You don’t. But with patience, precision, and the Vanspace 3D software, you can simulate buildouts until you find the one that is perfect for you.
With Vanspace 3D, users can access 100+ predesigned layouts and get super-creative and design their own ideal van build, all for as little as $37.
Choose Your Van
In my opinion, the best thing about the Vanspace3D software is the variety of makes and models users can choose from for the simulated buildout. The library has more than 15 van chassis companies, each offering various models available in different lengths and heights, ranging from the iconic Mercedes-Benz Sprinter to the mighty Iveco (which we sadly can’t have here in the U.S.).
You can use the software to make a few vans that fit your dimensional criteria and what you’re looking for in a conversion, but Vanspace3D software shouldn’t replace separate research into the vehicles. Details such as gas mileage, drivetrain, reliability, general maintenance, and the dreaded price tag matter.
And don’t forget to reflect on what terrain you and your van plan to cover before pulling the trigger, as you’ll want to weigh 2WD, AWD, and 4WD options.
The Simulated Buildout
I never played The Sims game much, but the Vanspace3D software evokes nostalgia for the simulated world game.
Once I chose my Ford Transit, I took the time to familiarize myself with the user controls. Along the bottom of the screen, I scrolled through all sorts of options: accessories, windows, furniture, bed frames, faucets, and Dometic refrigerators. Select items like fridges, taps, sinks, pillows, and more had links to corresponding Amazon pages and a small blurb about the product.
A moveable panel controlled the onscreen view of the van, and an additional control board appeared that allowed me to measure and place items around the van. In the top left of the screen, I had a control bar with options to rotate and scale items, orbit the van, take screenshots, and toggle the van’s walls and bulkhead.
Following the settings to “Van Options,” I was able to change the material and color of the interior wall, ceiling, and floor, along with the exterior paint.
After the first few fumbles and some initial practice, it was plug-and-play.
When an item is selected, along with the control panel, a material and color palette appears. Materials include tile, wood, fabric, and more in different patterns, colors, and finishes. Each component of the item, such as the cabinets, can be altered: the doors, countertops, and the cabinet itself.
I chose to first complete the buildout before changing the color and material of anything. It made sense that way to me. I wouldn’t paint each individual cabinet immediately after installation; I’d wait until they were all installed.
Additional Perks
Accessing the Vanspace 3D software was a cakewalk, although the software itself does kill my laptop battery life. It is available for both Mac and Windows, with three different editions based on skill level and bonus features.
Once I followed the prompts through purchasing, I received three emails: a receipt, my username and password, and directions for accessing my online account and the van-build design software. In the days following my purchase, Michelle and Will, the founders of Vanspace3D, sent a few emails checking in, sending tips, and asking budget questions.
And if you’re not the DIY type but want to assess different van makes and models and various materials and design layouts that others have already built out, users can download the included 100+ pre-designed build-outs through the online account.
Additionally, the software tutorials and three sets of bonus material I received were thoughtful and easy to follow. The “Ultimate Budget Tracker Calculator,” “The $4,984 Van Build Revealed,” and “14 Odd Tips From a Full-time Vanlifer” e-books gave me an inside look at the lifestyle — illuminating both the potential and reality.
Vanspace 3D View
Sure, armed with a notebook, pencil, and ruler, I have drawn up copious rough drafts and vans designs that never came to fruition. But never before could I look inside and imagine what my life would actually look like beyond two dimensions.
With Vanspace 3D software, users can toggle the view inside the build and look around. You can get a feel for what the space you’ve built offers and what you might still need.
Vanspace 3D Pricing
Vanspace 3D is an intuitive van buildout visualization and planning tool. It offers simple controls, vast vehicle and buildout options, and an impressive immersive 3D all-around view.
One year of access to the software and extensive library of templates will cost you $37, which allows you to create as many custom van builds as you can imagine in that time frame. If you want unlimited lifetime access, that will set you back $57. Vanspace 3D also works with professional van upfitters to help them visualize their designs for customers, for a $27/month fee.
Check out Vanspace 3D for yourself, here.
