The latest camper from Canada’s Wilderness Vans is certainly a beast, but of a smaller variety than much of the competition. Camper van addicts might already be familiar with the company’s original Grid, a conversion built on the F-550’s heavy-duty chassis. Now, Wilderness Vans has taken the same aluminum body and off-road suspension but downsized the design.
The result is the Grid Mini, a two-door camper that still comes with plenty of ground clearance, powerful towing capacity, and a modern interior for a comfy home on wheels. It’s the “most nimble” camper on the market, Darren Roberts, Wilderness Van’s marketing director, told GearJunkie.
“We’re tailoring to those that really need 4×4 capability, like a hunter that needs to set up camp for a week or two, or someone who wants to haul their quads further into the backcountry,” Roberts said. “You can go anywhere with them. You’re not limited like when you have a bigger, longer vehicle.”
Grid Mini: Features
While large 4×4 vans may look more powerful, their size often results in reduced ability to handle rough terrain.
At 22.5 feet long, the Grid Mini comes with 40-inch tires, so it offers riders better ground clearance than even some Toyota Tacomas, Roberts said.
“That’s a result of building it on a regular cab and planning our angles appropriately so we’re not too fully extended past the wheelbase,” he said. “Other 4×4 fixed campers typically won’t be able to go as far into the backcountry because they’re just too long.”
Wilderness Vans defines the difference between the Grid and Grid Mini cabin by the distance from the rear axle to the back of the cab. To match the smaller truck chassis, the motorhome box of the Grid Mini has been shortened by over a foot. Its width has also been reduced by 6 inches for tighter trails.
The Grid Mini comes with a Victron Stage 4 electrical package, featuring a 271Ah 12V lithium battery, a 3,000W inverter, 350 W of solar charging, a 30A shore power hookup, and a Cerbo GX touchscreen monitoring system with Bluetooth connectivity. The camper is also equipped with a Webasto gas heater, a 68L water tank, and LED lighting.
Grid Mini: Interior
The interior layout, labeled GM1 by Wilderness, closely mirrors that of the original Grid, albeit in a slightly smaller footprint.
The most noticeable change from the Grid Mini’s larger counterpart is the elimination of the wet bathroom. The Grid Mini opts for a part-time bathroom, featuring a retractable shower with a fabric curtain and floor pan, as well as a concealed pull-out toilet under the dining bench.
The kitchen block is located near the passenger-side motorhome door, complete with an induction cooktop, rectangular sink, and bamboo countertop. There’s also a 139L Vitrifrigo fridge with a 16L top freezer, and an overhead microwave.
A two-seat dinette occupies the driver’s side, directly in front of the refrigerator wall. This convertible unit can transform into a single bed, combining with the double bed in the cabover to accommodate a total of three people.
Grid Mini: Pricing & Availability
With pricing starting at around $225,000, the conversion cost varies depending on layout, options, F-550 off-road upgrades, and other factors.
Buyers should note that the price covers the aluminum base motorhome with the GM1 floor plan, and they are responsible for supplying their own Ford F-550 truck. Visit the Wilderness Vans website to learn more.
