Nothing is subcontracted
Your van does not ship to a third party halfway through. The person who installed your electrical is someone you can ask about it, by name, a year later.
Every van is built in Mesa, Arizona by the same people who drew it. That one decision is behind most of what makes a Papago different from a van that was assembled in three places by people who never met each other.
Why Papago
A custom van is thousands of small decisions. Most of them get made with a tool in hand, not on a drawing, and they only get made well if the person holding the tool knows what you wanted.
That is why we do not farm out the cabinetry or the electrical. It is slower to staff and it is the reason a Papago fits together.
Talk To A Designer ⊕Your van does not ship to a third party halfway through. The person who installed your electrical is someone you can ask about it, by name, a year later.
Weekly photographs of your own van as it happens. Owners tell us it is the part they did not expect and would not give up.
Every tier has a published starting price, van included, before you talk to anyone.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, Ford Transits and Ram ProMasters, on four floor plans we have built dozens of times each, or from a blank sheet if none of them fit what you are carrying. Every build is RVIA certified, which is what makes it insurable and financeable as an RV rather than a modified cargo van.
We are veteran owned, and we have built enough of these that the gallery is the fastest way to understand what we do.
51 people in and around one shop in Mesa. The person who wires your electrical, the one who cuts your cabinets and the one who answers when you call are all on this page.
Tim
CEO / Founder
Ian
CFO / Founder
Jesse
CTO / Founder
Miguel
VP of Operations
Katie
Office Manager
Kailena
Front Desk Admin
Quynhchi
Accountant
Jeremy
Senior Build Consultant
Rachel
Client Advisor
Giselle
Client Advisor
Jerry Suhrstedt
Marketing Manager
Barbara
Social Media Coordinator
Travis
Shop Manager
Conner
Assistant Shop Manager
Paden
Designer
Ryan
Electrical Lead
Phil
Build Lead
Pat
Build Lead
Scott
Build Lead
Tyler
Build Lead
Steve
Build Lead
Alexia
Builder
Armani
Builder
Carrie
Builder
Christopher
Builder
Curtis
Builder
Damond
Builder
Daniel
Builder
John
Builder
John
Builder
Joshua
Builder
Mike
Builder
Owen
Builder
Trent
Builder
Vicente
Builder
Zach
Builder
Victoria
Assembly / Build
Scott
Upholstery
Jake
Detailer
Daniel
Service Manager
Andrew
Service Lead
Jay
Service Admin
Justin
Service Tech
Trevor
Service Tech
Coral
Painter
Emma
Painter
Sam
Purchasing Manager
Jeff
Parts Specialist
Adrian
CNC Programmer
Destiny
CNC Operator
Jeet
CNC Specialist
Want to be on this page? We hire in steps rather than smoothly, and we keep applications on file. See Careers, or send a resume to info@papagovans.com.
March 2020
Tim, Ian and Jesse launch Papago Vans in Jesse’s single car garage, starting with an E350 conversion. That first build paid for the next one.
August 2020
The team outgrows the garage and moves into 1,650 square feet. Around ten vans get built there, all of them custom orders, and Papago takes on its first employees.
August 2021
A 4,800 square foot building in downtown Phoenix. More staff, and the first build team managers, which is the point a shop stops being run off one person’s memory.
November 2022
The current shop. A CNC machine for faster and more precise cutting, a dedicated service department, a full paint booth, and a crew past 38 people.
2023
Papago becomes an RVIA certified builder, which means every van is inspected against the industry’s construction and safety standards. It is also what lets a finished build be insured and financed as an RV rather than as a modified cargo van.
2024
The three hundredth van leaves the shop. A set of proven floor plans by this point, each one built enough times that the shop knows where every wire and every screw goes before the van arrives.
2025
Papago becomes an authorized Mercedes-Benz, Ford and Ram dealer, so the van and the conversion can be bought and financed together. The team reaches 47.
751 N Country Club Dr, Mesa, AZ 85201. Visitors are welcome. Call ahead and we will make sure someone is free to walk you through whatever is on the floor that day.
In person if you are near Mesa, on a call if you are not.
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