Get 5% off all orders over 5K with 5OFF5K + Get 10% off all orders over 10K with 10OFF10K

Owl Vans: Pioneers of the Ultimate Van Gear

Owl Vans: Pioneers of the Ultimate Van Gear

By Brianna Payton  •   7 minute read

Owl Vans started in the garage of Founder and CEO, John Willenborg's home or more accurately, "really kind of the alley between our houses, so the grinding and the welding was quite loud," John explains. "I’m sure that it was very annoying to my neighbors."

Early on in life, John felt compelled to follow the traditional route for school and business, but he continually came back to his true passion: working with his hands and designing innovative products. Even with his early hand-built Sprinter carrier designs, he was very comfortable sourcing, grinding and welding, in part due to his history with product design and fabrication — John's former company designed, manufactured, and supplied products direct to the Apple Store, but even before that, he started learning welding and fabricating at a young age.

My uncle was a Navy Seal turned underwater welder. I spent summers with him working and helping him as his apprentice. I didn’t get paid anything — I just did it because I loved working with my hands, and I wanted to learn everything as best as I could. And talk about work ethic — go be an apprentice to a Navy Seal, and you’ll very quickly learn that your best is not good enough.

Owl Vans Ladder Tire Carrier and B2 Bike Carrier

Combining his manufacturing knowledge and personal love for outdoor activities like biking, motorcycle racing, and camping, John seized the opportune moment in his life — a transitional phase after selling his company — to begin meticulously designing and handcrafting his first carriers from the ground up. There was no goal to launch a company then, just a determination to reinvent the "clunky and expensive" Sprinter tire carriers on the market at the time, lifting the tire carrier up higher and allowing it to swing with the door a first in carrier design. 

I built those for my vans, and used them for many, many years, and would continually get asked "where did I get that, where did I buy it" and "will you make me some?"  Eventually, I had enough people asking me, I thought "technically, I’m not doing anything right now, so why don’t I build some and see what people think."

Through his lively interactions and discussions on well-known Sprinter Forums and showcasing his own carrier creation on his YouTube channel, he gathered motivating input and support from the Sprinter community. Individuals often provided their own experiences and complaints about stock Sprinter spare tire mounts, asking John to solve issues like, "can it mount lower for easier on and off?" and "what about a way to lock it so someone can’t steal my wheel?"

He took their feedback and personal experiences, and moved forward, building ten units and offering them for sale on Sprinter forums. 

All ten sold out in an hour so I thought why don’t I build ten more, and they all sold out overnight, so at that very moment I said, "there is absolutely a hunger in the market for new and improved gear and innovative products."

From that day forward we’ve never looked back.

From Patiently Hand-Built to Precision-Built Owl Products

Each one of the original 20+ Owl carriers was like an original work of art, made entirely by John himself. Throughout the prototyping phase, he found himself taking long bike rides daily and each ride would help him work through his design process. "Those 2-3 hours on that ride, all I would do is take the problem and roll it over in my head. ‘How do I fix this problem I’m running into, what if I do it this way, what if I invert this, what if I bend it this way?'" he explains. 

In the beginning, he spent an exhausting amount of time troubleshooting designs and tediously bending aluminum by hand using a long poll for leverage, ratcheting it back and forth to create his first carriers. 

Originally, for hubs, I would buy flat discs on eBay. I had a template and hole puncture, and I would punch these holes out by hand. I would have to throw about 50% away because the punch would be off by a millimeter and wouldn’t line up with the wheel. [I had] very manual processes — no two carriers were identical back then because [even though] I had jigs and I did my best to make them as identical as possible, when you’re doing things by hand there’s always a little bit of variation...

I look back on that fondly because at this point there is very little of that.

Owl Vans

Today, Owl Vans can replicate their own product to perfection  down to the millimeter. 

Using highly precise laser scanners and CAD designs to build their prototypes. Once prototyped, products are thoroughly tested during development to ensure correct design, manufacturing, strength, and durability. The Owl Vans team also designs for aesthetics, skillfully creating products that enhance the van's design with tested, well-designed proportions as well as necessary functionality. John says they can build with such high quality thanks to having access to the best manufacturing. 

Most Owl parts now are either "laser cut, machine bent or robotically welded." They don't simplify their product designs; they refine them.

We’ve gone from a manual, bespoke, handmade product  to high volume and high precision product.

We order in economies of scale now. We do full mill runs from aluminum tube manufacturers, so we’re actually getting our own orders in our own alloys made by aluminum smelters. They make the product specifically for us, so it is all domestically sourced aluminum and different from what you can buy from your regular metal seller [which] doesn’t bend properly, doesn’t hold up to rigorous off-road use properly, and doesn’t weld properly. A lot goes into what we do that people will never know, and I'm okay with that. 

What's Next for Owl?

Exceptional design and manufacturing meet premium materials — that's Owl at its core. Beyond the awesome gear is an incredible story of Owl's unwavering commitment and love for the van experience and industry.

Owl Vans has not only redefined exterior accessories but continues to lead the van industry with design innovations and top-quality manufacturing. They're driven to create products they are truly satisfied with -- that's it. 

These vans are cool, and we don’t want to detract from that — we want to add to that. The aesthetics are a big part of what we do.

We don’t sit down to say, "Here’s the industry, here’s the holes, here’s the budget." We’re much more like, "Hey, you know what would be cool, if I had the ability to do this: ____" and then if I build it and think it looks cool, our customers tend to feel the same.

Owl Vans on Storyteller Vans

Owl Vans' backbone is all about community and has been from the beginning. Customer and community feedback has continued to improve their designs and product range. Coming back to the actual van users, Owl develops products that solve problems because when you use these parts every day and in all types of places you know very well what is great and what is severally lacking with product design and real-world function.

From concept to launch, Owl Vans' new product development is never hindered by lack of inspiration or ability. Their team has simply had to fight to keep up with all the demand for current products. John says before now it was increasingly difficult to manage new product manufacturing with their consistently high demand plus recent disruptions while moving into a larger warehouse space in Arizona, but they are now fully in stock and ready to continue with product designs in full scale. 

In contrast, many of their most popular product designs to this day were completed in the first 90 days of opening shop in what John describes as a “glorified storage unit.”

At the time I had one product, a tire carrier for the NCV3. From that first day I opened shop we went from one product to having: tire carrier, high mount roof carrier, box carrier, ladder/tire, B2, and sherpa  all designed all within the first 90 days that we existed. Those designs that are still our most popular products were all in those first three months. 

All we could do is hang on with our fingernails with the demand.

Owl Vans

Currently, they’re working on several new product designs, and John still enjoys being fully involved with Owl Vans product development process.

If I decide I want to make a part, I physically go out and manually create something that initially solves the functions, and it’s usually pretty heinous, and we go from there as far as refining it.

First, meeting the functional need, and then once we meet the functional need, we meet the aesthetic need.

Their latest product developments include Transit carrier upgrades and Transit suspension upgrades, but John says he is most excited to release their newest front bumper for ProMaster vans. You read that right  a perfectly sized front bumper, giving your ProMaster van a big refresh and boost in safety. Plus, watch for more designs on the way from Owl for ProMaster vans don't miss out! 

Owl Sprinter VS30 Carriers

Check out Owl Vans Products Available Now

1. Owl Vans Sprinter (2019+) Aluminum Expedition Tire Carrier

2. 
Owl Vans Ladder + Tire Carrier - Sprinter VS30 (2019+)

3. Owl Vans Expedition Box

4.  Owl Vans B2 Bike Carrier - Sprinter VS30 (2019+)

5. Owl Vans 2019+Sprinter Aluminum Hitch Step

6. Owl Van Mojo Sprinter Wheels  17” 8” (5 Wheel Bundle)

7. Owl Vans Talon SPRINTER Wheels 17” 8” (5 Wheel Bundle)

Owl Vans Talon Wheels

 8. Owl Vans Talon TRANSIT Wheels 17” 8” (5 Wheel Bundle)

9. Owl Vans Monster Box (XL Cargo Box)

10. Owl Vans Horn Upgrade (Super Bass)

11. Owl Vans Sprinter Hood Strut Kit

Owl Vans

 Shop Owl Products at Campervan HQ

Previous Next
Owl Vans: Pioneers of the Ultimate Van Gear

Owl Vans: Pioneers of the Ultimate Van Gear

Brianna Payton

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Start shopping

Subtotal:$ 000 USD

Promoted products

48V POWER KITS

SHOP NOW
  • Product Reviews
  • Site Reviews
07/27/2025
Annastacia S.
United States
I am having a hard time finding someone to cut the metal and install it.
CRL Ford Transit 130/148"WB Passenger Side Sliding Door Vented Window (FW293R)
07/26/2025
Michael C.
United States
We got the front and side window covers, they fit perfect. They have a nice sleeve to put them in while not in use. Great product.
VanEssential Ford Transit Front Window Covers Kit
07/25/2025
Aladin K.
United States
Everything fit perfectly and i can feel the difference in the van during hot days. Ac couldnt keep up before insulation
3M™ Thinsulate™ Van Insulation Kit for Ford Transit
07/23/2025
CHRIS S.
United States
The power kit is not installed yet. But I want to say that Holly at Campervan HQ Support was FANTASTIC in helping me with an issue. Ecoflow sent me one of the components directly and they did not get it right. Holly quickly got it straightened out.
EcoFlow 5 kVA Power Kit - Gen 2
07/21/2025
Marit F.
United States
So much better than the original
EcoFlow LFP Battery Power Cable (2.5m)
07/18/2025
Sven G.
United States
I used these for several van build outs and there is pros and cons. The pros more speeds, better in rain and rainy hot locations! But the older simple fans pull more air. So you make a compromise between more air flow and or no air flow if it comes down hard.
MaxxAir MaxxFan Deluxe RV Roof Vent Model 7000K (With Remote)
07/18/2025
James N.
United States
I’m still working on the installation but nice tank. Fits very well. I need to make some brackets to hold it in place and then make the cabinets for the kitchen of the van.
Northwest Conversions 36 Gallon Water Tank SP-C-36
07/16/2025
Ray E.
United States
Best available price. Fast shipping.
MaxxAir MaxxFan Deluxe RV Roof Vent Model 7500K (Smoke, With Remote)
07/14/2025
Scott B.
United States
The window fit perfectly in my van, plenty of coverage with the trim. Used a jigsaw and was smooth. Did need to cut the trim down in length so it would fit property in the groove of the window. Used the window box to make a template- quite tricky to trace it properly. All in all 3 hours and it was...The window fit perfectly in my van, plenty of coverage with the trim. Used a jigsaw and was smooth. Did need to cut the trim down in length so it would fit property in the groove of the window. Used the window box to make a template- quite tricky to trace it properly. All in all 3 hours and it was installed. 3 weeks and it’s waterproof and worked great
CRL Mercedes Sprinter Passenger Side Sliding Door T-Vent Window (FW625R)
07/10/2025
Guillermo Q.
United States
it was Crazy to put on Ones you got going it went well for us 😃 only Broke 1 Drill Bid and look out for the Double Steal area that’s where it can go bad
VanEssential 2007+ Mercedes Sprinter Rear Door Storage Panels
07/06/2025
Steve l.
United States
I read the online installation comments and found them to be accurate and quite useful. Very nice product.
Mercedes Metris Scopema Seat Swivels (2015-2023)
07/03/2025
Craig H.
United States
I don't have it installed yet.
Lonseal Flooring - Loneco Linen Topseal
06/25/2025
jerome b.
United States
As advertised. Great price. Fast shipping with updates.
MaxxAir MaxxFan 7500K Roof Vent Fan Install Kit
06/11/2025
Samantha B.
United States
Easy to install!
Ford Transit Scopema Seat Swivel (2013-2023)
06/11/2025
Elizabeth D.
United States
I love this company. Their staff is always helpful and informative. I got the item within a good ETA. All as described/ordered
Northwest Conversions 36 Gallon Water Tank SP-C-36
06/11/2025
David K.
United States
Fairly easy installation great product, but my lid rattles when I go down the road and I can hear wind noise through it, wasn’t aware that you could hear wind noise.
MaxxAir MaxxFan 7500K Roof Vent Fan Install Kit
06/11/2025
David K.
United States
Perfect fit. Numbering the pieces and providing a number diagram genius even I could do it. Great company.
3M™ Thinsulate™ Van Insulation Kit for RAM ProMaster - High Roof
06/09/2025
Glen J.
United States
Arrived timely.. Awaiting install at this point! Cant wait!
3.6 kW EcoFlow Power Kit (10 kWh)
06/08/2025
Tim H.
United States
Easy installation on a 2015 sprinter van . Very happy with my purchase
Northwest Conversions 22 Gallon Sprinter Undercarriage Water Tank SP-UC-22
06/05/2025
Paul A.
United States
It should come with a cutting out template.
CRL Universal Van Awning Window (AW1033)
06/04/2025
Steven W.
United States
We have not had a chance yet to use the awning, but the install was smooth and looks great on our Sprinter.
Fiamma F45S 350 RV Awning (11'6'')
06/03/2025
William J.
United States
Well made, easy to use.
VanEssential Ford Transit Rear Door Window Covers (Pair)
06/03/2025
William J.
United States
Well made, easy to use!
VanEssential Ford Transit Rear Door Window Covers (Pair)
06/03/2025
Deborah S.
United States
We haven't installed them yet, but they were well packed, arrived in reasonable time, seem good quality, intact, and all inclusive.
MaxxAir MaxxFan 7500K Roof Vent Fan Install Kit
06/02/2025
Scott S.
United States
terrible, poor communication after order was placed, 7 days without an update on when the order will be shipped or estimated delivery while receiving annoying multiple other emails from CamperHQ for marketing and surveys. I finally received notice the same day it was available for pick up I will be...terrible, poor communication after order was placed, 7 days without an update on when the order will be shipped or estimated delivery while receiving annoying multiple other emails from CamperHQ for marketing and surveys. I finally received notice the same day it was available for pick up I will be ordering additional widows and other camper build items from someone other than Campervan HQ
CRL Ford Transit 130/148"WB Driver Side Forward Vented Window (FW293L)
05/29/2025
Lester H.
United States
This item works with the new Ecoflow Wave 3.
Terrawagen EcoFlow Wave 2 Window Vent
05/25/2025
Sevriano
United States
Quality fresh water tank. Very heavy duty
Northwest Conversions 28 Gallon ProMaster Wheel Well Water Tank PM-C-28
05/21/2025
Josee L.
United States
Very happy with the Maxfan 5100k The best :)
MaxxAir MaxxFan Deluxe RV Roof Vent Model 5100K (White)
05/21/2025
Tiara
United States
The windows are great! The quality and the ease of opening.. and of course the size is what is the best feature. In my opinion.
VWD Universal Fit Overlander Van Bunk Window O.D 36-3/4" x 13-1/8" (OVR3511)
05/18/2025
Julie B.
United States
I one right away and had o wait for the other but great quality.
Northwest Conversions 25 Gallon Transit Wheel Well Water Tank TR-C-24
REVIEWS