ZENVANZ founders Bryan and Jen Danger really have a passion for vanning. They’ve lived in and traveled full time for more than eight years, and through ZENVANZ they’ve turned their personal passion into a dedicated mission to help others enjoy the same simple joy of van travel.
“When we originally sat down to draw out our dream life, our escape, our freedom... It was always location independent,” they explained. “ There was maybe some rough image of a beach in Mexico or a snow covered mountain or the arctic tundra, but it was merely nature and the outdoors that were driving us.”
Their adventure began when Bryan and Jen quit their jobs and "ran away" in their self-built 1967 VW bus and then later in a 4x4 Sprinter. Back then they say, “there was no hashtag #vanlife, and most people thought we were crazy when we took off to drive through Mexico and Central America - but the van embodied our idea of freedom and helped us create the simple and free lifestyle that we had dreamt of and had worked towards for so many years.”
Inspired by their years of van living and by frequent requests for van tours and build help, Bryan and Jen founded ZENVANZ in 2017 with a mission to simplify the complex van build process.
They started out as a DIY company, building modular components for inexperienced builders. Today, they offer complete modular DIY Van Kits that are constructed of a durable, lightweight aluminum exoskeleton and bent bamboo panels. Their DIY Van Kit greatly simplifies the conversion process with ready-to-install wall panels, cabinets, bed system, countertop, and more. These components are engineered to install easily into your van build using factory holes, and can be easily removed as needed to convert your van back into an open cab or as needed for repairs, upgrades or complete design changes.
Of course DIY builds aren't the best fit for everyone, so while they still offer DIY components, they also now take on clients for full or complete custom builds. Their fully custom shop accepts a limited number of builds each year because, as they put it, “each and every van and each and every client is hugely important to us. We refuse to reduce our van layouts to the option of ‘A or B’ because there is no perfect interior for all people.”
Not only beautiful and functional, ZENVANZ designs are built with sustainability and recyclable materials in mind. “Our team is keenly focused on removing anything from our builds that isn't eco-friendly and due to our modular production process we have also been able to eliminate almost all laminates, glues and adhesives from the typical build approach. We not only feel good about getting our clients out into nature, we feel great about the product we're putting out there as well!”
Located in the heart of NE Portland, Oregon, ZENVANZ’s shop and their team of talented craftspeople offer a complete selection of services for your van build. They even have open build slots still available in 2023.
Check out ZENVANZ on their website for more information, or find them on Instagram and Facebook @ZENVANZ.
