When Dillon Hansen and Jon Moran started Native Campervans in Denver in 2015, they had two self-built vans and a strong belief that Americans would embrace van life, which was then still in its early stages.
Moran and Hansen said renters embraced the concept and they grew their fleet from two vans to six, then 13, then 26 and beyond. Meanwhile, the company expanded steadily, opening locations in Salt Lake City in 2018, Las Vegas in 2019, Phoenix in 2023 and Los Angeles in 2024.
But as the rental business grew, Hansen and Moran faced a daunting challenge — the cost of camper vans was rising rapidly.
When Native Campervans first launched, Hansen said a completed camper van could be built for about $55,000 to $60,000. The van chassis cost roughly $25,000 to $30,000, while the camper conversion added about $25,000 more. In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the cost of a completed van climbed toward $95,000.
Meanwhile, increased competition in the van segment made it harder to charge premium prices. “We were paying these premiums for vehicles, but the earnings didn’t continue,” Hansen explained.
The problem wasn’t limited to upfront cost. Moran noted that rental fleets tend to accumulate mileage quickly, meaning operators eventually have to retire and replace them. Even if the camper portion remained perfectly functional, the entire unit typically had to be replaced because the chassis had reached the end of its useful life as a fleet vehicle, he added.
Looking for a more sustainable model, Hansen and Moran researched ways to create what they call a “flex fleet”—one that could adapt more easily and avoid the constant cycle of replacing entire camper vans. They ultimately partnered with a German supplier to create of a removable camper module capable of easily sliding into and out of a Ram ProMaster 159 cargo van.
Launch of the Hunker Pod
Hansen and Moran dubbed the German-made camper modules “Hunker Pods”. They purchased 27 of the pods from the supplier, shipped them to Colorado and began integrating units into their rental fleet.
Using the Hunker Pod shell as a starting point, Moran and Hanson equip those units with all of the creature comforts customers look for in a modern camper van. This includes a state-of-the-art
power system featuring a 314Ah lithium battery system, a Victron 1,200-watt inverter, a DC-DC charger and an alternator charger. Other notable features include a Dometic refrigerator, a 7-gallon freshwater tank and gray tank, an electric-pump sink, a cassette toilet, privacy curtains and tons of storage space.
Additionally, a hydraulic table converts a six-person dinette into a full queen-size bed, which Hansen described as a notable feature in a segment where many sleepers must fit into narrower beds arranged sideways. The Hunker Pod also includes a dual-burner cooktop that can be used outdoors—a design choice Hansen said was influenced directly by Native Campervan’s rental customers, who often prefer cooking at campsite picnic tables rather than inside the van.
As customers came to embrace the Hunker Pod-equipped vans, Hansen and Moran said they realized the concept has applications beyond their own rental fleet. Starting in 2027, the duo will begin selling Hunker Pod-equipped vans to a variety of customers, which could include RV buyers, peer-to-peer rental hosts, fleet operators and potentially even RV dealers.
One of the biggest selling points is expected to be the cost.
Traditional Class B camper vans today can easily cost between $120,000 and $200,000, particularly when built on premium chassis. The Hunker Pod system is designed to offer a more affordable alternative. Depending on the chassis selected, buyers can be all-in for between $55,000 to $78,000, Hansen said.
He said the affordability comes in part from the ability to pair the pod with a lightly used van rather than a brand-new chassis, if desired. And when customers are ready to upgrade their ride, the Hunker Pod can be transferred from one chassis into another in about an hour, he added.
For the founders, the Hunker Pod represents the next evolution of their business, which extends far beyond operating a successful rental business. Their Hunker business, which is separate from Native Campervans, is currently looking to partner with a U.S.-based pod provider and to scale up production.
If they are successful, Hansen said he believes the business has the potential to disrupt the camper van market by offering a full-featured but signifcantly less expensive option.
Longer term, the partners said they can envision Hunker Pods being utilized for a variety of uses beyond camper vans, including temporary housing, festival accommodations and emergency response models.
“We’d like to consider ourselves not just a camper van conversion company,” Moran said, “but a modular solutions company.”
