There’s a lot of money flowing around in the world of RVs. Some people are willing to spend over a million dollars on majestic buses while there are trailers that compete for homes in California for shocking prices. But what does it look like when you plunk down well over a quarter million dollars on a van? You get something like the 27North Venture Together, a van meant to go everywhere while putting you in the lap of luxury. But, I must admit, I am a bit confused.
Lately, I’ve been a bit obsessed with showing off the extremes of the RV industry. RVs are generally thought to be expensive toys, so I had a lot of fun showing you the trailers you could buy for less than a new Mitsubishi Mirage. But then there’s the other end of the spectrum. If dirt-cheap campers give you just the basics, what happens when you slide the scale far over to the other side? What do you get if you ring up the cash register to the tune of $313,000?
A number of our readers have expressed disappointment that the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 is very expensive and I happen to agree. But the sad thing is that camper vans get substantially more expensive and prices escalate shockingly quick. So, join me on an adventure here. Do you think this Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is worth the value of a really nice house in the Midwest?
If the name 27North seems somewhat familiar to you, it’s because we’ve covered this startup company’s work a few times in the past. I toured the company’s Ford F-550-based $1.2 million flagship Ascender 30A in 2022. David then found it broken on a trail after the guys at Donut Media attempted to drive it off-road.
That rocky start didn’t deter the folks of 27North. The demonstrator rig was quickly repaired and I’ve been seeing the girthy Ascender at every RV show ever since. If spending over a million bucks on a Ford F-550 with a giant box grafted onto its back is too rich for your blood, the company is willing to sell something substantially cheaper, but still pricy.
Adventure For Four
The Venture Together is a new floorplan as of late last year and is now making the show circuit this year. It’s a touch more affordable than its sister van, the $313,000 Venture 170. So, let’s start on the van this is based on.
This Class B camper van is based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 with a 170-inch wheelbase, a high roof and a high-output diesel engine. That engine is a little 2.0-liter four-cylinder affair making a respectable 211 HP and 332 lb-ft of torque. It should be noted that the off-road Sprinters of today are running on an all-wheel-drive system rather than the previous four-wheel-drive system. The Sprinter is also currently the only van on the American market with a diesel option. Depending on what exactly you use your van for, a potential low point of these particular Sprinters is their tow ratings of 5,000 pounds.
People love the Sprinter for its healthy diesel engine, its off-road capability, its cavernous space, and its proven reliability. But the platform comes with a cost, which we’ll get to later.
At their core, both vans are pretty much the same. Both vans come with bedliner covering the front bumper and side trim. Both vans have beefy front skid plates and both vans have a roof deck so you can get a better view of starry nights. Likewise, both vans give you a 30-gallon fresh tank and a 20-gallon gray tank, plus a shower room of sorts in the rear. The features between the two vans are so similar it’s actually hard to find differences between the two, but we’ll get there in a moment.
The 2025 27North Venture Together features an Agile Off-Road Rip Kit, which adds custom leaf packs, front springs, and Fox shocks to give the van a two-inch lift and supposedly a smoother ride to boot. This package is complemented by meaty all-terrain tires and running boards.
I crawled underneath and didn’t find any further protection, but I think this van is more than plenty capable for the people who will buy them. Of course, no off-road build is complete without a sweet spare tire carrier and LED off-road lights that turn night into day.
Before we head inside, 27North notes that if you crawled onto the roof you’d find two 175-watt solar panels and you can also use a Starlink Roam to remain connected on the go. Here’s where you see the first major difference between this van and the company’s slightly more expensive Venture 170. The latter van gets a single 525-watt panel.
Also different is your house power, where the more expensive van has three 310 Ah lithium batteries whereas this van has just two of the same batteries.
Moving inside, the 2025 27North Venture Together features two swiveling front seats and a second-row bench that folds down from the wall. Immediately behind there is a small galley kitchen with a dual-burner induction cooktop on one side and a sink on the other side.
Behind there you find a pair of long benches and two dinette tables. This turns into a large bed for the two adults 27North says can fit in here. Finally, at the rear of the van there’s a wet bath with a shower and cassette toilet. Across from there is a storage area for gear, clothes, food, or whatever you want to toss in there.
The idea of the Venture Together is that it’s a camper van for you and three of your best friends to ride in. That’s why there’s seating for four. In the slightly more expensive Venture 170 that second-row bench is gone and you get a bigger countertop in its place. Likewise, the rear end is slightly different in that the storage area is expanded enough to carry a bicycle. Here’s a photo of the Venture 170 so you can see what I mean:
These vans are quite similar!
Everything in these 27North vans is super high quality. There’s real leather in those dinette cushions and rich birch wood is used throughout. There’s a dash of stainless steel there, some wood there, and glossy walls throughout. I don’t have a single complaint about the quality here. All of the materials chosen appear to be appropriate for the build and it appears someone took great care to make sure the fit and finish are perfect. I couldn’t even find tiny things to nitpick.
Dare I say? This is a cut above the Wingamm in terms of materials used. This van is also far above something like the Winnebago Revel, a Sprinter-based off-road van with a $254,076 price tag and an interior befitting a van costing half that.
The equipment choices seem to be about on point, too. The van uses a marine water pump for the shower and faucet, the cassette toilet can be emptied from outside of the van, and there’s a water filtration system onboard as well.
There isn’t a single feature that’ll make you drop your jaw, but a lot of stuff that I could see getting use. I like how there’s an onboard air compressor so you can air down and then pump back up your tires.
The locking cap on the water tank is also interesting. I suppose this implies that someone might siphon or contaminate your water, which has never happened to me before in over two decades of camping, but anything is possible.
That Price
Overall, the 2025 27North Venture Together appears to be a really solid van. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of the black glossy walls. I’m also just not a fan of draping everything in dark colors. Give me some hot pink, neon green, or something like that. I’ll even take some pastels!
I’m also somewhat confused by the second row of seats. The folks of 27North really try hammering down the idea that this is an adventure vehicle for more than just two people, from the press release:
So many memories can be made with two-seater vans; it’s great for couples, solo travelers, and quick travel trips. But with the adventure van lifestyle it can evolve from a couple to a family, a solo traveler into a group of friends, and quick trips into now monumental moments. These are core memories being made that 27North wants to ensure nobody is left out. More people are seeking the opportunity to share their adventures with family and friends; 27North recognizes the growing van life community and has the solution.
Made for small families starting journies or a seasoned traveler who wants to include friends or grandchildren, the Venture Together is perfect for expanding any adventure lifestyle. The four-seater layout offers plenty of space and comfort without sacrificing the ruggedness and flexibility desired.
For experienced adventurers, the four-seater design opens up opportunities for sharing van life with friends or grandchildren, making every trip more enjoyable and open for creating lifelong memories along the way.
All of this is fine and dandy, but the bed in the rear is still for just two adults. So where are your friends supposed to sleep? I think the real purpose of that bench is for kids because the rear bed is large enough for a couple of parents and a small kid or two if all of you are pretty close.
The other thing that’s puzzling me is the price. The build sheet at the 2025 Florida RV SuperShow said the 27North Venture Together was $313,500. Just for the Tampa RV show, which has already ended, the dealer dropped the price to $229,995. Everyone else appears to be asking around $250,000. The cheapest I could find is listed at $174,995, but that one is a former demonstration unit with “minor wear & tear.” As of publishing, 27North says the van costs $299,000 before any options or discounts. So, no matter how you slice it, you’re probably spending around a quarter million on this bad boy, more if it’s a custom order.
Now, I’ll reiterate that the quality here hits the mark. But I’m struggling to see where the money is going. Yes, the quality is awesome, but it’s not like you’re getting wall-to-wall stainless steel and exotic wood here. If you bought the base Sprinter 2500 AWD van yourself and checked every box for every comfort, convenience, and driver-aid feature, you’d arrive at roughly $87,000. That leaves the RV stuff being worth another $212,000 or so.
I’m left arriving at the conclusion that one of these 27North vans is for a specific kind of buyer. This buyer is probably someone who wants the exclusivity that comes with a van in this price bracket. They’re going to want people to feel the real smooth leather and gorgeous wood. If you’re that kind of buyer, I think you’ll probably like what you’re going to get. Otherwise, if you just want an off-road van, save yourself well over $100,000 and go with another brand.
The post Here’s What Spending $300,000 Gets You In A Camper Van appeared first on The Autopian.
