Who We Are
We're Andy and April Pierson, the owners of Driftless Adventure Vans, a small van conversion shop in central Wisconsin. We build practical, comfortable adventure vans and custom installs for camper trailers, boats, and other rigs.
We know vanlife firsthand. In 2021, we sold our home and moved into a self-converted Promaster with our 140-pound Newfoundland, Harry. After six months, we bought a different van and built it out, with the knowledge we gained from extensive travel. We lived vanlife full time for two and a half years, and still travel every chance we get. Every van build evolves from that experience.
Andy
Andy learned carpentry from his dad as a kid and has been building ever since. He spent nearly 20 years in the audio/video (A/V) industry, starting in installation and moving into sales, service, and eventually company ownership. His work in A/V gave him extensive experience with electrical systems, wiring, technology, and troubleshooting.
Andy has also taken on a wide range of construction projects, including remodeling an older home (while living in it), building a garage/shop, and gutting/rebuilding a partially constructed house. His experience includes design, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, flooring and tile, and carpentry.
Andy has also spent much of his life camping and traveling, so building vans was a natural fit for the skills he had developed over the years. The electrical and technology side of a van build is familiar territory, while the cabinetry and finish work draw from his background in woodworking and construction.
April
April is the co-owner of Driftless Adventure Vans. She works with Andy on the design of each build, selects materials and finishes, and focuses on the layout and functionality of each space. She is also responsible for marketing, financial planning, pricing, and contributes to the overall direction of the business.
Her background is in instructional design, where she thoughtfully considered how people interact with what she designed. She brings that same perspective to each van, asking what the space will actually be like for the person using it.
April has always enjoyed traveling, but tent camping was never really her thing. A trip to Iceland changed that. Traveling around the country by camper van made her rethink what camping could look like. So when the chance to build a van came along, she was all in.
Built for how you'll use it
We design every van around the features that matter most: useful storage, dependable off-grid power, a functional kitchen, comfortable seating, heating and air conditioning, a cozy sleeping area, and a space that's easy to live in.
After spending a lot of time in a van ourselves, we know which little details matter. Where will you put your dirty laundry? Is the couch actually comfortable? Can you reach an outlet from both the couch and the counter? We start with layouts that work well for most travelers, then tailor the details to you and how you travel. Every van is a balance of capability, comfort, durability, and cost. We put a lot of effort into getting that balance right.
Our business is small on purpose. When you work with us, you work directly with the two people who design and build your van, from the first conversation to the day you drive away.
Why "Driftless"?
We named the business before we knew exactly where we'd end up.
At the time, we were planning a move to the Driftless Region of southwestern Wisconsin. That plan changed when we found our current home on a small lake in central Wisconsin. The name, however, had already become part of the business, and we decided to keep it.
The word itself still fits. “Driftless” can mean without a fixed direction or destination, which is pretty much how we like to travel. We have places we want to go, but we don't always need to know exactly how we're going to get there.