You should consider an Advanced RV build if you can’t find what you want from the big brand, factory made offerings. We will custom build an ARV to your specific vision. If you can find a factory built, non-custom motorhome that meets your needs, that should be your choice.
You know you will get exactly what you want because you will direct the design process. You will spend a few days in person with Advanced RV designers and craftspeople, face to face designing every aspect of your ARV motorhome.
Experience has shown that our face-to-face design process works best. During COVID, we tried to do the design process virtually. However, we found it to not work nearly as well as in-person because of the benefit clients gain from walking around the production floor to see examples of design options and talk to the craftspeople themselves to explain their objectives.
An ARV will cost 2-4 times more than a factory-built, class B motorhome purchased from a dealer.
After you have watched our videos on YouTube, we encourage you to visit us, share your travel objectives, look over our facility and our work to make sure we are a fit for you. We also respond quickly to questions by phone, text, and email.
We have no standard build or standard options. ARV only builds custom motorhomes. We build whatever our clients want that fits in the van, is safe, and legal.
Our “Path to Delivery” starts with a deposit that holds your place in the production queue and gets the process moving. After the deposit, we typically custom order your chassis, schedule your 2-3 day configuration meeting, and move forward in the process with you.
The configuration meeting is fundamentally a conversation where you share how you want to travel and your use objectives. Listnening to your needs and asking the appropriate questions leads us to your motorhome design.
Client backlog varies; over the last 10 years it has ranged between 1 to just over 2 years. It is currently about 2 years from deposit to delivery.
We list ARV pre-owned motor homes on our Available ARVS tab. You can often find a video of the pre-owned motor homes on our YouTube channel.
ARV has purchased nearly every ARV motorhome that has come on the market. We make an above-market cash offer within a week of the time the client shares their desire to sell. We inspect, recondition and warranty all pre-owned ARV motorhomes.
Unfortunately, we have discontinued rentals. Although, we did have a rental business at one time, we found it distracted from our core business.
ARV has the capability to do almost anything, but we limit the support of non ARV work so we can focus on our client custom builds and upgrades.
Our service objective is to get clients back on the road as soon as possible. Our warranty is bumper to bumper. We take responsibility for the first three years for every aspect of the van not covered by MB. When our clients are on the road, we partner with high-quality local service organizations. We help them troubleshoot and pay them immediately so our clients get back on the road quickly.
Advanced RVs incorporate lithium iron phosphate LiFePO4 batteries. There are nearly a dozen different types of lithium ion batteries, and the LiFePO4 type is among the safest. In order to catch fire, the batteries we use would need to be simultaneously punctured and exposed to direct flame, and the batteries will not continue to burn unless exposed to flame. Each of our batteries relies on internal circuitry that protects the cells from over discharge or overcharging. The system includes a battery temperature monitor. We have extensively researched our battery options and concluded that LiFePO4 batteries provide the highest level of safety and performance.
Please note, LiFePO4 batteries weigh slightly more than other lithium ion batteries with the same capacity.
Yes, Advanced-RV is a Mercedes Benz Expert Upfitter, so for all standard and extended Mercedes chassis, warranties apply. We also provide a three-year bumper-to-bumper warranty on anything that is not covered by Mercedes Benz.
We are always looking for excellent people to join us. We list openings on our website.
Advanced RV can install as much solar capacity as will fit on the roof. Items like the air conditioner, fans, skylights, cellular and Wi-Fi antennas, tank vents and optional awnings take up room on the roof. The locations of some of these items can be adjusted to maximize room for solar panels.
Yes, we welcome visitors. You can call our main number to set up a visit. 440-283-0405. We are located about 20 miles east of Cleveland, Ohio in Willoughby, Ohio. We are a mile and a half from I-90 and less than a 40 minute drive from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. We are also less than 6 miles from two general aviation airports. You may arrange a visit anytime during our business hours; 8:00-5:00 Monday through Friday.
Our heating and on-demand hot water system uses 0.18 gallons per hour of operation. However, that is with 100% duty cycle. At a more normal duty cycle of 50%, fuel consumption is half that amount. The small amount of fuel required is supplied from the engine fuel tank.
We have nearly 30 full-time master craftspeople. We have a complete furniture shop, a metal fabrication and bending shop, a hydrographic facility, complete sewing and upholstery capabilities, plumbing experts, electrical experts, battery manufacturing, and certified sound experts. Our vertical integrated approach with master craft people enables us to build a highly crafted, custom motorhome in a short time. We are a group that listens to our clients and each other so we can understand and create exactly what the client envisions. Our craftspeople are supported by experienced engineers and designers.
All motorhomes depreciate. ARV motorhomes typically depreciate at a lower rate than average for high-end motorhomes.
All of our builds have four-season capability, due to our battery and plumbing engineering. Some builds have more extensive winter capabilities than others.
Yes, ARV was founded on using technology and reliability to create freedom of travel. ARV has large tanks for fresh, gray, and black water, and robust and high-capacity battery systems for travel off the grid.
We have a full furniture shop that builds solid wood components, custom bends plywood, and builds high pressure laminate cabinets. The shop is staffed by 7 highly skilled woodworkers with a total of over 120 years experience. Our cabinet interiors are urethane coated maple hardwood. We use only high quality hinges and hardware. Drawers are solid hardwood construction with dovetail corners. We use a three axis, CNC router to cut many of the cabinet parts. Cabinet tolerances are 1/16” and structurally attached to the inside of the chassis. We design and build to eliminate squeaks and rattles. We use high quality plywood with no or very low VOC.
ARV has exclusively used Lithium Ion battery systems since our founding over 10 years ago.
Our battery systems can be charged while driving, plugged into shore power (not necessary), or through solar. Battery monitoring and functions are integrated into our custom-programmed battery management system.
Yes, however almost every client orders their chassis through us because we have fleet status with Mercedes Benz and we help guide clients through their options. There are occasionally clients who bring their own chassis to us.
Yes, we can. Every ARV motorhome is custom designed and built.
Our clients typically chose the Mercedes Sprinter chassis for its capability and longevity.
We have discussed building on other chassis, such as the Ford Transit, with clients. The Transit is a good chassis and has offered All-Wheel Drive for a while. For that reason it is appealing to B Box clients.
From 2023 onward, Mercedes will offer All-Wheel Drive on its cab chassis models, so AWD B Boxes are now possible. These cab chassis will retain the additional 3.5" ground-clearance of past 4x4 chassis.
Advanced RV has a single integrated, touch screen control and monitoring system.
We offer whatever our clients desire for connectivity. We have provided cell boosters, WiFi boosters, hot spots, satellite connections, and CB radios.
Yes, we’ve equipped vans with a broad array of electronic, visual, and physical systems. These include everything from camera surveillance to motion detection lights, etc.
Yes. All clients seem to choose to install 360 view cameras.
We have installed ceramic flush, macerating toilets, cassette toilets, composting toilets and have considered (but not installed) incinerating toilets.
It is certainly an option and we install solar on many of our motorhomes. Most clients are now choosing to install a larger battery system and not solar.
We have not yet been asked to install propane or an onboard generator, but certainly have the capability.
This question is best answered by an email exchange we had with a potential client:
 
 
Client: "Can a B Box haul a 17-foot canoe through the back door, and through the aisle between twin XL elevated beds"
 
 
Mike: "Thanks for finding us and for your question. It might be possible to fit a 17’ canoe into an extended BBox. However, it would be messy to put a wet, dirty canoe inside and it would severely restrict all other living uses. We invite you to visit to discuss all possibilities"
 
 
Client: "Mike, I’ve seen so many videos I can hear your voice while reading your words! I agree. Has any other customer requiring canoe transport? Roof? Trailer? Either viable?"
 
 
Mike: "Great question. We have built custom trailers with roof racks for boats and rafts. Most don’t try to put canoes on top of the vans because the roof is so high. We have discussed rack designs that would allow for ground level boat loading and securing and then manual or automatic movement to the roof. Marcia and I have done and still do quite a bit of river canoeing and kayaking. We finally custom built a trailer that has a gear box, holds 4 boats, four bicycles and our tandem bicycle. We have used it several times, but the last few trips we took that included boating, we decided to rent boats at the river. That is the simplest approach for us. Hope that helps"
 
 
Client: "Mike, a smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. I conclude renting a canoe is smoother than toting my own. Maybe two canoe uses per year. Not worth it. I'll buy a trailer if needed in the future. Now, back to the napkin design for my BBox..."
Advanced-RV builds custom Class B motorhomes so we don't rule out anything that meets our client objectives. We have reviewed incinerator toilet designs and operation for several years. The bottom line is that it takes a lot of energy to vaporize the moisture and incinerate the organic compounds in human waste. Incinerator toilet manufacturers estimate that each use takes 1.5 to 2 KW of energy. We can realistically install enough battery capacity to power an incinerator toilet but it would reduce capacity for things like AC. Our current battery capacity is between 10-15 KWh and if there is weight capacity and budget this can be increased. At 10KWh battery could realistically handle about 4 toilet uses if fully charged. In summary, the energy required to dry and incinerate human waste is determined by physics. The toilet design has minimal effect. Our black tank and emptying process are designed for quick, no mess emptying. This might be a better choice than an incinerator or even composting toilet. There are a lot of you tube videos that describe toilet possibilities.
