The ARV Story
Advanced RV was founded in 2012 by Mike Neundorfer to build truly custom motorhomes for people with specific travel visions.
From Engineer Traveler to Founder
Mike and his wife, Marcia, spent years exploring North America in a Sprinter motorhome. They loved the freedom of Class B travel: moving easily, staying right at the places they wanted to experience, and depending less on traditional campgrounds.
The more they traveled, the more Mike saw room for something better: more thoughtful engineering, more refined design, more personal customization, better systems, and a deeper relationship between builder and owner.
“I’ve always sought adventure — traveling, building, collaborating, seeking the most elegant way to meet a challenge.”
Before Advanced RV, Mike founded and led Neundorfer Inc., a consulting, design, and product company focused on reducing air pollution from heavy industry. That background shaped his view of a motorhome as a single integrated system: comfortable, easy to use, carefully engineered, and built around a personal vision of travel freedom.
Mike saw an opportunity to serve people like him — adventurous, discerning, detail-oriented clients with high standards who were willing to go beyond a standard factory RV to get exactly what they wanted.
“I saw an opportunity to build rugged, innovative, elegant, custom motorhomes, hand-in-hand with adventurous, creative, and interesting clients.”
Built For Each Travel Vision
From the beginning, the goal was to listen carefully, understand each client’s travel vision, and build a truly custom motorhome around it.
Some owners wanted long off-grid stays. Some wanted mobile offices. Others needed space for dogs, cameras, bikes, scientific equipment, medical work, music, grandchildren, or months of full-time travel. Each project became an answer to one question: How do you want to travel?
“I wanted to work with clients to understand their visions for how they want to travel, develop designs that reflect their visions, and craft custom motorhomes to the highest standards of quality, performance, and artistry.”
15 years later, Advanced RV has built nearly 200 custom motorhomes for clients across the continent: rolling cedar cabins, dog-show motorhomes, mobile offices, photography vehicles, off-grid travel homes, and vehicles for traveling doctors, geologists, rocket scientists, grandparents, full-timers, part-timers, and more.
ARVs have helped clients power their homes during hurricanes, travel to the Arctic Ocean and back, transport wedding cakes, rescue beached whales, and return years later for major upgrades because the original vehicle was still worth investing in.
Freedom by Design
Advanced RVs are built to provide untethered freedom of comfortable travel.
Early on, that meant moving away from propane and leaning into lithium battery systems, alternator charging, efficient appliances, and integrated controls. Today, that direction continues through off-grid energy systems, quiet interiors, custom insulation, sound damping, heating and cooling, and serviceable designs that can be supported over time.
The result is a motorhome built to move through the world with fewer restrictions, not just camp without plugging in.
Advanced RV began with Mercedes-Benz Sprinter motorhomes. Over time, we have also built on Ford Transit platforms, box-style platforms, step trucks, trailers, and other vehicles when they fit the client’s goals.
Made Under One Roof
To hand-craft custom motorhomes meant to last, ARV employs a team of technical and artistic craftspeople in a flat organization built on respect and honesty.
Our team of about 45 people works out of an 85,000-square-foot facility near Cleveland, Ohio. Over time, we have invested in vertical integration, tools, and workspace so more of the work can be done here by our own team, with our own standards.
Metal fabrication, roof racks, body kits, battery systems, upholstery, cabinetry, plumbing, painting, hydrographics, insulation, sound damping, service, and upgrades all happen under one roof.
With the work close together, designers, engineers, craftspeople, technicians, and support staff can solve problems together, refine ideas, and build with pride and care.
“I wanted to build a company where the quality of the work speaks for itself, where we communicate openly and honestly, and where we’re truly committed to supporting each other, our clients, and our suppliers.”
A Team Making a Fair Living
AAdvanced RV strives to pay a living wage and support healthy work-life balance. Every team member is salaried. We have reduced our standard work week to 32 hours while maintaining 40-hour pay, high quality, profit sharing, and attentive client support.
It is about building better motorhomes, but just as much about building a company where talented, technical, artistic craftspeople can do meaningful work with care.
A Community That Continues to Teach
We welcome travelers passing through Cleveland, owners returning for service, people curious about custom motorhomes, and do-it-yourself builders working through their own projects.
We continue to learn from the creativity and ingenuity of people building and traveling in their own way.
Advanced RV began with Mike and Marcia’s love of travel, a belief in careful engineering, and a desire to build something better for people with uncommon expectations. It has become a team, a shop, a client community, and a long-term relationship with people who continue to show us what these vehicles can become.
“I am grateful to our staff, clients, suppliers, and broader communities for the chance to serve and belong.”
Visit Advanced RV
We welcome visitors to our facility near Cleveland, Ohio. Whether you are considering a custom build, exploring pre-owned options, returning for service, or simply curious about how ARVs are made, we would be glad to meet you.