Picking a builder is a high-stakes decision and most websites won't help you make it. Here are the questions worth asking any shop, including us. If a builder dodges any of them, that is its own answer.
Honesty is our sales pitch. We are not going to badmouth other builders to win your business. Instead we are going to tell you what to ask any of us — and how a good answer sounds. Use this page to evaluate every shop you talk to, including OZK. If we answer better than the other shops, we earn the work. If we don't, you have the questions you need to find one that does.
"Set pricing" means a heater install costs the same on van one as on van ten. "Hourly" means the bill depends on how long it takes them. Both can be honest; hourly only works if the shop tells you the rate up front and gives you a real range. If a shop refuses to put numbers in writing before the work starts, that is a red flag.
A real builder has opinions on parts. They can name the battery brand, the heater brand, the suspension brand and explain why they chose those over the alternatives. A shop that says "whatever you want" is either a middleman or a generalist. Neither is what you want for a $50K+ build.
Ask about parts warranty, labor warranty, and what happens if a manufacturer warranty needs a claim. A good answer covers all three and names time periods. A shop with no warranty answer is a shop that disappears when something fails.
Real builds, real photos, real customer references. Ask for a recent build similar to what you want, and ask if you can contact the customer. A real builder will say yes (with the customer's permission). Stock photos and AI-rendered builds are easy to spot once you know to look.
Custom van builds take months, not weeks. A shop that quotes a six-week timeline for a full build is either skipping steps or going to miss it. Ask for a written schedule with milestones, and ask what happens if the schedule slips.
Things break. The question is what the shop does when they break. Ask about the post-delivery support process, the turnaround on warranty work, and whether you have a single point of contact for issues. "Call this person" is the answer you want; "contact our service department" is the one to be wary of.
Pressure to sign now. A real builder has work lined up. Urgency is a sales tactic, not a real constraint.
No written quote. If you cannot get the price and scope on paper before you commit, you are buying without a contract. Walk.
Vague answers about parts. "We use the best" is not a brand. Real shops name brands and stand behind the choice.
No portfolio of recent work. "Most of our work is private" is occasionally true and often a cover. Ask for a build older than two years and a build inside the last three months.
The price is suspiciously low. Van builds have real material costs. A quote significantly below the rest of the field is usually missing scope, missing parts, or about to come back with change orders.
Pricing is set on most parts and labor — what we call our proven library. Builds outside that library get quoted separately so the price is in writing before the work starts. We never quote hourly rates on the website because we use set pricing on the standard work.
Parts: we have specific opinions and we publish them. Adventure Wagon for paneling. Espar and Webasto for heat. Quigley for AWD. Battle Born and Epoch for batteries. We have stances on what we don't install too — Van Compass Topo 2.0, ProMaster 4x4 conversions — and we are happy to explain why.
Warranty covers parts and labor; we handle manufacturer warranty claims for products we install. Portfolio is on the site and we are happy to put you in touch with recent customers. Timelines are written and we communicate slips early. When something breaks, you call Jack.
Six questions cover most of it: is pricing set or hourly, what parts do you use and why, what warranty do you offer, can I see a recent portfolio, what is the timeline, and what happens when something goes wrong. A real builder answers all six in writing. A shop that dodges any of them is its own answer.
Custom builds take months, not weeks. A six-week timeline for a full build means the shop is either skipping steps or going to miss it. Ask for a written schedule with milestones and ask what happens if the schedule slips — slips happen, and how a shop communicates about them tells you a lot.
Pressure to sign without a written quote. Vague answers about parts or warranty. No recent portfolio. A price that is suspiciously below the rest of the field — van builds have real material costs and unusually low quotes usually come back as change orders. Walk away from any of those.
Depends on what you're optimizing for. DIY saves real money and costs real months. Professional saves time and rework but costs more. Most experienced van builders end up doing a hybrid the second time — DIY the easy parts, hire out electrical, climate, and suspension. See our breakdown at /builds/professional-van-build-vs-diy.
Ask. A shop with a real warranty and a single point of contact for post-delivery issues is the answer you want. A shop that says "contact our service department" is the one to be wary of. Real builders stand behind their work and tell you who to call.
OZK builds the whole van — sourcing, design, climate, power, interior, exterior. One shop in Fayetteville, AR.
ExploreAlready have a van? Pick one upgrade — heater, AC, solar, suspension — and we install it at set pricing.
ExploreBattery banks, inverters, solar, and shore power as a single integrated system.
ExploreWant to see how we answer these questions in your conversation? Tell us what you are building and Jack will respond. Or call (479) 326-9200.