An Italian luxury RV maker is launching a camper van to the US – see inside the ‘innovative’ van that already has a 500-order waitlist

RV and camper van makers have seen extraordinary sales during the COVID-19 pandemic as other travel options were seen as unsafe.

Now, Wingamm, an Italian luxury RV maker, is looking to capitalize on this trend by bringing its camper van model to the US …

… and the compact motorhome is already booming in popularity ahead of its debut.

Meet Wingamm’s Oasi 540, one of “Europe’s most sought after motorhomes,” according to the press release.

“It has taken persistence and innovation from our team of engineers and consultants in both Italy and the US to create a Wingamm Oasi 540 for the US market,” Lorena Turri, CEO of Wingamm, said in the press release.

The Oasi 540’s popularity isn’t just a European trend.

For the past three or four years. Wingamm has been receiving inquiries from US-based customers interested in the compact RV, Turri told Insider.

Wingamm’s RVs are currently available in 15 European and Asian countries, but the US market has always been a goal for the company.

Upon its arrival to the states, the camper van will be distributed by TM Motorhome Sales.

Sales will begin in Los Angeles and New Jersey in 2022 before a full nationwide rollout in 2023, Tony Diamond, co-owner of TM Motorhome Sales, told Insider.

Luckily for the two companies, demand is already high ahead of its debut, in part because of media coverage in early June, Diamond said, citing Gear Patrol’s article about the camper van.

After the Gear Patrol article was published on June 3, the company began receiving “nonstop” calls and emails about the van (we’re talking an inquiry every minute).

“We didn’t know what was going on,” Diamond said. “There was a stream of emails coming in and we were like, ‘Oh my god, what’s going on here?’ The phone was just ringing, ringing, ringing, and it was a magical moment because we’ve believed in this.”

Demand has since tapered off a bit, but Diamond says the team is still receiving an email or call about the van every roughly 20 minutes.

And all of this happened despite not having any marketing campaigns in the US yet, according to Turri.

“[The US] is a huge market that could be immediately bigger than our European market because we are receiving many inquiries,” Turri said.

The company now has a waitlist of over 550 customers, according to the press release.

Over 30 RV dealers, including “some of the biggest dealers around the country,” have also contacted TM Motorhome Sales about becoming a dealer, according to Diamond.

Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the features that have made the Oasi 540 so successful.

The camper van is based on a Promaster, but it has its own custom one-piece monocoque fiberglass shell.

This shell prevents leaks, improves sound insulation, and allows for a customizable floor plan.

RV makers like Thor, Winnebago, and Airstream often build camper vans and floor plans within existing Ford Transit, Ram Promaster, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans. But according to Diamond, this method is “very limited.”

“Because of the custom fiberglass monocoque shell, Wingamm is basically able to design whatever floor plan it wants,” Diamond said.

The camper is 17 feet, 9 inches long, which should fit in most standard US parking spots.

This size means the van can operate in both national parks and cities.

Diamond calls the camper van an “alternative to an apartment,” and it’s easy to see why given all of its home-like amenities.

Despite being pint-sized, the tiny home on wheels still has several key rooms, including a bedroom, bathroom, closets, and kitchen.

The kitchen and living room are towards the front of the van, while the bathroom and additional closet storage fall towards the back.

If you’re wondering where the bedroom is, well, it’s in the ceiling.

Unlike most camper vans that have a pop-top bed or a dedicated bedroom space, Oasi 540’s bed is stored in the ceiling.

The memory foam bed can then be pulled down over the driver’s area, living room, and kitchen when it’s time for a cat nap or a night’s sleep.

Hiding the bed in the wall makes space for a larger kitchen, bathroom, and living room.

The living and dining room is equipped with an L-shaped seating system and a movable oval-shaped table, perfect for dining or remote work.

These seats, plus the swivel driver and passenger seats, can accommodate up to six guests, according to a YouTube video tour of the Oasi 540.

Source: YouTube

The seating bench can also be used as an additional sleeping space to accompany the pull-down bed.

This, plus the bed, can sleep three, or possibly four people.

Source: Wingamm

Now, onto the kitchen, which is right across from the living room.

The kitchen has a two-burner gas stove, a countertop, several soft-close cabinets …

… a sink with a cutting board cover, and a refrigerator-freezer.

If you think the kitchen seems home-like, wait until you see the bathroom. Diamond compares the van’s bathroom to that of a hotel room bathroom (but smaller, of course).

There’s a shower, sink, ceramic toilet, vanity, and cabinets, all within the compact space.

The van also uses a cassette sewage structure that breaks down all of the unwanted sewage. The suitcase-like cassette can then be removed from the van and emptied into a toilet at any rest stop or establishment.

Worried about wintertime? The heated floors will help keep the already insulated camper even warmer.

Besides the closet and cabinets, there are also storage spaces hidden around the exterior of the van, including a storage unit that’s accessible from the inside of the van, according to the YouTube video tour.

Source: YouTube

When you need to brighten up the tiny home on wheels during a remote workday, just use the overhead LED lights, which are both dimmable and color-changing.

“We look at the Wingamm Oasi 540 as being to other Class B motorhomes as what the iPhone was to the flip phone, or what Peloton was to Nordic track, or what Tesla is to other electric vehicles,” Diamond said. “This is truly an innovative motorhome in so many ways … from its size to the sewage system, to the bathroom, to the bed.”

Wingamm plans to produce about 150 to 200 camper vans for its debut US season. This number of builds will grow to about 500 vehicles per season in the future, according to Turri.

“I suppose we’ll have more demand than products for the first season,” Turri said.

To address this, the company is already looking to grow production by investing in a new manufacturing plant.

The vans are currently being built in Italy, but Wingamm’s next steps could include moving production to the US depending on the success of the camper van’s overseas introduction.

To market the vehicle upon its US debut, Wingamm and TM Motorhome Sales will display the Oasi 540 at malls across the US, which could help attract customers that are new to the RV world.

The final price isn’t set yet, but Turri estimates the camper van – with all of its sleek luxuries, multipurpose spaces, and compact size – could range between $135,000 to $145,000

Turri and Diamond believe that the rise in big city living costs, #VanLife, remote work, and “experiential living” makes the Oasi 540 “an enticing value proposition,” according to the press release.