Tribe Campers, staffed by Grantham area workers, celebrates five years of crafting luxury Volkswagen campervans

A business has celebrated five years of crafting luxury Volkswagen campervans.

Founded in August 2019, Grantham’s Tribe Campers has carved a niche by creating high-quality custom Volkswagen campervans for diverse customers.

The company provides campervans for family holidays and off-grid systems for professionals.

Starting at the Engine Yard near Belvoir Hall, the business moved to a larger unit on Belton Lane Industrial Estate as production grew.

It manages all aspects of production, from upholstery to electrical installations.

The company has grown from producing 15-20 vans a year to 60-65.

The brainchild of James Bryant, Tribe Campers was born out of his passion for the leisure industry, which he had been immersed in since 2010.

"I was doing online and physical marketing for some of the bigger brands in the industry," James explains. "It got me quite excited, and I put a lot of energy and focus into it."

Determined to create a "no-compromise business," James assembled a team of local experts he’d worked with for over 15 years.

The local workforce of nine has been crucial to the company's growth.

"Almost everybody at Tribe that works here, I've known or worked with for 15 years, all local people, so all Grantham or surrounding villages," he says.

The company’s focus on customer satisfaction and community has driven its success, aiming for 100% positive feedback.

"We wanted to create a business where customers feel like part of our family," James explains.

Tribe Campers offers a fully customisable experience, allowing customers to design their dream campervan from the ground up.

James uses his campervan daily and for weekend trips, showcasing its cost-effectiveness and freedom.

“We take it everywhere – this weekend, we’re off to Portsmouth to the Victoria’s Festival with some friends in the Navy.

“Last weekend we were away in the Peak District.

“The weekend before that, we were at Yorkshire Wildlife Park camping for the weekend.

“So we’re away all the time – we’ve done 134 nights in 15 months in our van.”

"Every customer, at no additional cost, has the opportunity to customise and design their own campervan," James proudly states.

This attention to detail has driven Tribe Campers' significant growth over the past five years.

Tribe Campers' prices range from £40,000 to £80,000.

The company has expanded from a second-stage conversion model to a full in-house factory in Grantham, handling all aspects of production.

A standout feature is Tribe Campers' innovative off-grid energy system, developed through a two-year R&D project.

“We were among the first in Europe with this system,” James revealed.

The company’s commitment extends beyond the sale, evidenced by their annual Tribe Camp Out.

This gathering, attended by over 120 customers, is a celebration of the Tribe Campers community, where customers can share stories, enjoy music, and connect with one another.

This year’s event, which took place on the weekend of August 30 to September 1, featured barbecues, music, and socialising.

"It's a very relaxed event," James explains. "If they want to sit by their own vans and relax and drink a bottle of wine, that's what they do. If they want to drag their chairs over to the front and listen to music and talk to other campers, then they do that."

As Tribe Campers marks its fifth anniversary, James reflects with pride.

He sees the camper vans offered by Tribe Campers as providing significant financial savings compared to traditional travel, with campsite costs a fraction of hotels or resorts

Beyond the monetary benefits, he believes the vans "rewire your brain to have more fun," offering customers the freedom and flexibility to spontaneously explore and reset.

As James explains: "The rewiring is one of the biggest things our customers see, because all of a sudden the gardening and the housework become subservient to actually jumping in your van and disappearing to the coast, going and finding some waterfalls to park under and have some fun."