Inside Overland is our new video series, where we go inside the factories and headquarters of the companies that are building the overland industry. The idea is to give you an inside and deeper look at the companies you already know from the Overland Expo events. This includes the people, places, history, and products these brands are all about.
Inside Overland: Field Van
- Year founded: 1989
- Headquarters: Fresno, CA
- Number of Employees: 60
- Flagship Product: Ford Classic
- First Overland Expo Attended: 2009
First up in our new Inside Overland series is the company that was the title sponsor of the very first Overland Expo, Field Van — called Sportsmobile West at the time. Current CEO and son of the founders, Jonny Feld, welcomes us into his Fresno, California, van factory.
Not only do we get a full factory tour, but we also get some great insights into this storied company. A company that’s stayed in the same family since its inception in 1989. It’s even been in the same Fresno factory for over 26 years now.
Field Van has also been a big part of the overland industry in North America since the very beginning. It also continues to bring innovative overland vehicles solutions to market and be a major supporter and attendee at premier events, like Overland Expo.
A Van Dynasty
The company was founded originally to sell Sportsmobile campervans to the Southern California market, based out of San Diego. Sales went so well that Sportsmobile couldn’t keep up with the demand, which led Alan Feld to build his own production facility only a year later.
The licensing agreement expired in 2020, and the Felds parted ways with Sportsmobile. A new company emerged, without the constraints of being under the Sportsmobile banner, and was now led by the second generation of Feld.
Products & People
The company today produces over 80 new campervans a year, along with upfitting all sorts of vans in a wide variety of ways. It also continues to be a leader in pop-top van manufacturing and installation.
In the end, as with most companies, it comes down to its people. At Field Van they have over 60 employees, but the truly impressive number is that the average employee tenure is a whopping 11.5 years, with a few employees at over 20 years with the company.
I don’t want to give it all away here, so be sure to watch the VIDEO. You’re likely to gain some insights into the vision, people, and craftsmanship that make up the “Dream Van” makers at Field Van.
