The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is set to launch sometime this year. As Volkswagen fans are getting hyped up for the bold all-electric van, there’s now another reason to get excited. The American market ID. Buzz now has its first-ever camper conversion thanks to the folks at Peace Vans. There are even three levels of it, too, from a basic camping box to the full-blown VW camper van experience that’s usually forbidden fruit to Americans.
Volkswagen isn’t being exactly clear on just when the ID. Buzz will hit dealerships. Earlier this year, the automaker said that the van would hit dealers sometime this year. There isn’t going to be a reservation system either, so you sort of just show up to your dealer and try to buy one of these vans. Volkswagen hasn’t even announced pricing for the vans, either, but we guess it’ll be in the ballpark of maybe $50,000 or more.
All of this is a bit frustrating, especially since Europe has gotten to enjoy the van for about two years already. Volkswagen’s even confirmed an ID. Buzz California camper variant of the ID. Buzz, though as Motor1 reported, there might not be enough demand to justify its existence. So nobody knows when the California is coming and if it is, if it’ll even be offered in America.
That’s where Peace Vans comes in. Where Volkswagen is uncertain about the California, this shop wants Americans to be able to take their new ID. Buzz vans camping this year, assuming Volkswagen hurries up and puts them on sale already. Peace Vans got access to some pre-production ID. Buzz vans and is using them to develop camping boxes and a full conversion. The result is that for the first time in over 22 years, Americans will be able to go camping in a new Volkswagen van.
Peace Vans
If you’re a VW fan, you might already know the name Peace Vans. If not, I have a bit of history for you.
Peace Vans was founded in 2013 by Seattle entrepreneur and former Microsoft exec Harley Sitner. At the time, Sitner took over what was then a small Volkswagen repair shop run by passionate wrenchers. Sitner’s plan for the site was to turn it into the go-to place in the Pacific Northwest for all things Bus and Vanagon. But don’t think of Sitner as just a guy with business plans. He’s sent me his story:
For nearly my entire life, I wanted my own VW van to adventure in. Having seen countless VWs at Grateful Dead shows in the 80s and 90s, and traveled through Baja adjacent to classic VWs in the early 90s, owning a VW van was a dream that took many years to realize. Fast forward to Fall of 2010 when I was settling into life with my new daughter, Eden. I realized it was now or never to get that VW. Logging on the various VW enthusiast sites, I found my dream van in Colorado and had some friends check it out. A few days later it arrived in Seattle….only to break down on the first drive.
In my quest for a decent mechanic, I stumbled upon a struggling VW shop called Peace Vans in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle. The experience was terrible, but so was every other shop in town. Having left a career at Microsoft a few years back to follow my passion for small business, I recognized an opportunity with Peace Vans and took over the shop – joking that, worst case, I’d always have someone to work on my VW if things were slow.
But, things were never slow. Within a year Peace Vans, under my leadership, became known as the shop in the Pacific Northwest to take your VW camper, and in the second year our reputation spread nationwide with VWs coming from almost every state for repair, restoration and excellent service. By the third year of operations, Peace Vans was the largest classic VW camper shop in the U.S.
Peace Vans has since expanded out from just repairing and restoring classic Volkswagen vans. The company now rents classic and modern VW vans in Seattle and Baja, Mexico, builds new camper vans out of the Mercedes Metris, repairs modern Class B camper vans, and can even convert your classic VW van to electric. Recently, Peace Vans acquired the SEKR camping app with plans to relaunch it as part of its greater camping operations.
Sitner continues that the business has grown from a tiny one with just three people to six different units with over 30 enthusiasts with a goal of getting people to enjoy life outdoors.
So, the great news here is that this isn’t some startup company that sprouted up overnight with a bunch of renders and maybe some vaporware. Peace Vans has the resources and skills to make camper vans a reality. That’s good because for years, American enthusiasts have begged for something like the modern California to come to our lands and now we’re going to get what sounds pretty close.
Three Levels Of Buzz Camping
Peace Vans has decided to offer three levels of camping for ID. Buzz buyers.
The first is your simple European-style camping box, which Peace Vans calls the Buzz.Box. Peace Vans says this box is a camping box that replaces the third row of seats in the van. It’s built out of lightweight materials and features a kitchen module. The box contains a 35-liter Dometic CFX3 cooler/freezer, an integrated Fire Maple stove, an 11-liter Dometic HYD water jug, a Dometic faucet, and a collapsible sink. Other goodies include prep boards, a Dometic light, an integrated wireless phone charger, and a Sonos Bluetooth speaker.
Peace Vans says this camping box will tie into the van’s battery to power its electronics and since it’s going to be taking up space in the back, one of the storage areas in the camping box will be for your EV charger. The company also says that this box will be light enough and easy enough to install that you can do it yourself.
From here, the next step up is the Buzz.Box.Sleeper. As you could probably guess, this is the previous Buzz.Box kitchen, but now with a queen bed frame to layer on top.
The Buzz.Box.Sleeper package consists of the bed frame to go on top of the Buzz.Box and into your van’s interior, plus a mattress to go on top of the frame. Peace Vans does note that the Buzz.Box.Sleeper is still a DIY job, but it’s heavy enough that fitting and removing it from your van will be a two-person job.
Finally, there’s the Buzz.Camper and this one is supposed to be the ultimate in ID. Buzz camping that Peace Vans can offer. Peace Vans says that you’ll have to remove all of your rear seats, but in exchange you will get a sweet California-style camper. I’ll just let Peace Vans do the talking for this one:
The Buzz.Camper converts your ID.Buzz into a fully-functioning mobile home with a complete retrofit of the interior to include a lounge/seating area that quickly converts to a bed, interior storage cabinets that include a cooktop, sink, water storage and everything else you need in a small-footprint campervan. This conversion requires the removal of both rows of seats and there are no current provisions for passengers in the rear. A Department of Transportation-approved solution for rear seats is under development.
As of right now, the layout of the Buzz.Camper calls for a kitchen module to be installed directly behind the driver seat. Then, from there and to the tailgate will be an area that is a lounge and a workspace by day, and a sleeping area by night. Slide open the doors and the kitchen module also opens up to provide some outdoor cooking.
Peace Vans says that as of right now, the Buzz.Camper will be for just one or two people. The full conversion deletes the van’s rear seats and at this time it does not have a DOT-approved solution for carrying passengers in the rear. This is something that Peace Vans is working on, so a future version may be able to carry more people.
You’ve probably also noticed a lack of a pop-top. Peace Vans says that while it would love to give you that full Volkswagen camper experience with a pop-top, its top would need to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and it doesn’t have a top that would work just yet. However, Peace Vans is working on a pop-top due to launch late next year.
This should pair well with the ID. Buzz, which will get 282 HP with a single motor or 335 HP with dual motors. Toss in the 91-kWh battery pack and I’d expect range to land somewhere around 260 miles, maybe less with all of the camping gear in there.
Coming Soon, Hopefully
If all of this sounds great to you, Peace Vans says you’ll be able to begin camping as soon as November. Of course, that assumes Volkswagen itself gets the vans on sale by then. But again, Volkswagen is annoyingly quiet on this.
But, if the time estimates do work out, Peace Vans says you’ll be able to buy a Buzz.Box for $7,995. If you want your Buzz.Box to come with a bed, the sleeper version is $10,995. Peace Vans does not have pricing for the Buzz.Camper yet but expects to be able to give us a number sometime in the third quarter of this year. The Buzz.Camper is also the only conversion that isn’t scheduled to come out in November. Peace Vans is expecting to start full ID. Buzz conversions in 2025.
Also, if you want to try before you buy, Peace Vans says it’ll be putting ID. Buzz campers into its rental fleet this fall.
Peace Vans also warns that the conversion boxes and the full van conversions are still having their final details tweaked, so some things may change between now and when they go on sale. If you’re interested, Peace Vans is taking pre-orders right now. A deposit of $500 will get you in line for either the Buzz.Box or Buzz.Box.Sleeper while $2,500 gets you in line for the Buzz.Camper conversion.
Peace Vans say the camping boxes will be sold at select dealers, through shipping, or at Peace Vans in Seattle. You can install the boxes, have Peace Vans install the boxes, or just buy entire ID. Buzz vans from Peace Vans with either the boxes or the full already finished. As always, some people may want to wait for some things to flesh out further before throwing their money at any new concept.
It’s awesome that American ID. Buzz owners will be able to experience what the Europeans have gotten to play around with for a while now. Of course, Volkswagen just needs to start selling the things and Peace Vans needs to get the boxes in production. But once that happens, we might get to see people camping out of new Volkswagen vans again, which is just too cool.
The box for $8k is just insane. What’s the profit margin, 60%???
I added up all the parts and labor(my comment was deleted before I posted it) and even being extremely generous I came up with $3k at most for cost.
VW hasn’t given 1 shit / can’t/won’t put forth the effort to understand the US market for +30 years.
Add to that that they literally take 3x as long to build their evs as it Takes Tesla And like Every other automaker (except Tesla and BYD) are critically loosing money for Every single EV sold…
And they decided to only offer the US market with the XL version of the ID.Buzz (this was probably the right call)
Given above it is little wonder why the launch in the US market has been delayed.
As for this camper version in this post, why mess with this trunk kitchen where you get eaten by bugs while you cook?
VW solved the camper van layout which allowed you to cook and relax bug free with all the doors closed with the removal of the middle seats, in its place goes a small sink, fridge, cook top + folding table and poptop approx. 60 years ago.
Interesting I’ve never heard of Peace Vans before. What I have heard of is North Westy who has been around for 15 years, though they specialize in the Vanagon specifically and its ilk and bill themselves as the premier Vanagon restoration and customization shop in North America. Definitely not uncommon to see Vanagons in their lot with out of state plates on them.
Get those back seats and pop top, and you’ve got my attention! The original (I owned a ’62) essentially sat 4. If they can get an equally functional modern version, I’m pretty sure my wallet opens right up!
Hell. Yeah.
We had waited so long for the ID.Buzz that I forgot it was planned for launch this year. Long enough to remind me why I am deeply concerned about owning another modern VW.
The final nail in the VW EV coffin for us: the eGolf has a servo-actuated locking pin for the charger. That servo is in a challenging place to service, and is prone to failure. When it does, the car won’t charge.
You get bricked over a $0.30 part. VW charges $2200 for the fix.
We’ve moved on, are on the waiting list for a Rivian R2 (but holding out for the R3 or R3X).
VW has missed the target so badly that they have actually blown past a generation of enthusiasts who wanted a new Microbus van: I Grew up as a kid seeing old VW buses, then the Vanagon, then clever VW ads in the 90’s, then we got the Eurovan and hoped it was getting closer to the mark, then NOTHING. I owned a Eurovan and took my kids to 24 states in it. I signed up for VW bus updates…now my kids are heading to college, have their own cars and my wife and I are old and sore enough to not want to camp anymore. So when 2025 comes around, I’ll be in the right financial position to get a dumb Buzz, but no interest in it, and am annoyed by them teasing us after decades. Not to mention that interest in EV has plummeted, and their ID interface seems to be hot garbage. I used to love you VW, back when you were cool.
Sad thing is they had the T5/T6 campers in other markets, just never brought them here. Yes they would’ve been expensive, but I would’ve stepped up a new VW California 5-10 years ago.
It’s kinda cool. But I don’t see a non-caveman bathroom solution…
I actually signed up for the Official ID.BUZZ Pre-Order Spam List from VW here in Canada…it’s been radio silent for a year. I asked the dealer a few months ago when I was in for something else and the salesperson just gestured vaguely at an ID.4. Total failure on VW’s part.
That said – they’re entering into a market where vans are pretty dang meh right now. Could I tell a Toyota/Honda/Kia apart? Not sure. Maybe they’re counting on distinctiveness and ‘first electric minivan’ to do the sales job.
Is it just me or is VW completely botching the U.S. launch of the IDBuzz? They’ve teased with the electric bus since what seems like the Carter administration and it’s STILL not here. There isn’t a single one on a dealer lot and it already feels like yesterday’s news.
It’s not you.
100% correct
They’re botching it. Hype fatigue is real. Overextending the hype cycle is a well-researched marketing blunder.
But even for those like me who don’t care about hype and just really want an electric minivan, keeping the details secret drives us towards the competition. With months left until launch, we don’t know the price, we don’t know the specs, we don’t know the features, we don’t know if they’ll allow the lease loophole, and we don’t know how available it’ll be. Not having the facts is a huge red flag — I’m preparing for disappointment, and so I’ve found myself cross-shopping vehicles I otherwise would never have considered, such as the EV9.
They needed to have ID.Buzz vans on showroom floors when that Super Bowl ad dropped. It’s not even an option in the configurator.
So… If you go for the full, high-end version, where does the mattress go during the day when you’re using the lounge config? It doesn’t look like there enough cushions to the bench seat to form the mattress.
Backrests become mattress pads.
Happened to be in NYC during the auto show this year and got to sit in a standard ID buzz. Perfectly serviceable car, but they have lost that fun loving vibe the old T2-4s had. Very stiff and aggressive styling even for das Germans. The belt line is so high it makes for a gray plastic cave feel. (unfortunate safety reality)
The camper looks great as well, but that’s a bit of scratch for a short range/fast charge electric micro bus. 11K on top of a 60K-ish van adds up to a lot of national park cabins I could park my type R in front of.
$7,995. If you want your Buzz.Box to come with a bed, the sleeper version is $10,995
The frame and mattress are 3 grand?! Look I get charging more for a complete system, but adding a bed for 3 grand seems steep.
Have you priced a queen foam mattress lately?
I priced out 2 custom near king size foam mattresses for my pop-top camper. They (total) were less than $800.
But I guess you can spend that much if you try.
The “Duke Nukem Forever” of cars.
Seriously, VW has somehow made Tesla release date nonsense seem reasonable by comparison. I’ve been teased to the point of numbness at this point.
Personally I feel like VW should make something like this kit included, since you know they’re going to ask for something like 60-70k for the van alone.
Wake me when Hyundai brings the Staria Lounge Camper to the US.
About as much as a Buzz PRE-CONVERSION, available as a hybrid and lightyears better than this.
I’m pissed that Hyundai hasn’t brought it over here… but not nearly as pissed as I am at VW for this piece of crap.
Don’t worry, you’ll absolutely see a post if that day comes! 🙂
I don’t even care really. These already look old since we’ve been seeing some similar version of a new mini bus for decades.
Yeah, it’s wild how long VW’s been teasing a new bus. I would not be surprised if it finally launches to a resounding thud in sales because everyone has moved on.
That is absolutely what’s going to happen. They’ve so thoroughly shot themselves in the foot that I’m surprised there are any feet left.
That is so cramped my claustrophobia goes off looking at the pictures. For that money I cany nice a nice conversion van with a fold down rear seat.
Then again I want a camper I can carry people and more than a box if tissues in.
I’ll take one of the middle priced Buzz, with the middle conversion option, and add a solar array on the roof with batteries for the conversion side, and a feed to charge. 70-80k? Off the grid capable? Heck ya
Yo Dawg!
I heard you like vaporware, so we built some vaporware to put in your vaporware.
…
Does it have space for my Juicero?
The ID.Buzz is currently sold in Europe, so I’m not sure I’d qualify it as vaporware. The North American launch has simply been delayed (short wheelbase version came out first)
Also, Volkswagen isn’t Lordstown Motors
The North American launch has simply been delayed
Understatement of the century. It took forever for it to be released in Europe, and it is taking considerably longer for it here in North America. The ID Buzz was first shown at the 2017 North American Autoshow. It’s currently a full seven years later, and it’s still not for sale here in North America.
And that’s not even mentioning that VW had the BUDD-e concept car in 2016 at CES (claiming 2020 release as a production vehicle), or the Bulli concept in 2011 at Geneva, or the Microbus concept in 2001 in Detroit.
Lol. I’m VW guy, I’m well aware of the delays and numerous concepts. It exists and it’s eventually coming here. All I’m saying is it’s not vaporware
It may as well have been designed with a slot for a juicero originally, given how long it’s been teased.