The Maxvan Access Is a Class B RV That Goes Where No Other Can

Maxvan is an RV slash conversion specialist that has found a niche in builds that are the physical representation of thinking outside of the box. Their RVs are all Class B, so they pack all the basic creature comforts in the most compact form possible – essentially campervans with everything you need for a comfortable life on the road or extended vacations.

But Maxvan RVs also deliver a little something extra every time, whether that's easy wheelchair access or multi-functional storage areas. The Access, the latest model to come out of Maxvan, also offers something extra: the promise of being able to go where no other Class B RV can.

That's not to say that it's an off-road RV, though. Think of this touted capability in the opposite sense, of how it will handle in the city. Maxvan has designed and built the Access as a low-profile low-clearance RV that can be stored even into a standard family garage, which will fit into a standard parking space, and which handles much like an SUV in the city.

Garageability and maneuverability are essential to city-dwellers, so Maxvan is maximizing them in this RV. At the same time, though, it also delivers big on functionality, durability, reliability, and, ultimately, comfort. It's a pocket rocket RV that you will not trip over or stress about when you're not using it as one.

Based on the Ram ProMaster low-roof chassis, the Access gets the same kind of widebody shell as its predecessor, the Route. The cabin body has a flat wall instead of a curved one, which means the exterior profile is expanded by 2 inches (5 cm) on either side, which translates into 5 inches (12.7 cm) extra of interior floorspace.

Exact dimensions are 17.9 feet (5.45 meters) in length, 6.11 feet (1.8 meters) in width, and 7.9 feet (2.4 meters) in height. In this compact space, Maxvan creates a habitat that offers two belted seats, two berths, and all the creature comforts of home – minus space to move around without concern for bumping elbows.

Unlike its predecessor, the Access gets full standing height in the kitchen area thanks to a dropped floor. This is possible by means of a water-resistant basin that doubles as the shower basin with a side drain. Indeed, the Access has a full wet bathroom, though you might not be able to see it right away.

The layout is a solid example of the outside of the box thinking Maxvan does on all their builds. Since spatial limitations are very real and very pressing, especially with the builder's desire to cover all the basic needs, modularity is key in achieving that.

The bed is at the rear – though, again, you might not see it right away. It's comprised of three different sections, two of which fold away and drop down in a Murphy bed-like fashion. The third one is fixed and serves as a couch during the day when the bedroom is a living room slash lounge. A 24-inch HD TV with a built-in DVD player and speakers and cable hookups is located right above the two sections of the bed that fold up. Obviously, you can't have a lounge without proper entertainment, right?

In the middle of the RV is the kitchen, built with stainless steel and plastics for maximum durability. It's very compact but, then again, you wouldn't expect any less in a footprint as compact as this one. Still, it offers a portable gas cooker, a sink, a microwave, a small fridge with freezer, and some prep space.

Also in that last category falls the fold-away countertop under which hides the toilet. It's not an ideal association – and clearly not the most sanitary –, but in any type of mobile habitat of this size, it's almost always a given. Maxvan strives to make this inelegant compromise as elegant as possible, placing the cassette toilet on an elevated surface and surrounding the area with a high-quality, premium, and water-resistant curtain.

The curtain offers privacy when using the toilet and doubles as a shower curtain. The shower wand is hooked up to the faucet in the kitchen sink, and water drains directly into the basin that's also the dropped floor in the kitchen.

The passenger seat swivels to face the interior and can serve as a dining area or remote workstation thanks to a small table that you could also move into the lounge area by affixing it to the couch.

The Access is insulated and has the fresh and gray water tanks inside the habitat, so winterization is no longer an issue. The cassette toilet gets its own 5-gallon (19-liter) tank of black water removable from the outside. The freshwater tank is 20 gallons (75.7 liters), while the gray one is 19 gallons (72 liters).

Standard features include a 7,000 BTU Webasto heater that runs on fuel, a 5,000 BTU window AC unit that runs on shore power, a pair of house batteries, and a generator that can run the lights and the rest of the appliances. If the Access can be rigged for off-grid autonomy as an extra is an option, Maxvan doesn't say.

"The Access is a no-compromise, full-feature RV with exciting and innovative features," Maxvan says in the official description of this Class B RV. Its most innovative feature is the ability to pack in all the creature comforts of home in a compact, low-profile RV that you can still park in the mall parking lot or store inside the family garage.

The Access is asking $99,800 and comes ready to go right on delivery, down to the toilet paper in that disappearing bathroom.