Founded in 2020 by best friend trio, Tim, Jesse, and Ian, Papago Vans has gained a lot of attention in Mesa, which has become known for being an RV Mecca. Whether you are fully embracing van life or you’re more of a weekend warrior looking for adventure, Papago will help create the home base for your adventure. Challenging the idea that if you don’t want to camp in tents you need an RV, Papago is creating customized vans designed to get you outdoors and exploring nature. These vans have the basic necessities and then some, creating a beautiful getaway vehicle for any adventure.
If you’re not a seasoned overlander, the process of getting a custom adventure van might seem overwhelming. Don’t worry though, Papago Vans has a self-proclaimed fun and easy process to get you from start to finish. Their perfect rating on Google shows that they are speaking truth with their claims.
Papago Vans is veteran owned— Tim and Ian have both served the United States Army. One might think that is how this friend group got started. However, it would be Jesse that connects all of them together. Ian and Jesse are childhood best friends who grew up in Prescott. Jesse, still living in Tempe after graduating from ASU, became friends with Tim once he moved back to Tempe (who was born in Mesa and raised in the area) after his time in service. Once Ian and Tim were introduced, they all became inseparable.
This trio, all of them having an entrepreneurial spirit, have started multiple businesses, including an iPhone repair business and an endeavor with coffee, before launching Papago Vans from Jesse’s garage in Tempe. “We fail forward,” Tim says when discussing the previous endeavors. Each business, while most would see them as a failure, taught the trio more about running a business. That experience is playing out in their success today.
Their humble beginnings started with an idea that they could create custom vans. That idea grew to acquiring a van and remodeling it. Prior to this, the guys were doing modifications and small customizations on trailers as a group hobby, just for fun. Even customizing the van was something they did on the side. They finished the van and sold it, thanks to an ad on Craigslist. Despite selling the van, they were still getting calls from people interested in their idea. The pandemic, which led to job loss for Ian and Jesse, caused the guys to go all in on Papago.
Part of Papago Van’s mission is to “embrace the richness of existence” which you see in every aspect of the business. Outside of being owned and led by best friends, you see the camaraderie and friendship among the employees when you tour the facility. It isn’t just within the walls of their building though. They are enriching the existence of the Mesa community through outreach when they hear of needs. They donate a portion of their profits as well. Their expansion that led them to Mesa has allowed them to continue to create more jobs. This is one of the coolest things Papago does in Jesse’s eyes. Outside of working with his best friends, he enjoys knowing that they are bettering their community by creating opportunities for people “who are smarter than us” to come alongside them and work at Papago. Their work isn’t done either, as they continue to grow, they are already looking at opening up more positions. With potential facility expansion on the horizon, they are looking at staying in Mesa to continue enriching the community they love deeply.
Papago Vans will help create the home base for your adventure.