At the end of 2016, Tom Bender and his wife Jessica were sitting around the kitchen table. “We were having a conversation about what we wanted for the next year,” Tom says. “We wanted to travel and see our country.” This was the beginning of Acme Overland. Flash forward to their first build, the Acme Overland 1.0. As they were working, Tom says his wife asked him “This is going to be a business, isn’t it?”
Tom, a product designer, his brother, Jeff, a jack of all trades, handy with a wrench and his father, Gary, who spent most of his career running a Mercedes shop, stripped down a Mercedes Sprinter in dad’s driveway. While Jessica, an interior designer, was considering the fabric samples and finishes. And that’s where it all started. A couple of brothers, their dad and Tom’s talented wife designing the ultimate vehicle for family adventures.
Last fall, Jessica passed away, leaving Tom and his family to carry on her legacy. “She’s literally part of everything we do,” Tom says.
What they do is amazing. Some clients utilize the “Adventure Custom.” Tom and his crew help them find the right make and model to build out. From there, they custom design every inch of space inside. Others opt for the ‘Adventure Ready’ van that includes the same level of detail as Adventure Custom’” only with a set floor plan, making it turnkey, and ready to drive right off the lot. And, if they’re not sure about this whole #vanlife thing, they can rent one and take it out for a spin.
“Our first family van was the prototype and we’ve gone way beyond it,” Bender says. “Our customers become our best friends. I get pictures of our vans all the way from Nova Scotia to Baja. We’re so busy that we have to live vicariously through our clients.”
2236 S 3270 W, West Valley City, UT | hello@acmeoverland.com | acmeoverland.com
