Ram’s Revived Work Van Is a Compact Camper Hiding in Plain Sight

The ProMaster City returns as America’s lone midsize van option, and it’s even better-suited to life on the road.

White RAM cargo van with sliding side door open, showing empty interior and steel wheels.

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By Gray Van Dyke

Published March 11, 2026

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Updated March 12, 2026

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Up until a few years ago, U.S. buyers could choose from a bevy of compact work vans like the Chevy City Express, the Ford Transit Connect and the Ram ProMaster City. Much as they were intended for commercial applications, they also excelled as mobile living accommodations.

Unfortunately, a marked decline in sales meant that automakers decided to drop such options from their model ranges in favor of larger alternatives. As such, around 2022, the midsize commercial van segment effectively collapsed altogether.

Two white RAM vans parked inside a large industrial garage with overhead lighting. — The ProMaster City returns as America’s lone midsize commercial van option.

However, Ram has recognized the error of its ways. The ProMaster City is making a return to the brand’s professional lineup for 2027, and it’s not just back, but also way better-suited to camper duty.

More in every dimension

When the 2027 ProMaster City lands next year, North American brands CEO Tim Kuniskis states that it will be “the only midsize commercial van on sale in the U.S.” That in and of itself ensures that it’s a unique value proposition in the world of conversions.

White RAM ProMaster City cargo van with rear and side doors open, parked indoors against a dark wall. — The new ProMaster City touts up to 167.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity, and it comes standard with a passenger-side sliding door.

Really, though, it’s Ram’s decision to revive the model on a larger platform that’s made it such an exciting vanlife prospect. Compared to the previous ProMaster City, the forthcoming version brings considerably more space.

For instance, it now measures 210 inches end to end and 75 inches wide, with a 129-inch wheelbase and a 111-inch load floor. In practice, this means the new ProMaster City is over two feet longer than the outgoing model, yielding an improved 167.1-cubic-foot total cargo capacity.

While Ram says this makes it ideal for carrying “common construction materials, like sheetrock, 4-by-8-foot plywood and framing lumber with room to spare,” it obviously also means more space for your creature comforts.

White cargo van with rear doors open showing a secured engine on a wooden pallet inside. — There’s enough space between the wheel wells for a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, or, you know, something like a modular sleeper setup.

All the more so because of the van’s cavernous interior. A squared-off box ensures the walls span a full 64 inches across up to the roof, and even the rear wheel wells offer a generous four feet between them — enough to carry a pallet with a Hemi V8 or accommodate something like a modular dining setup.

The best part, though, is that even with the extra space, the ProMaster City promises to be accessible because of its manageable size. At under 77 inches tall, the 2027 model can still fit in most parking garages, and, despite the lengthy wheelbase, it offers a tight turning diameter of just over 42 feet.

Gray RAM van with black grille and tinted windows driving on a city street. — The refreshed looks keep with the rest of the Ram brand’s design language.

A vanlifer hiding in plain sight

Even beyond the new Promaster City’s larger size, the van brings plenty of other qualities that make it a potential winner for camper conversions.

Chief among them being the unibody design. Along with improved rigidity and a lower curb weight, it provides better driving dynamics and traction on uneven road surfaces. (It’s for good reason that vans like the Transit and the Sprinter are built this way.)

The interior benefits from standard tech like multiple 10-inch screens, a digital rearview mirror and a rear backup camera.

Stellantis

The new ProMaster City is also much better at hauling stuff. With over 2,000 pounds of payload and 2,000 pounds of towing, Ram’s offering promises more than enough grunt to accommodate interior furnishings and trailer toys like dirtbikes along for the ride.

Moreover, because of its commercial positioning, the ProMaster City is set to give buyers plenty of options, with 11 distinct window, panel and rear-access combinations. Though it comes standard with a sliding door on the passenger side, the rear can be specced with 180-degree barn doors or a liftgate.

Top it off with features like rear independent trailing arm suspension, a low step-in height, rugged plastic bumpers on the Tradesman trim and a suite of standard tech features, and the result is a midsize van that’s just begging to be turned into an adventure vehicle.

Gray RAM ProMaster van with tinted windows parked on tiled ground in front of a modern building with large glass windows. — The rear offers the option of a liftgate, assuming you’re not one for barn doors.

Availability and pricing

Ram will be offering the ProMaster City with just one choice of powertrain across Tradesman and SLT trims: a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four paired to an eight-speed automatic rated at 166 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque.

At this stage, exact pricing has yet to be announced, though MSRP is targeted to be under $40,000. Orders are set to open in the second half of 2026 with deliveries arriving at dealers in the first quarter of 2027.

Gray RAM van with tinted windows driving on a mountain road at sunset.

2027 Ram ProMaster City

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About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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