Keith Rose customized a van for he and his wife to camp. It turned out so well that other campers want him to create campers for them.
During an April 9 meeting, the Wayne County Board of Zoning Appeals granted 4-0 a variance of use for Rose to begin a customization business inside a pole barn on Farlow Road property owned by his grandparents. The property south of Richmond is zoned agriculture.
Rose said he worked for a van builder in Florida before creating his personal camper. Now, he expects to customize two vans a year for camping. Rose said he takes a cargo van shell and adds cabinetry, a camp toilet and showers to fit what customers want.
The pole barn was originally built for storage, but will contain the customization work. Rose said nothing would be outside.
A version of this article appeared in the April 15 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.