Shop Talk: Benchmark Vehicles are Setting the Mark

The Central Eastside is Portland, Oregon’s burly quadrant, a century-plus-old industrial zone full of muscular brick warehouses, a working neighborhood to the core. Duck into one cavernous garage in particular and you’ll find outdoor rigs that match the mood. Imposing Mercedes Sprinter vans fill the space, their finishes matte and futuristic, their interiors on the way to becoming mobile modernist cabins. Benchmark Vehicles began applying a refined finish-carpentry aesthetic and serious gearhead smarts to travel vans in 2014, garnering a following for a style that mixes backwoods brawn with quiet luxury. The work has landed the company on the front page of The New York Times and in the garages of scores of avid outdoorsfolk.

Founder Leland Gilmore sees himself in Benchmark’s audience. Twenty years back, he relocated to Portland from the Bay Area largely for the cycling scene, and today he pilots his own rig up Mount Hood for adventure in all seasons. At a table he built himself, Gilmore shared the story behind these endeavors—and the vehicles his team designs and builds to get folks out there.

Benchmark founder Leland Gilmore; steps in the process that take vans from blank walls to road readiness. (Photo Credit: Will Matsuda)

Q: Your background is in woodworking and cabinetry. Why vans?

A: I was doing furniture contracts for Nike and other clients around town. And, kind of on the side, always working on my old cars. I’ve been a car guy my whole life. In around 2014, I was looking to get into the van world, which was pretty unknown at the time. I felt there was a huge need for really beautiful interior design there—everything was sort of the same.

My philosophy was, people want to spend money on their toys. They want a vessel that gets them out into nature and a comfortable space that they can use as a base camp. And I combined my furniture and interior design skills with my automotive skills and decided, okay, I want to create a brand. And we did that basically first, before really having even a business plan.

One van turned into five, turned into 20, turned into … We’ve done more than 100.

Q: Obviously, plenty of folks love vans. Who are Benchmark’s people?

A: Our clients are into mountain biking and cycling in general, skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, triathlons. And those are all things I’ve been passionate about my entire life, so it was easy for me to connect with a group of people with similar interests—maybe they’re just in a different income bracket.

Q: What do they say they want?

A: Some folks come to us with 15 pages of notes—all the things they’ve seen from a hundred different builders. We’ll go through every single one of those. I’ll learn a lot from that person—their wishes and wants. And I try to guide and coach them in the direction of what functionally makes sense, financially makes sense, what works aesthetically and what’s pleasing to be in. Others might just say, I really liked that one.

Photo Credit: Will Matsuda

Q: Likewise, a lot of companies build out road-trip vans these days. What sets yours apart?

A: We have a look, from the outside to the interior. It’s a pretty simple assembly of goods and parts. Our exteriors are all very consistent and have a similar vibe. We don’t stray from certain parts and pieces. We stick with our core components. Our vans—they’re aggressive on the outside. There’s a lot of lighting. We prefer certain colors. The way we put together the exterior finishes and colors are just as important as the interior, and that creates a look that makes people think, “I want to rock that ride.” For interiors, it’s the finishes, the fit, how it all goes together. Lighting is huge—correct placement, the correct color temperature, all the things that set a mood inside the van.

Q: You’ve created a team here. What skill sets are you drawing on?

A: My team’s kind of all over the map from their backgrounds—builders, car enthusiasts, aftermarket junkies who want to put on all the coolest components. And our age range is from 20 to late 40s. We all learn different aspects of what we do from each other. It’s a small crew. We’re all here in the same building every day. We have our team meetings and talk about what we want to see in the next van or what worked in the previous van.

Q: To take a step back from the specifics of your builds, what kind of emotional response are you hoping to foster?

A: When you get in a really beautiful sports car, the second you touch the steering wheel or put your hand on the seat, you can feel the difference. That feeling is sensory—it shifts the chemical balance in your brain, like, okay, I don’t know why I like this, but I really like it. And a lot of times it’s hard to put into words. You get that feeling from being in one of our vans.

Photo Credit: Will Matsuda

Rock and Roll

1. Benchmark recently released a series of roofracks designed for the new (and much-coveted) INEOS Grenadier. In Gilmore’s eyes, the UK-designed, overlanding-oriented SUV is tapping a cultural niche similar to the Sprinter’s adventure-seeking audience. Several of the designs feature integrated light bars.

2. The full description of a Benchmark build is a spec-lover’s dream, detailing the company’s exacting material choices from insulation wool (Havelock) to custom floor-mat sets (Chilewich). A recent project’s kitchen setup rolled out with Le Creuset and YETI gear. Full specs and extensive image galleries for many projects can be scanned at benchmarkvehicles.com.

Photo Credit: Will Matsuda

A Van, A Plan …

Benchmark doesn’t technically sell vans—clients purchase them and hand them over for build out. But the company provides dealer connections and advice.

This article originally appeared in Wildsam magazine. For more Wildsam content, sign up for our newsletter.

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