13:26 06-07-2026

Toyota Hiace shortage hits campers: Toy-Factory shifts to a customer-supplied base

As Hiace base vans grow scarce, Toy-Factory now asks buyers to source the van themselves before conversion. Here is what changes for its campers.

The Toyota Hiace shortage in Japan has reached the camper market. Toy-Factory — the country’s largest builder of motorhomes on this van — can no longer reliably source base vehicles, and from July 1, 2026 it is temporarily moving new orders to a “customer-supplied vehicle” model. Buyers now purchase a suitable Hiace from their regional Toyota dealer and then hand it to Toy-Factory for conversion and delivery of the finished camper.

The old arrangement was simpler for the client: the company found the base vehicle itself, converted it and delivered a fully finished machine. The reason for the change is the uncertain supply of the Hiace, especially the Super Long, Wide Body and High Roof versions on which Toy-Factory’s main models are built. Those body types are exactly what a proper layout of the living module, sleeping area, furniture and equipment needs, so swapping them for an ordinary van without losing the point simply is not an option.

The new scheme applies to the BADEN, CORDOBA CRUISE, GT and BALEIA. Suitable donors are the Hiace Camper Special, Hiace Van DX and Hiace Van DX GL Package in Super Long Van, Wide Body and High Roof trim. Toy-Factory issues a separate warning: before signing a contract with the Toyota dealer, the buyer must agree the full specification, factory type index and options with a Toy-Factory manager or an authorized agent. A mistake at the purchase stage can leave the vehicle unfit for the required layout.

For the camper market this matters more than an ordinary note about orders. When the shortage sits not with the finished motorhome but with the base van, the whole chain becomes less predictable: timing depends on the Toyota dealer, the configuration on the availability of the right version, and responsibility for choosing the donor partly shifts to the buyer. Demand for the Hiace in Japan is traditionally high — reliability, durability, straightforward servicing and an abundance of ready solutions for business and travel all play their part.

Toy-Factory also develops campers on other chassis, including the Fiat Ducato, but for the Japanese market the Hiace remains an almost benchmark base. So the shift to “持ち込み架装” looks less like abandoning the model and more like a way to keep production running until Toyota provides clearer supply.

For the buyer the key advice is simple: agree the specification with the camper maker first, and only then buy the van. In a motorhome, the wrong base can end up costing more than any option.