Finish Carpenter/Cabinet Builder

ADVENTURE LIFE VANS

Finish Carpenter/Cabinet Builder

Boise, Idaho · Full-Time, In-Shop

About Adventure Life Vans

Adventure Life Vans designs and builds high-quality custom camper vans for clients who value craftsmanship, functionality, and adventure. Alongside our custom builds, we handle upfitting and repair work on client vans — heaters, fans, electrical systems, exterior accessories, and troubleshooting on systems other shops installed. We focus on thoughtful design, clean installs, and durable systems that hold up to real life on the road.

We are a small, owner-operated shop in Boise. Everyone here does real work and everyone's name is on the results.

The Role

We're hiring an experienced Finish Carpenter to build the cabinetry and interior woodwork that goes into our vans. This is the part of the build our clients see, touch, and live with every day — and a large part of why they hire us instead of someone cheaper.

This is not an entry-level position. This role is for an experienced woodworker.

You'll build in the shop and install in the van. Nothing in a van is square, plumb, or flat, so this is not production cabinetmaking — every piece gets templated, scribed, and fit to a curved steel shell, and it has to survive years of road vibration without a rattle or a loose screw.

You'll get scope, priorities, oversight, and standards from our lead van builder. Once trained in our processes, we expect you to pick up a job, gather what you need, and complete it correctly without step-by-step supervision. If something is outside your experience, we want you to say so and ask — not guess on a customer's vehicle.

What You'll Be Doing

Cabinet building — the core of the job

• Build custom cabinets, galleys, bed platforms, drawers, and doors from shop drawings and cut lists
• Break down sheet goods accurately — plywood, and hardwood
• Mill and dimension solid stock for face frames, edging, and trim
• Build drawers and doors to tight tolerances, with joinery and hardware that hold up to constant movement
• Apply edge banding, laminate, and veneer
• Build light — every pound you add comes out of the customer's payload

Templating and installation

• Template and scribe cabinetry to the curved, irregular walls of a van
• Install cabinets anchored to vehicle structure so they stay tight at highway speed
• Install hardware — compression latches, soft-close slides, gas struts, push latches, and hinges
• Fit countertops, backsplashes, and solid surface
• Install wall panels, ceiling slats, flooring, and trim
• Leave access and routing for 12V wiring and plumbing that runs through cabinetry

Finishing and repair

• Sand, stain, seal, and finish to a furniture-grade standard
• Repair and refinish damaged woodwork on client vans

Shop and workflow

• Work from shop drawings and cut lists — and flag a conflict before you cut, not after
• Keep your work areas, tools, and materials clean and organized
• Document work performed, materials used, and hours on each job
• Flag material and supply needs to lead van builder before they hold up a job

What You Need to Have

• 3–5+ years of hands-on experience in cabinetmaking, millwork, finish carpentry, or boat/RV joinery
• Confident and safe on a table saw, track saw, miter saw, router, planer/jointer, and sanders
• Able to read shop drawings and work from a cut list
• Accurate measurement and layout, including fractions — this is the foundation of everything we build
• Scribing and templating to irregular surfaces
• An understanding that work inside a vehicle must survive constant vibration — joinery and fastening that is fine in a house is not always fine in a van
• The judgment to work from a scope with minimal supervision, and the honesty to ask when something is outside what you know
• Reliability — you show up on time, every scheduled day
• Physical capability for shop work: lifting 75+ lbs, long periods on your feet, working in tight spaces
• Valid driver's license

Strongly Preferred

• Van, RV, marine, or boat cabinetry experience — building light and building for movement
• CAD or CNC experience (Fusion 360, SketchUp, Shaper, or similar)
• Spray finishing experience
• Laminate, veneer, or solid surface fabrication
• Comfort working around 12V systems and leaving clean access for them
• General upfitting, mechanical, or trades experience beyond woodworking

How This Role Works

• All scope, priorities, and direction come from our lead van builder/Co-Owner
• This role is not client-facing — all customer communication is handled by lead van builder or the office
• You'll work alongside our Van Build Assistant; both roles take direction from lead van builder
• Standard in-shop schedule, Monday through Friday, at our Boise facility, 7am to 3:30pm

Compensation and Benefits

• Hourly, W-2, paid weekly — $25–35/hour depending on experience
• Six (6) paid holidays per year, available immediately: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas
• Six (6) paid sick/PTO days per year, available after 90 days of employment
• All tools, materials, and workspace provided by the shop
• Retirement plan with matching available
• Health insurance is not offered at this time

Why You'd Want This Job

• Every piece is custom. No production line, no building the same box a hundred times.
• Real craft. Furniture-grade work in a space where every inch and every pound matters.
• Your work is the first thing a client notices and the thing they live with for years.
• A small shop where the quality of your work is visible and matters.
• Room to grow as the business grows — pay here moves with skill, ownership, and contribution.

How to Apply

Submit your resume and share any photos or examples of past projects. Upon review of your resume, qualified candidates will then receive a detailed application form to complete prior to being considered for an interview at our shop in Boise.

• Please do not contact the shop directly with application questions or to check the status of your application.

Adventure Life Vans is an equal opportunity employer.

Pay: $25.00 - $35.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Paid time off
• Tools provided

Application Question(s):

• Describe your real working knowledge of installing and servicing 12v electrical systems.
• Describe your experience with carpentry and woodworking. Provide years of experience and types of projects.

Experience:

• applicable: 3 years (Required)

Location:

• Boise, ID 83702 (Preferred)

Work Location: In person