Van Build #1 – Observations and Suggestions
by Koda
You may not think so at first, but it is far and away more difficult to plan a van build than to decide what sort of house one might want to buy. When you shop for a house you think about the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the size of the yard, property tax rates, the safety of the neighborhood, access to transportation, the quality of the schools, crime rate, etc. It seems like a lot to take into consideration, but a house comes with heating, power, internet and cell phone access, plumbing, cabinets and storage for everything you really need, and it doesn’t experience massive earthquake-like shaking every few days. Building a camper van means squeezing everything in your “house” into the area of a large bathroom so every inch of space becomes important. There is so much to take into consideration I have separated this information into different sections to help you understand each area of the van build in a more comprehensive way, beginning with this basic overview.
Before you choose which van or other vehicle to buy, and how to design your layout, you should be aware of the hierarchy of ideas which must first be considered. In my opinion those ideas are as follows:
Purpose • Budget • Priorities • Compromises • Resources and Skills • Mistakes • Acceptance
Purpose
Why do you want to build (or buy) a camper van? Do you plan to live in the van full time, use it a few weeks or months each year, or just have something comfortable to stay in on weekend trips? Will you be working out of the van or simply using it for recreation? Will you be traveling in winter or only in warmer climates? How many people will be traveling with you? Do you intend to go off road or stay mostly in campgrounds with hook-ups? Will you want to entertain guests you meet along the way? How important is it for you to be able to stealth camp in cites? Will you want to be able to park in normal parking spaces? Will you need 4-wheel-drive and high clearance? What “toys” do you want to bring with you, such as surfboards, mountain bikes, kayaks, climbing equipment, etc.? How often will you need to shower? Do you want a full kitchen with an oven and large refrigerator? How important is air conditioning?
You will need to answer these questions and more before you even begin to plan your van build. It is likely that you will start out with a much larger wish list than what you will eventually end up with due to limitations of space and budget.
Budget
Camper vans can be very expensive, often approaching the price of a small home. Custom built vans can cost $150,000 USD or more. Your budget will modify your wish list, often to the point of ending up with a rig having far fewer features than you thought you could afford. Many items cost more than you expect because travel components are a niche market and don’t have the economies of scale that household items have. It can be cheaper to buy a used camper van, or a trailer or used motorhome. Some people choose to convert ambulances, box trucks or busses of different sizes. The advantage of a van is being able to get to more remote, less populated areas and being able to park pretty much anywhere, which is important for stealth camping in cities. The less your van looks like someone lives in it the more places you can stay in cities. The disadvantage of a van compared with the other options is having more limited living space.
If you have a big enough budget you can buy an off-the-shelf camper van from a big name dealer and feel confident that everything was built properly and will work as intended. For a little less money you can create your design and have someone with experience build your rig for you, but be careful of people who have only built one or two vans and feel like they are pros now. Make sure you get a good look at one of their previous builds before committing. Doing the build yourself means you will save a lot of money and you can make your rig exactly how you want it, and many people with no previous construction experience have produced great results simply by watching endless YouTube videos.
Priorities and Compromises
We would all like a swimming pool and hot tub as part of our rig, but space and budget force us to make compromises. We have to decide on what is most important to us and make those things our priorities, realizing that having one thing means sacrificing something else down the line.
In my case I had several main priorities: a 55-inch 3D television that would swing out in front of the sliding door so it could be watched while outside, and a 7-speaker surround sound system to go with it. I wanted a fixed bed so I wouldn’t have to set it up and take it down every day, a large enough “garage” area under the bed to carry an e-bike and an inflatable kayak, and the ability to stealth camp in cities.
The priorities ended up requiring more compromises than I expected, especially the TV. I had to build a wall between the cab of the van and the living area in order to mount the TV there, so I lost the additional space I would have gained if I had installed swivel chairs in the cab and not built the wall. What should have been drawers and kitchen storage under the front counter was mostly taken up by speakers and audio equipment. I wanted to be able to watch the TV from the bed so I could not install a regular shower in a floor to ceiling cabinet. My storage is mostly in boxes under and behind the seats, which requires moving a bunch of seat cushions to get to things that would normally be quickly accessed in overhead cabinets. Prioritizing stealth camping meant the living areas has no windows, and I would now very much like to have at least one window in the sliding door. Watching a movie in the van is really awesome, but living in the thing full time is flat out inconvenient. Like they say, “Be careful what you wish for because you might get it.”
Here are a few things to consider as you put together your list of priorities.
Having a “garage” or storage area for bikes, camping equipment, etc., means having a fixed bed which takes up much of the space in the van. Not having a garage means not having larger items with you because there is no place to store them. Having a bed that converts into a table and seating area makes the place seem much larger and more comfortable, but generally means not having a garage area and the bed has to be set up and taken down every day (though some people just leave the bed set up for days till they have a reason to switch to the seating arrangement).
Having a rooftop deck can mean not having enough solar power or ventilation, but decks are great for watching the stars at night, having a place to be outside when the ground is wet, or just getting a better view.
Having windows reduces the stealth factor and the insulation from the heat and cold, but insulated black out curtains help a lot.
Swivel seats in front provide less privacy, less insulation from the heat and cold, definitely reduces the stealth factor and provide less security from break-ins, but using the front seats makes the interior larger so you can store more stuff and it makes the van feel more open – while also reminding you that you are in a vehicle rather than a tiny home. An insulated curtain behind the seats can help with privacy and temperature control. Not having a wall behind the seats means you can park in a camping place and not have to go out in the rain to get to the living area. It also allows you to use the vehicle heater and air conditioning to get at least some temperature control in the event your main systems stop working (which has happened to me twice in just a few months).
Insulating the floor reduces ceiling height but is critical in cold climates.
Try to keep as much weight away from the upper parts of the vehicle as possible. Weight on top makes the rig less stable on corners and in high winds. Flexible solar panels are much lighter than rigid panels but have dramatically shorter lifespans. Try to use thin materials when covering your ceiling.
Lengthwise beds reduce living space in most situations. Notching out the side walls by the bed can add several inches to the length of a side-to-side bed but reduces insulation. Insulated bump-outs can be added but reduce the stealth factor and cost money.
Windows that open cost more than windows that don’t open, but you can get by with just one fan in the ceiling if you are able to open the windows to get cross ventilation.
DC refrigerators cost much, much more than AC fridges, but they do not require the power inverter to be on all the time and use less power overall. Putting the money saved buying an AC fridge into additional solar panels and battery capacity can offset the power requirements, but several cloudy days in a row might make you wish you were using less power for your fridge.
Lithium batteries are definitely the way to go in spite of costing far more than lead acid or AGM batteries. Prices have come down significantly in recent years. The downside is they they don’t work in sub-freezing weather unless they have heating elements built in.
An all electric system means not having to deal with the dangers, expense and hassle of propane but requires a large enough solar/battery system which can be very expensive. The amount of solar you can install is limited by the space you have for solar panels, and clouds and the low angle of the sun in winter can require needing to use a generator or run your rig’s engine to keep everything working. An electric oven is impractical because they draw too much power.
Heating and cooling are critical for full time van life. Name brand diesel or gasoline “parking heaters” are very expensive but the Chinese versions work just fine once you learn how they operate. Propane heaters produce water vapor that can eventually result in mold growth but are an option for those who will rarely be in cold areas. Air conditioning is one of those “must haves” that most have to do without because of the huge amount of power they require, as well as the large up front cost of the equipment.
Internet access has become a basic necessity. Most people can use their phones as a “hot spot” to connect to the internet with a laptop, but that only works where you can get a decent signal from a cell tower. A cell phone booster can be purchased for under $200 and will increase the signal strength by one or two bars, but won’t work at all if there is no cell signal. Starlink RV provides high speed satellite internet access pretty much anywhere you can get a clear view of the sky, but it is expensive. Current prices are $600 up front for the equipment plus $135 a month. You also need space on your roof to mount the dish, which needs to be removed when you drive.
Resources, Skills and Methods
Many people have successfully built useful camper vans having no prior construction experience at all. It is obvious that the more you know about woodworking, plumbing and electrical systems the faster and easier the job will be, but everything you need to know can be found online, especially on YouTube. A team of pros with a fully equipped workshop can build a van in just a few weeks, while a couple working together full time can generally do the build in 3-4 months. Working alone will add a great deal of time simply because it is more difficult to do things without someone around to occasionally lend a hand, or run to the big box store to get materials. $1,000 spent on tools can be adequate. Some people have done their builds with the van parked on the street, but having an enclosed shop with a workbench is extremely helpful. Building a camper van, even something very basic, requires a significant investment in time and money, and you should be prepared for it to cost twice as much and take twice as long as you expect, because it sometimes does. If you have the patience, you can do it, regardless of your level of previous skill.
Mistakes
You will benefit greatly if you can design the build on a computer with accurate dimensions in order to catch problems before they occur. For example, you may design a space for your water heater but forget to account for the pipes that also need to be in that space. Doors or drawers may not open fully. Wiring may end up exposed if you decide to add an appliance after much of the build has been completed. Everything must be done in the proper sequence. It may seem easier to build your cabinets directly inside the van so you can make things fit exactly, but trying to work in cramped spaces will simply slow your progress and add to your frustration. You may realize that storing items in a seat box with a lid is much less convenient than having drawers that open on the side. Most people overlook simple things like where to keep the trash and dirty clothes, and where you will put your dirty shoes and wet clothes after being out in the rain. One needs to think about absolutely everything well in advance. Without a detailed plan you could spend up to half your time fixing mistakes. Design your layout on a computer or on paper with detailed dimensions and establish a sequence for everything. Buy your appliances well in advance of the build or be sure to get their exact dimensions beforehand.
Acceptance
Once your van is finally finished you are almost certain to realize it could have been designed better. Living in it day to day will make you aware how things could have been made more convenient, and that some of your priorities resulted in compromises that turned out to be mistakes. The better your up front planning is the more you will enjoy the results of your efforts.
When I was building my van I thought I had planned things out well enough with some simple sketches on paper, but the further into the build I got the more mistakes I had to fix and in the end things did not turn out the way I thought they would. The main things I prioritized turned out pretty awesome, but then I realized why other people don’t do things the way I did, because my priorities resulted in greater inconvenience. Most people essentially build a kitchen with a bed in it, but I wanted to do something cool and different.
Here is a list of my van build priorities:
Very stealthy
55-inch 3D TV that swings outward across the door so you can watch it from outside
7-speaker THX surround sound system
Music recording equipment
No floor to ceiling cabinets
Large van garage with a slide out platform to carry an e-bike, inflatable boat, etc.
Fixed, extendable bed so I wouldn’t have to take it down and set it up every day
Inside and outside shower plus a water sprayer by the side door
Large awning over the sliding door area
Seating area with removable, swivel table mount and comfy cushions
No propane (except in emergencies) with everything powered by solar
400 watts of solar power and 400 amp hours of lithium battery storage
3-stage water filtration system with UV filter
Electric water heater on timer
Diesel heater connected to the fuel tank
Large refrigerator with separate freezer door
Electric coffee maker
Induction cooktop
10-inch deep sink
2 reversible ceiling fans
Skylight
I managed to incorporate all these features except the awning before I ran out of money and winter weather forced me to head south. The downside of having these priorities is having very limited storage and what I do have is difficult to access. Again, one must consider every detail prior to doing your van build or you are likely to end up with unpleasant surprises.
I hope you have found this information useful. If you would like to see photos of my van build (in a 2007 high roof Sprinter I bought for $1,000 ) and learn more about what is involved in a DIY van conversion, you can follow the link to Van Build #2. More info on things to consider in specific areas of your build will be linked below as I complete them.
Van Build #4 – Plumbing
Van Build #5 – Heating and Cooling
Van Build #6 – Appliances
Van Build #7 – The “Garage” Area