VAN BUILD

Humble Beginnings

While building out a van seems daunting, it can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Some people gut their vehicle, lay down a mattress, and call it good. Others opt for a more luxurious build costing upwards of $50K. It depends on the amount of time, money, and experience you have. When we started building out our vehicle, we knew absolutely nothing about power tools, electricity, and vehicle repairs. The steep learning curve certainly slowed down our build, but we were fortunate to have some excellent mentors along the way (who loaned us their expensive power tools!). However, we still made countless mistakes and spent lots of time cleaning up our messes. All in all, it took us three months of hard work to finish our tiny home on wheels.

During the build, we wanted to give up more often than we wanted to continue. Learning every day that you know nothing about construction or cars is unpleasant. Since we built the van together, we had to deal with each other's mistakes too. Overall, the build tested our relationship and was the least fun part of the lifestyle. However, with every challenge comes an opportunity for growth. I feel more competent and prepared for the future because of our van build. For example, I learned how to connect loose wires, jack up cars, change flat tires, replace steering wheels, install solar panels, use power tools, conduct vehicle repairs, insulate small spaces, and repair plumbing systems. I could think of a million other things and none of them would have been possible without our build. The entire process instilled a DIY mindset in me that I never had before. Based on the crazy places I’ve been, the wonderful experiences I’ve had, and the lovely people I’ve met, vanlife is worth it despite the countless struggles. I’ll talk more about the lifestyle later on, but so far it’s been a blast.

If I haven’t scared you away yet, the steps we followed to build our van are pretty straightforward. Again, some steps will be relevant to your build, and others won’t—there are no wrong answers as long as it works for you. Here’s a simple version of what we did:

If any of the above steps confuse you, don’t worry! We watched YouTube tutorials for everything we did on the van and then some. This extends way past construction, too—if you want to learn anything, and I mean anything, there’s someone out there willing to teach you. The best part is you can learn everything on the go. Something like eight out of ten people in the world has a smartphone, meaning DIY activities have never been easier.

Below are some of the most helpful tutorials we used during our build. Some offer a good starting point while others are incredibly thorough, so feel free to pick and choose what’s relevant to your build. Travel Viaterra is not responsible for the accuracy, legality, or content of external sites.

The budget for your build will vary by your needs, but the average for DIY converters is about $10,000-15,000 (including the cost of the vehicle). A van built of this cost won’t have top-of-the-line gadgets, but it’ll have the basics, like a bed frame, insulation, sink, etc. Unfortunately, going over or under this budget depends mostly on how many repairs your van needs. Below is a list of materials we used when building our camper!

• Van

  • Finding a vehicle takes a bit of work, but is well worth the effort. If you’re on a budget, your ideal vehicle is an older cargo van with low miles and regular maintenance records. It all comes down to personal preference, but I’ve been told repeatedly that Chevrolet Express vans are highly durable and easy to work on. Make sure to check Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for the best deals.

• Repairs

  • Unfortunately, repairs are part of life when driving an older car. We took our van on a long road trip right after we bought it to see if any issues emerged—both our front bearings needed to be replaced which cost about $600. It felt much better to find out earlier rather than later.

• Fan

  • We are huge advocates of the Maxxair line of fans as they have a built-in rain cover and two metal arms. In other words, you can use them in inclement weather and while driving as they’re much sturdier than other brands. One of the mid-grade models will work fine. You’ll have to do the fan wiring yourself, so consider how you want it to connect to your battery (we used this 12V car outlet wiring)

• Solar

  • Solar panels used to be prohibitively expensive, but now cost about $100 apiece depending on the specs. We bought a 100W panel from Renogy, some mounting z-brackets, and haven’t had any trouble. Our wiring enters through a ⅜” hole in our roof which is protected by this entry cover. If you want to extend your wiring, make sure to check whether your panel’s female and male connectors are positive or negative first.

• Battery

  • The main lithium battery choices are Jackery and Goal Zero. The size is up to you and how much energy you need, but remember to look up the max charging input. For example, a 120W max input battery pairs nicely with a single 100W panel or two 50W panels. Verify whether your battery has an internal charge controller.

• Miscellaneous

  • You’ll need some quality electrical tape and zip tie connectors to secure your wiring to the ceiling. We found vehicle-specific zip ties at a car parts store.

• Sound deadener

  • We used two rolls of FatMat Self-Adhesive Rattletrap Sound Deadener throughout our van, and the difference is night and day. Before we could hear road noise, animals, and people outside, but now it's very quiet.

• Insulation

  • Insulation is crucial for keeping your van’s temperature relatively consistent. You want to use a closed-cell material that doesn’t absorb water as it will be exposed to moisture over time. We used one-inch-thick sheets of XPS throughout our van. The ceiling is the most important place to insulate, followed by the walls, and then the floor (some people choose not to insulate the floor at all!).

• Lighting

  • As we’re not electricians, we opted to skip complicated lighting and bought some battery-powered LED puck lights. They’re super helpful as you can turn them on individually as needed.

• Lumber

  • We used half-inch thick wooden slats for our walls, and half-inch thick plywood for our floor and ceiling. The lighter your build, the better your MPG!

• Sheet vinyl

  • We found an inexpensive roll perfect for the size of our camper. Cutting out a custom shape using a template is much easier than installing hundreds of slats like traditional flooring.

Finished product showing covered walls, plant holders, and bed frame.

• Bed frame

  • We used nine two-by-four wood pieces, evenly spaced in a square pattern, as the legs to our bed frame. On top, we spaced out half-inch thick slats for proper ventilation. Check out this simple design.

• Mattress

  • We originally bought a normal mattress, but it weighed too much and we found it hard to cut. Instead, we opted for this 5-inch thick foam mattress that cost about $100 and is twice as comfortable.

• Desk

  • We found a used desk at a second-hand furniture store for less than $30. Underneath the desk is our kitchen storage and on top is our counter space. The desk is handy as it has premade shelves and a pull-out drawer for our utensils.

• Cooking system

  • Our cooking system is a simple Coleman’s camping stove. It uses propane bottles that you can find at any outdoor recreation store. We also own a jetboil that is excellent for heating water quickly. The only downside to cooking with fire is the byproduct of carbon monoxide. Make sure to properly ventilate and install a carbon monoxide alarm.

• Magnet screens

  • We bought simple magnetic screens for our side and back doors and cut them to size. This way we can open our doors for ventilation without letting any pesky bugs in.

• Window coverings

  • Trace the shape of your windows and cut out appropriate sections of Reflectix. Duct tape the seams and use velcro tape to attach the covering to the windows. You can spray-paint the side facing outwards black for added stealth.

• Bike rack

  • A family member gifted us a unique bike rack that swivels out away from the van, allowing us to open the back doors with ease. Without this, we wouldn’t have been able to access the cargo area underneath our bed from the outside.

• Swivel seats

  • Swiveling your seats around helps open up the little space you have and is a great quality of life upgrade if you can afford it. You simply buy a swivel plate and install it underneath the factory seats that came with your vehicle. I’d recommend at least getting one for the passenger seat.

Building out a van is not easy, but it’s rewarding in so many ways. It’s important to think about wants vs. needs, aesthetics vs. functionality, and quality vs. price. Only you know what you should prioritize based on your personality and habits (cooking space, workspace, sleeping area, etc.). Be flexible, as your plans and build will inevitably have some differences. Lastly, if you’re building with a partner be prepared for disagreements and challenges.

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