Van Build
Original Build 9/6/2019
I started off with a 2015 RAM Promaster high top middle wheelbase with 65,000 miles on it. I managed to find it locally. I was expecting to have to drive all over the country to get it.
First things first. I ripped out the divider and all of the black plastic in the back. I left the floor because it was in good shape. After it was gutted, I started putting up the sound deadening material. I used a product called Kilmat. It’s pretty much the same thing as the more popular Dynamat, but it was two thirds of the price. I was also doing some test fitting of my cabinets etc.
After the sound deadening was up I started insulating it. This was the worst part of the job. I used wool insulation from Havelock Wool. I decided to use wool instead of pink foam, spray foam, Thinsulate, or fiberglass for a few reasons.
1. Ease of installation – It pulls apart like fiberglass, but you don’t have to wear any protection. It doesn’t have the itchy fibers that get stuck in your skin.
2. Mold resistant
3. Sound deadening
4. Cost – Wool isn’t the cheapest material to use, but its not the most expensive either. Thinsulate and having a pro install spray foam are way more expensive. Fiberglass and hard foam are cheaper, but I think the benefits of using the wool outweigh the price difference.
As far as the installation, it’s as easy as pealing a sheet off the roll, spraying both the foam and wall with glue, and sticking it up.
Next was the wiring and the walls. For all of my DC wiring that ran through the walls I just used speaker wire. It’s cheap, easy to maneuver, and can be bought anywhere. I have detailed all of my wiring diagrams and materials here. For the walls I screwed 1 x 2 furring strips to the ribs of the van. I cut 1/4″ plywood to fit. This was tricky for the door and the thick ribs where there were rounded angles.
The ceiling was the next part of the project. I saw on some other blog that I couldn’t seem find again they used fabric for the ceiling. I thought that was a great idea as most people used interlocking pine boards and I wanted to stay away from the rustic look. I modified the fabric look by stringing up LED light strips between the insulation and the fabric and then cutting strips of stained 1/4″ plywood below the fabric to hold everything up. It ended up looking amazing. I also installed a Maxxfan Plus fan near the front.
The next step was getting the cabinets and kitchen installed. I decided to go with higher end custom cabinets since I was going to be looking at them for the foreseeable future. This also gave me the opportunity to modify them to put in a shelf under the sink where there normally couldn’t be one. I went with the KLËARVŪE Vårsta Haven series from Menards, my local hardware big box. I made a shelf for a toaster oven and water pump under the sink. I put in a filler plate above the oven for a 120V outlet and a couple of switches. It also covers the stove guts. I’ll list the appliances on the materials and costs page.
The biggest part of the build was the garage and electrical. I started off by cutting 1/2″ plywood to match the floor contours. This is the base that I have everything bolted/screwed to. I went this way in case I ever needed to rip everything out. This way i can do that and not have a bunch of holes in the floor. After the plywood was cut I marked and drilled holes for the drawer slides, supports, and electrical platform. I used 2×4’s as supports in the corners and center supported with L brackets and screws through the base. I made platforms above the wheel wells for the water tank and batteries. The drawer slides are 54″ and 36″ long and able to support 500 pounds when fully extended. I am using these for easy access all of my storage. These were not cheap, but it’s so much easier to access everything. I installed more LED lights on the bottom side of the horizontal supports. I have created a page for the electrical system since it is so complex.
I used 3/4″ plywood for the roof of the garage. This is easily strong enough to support me and all my storage. To the bottom of the deck I mounted another set of drawer slides and bought a 36″ x 48″ alder board that I use for a table. I cut a hole for the table and slides and then mounted the solar charge controller, battery monitor, and distribution panel. For the front of the garage I used shelving boards stacked vertically.
On the top of the garage roof I mounted HDPE plastic, cutting board material, that I cut into strips. These will be the slides that will allow the bed to convert into a couch. I measured and cut plywood that will be a little larger than the size of the bed. I tried to figure out a comfortable angle for the couch by using an angle meter on my passenger seat and adjusting so it fits. After I got the lengths that I needed I cut the wood and attached it together with a piano hinge. I got a 6″ full size foam bed that I had to trim a few inches off in both directions. This allowed enough room that I can sit comfortably when its in couch mode and I can still lay with enough room in bed mode. I am 6′ tall so I have to lay diagonally or my feet will hang off the end, but that hasn’t been a problem yet.
With the bed completed the next step was to install the cube storage. I mounted a 48″x18″ wall cabinet at the forward section of the bed deck. I am using this as my closet. I had to modify the cabinet because of the angle in the top corners of the roof. After that I attached a shelf board to the deck to be a finished base for my nightstand and cubes. Next I installed cube storage for all my various items. I had to modify the cubes for the top angle and so I could get enough room for my nightstand. The cubes are attached to the base with L brackets. In the nightstand I installed a 120V outlet, two USB power ports, and a touch light switch. Again I used LED strips for lighting.
Finally I installed the composting toilet, water tank, attached the plumbing, and ran the gas line. The toilet is bolted to the plywood base like everything else. I had to cut one hole through the van floor so I could have a vent for the toilet and water tank. I drilled through the front of the garage to fit the vent hose and power for the toilet fan. Above the toilet I put a hinge on the counter top. This gives me enough space to use the toilet and for the bed to slide out. The water tank sits above the wheel well and is held down with bungee cords. I have the water and gas lines run behind the toilet on the floor to the kitchen. The propane tank tucks nicely on the floor behind the water tank.
After the major projects were completed I put up some trim on the top corners of the roof and any open places, put up a curtain to separate the drivers area from the living area, installed a swivel for the passenger seat, put in eye screws for bungee cords on the storage cubes and cabinets so they don’t open up when driving, installed the dashcam, installed the rear view monitor, put up the TV, and install the bike axle mount. That completes the build.
Update 10/27/2021
My power inverter crapped out earlier this month and I had to replace it. I replaced it with a Renogy 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter and a Powermax 45 amp battery charger.
Update 3/25/2022
I finally had to replace my batteries. I decided to get the new tech and went with a 200 Ah LiFePO4 lithium ion battery. Even at 200Ah, it lasts as long as my 300 Ah AGM ones. I can drain this down to 1% and not harm it compared to the 70% of the AGM. It’s so much lighter than my old ones. This single battery is lighter than one of my AGM ones. It’s a bit wider so I had to extend my rack out a bit. I’ll fix that the next time I go home to look better.
I also added some switches to the shore power line. Set up this way, I can run my 120 volt stuff straight from shore power and not have to use the inverter. I can also have it just power the charger in case I’m plugged into a weak outlet that may trip a breaker.
Version 2 9/6/2022
This summer I decided to change the layout of the van. I wanted to rotate the bed, lower the bed, remove a cabinet, and change the storage configuration. I started by ripping everything out except for the walls, ceiling, and the cabinets that I’m keeping.
I reconfigured the bed support and garage area. I took out one of the drawers, moved the water tank, and relocated the electrical.
With moving the water tank I had to extend the water line. I wish I would’ve cleaned the hose out before installing it. I am still tasting the plastic.
Next was the back wall and the new cabinet The back wall was pretty straight forward. The hardest part was figuring out the angle of the wall. I needed to get it right so the couch would be comfortable. I put a nook in the wall for a place for my phone, charger, and fan. For the cabinet, the bottom part was an easy cabinet build. I just needed one shelf for the microwave. The hard part that took a lot of measuring and templating for the wall between the kitchen and the bedroom. Even after spending hours measuring and remeasuring we still managed to mess it up. There is about a quarter to half inch gap on the wall near the top. It’s small enough that it looks ok though. I found out later that I needed more support for the front of the bed. I added 14 gauge angle iron on the front edge. When I was laying on the bed it wanted to keep jumping up on top of the stop. I cut a piece out of the front fascia of the bed to put a lock in and that seemed to do the trick.
The next part was the front of the bed. I put in a step so my feet don’t dangle when I’m sitting on the couch. The bed stop is also the front fascia. The edge of the bed slips behind the fascia and locks. With the bed this way I don’t need a pulley system anymore to lift the bed up. I do have a pull string that tucks next to the bed when it’s out though. With taking out the cabinetry on the side I had to add a filler strip on the top.
The electrical came next. I made room behind the wall to put the battery and all of the electrical. I totally removed the old fuse box. The quality was not very good. My fuses bounced around and the sparking melted part of the box. I decided that I didn’t need 120 volt fuses anymore. The power inverter has enough protection on it that it will trip better than a dumb circuit breaker would. I had to put in a new 12 volt fuse panel in since I took out the old one. I really like how this one is set up and I labelled it nicely. This one installed so cleanly. I swapped out the solar charge controller for a MPPT version. This allows me to get the most power out of my solar panels. I was able to reuse everything else from the original setup. The main runs are able to be a lot shorter with this setup. I also mounted the diesel tank for the heater on the door.
The final update was to mount the table and monitor. I added a piece of 3/8 plywood to the wall to support the weight of table and monitor. I ran the power cord for the monitor through the wall to the back. Now for the final pics.
I made a minor change on 10/25/23 to the heating system. I was sick of the heater blowing under the bed and taking forever to heat the room. I took the heater out, flipped it around, got some ducting and cut a hole in the wall, and vented the heat out to the middle of the room. It heats up so much faster now and doesn’t get my fridge hot.
