Planning your vehicle build is a fun and challenging portion of the journey to nomadic life, or an exciting transition from one vehicle to another to better meet your needs.
Types of build
Design software and apps
As part of planning your build, you'll probably want to get some apps and software to design your van build unless you're aiming for a simple setup. These programs can help you visualize your ideas in 3D and help you plan your layout.
Cardboard Aided Design
Cardboard Aided Design (CAD) is a play on the term "Computer Aided Design", long used for computer-based modeling and design. You can draft your vehicle layout using cardboard sheets and tape to build a life-size mockup of your ideas. This can help you really picture your ideas and see if they'll work in the space you have available before you actually start on your real build. Continue reading …
Sketching your build
Sometimes, paper makes the best ideas come to life!
Build order
Downsizing for nomadic living
Downsizing for nomadic living is an important task for those who plan to live full time on the road. Unless you are already a minimalist by nature, adjusting to the much-smaller living space can be a big challenge. Getting rid of everything that won't fit in your vehicle isn't always possible, so then you'll have to rely on storage units or asking friends and family to hang on to your belongings. Read ideas for reducing your stuff …
Thinking
- get ideas from this wiki, forums, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
- consider what kind of amenities you want
- bed: material, position, convertible or fixed, mattress ventilation, etc.
- storage: plastic bins, milk crates, thrift store dressers, built cabinets
- water tanks: fresh water, gray water, black water
- water pump
- cooking
- toilet and hygiene
- power: shore power, solar, house battery
- roof real estate: solar panels, roof vents
- sketch ideas for layout on paper or software
Beds
The bed is one of the most important parts of the nomad life vehicle, and should be one of your first considerations when planning your build. Since it is likely the largest single object in your vehicle, its design and location requires careful thought. More …
Roof
Roof work should usually be done early so metal debris can be swept/vacuumed out easily
Roof vents
Roof vents are a key part of ventilation for nearly anyone who lives in a vehicle. Roof vents aren't required, but are very beneficial for most vehicles and living situations. Fortunately, they're not too difficult to add if your vehicle doesn't have them already. Smaller vehicles like cars and SUVs can get by with window vents or other solutions. Continue reading …
Solar panels
Solar panels, also called photovoltaic (PV) panels, produce DC power from sunlight to provide power to an electrical system. This power is used to charge batteries or to power appliances or devices. However, due to the nature of solar power, special equipment like charge controllers is needed to turn the generated power into something that can be used by batteries and appliances. There are numerous types of solar panels; this page will help you choose the type that meets your needs and budget. Continue reading …
Solar panel mounting
Solar panel mounting refers to permanently attaching solar panels to the roof (and sometimes sides) of your vehicle. This is in contrast to portable solar panels. Continue reading …
Roof racks
Roof racks are ... Continue reading …
Roof decks
A roof deck in a treasured vehicle addition for some nomads. Rooftop decks offer an extra space to hang out with a raised view of your camping location, and can make rooftop maintenance tasks like cleaning solar panels a bit easier. Continue reading …
Wind power
In nearly all cases, wind power is not worth it for nomadic living. Unless you will be spending most of your time parked in very windy locations with very poor solar harvest, you can almost always get far more electricity from solar panels than you could from the wind. That said, a small wind turbine may work for you as a small supplementary power source if you have room for it and have a relatively unique use case. Continue reading …
Floor
- cut any needed holes for vents, drains, etc
- body modification - cut any holes for water entry, shore power connectors, etc. Note: traditionally hookups go on the driver's side of the camper.
Acoustic dampening
- If desired, add acoustic dampening material like Reckhorn ABX.[1]
Framing
Framing is done before wiring to avoid damaging wiring.
Wiring
Insulating
Walls
Dealing with irregular shapes
Dealing with irregular shapes is a common occurrence when building your van. Unless you have a box truck or step van, your vehicle has lots of curved walls, ribs, bolts, and other things you'll need to work around. There are a few ways to deal with these unusual shapes and creating pieces to fit them. Continue reading …
Some or all of the content on this page was originally sourced from this page on RVWiki
Seating
Seating is an important part of a comfortable vehicle for van life. Since seating in self-converted vehicles is sometimes custom-built, it's important to plan for your uses.
Windows
Windows are an important part of your vehicle when living nomadically. At various times and places, you want a lot of windows or no windows at all! Windows can be a wonderful feature but can also work against your needs and goals.
PART 2:
Step 1 in any design is to really understand your use.-- jracca[2]
The Build
The "build" is the creation of your campervan from whatever condition it is currently in. Regardless of the eventual type of build, you may find benefit in using a standardized order of events.
Builds range from bare essentials to technical wonderlands to luxurious. There are no fixed lists of "Must Have's" or "Most Avoids", because the whole point of building a van is that it has what you want. How fancy you get is up to you, from the most basic usage of a "metal tent" with nothing but a sleeping bag and a camping pad in the back, up to the [pre-made luxo-barges].
Here's some very rough estimations of build types, from the simple to the complex. Everyone can freely pick and choose the level of complexity of any sub-system that they want; there exist plain metal tents with multi-thousand dollar lithium battery setups, or finely crafted artisanal woodworking builds that have no more electricity than a few AA battery powered tap lights. It's completely up to you.
Note: These builds are targeted at people who are van-dwelling by choice. If your situation is different, please see Involuntary vandwelling.
Metal tent
When considering the nomad life, or being forced into it, it can be helpful to think of your vehicle as a metal tent. It does everything a tent does (other than fold up) with the addition of nice features like being able to drive around. For some people, the metal tent is all they really need or want; the simplicity and low cost can be major benefits.
The Glamper
Good for casual overnights or weekends in campground near services, you're likely not making too many permanent modifications to the vehicle. You're still looking to be simple and efficient, but now you may take a few more of life's luxuries with you.
- Interior
- None, or Factory interior
- Sleeping equipment
- "Car Camping" inflatable sleeping pads or air mattress
- blankets or sleeping bag
- Maybe a proper pillow at this point
- Food Storage
- $30 Wal-Mart cooler with ice
- Cooking
- Jet-boil, or upgrade to a Whisper-lite type stove for a wider cooking ability
- Clothing & Storage
- Still duffle bags, or potentially clear totes
- Electricity
- USB Power bank
- Internet
- Cell phone, maybe hotspotting it to a laptop for a couple hours.
The Weekender
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By now you're started to think you might like this whole van-life thing. You're going to spend multiple nights in it, maybe go a little farther and try your hand at the occasional boondock. You're going to start the build and have some tools, and abilities to make more permanent modifications. A little bit of interior build out can make things feel more put-together.
- Interior
- Factory interior is still great if your chosen van had one, otherwise
- Basic Plywood on the walls, maybe some rubber mats for the floor
- Sleeping equipment
- Folding cot or 2x4 platform to get yourself off the floor (this helps a LOT with storage, and having someplace to sit)
- Thicker camping pad and blankets, or sleeping bag.
- A real pillow
- Food Storage
- Higher quality & larger cooler with ice
- Cooking
- Whisper-lite type stove, or perhaps a countertop stove.
- Maybe a second pot and some dollar-store cooking utensils.
- Clothing & Storage
- Plastic furniture, clear totes, or hanging closet organizers can be a very useful way to utilize vertical space
- Electricity
- Larger USB power bank, or potentially a small solar generator.
- For weekend+ adventures, a portable folding 100w solar panel can greatly extend your capabilities
- Internet
- Cell phone, maybe hotspotting it to a laptop for a couple hours.
The Mick Foley
Starting to get committed now, and you're looking at spending a solid week+ at a time in the van. You may even be full-time, but keeping it to a budget. Modifications may be more serious/permanent, and you're doing actual construction. Maybe you're bringing your partner? The quality of life can go up a lot as you're capable of bringing more capabilities/comfort with you.
- Interior
- Maybe a nicer interior with 4-way stretch or wood paneling on the walls, and a finished floor of some kind
- Good insulation will help with heat retention/blocking, as well as noise suppression
- The amount of effort here is very optional! To many people though, being able to look at something nicely finished and decorated can make it feel much more like a "home". Many others don't care.
- Sleeping equipment
- Fixed sleeping platform, with something like an air mattress or very nice "glamping" sleeping pad or slab of memory foam. A real mattress can be a great investment.
- Real sheets and blankets
- Real pillows
- Food Storage
- Cooking
- Countertop stove. Larger dual-burner folding camp stoves can greatly increase your cooking options
- A more complete cooking set of pots, plates and utensils.
- Clothing & Storage
- Building in fixed shelves/drawers can help keep the relatively small space organized. Hanging closet organizers can be a very useful way to utilize vertical space
- Electricity
- 12v house battery setup (Particularly critical if you're running a 12v refrigerator)
- Starting to put in fixed lighting and exhaust fans can make a huge increase in your quality of life
- Larger solar generator can be an option, but they get unreasonably expensive. Unless you desperately NEED the portability, it usually ends up being much cheaper to assemble your own fixed-in-place system.
- Portable folding 100w solar panel can greatly extend your capabilities
- Internet
- Especially if you're a digital nomad and working remotely, a dedicated Jetpack device will be a solid investment.
The Insufferable Instagram "Adventurer"
Some suggestions for longer month-ish trips focused on outdoor rec activities and looking good in staged photos
The Full-timer
Suggestions for real full-time van living
The Spoiled tech worker
More luxurious builds for the digital nomads tapping at a laptop
There's no "Right" way to plan. Various methods are used for planning:
- pen and paper
- sketchup or other design/CAD programs
- Cardboard Aided Design[3], 1:1 modeling the van space in the real world
- the "sit/stand in the van and think" model recommended by secessus :-)
- [clean, functional build] for $1200, which could have been considerably less without custom welding and powdercoat.
example builds
Resources
| Resource | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Build A Green RV | Detailed text and images on DIY campervan conversions, with a focus on efficiency and conservation. | |
| Build plan example | Example of a van conversion build planning process. | |
| Choosing your floor plan | Advice on planning your build | |
| Search forums and groups | Search van life discussion groups for "planning your build" | |
| Search related sites | Search van life sites for "planning your build" | |
| Search NomadLife.wiki | Search other pages on this wiki for "planning your build" |
Some or all of the content on this page was originally sourced from this page on RVWiki