Lets get started!

Building your own Camper Van is always more of an adventure than you originally think it is going to be. To help guide you through some of the stumbles along the way, I have created this guide to walk you through step by step how to create your own van. I’ll include my research, costs, how-to’s, and designs all supported with pictures and video from my own build. My build was in a 2006 Ford E-350 standard length with a 6.0 TurboDiesel equipped with an Aluminess Rack and Rear bumper and 4×4 Quigley conversion.

 Step 0: Dream 

It’s time to put that dream cap on and start imagining what it will be like in your van once it’s done. Go scour the internet, the InstaGram (#Van Life), Pinterest boards (camper van conversion), Google image search, grab your inspiration, and take note of what you like and what you don’t. You must make some critical decisions right off the bat and I always tell people: Choose the right tool for the job! Make sure what you’re building is going to realistically fit your needs in the long run. Where will you be taking this van (environment, paved or unpaved roads, special height restrictions)? Will you drive off road (clearance or 4×4?)? Will you be using this van for a specific sport (skiing, mountain biking, climbing, ect)? Will you be spending a lot of time in your van (comfortable, convertible)? Will you be driving frequently and for long distances (fuel economy)? Will you be cooking a lot (standing up in a nice kitchen)? Will you be in cold environments (insulation/heater)?

Then start SAVING your butt off! The van itself will cost anywhere from 5,000 (low end used) to 45,000 (used high end). If you do the camper build yourself (which I would imagine is why you are reading this) it will run anywhere from 1,000 (low end bare bones) to 10,000 high end with everything tricked out.

 Step 1: Buy your dream van!

At the end of the day you want to purchase something within your price range with enough $ to complete your camper conversion build. Make sure the van is SOLID before buying it. Take a friend or have it checked out by your mechanic to ensure you aren’t going to build your dream house on a rotting foundation. With that being said, you first have 3 major questions to ask yourself:

• Question 1: Do you want to stand up in your van?!

  Standing up in your van can make a huge difference depending on how much time you spend in the van. For some people this isn’t a big deal, but for those full time van life folks, this could be a make it/break it deal. You have 3 options to grasp this dream:

  

  1. Purchase a stock van you can stand up in. Example: Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter
  2. Modify your van so you can stand up in it:
     • Hi-top van (Do it yourself or have the pros do it) Example
       • Pros: Standing up, more storage, not feeling so cramped.
       • Cons: It will cost you in fuel economy (drag from larger frontal surface area of your van) and will cost you $ in the long run!
       • Cost: $5,000 (1/2 that price if DYI)+ Fuel economy loss for life of vehicle
         
     • Pop-top Van (Do it yourself or have the pros do it) Example
       • Pros: Standing up, more storage, not feeling so cramped, will collapse and better fuel economy in comparison to the Hi-Top. The area can double as sleeping area.
       • Cons: It will cost you a lot of $ and the fabric may have to be repaired in the future. Has no insulation if used as a sleeping area.
         Cost: $10,000
         
  3. Suck it up and pretend to be Gollum from Lord of the Rings and love your new 4’ height.
     • Pros: It’s free (no conversion cost).
     • Cons: Losing your dignity as a human and always having to bend over to do anything in your van.
       Cost: No extra costs . . . except to your dignity . . .

• Question 2: Do you want 4×4 with clearance?

  This is a huge consideration for people who are going to be going off-road constantly in their van. If you never plan on going 4wheeling, then just save the $ and put it into the build. Pavement regularly or 4×4 roads regularly, just be honest with yourself.

  • Pros: Peace of mind knowing you can take on gnarly terrain. Go most anywhere.
  • Cons: Costs lots of $ for the conversion and raises your vehicle height which will cost you $ in fuel economy. This can also raise the height of your van making it top heavy which may deter you from having a Hi-Top roof like a Sprinter Van. In my mind it’s either stand up in your van or go 4×4 (just from cost alone).
  • Cost: $13,000 + Small hit to fuel economy over life of van

• Question 3: Do you want a Diesel or Gasoline Engine?

Diesel Engine

• Pros: Diesel rocks for towing a lot of weight and the engines last a very very long time (typically 400,000-500,000 miles. Good fuel efficiency. Great towing power, you can pull things with your van. Price of Diesel fuel varies less than price of gasoline.
• Cons: The cost of general maintenance is higher with diesels. You can go 5-7,000 miles between oil changes, however the oil changes cost around 4x as much as gasoline. Price of Diesel gas is about the same as Hi-Grade (97 Octane) but sometimes equal to Mid Grade (93 octane) dependant on market. Diesel has a higher impact on the environment if you are dogging your engine all the time; however it has a higher efficiency than a gasoline engine which means you get more bang for your buck out of the fuel.

Gasoline Engine

• Pros: Cheaper fuel, slightly less impact on environment, lower maintenance costs.
• Cons: Engine doesn’t last as long, takes a heavier beating from wear and tear hauling your van around. Poor fuel efficiency. Gasoline engines only last 250,000 miles before having major issues.

Comparison Example: Remember this doesn’t take into account maintenance cost or environmental impact. Just keep that in mind.

Examples of vans that are typically converted into campers:

Mercedes Sprinter (30-45k), Ford Econoline (10-20k), Ford Transit (10-20k), Dodge Sprinter (10-20k), Dodge Promaster (25-35k), Chevy Express (25-30k).

If in your research you’ve decided to leave the work up to professionals:

• Camper Van Conversions : http://vanlifecustoms.com/vans/
• Sportsmobile: https://sportsmobile.com/
  • Hi-Top conversions
  • Quigley 4×4 Conversions
  • Camper Van Conversions

Step 2: Start your Camper Van Build Design!

This will go hand in hand with the dreaming step. Take all those things you liked or disliked into account when you scoured the internet (step 0) and start throwing a few sketches of what you think it should look like. But where to start?

Choosing your Design:

What do you want in your van? Convertible bed? Stove? Sink? Toilet? These are all personal calls, so let’s start with the simplest question:

Bed Design:

• Are you shorter than 6’ tall? If you are, you can build your bed driver side to passenger side in the van (as opposed to lengthways) saving yourself a ton of “living” room.
• Will you be rocking solo or with a partner? If you have a partner you will want the bed wide enough to accommodate two people.

Now that you have the dimensions for your bed you can start sketching and go from there. Measure your van, figure out where you want your bed and the rest of your appliances will fall into place naturally from their required dimensions.

You want everything in your van to be as dual purpose as possible! My bed is both bed and couch when you lift the back up. I have seen beds that convert to a kitchen table and seats, all kinds of options out there. Try to make the steps in converting your bed as minimal as possible. Too many steps will deter you from ever converting it and you’ll end up wasting the effort of trying to design/pay it for the dual purpose aspect of the bed.

Insulation:

Your thought here should be, where do I plan on spending most of my time with this vehicle? If you are in cold climates constantly you will want some good insulation as well as a heater. Every van should have some level of insulation; it dampens sounds outside of the van, locks heat in, keeps cold out or keeps the heat out if you are rocking an AC. It helps regulate your indoor temps.

Power:

This seems to be the area where I get most questions about because not many people have a good understanding of electricity. There are some great resources out there to help you along the way; I will attempt to make a quick explanation that makes sense.

If you plan on having power at night without running your engine the entire time then you’ll need a second set of batteries to provide that power for all your appliances. The batteries must have enough capacity to run your appliances when you are not charging them.

My Electronics Analogy: I tell people to imagine the batteries like buckets of water. Charging the batteries is like filling the buckets with water. The “water” is the current that runs your appliances. You can use as much juice as you have in the buckets (which depends on their size), but once the buckets are empty you’ll have to recharge them. The size of your buckets (or charge capacity (AmpH) of your batteries) should be selected by how much energy (current) you plan to use. That will all depend on your appliance selection and how long you plan on using those appliances when you aren’t charging your batteries. I’ll get into the power calculations in the Electrical section.

These secondary batteries will have to be charged somehow. There are 3 main ways of doing that:

1. Solar Power: Solar utilizes panels which can be mounted to your roof in fixed position or can be mobile. You want to be in an area where you have a good amount of light during the day. If you are somewhere where it’s cloudy all the time, this may not be your best choice. (I will dive deeper into exact specs of the solar system in the Electrical section below).
   • Pro: Totally separate system from your vehicle, is relatively easy to maintain, well used enough that companies make a “plug and play” system that you can just “throw in” and use. You can expand this system and add more solar or batteries if you need them.
   • Con: High costs (depending on the system you select), knowledge of electrical circuits (if you build a custom system), solar panels lower the “stealthiness” of your van (making it look more lived-in).
     
2. Van’s Alternator: Your van is already equipped with an alternator which charges the van’s starting batteries. You can tap into this with an isolator and utilize this power to charge your batteries.
   • Pro: No need to spend all that ca$h money on a solar system.
   • Con: You have to modify your existing stock van wiring system, you need to run your engine in order to charge your batteries (this can be no big deal if you are moving the van constantly).   
3. Gas Generator: I have seen people run a Honda Gas generator to provide both electrical power and charge for their secondary batteries. Mounted on the back, you’ll need extra fuel to run it, and wire it into your secondary batteries.
   • Pro: No need to spend all that ca$h money on a solar system or modify your stock van electrical system.
   • Con: Requires secondary fuel supply, can be noisy, not stealthy and you will have to secure it to keep it from being taken off the back of your van.
     

Appliances:

Sooo many options there! This is total personal preference at work. Do you like cooking with propane? Are you scared of propane in your van? Do you need a fridge? Must you have a sink? Do you want a toilet? Shower? Must have that hair dryer?!

Most appliances you will put in your van should be running on a 12V system. Some appliances (like plug-in appliances (blender, hair dryer, induction stove) that you don’t want to hardwire into your van can be used by utilizing an inverter.

Inverter: An inverter uses your 12V DC (direct current) battery power and converts it to 120 Volts AC (alternating current) just like your outlets at home. An inverter will typically have 1-2 wall plugs on it which you can use to plug in any household appliance (you can plug in extension cords into these and run them behind your walls so you can have an outlet anywhere in your van that you want). Remember that this power conversion is not perfectly efficient so when you can hardwire something in at 12 Volts, you should. Example: Water pump for sink, fridge, fan, ect.

Typical appliances I’ve seen: induction stove, propane stove, fridge, fan, water pump (for sink or shower), water heater, toilet, microwave, oven, pretty much anything you have at home.

Storage:

You need to decide early on if you are going to keep your windows (if your van came stock with them) or if you are going to insulate and cover everything. Most of the heat loss (in cold temps) or heat gain (in hot temps) is through the glass windows. You need to decide early on if you are going to keep these or not. Keeping or covering the windows will really change your storage design. Some people build shelving and closets, if you are going to keep the windows this will obviously be a challenge.

Building Materials:

There are plenty of building materials to choose from. I’ve seen bed frames from metal, whole builds from hardwood, ply board, pressboard, laminate, ect. I would stay away from stone for countertops and flooring because it is very heavy and can crack. You want something that will flex a little with the movement of your vehicle. I did my build from pine plywood for most of the framing, pine hardwood for counter tops, and ton-n-groove pine for the ceiling. Wood can be difficult to work with, but is the easiest to be molded or cut to the shape that you desire.

My Design:

Bed: I chose to have side-to-side bed (I am 5’7”) that was low enough to the floor that I could still sit up in it and use it as a couch.

Insulation: This wasn’t a huge priority as I can always cuddle up in a sleeping bag and it doesn’t get killer cold in the Southwest.

Power: I opted for a solar powered setup (I live in the Southwest) more specs on system in Electronics section.

Appliances:

• Fantastic Fan – Used for ventilation when cooking and cooling off in summer.
• Fridge – I opted for a 12 Volt fridge to keep my beer cold!
• Stove – I opted for propane, it’s cheap and I love cooking with gas. Some people are very cautious when it comes to propane gas so they decide to go with induction stoves. However induction stoves will use a lot of your battery power, they require about 1,800 Watts at full blast, which gives 1-2 hours of cooking time before your batteries may drain (depending on their capacity). There is no right answer here, just do what makes sense for you.
• Sink – I opted for a small sink with water pump, gotta clean those dishes!
• Lights – I went with two sets of LEDs, one bright to find things and get crap done, one for ambience and chillin.

Storage: Lastly I wanted to keep my entire build below the windows. This was very important to me as I wanted an open layout in my van and didn’t want to feel like I was stuck in a fart coffin . . . just sayin!

Building Materials: I decided to go all wood on my ceiling, walls, and floor as I wanted a nice aesthetic finish. I planned on painting the walls and main body of the bed/cabinets white while leaving the countertop, drawers, cabinet covers, ceiling, and floor its natural wooden finish.

Don’t stress if you don’t have every detail all worked out to a Tee! The design can develop as you begin building. You will have to adjust your design as you go when you realize the size and dimensions of your appliances which will fix and bound the dimensions of your build.

From this point forward I will be following the steps of the build with my specific design

My build was in a 2006 Ford E-350 standard length with a 6.0 Turbo Diesel equipped with an Aluminess Rack and Rear bumper and 4×4 Quigley conversion.

Step 3: Strip!

Now that you have your van, this is the point of no return, let’s strip that bad-boy down! This is the one step where it’s very easy to get friends involved.

BEFORE PICTURES

Tools/Materials Used:

• Basic Tool Set
• Star Bit (for seat bolts)
• GreenWorks Spray 
• Paper Towels

Remove the entire stock interior from the front seats back to have a clean starting surface.

• Rear Seats – Remove and sell on craigslist/ebay.
• Rear headliner – Remove and sell on craigslist/ebay.
• Leave the front cab headliner in, but pull it down so you can slide your wood ceiling in behind it.
• Carpet – keep the carpet for floor templates
• Plastic step to the sliding door – Remove (and keep)
• Rear Plastic lip at the bottom of the rear doors – Remove (and keep)
• Wall paneling – keep the paneling that goes just behind the front seats as you will reinstall this after installing all your wood ceilings/walls – makes it a cleaner look
• Door Panels – Remove and discard/sell (Keep the handles!)
• Seatbelts – Take them out and throw them on craigslist/ebay!
• Rear Heater/AC Unit – My particular van model came with a separate rear heater/cooling unit which I removed in order to make more bed and storage space. To do this you will have to purchase a blank-off kit for the AC lines and make a ‘U’ from hose for recirculating the radiator feed and return lines. Make sure you have the AC lines properly evacuated before disconnecting them. Drain your radiator before disconnecting the rear heater core to minimize the amount of coolant you lose. Have everything you need ON HAND before doing this so you can get your vehicle running the same day. Pop off the heater core lines (have a bucket handy for remaining coolant in the heater core lines), U joint the heat core lines, use hose clamps to secure the ‘U’ in place. Separate the AC lines below the van body with a special AC line tool (you can buy this at any automotive shop), cap the AC lines with your blank-off kit. Remove the rear heater/cooling unit. Refill your AC refrigerant, refill your radiator, and go on with life.
  • Part 1: https://youtu.be/RFmbniWLAAA
  • Part 2: https://youtu.be/tZPn5QlRN-o
  • Part 3: https://youtu.be/XyyKpkdnWZ8
    

Now you want to clean everything! If you encounter rust, you’ll want to sand it down to clean bare metal and then spray it with a rust prevention primer/paint. You don’t want your foundation rotting out beneath you!

AFTER PICTURE 

If you discover your body is riddled with rust, this is the point where you should really debate on reinstalling everything and selling your van in hopes to find a better one. If you decide to keep it anyway, you’re in for a world of bodywork and sheet metal cutout/repair. Just know when to fold ‘em!

Step 4: Start laying out your wire.

It may seem early to be wiring things up, but this critical step will ensure that you don’t insulate over or cover up area where you will need to run wires for your appliances. Decide where your central fuse box will be, you will run all your wires to this location. Your fuse box will be the central place for power distribution. I chose to locate my Fuse Box just behind the driver’s seat. Draw faux appliance locations on the sheet metal with sharpie (lights/ceiling fan) and start running your wires/sheathing. I ran most of my wires right next to the stock wiring harness along the driver’s side corner where the ceiling meets the wall. (A full description of my electrical system will be in the Electrical section).

I ran 18 AWG wire from my components to my fuse box. Check your selected appliances/components manuals which will give you a recommended wire spec. If there is no callout, use an online wire gage calculator to select the correct size of wire (https://www.wirebarn.com/Wire-Calculator-_ep_41.html)

Basic Initial Wiring Outline: More wiring will be added once the cabinet/stove/sink area is installed.

Tools / Materials used:

• Dremel – 4000
• Dewalt Drill 20V Cordless
• Dewalt Drill Bits
• Hammer
• Chisel
• Wire Stripper
• Wire Loom – I used this to run as many wires as possible for organization.
  • Qty: 8 x 3/8 in Diam x 10 ft Wire Loom
• Wire Ties – Used for organization
  • Qty: 100 x 4 in Cable Ties
• Power Extension Cord – Used for wiring outlets
  • Qty: 2 Extension Cables 25′ & 6′
• Power Outlet
  • Qty: 2 – 20 Amp Fused Outlets
• 3 Way Lightswitch – 15 Amp 3 Way Switch
• Shallow Blue Outlet Box
  • Qty: 4 Boxes
• Outlet Covers – Wall Plate
  • Qty: 2
• 18 gage wire
  • Qty: 3 Black, 3 Red
• 20 gage wire 4 group bundle
  • Qty: 1

Phase 1/3: Wiring I ran before insulation:

• Wall outlet + extension cord – This will be one of two wall outlets in the van that will be powered by my inverter. Location: Placed on the passenger side of the van, just on the column to the left of the sliding door. I ran the wires up and across the ceiling next to a C brace and along the driver’s side upper ceiling/wall brace down the column to my intended fuse box location.
  • Side Note: I cut out the metal from the sliding door column to fit the 2 blue outlet boxes for the 3 way switch and 120V outlet. I drilled 4 holes, 1 at each corner for the box then used a Dremel or Grinder to cut the hole and fit the box in place. I used a chisel and hammer to get some of the metal out of the way. I drilled through the rear passenger window frame (lower left side) from above to run the wires coming down from the ceiling to the boxes now installed in the sliding door column.

  • 

• 3 Way Light Wall switches – I will later wire these in to operate my main ceiling LEDs, indirect lighting LEDs, and over the kitchen area LEDs. Location: I put these switches right next to the wall outlet and ran the wires right next to the wall outlets wires.
• Ceiling LEDs – I used 6 puck LEDs on my ceiling and ran wires to their intended locations. I ran the wires next to the stock wiring harness on the ceiling/wall brace then out along each ceiling brace to the puck’s intended location.
• Fantastic Fan – I ran these wires to the general area where I planned on installing my fan (went right next to the puck light wires in the same area).
• Video showing wiring progress: https://youtu.be/XGGkfFPyyGo (don’t be alarmed how far along I am, I just took this video a lot later than I originally planned . . . and with only a headlamp . . . sorry)

Phase 2/3 & Phase 3/3 will be completed later in the build. I added them below for understanding what wiring you will be looking forward to in the future. 

Phase 2/3: Wiring I ran during ceiling installation (Covered in more detail in the Electrical Step 10)

• Puck Lights – As I installed my ceiling I installed my puck lights and wired them in. The end of the wires just hung in the fuse box area until I built the cabinet and installed the actual fuse box.
• Fantastic Fan – I opted to install the fan after I installed my ceiling (some want to do this before). Once installed I soldered it into the wires I ran before the insulation.

Phase 3/3: Wiring I ran after cabinet build (Covered in more detail in the Electrical Step 10):

• Charge Controller, Inverter, Fuse Block, Cutoff Switch, Fuses (all per manual specs). Installation will be covered in more detail in the Electrical Step.
• Wall outlet + extension cord – This will be one of two wall outlets in the van that will be powered by my inverter. Location: Placed on the face of the cabinet. The wiring is ran on the upper back face of the cabinet.
• Wiring for water pump – I mounted the water pump just below the sink and ran the wires along the back upper face of the cabinet to the fuse box. I also included a cutoff switch on the face of the cabinet to turn it off when not in use.
• Refrigerator wiring – I ran the wires through the upper back face of the cabinet through the end to the fusebox once I installed the refrigerator (all per fridge manual specs).
• Video Showing almost complete wiring progress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqlrzXS5fnU

Step 5: Insulate

Now that you have a clean base, let’s start insulating this guy! My E-350 was a passenger van and not a cargo van, so that means the interior sheet metal walls are designed and contoured to receive the plastic molding (that you removed in Step 3). This means there are large gaps between the outer sheet-metal of the van body, and the inner wall sheet-metal. Due to this I decided to use spray foam for these gaps as it is hard to use anything else in these gaps (no accessibility).

Tools / Materials used:

• Dewalt Foldable Knife
• Hammer
• Basic Tool Set
• Insulation from wheel well covers removed in the Strip Step (the ones you kept!)
• Spray foam – I used this to fill in the in the wall cavities and the sheet metal frame support C beams.
  • Qty: 14 x 16 oz. Gaps and Cracks Insulating Foam Sealant with Quick Stop Straw
• Hard Foam Board – I used this in the ceiling between the braces which made a nice rectangle.
  • Qty: 5 x 1/2in 4ftX8ft polystyrene
• Reflectix – This insulation is like bubble wrap encased in an aluminum sheet and contours easily to sweeping curves. I used it for the insides of the walls and floor beneath any wood covering. Later I will use this to make my window covers as well.
  • Qty: 3 x 24 in. x 25 ft. Double Reflective Insulation Roll
• Sub-Floor Barrier – For the floor I put a sub-carpet barrier layer against the van’s sheet metal floor.
  • Qty: 1 x 100 sq. ft. 25 ft. x 4 ft. x .093 in. Premium 3-in-1 Underlayment
• Adhesive – I used this to hold all Reflectix and Foam Boards into place.
  • Qty: 5 x 3M 17.6 oz. Hi-Strength 90 Contact Adhesive 

Procedure:

• Start by spray foaming inside the walls and braces. Caution! Apply the spray foam in stages. The foam needs to cure and if you spray a ton in at once it will not cure in the middle. The foam is very sticky and will ruin your clothes. If you get it on yourself (or your hair), wash it off immediately! Note: The two cavities in the rear corners of your van where the wiring harness for your brake lights should be partially left clear so you can still maintain the wiring/lights.

• Ceiling insulation – Install the hard foam into the roof (I used 3M spray-on adhesive to hold it in place). I cut the hard foam to fit between the braces, making enough room for the wiring sheath that you installed in the Lay the Wiring Step. I used 3M adhesive spray to hold it in place.
• Subfloor barrier installation (You can use this as a floor template to cut your wood before you glue it down!)- You want to remove any bolts that are left over from securing seats, seatbelts, or any other components you removed when you stripped the van out. Make sure the floor is clear of anything before installing the subfloor barrier. Once my flooring was ready (and I wasn’t tramping in and out of the van left and right) I cut the subflooring barrier for the floor, and installed it using 3M adhesive spray.

• Subfloor reflexive insulation – Cut the reflexive for the floor, installed on top of the subflooring barrier, hold in place using 3M adhesive spray.

• Install the reflexive on the walls (custom cut) using 3M adhesive spray. I would later cover these areas with wood.
  • NOTE: My particular passenger van had a metal tab/lip that protruded out which would obstruct the wood walls from going down to the floor. I took a large hammer and beat this tab/lip flat so I had a good surface to work with. Then I placed reflexive over this. Video: https://youtu.be/NPkwn7DhH-M
• Take the insulation attached to the bottom of the carpet you removed in the Strip Step made for the wheel wells and reinstall it over the wheel wells. I tore this off the bottom of the carpet, sprayed 3M adhesive and stuck them back on.

Videos:

• Insulation in-progress: https://youtu.be/Ut6s8mWgDJk
• Insulation ceiling/floor inner walls complete (I put the reflexive on the walls later): https://youtu.be/9uBA8hVofto
• Wall insulation: Progress video getting ready for the walls and other features: https://youtu.be/iJNOi77CJE4

Step 6: Wood Floors, Ceiling, and Walls.

It’s time to give your dream some form. Pretty much you want to cover all the areas you insulated so you can start building your storage areas. I chose to go with a plywood floor, thin plywood walls (thin enough to bend/contour to the shape of my van), tongue-and-groove ceiling. Tons of different flooring/ceiling options out there just make sure the floor can take a beating, because it will! Nothing in your van is flat. Front-to-back, side-to-side, almost no surface in the E-350 has perfect right angles, so you will be constantly cutting custom shapes (put into place, make a mark, remove, cut, repeat until it fits).

Tools /Materials used:

• Dewalt Drill 20V Cordless
• Dewalt Drill Bits
• Basic Tool Set
• JigSaw – Makita corded JigSaw
• JigSaw Blades – 3 Pack – I used a few different blades, found that the fine tooth took longer but made smoother cuts.
• Flooring: Birch Plywood 1/2in. x 2 ft x 4 ft
  • Qty: 2
• Ceiling: Pine Board – 1 in. x 8 in. x 12 ft. Tongue and Groove Pine Board
  • Qty: 9
• Walls: Birch 5mm Plywood – 0.196 in. X 48 in. X 96 in
  • Qty: 3
• Quarter Round – 3/4″ Wood – Used for finishing the facure board to ceiling interface and eventually the interface at the back wall/side wall (this will be completed in Step 11: Finishing work)
  • Qty: 36′
• Finishing Nails – Nails – Used for the quarter Round
  • Qty: 100
• Wood Glue – Gorilla Wood Glue 8 oz
  • Qty: 1
• Screws – GripRite #6 x 1-1/4″ Gold Screws – Used for floor and ceiling. (Make sure your screws aren’t too long for your van and you accidentally screw through the outer sheet metal!)
  • Qty: 1lb pack
• Screws – #6 x 1/2″ Philips Screws – Used for walls (drill pilot holes)
  • Qty: 200
• Screws – #6 x 1″ Philips Screws – Used for walls where 1/2″ screws were too short
  • Qty: 100
• Stain – Natural 209 MinWax Wood Finish Stain
  • Qty: Quart
• Sealer – MinWax Polycrylic Clear Sealant 
  • Qty: Quart
• Stain Pad – Stain Sponge
  • Qty: 2
• Puck Lights – LED Overhead Lights

Procedure:

Flooring:

1. Use the carpet as a template for your plywood flooring. I ended up using 2 sheets and cutting them into 3 pieces to fit the floor of the van.
2. Use a chalk-line tool to indicate the location of the ribs of the floor of the van. I wanted to make sure I was getting a good interface between the wood and the van’s sheet metal floor below the insulation.
3. I drilled small pilot holes, and then used screws to secure it to the floor.
   • Caution! Ensure that your screws aren’t too long! You could potentially put a screw through the floor and hit wiring or another component beneath your frame, so keep that in mind!
4. You’ll seal and paint this after the bed and the cabinets are installed. You can do this before if you like, your call.

Floor Install Video:

https://youtu.be/zaIeNZoCrNg

 Ceiling:

1. First stain and seal the wood if you are planning to, before you put them in (save yourself some overhead work like I had to go through, lesson learned:
   • Video: https://youtu.be/HfAn_Ar1_ew)! I used a light natural wood stain (it really makes the wood pop). Then I sealed the wood.
2. I butted up my first tongue-and-groove piece against the passenger side of the van (Note: from what I’ve seen, if you want perfect symmetry you should start in the center of the van and work outwards, lesson learned). I cut the tongue off this first piece so it would snug up nicely to the edge. I screwed the first piece in where the ribs of the vans ceiling were to secure it in place (make sure your screws aren’t too long as you don’t want a hole in your roof!). I moved along towards the driver’s side, fitting in the next piece and snugging it up before screwing it in. Once I reached a board where I planned to have a puck light installed, I drilled a hole through the board for the puck light wires, ran the wires through, installed the puck light to the board, and snugged it up before screwing it in place. I continued this process until I reached the driver’s side of the van’s ceiling. For the last piece I had to cut a custom sized board to fit in place (this was a pain in the butt to get the last piece in, but it was tight and eventually went). Nothing in this van is flat and everything you cut will be custom.

Ceiling Install Videos:

• Installing lights in ceiling as you build – https://youtu.be/7z3_SqxVKvE
• Install progression – https://youtu.be/NnyGosqdtIo
• Install complete – https://youtu.be/OYBg8EedUek
• Staining ceiling and floor: https://youtu.be/McOwaKKnKiM

 Walls:

1. My particular passenger van had a metal tab/lip that protruded out which would obstruct the wood walls from going down to the floor. I took a large hammer and beat this tab/lip flat so I had a good surface to work with (I covered this in the insulation section, but wanted to note it just in case you insulated your van differently).
   Video: https://youtu.be/NPkwn7DhH-M
   
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     Lip beat down!
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     Lip beat down!
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     Lip beat down!
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     Lip beat down!
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     Lip beat down!
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     Lip beat down!
2. I used a thin (0.20” thick) piece of plywood for my walls. I chose something thin so it would bend with the shape of the van’s sheet metal. This step was quite a pain to be honest. I wanted to keep the wood in one piece if possible, which means a lot of custom work, templates, fitting, marking, cutting, in and out of the van like 30 times before you finally have the right piece to fit. Once you have the right fit, screw it into place with appropriate sized screws (drill pilot holes) for where you are placing it.

   

   

   

   

   

   1. Video for back wall: https://youtu.be/1_sF3UDD9Ho
   2. Video for wall outlet custom panel: https://youtu.be/a8fKACTMUuI
3. Leave the back corners where the back face of the van and the sidewalls meet open (I finished these up with quarter round later after I finished installing the bed and before paint)

Upper Facer Boards:

Create upper facer boards for the edges of the ceiling/walls. I wanted to create a lip that I could tuck an LED strip behind for indirect light as well as hiding all the wiring and blemishes or the bare metal van body.

1. Cutting custom mounting standoff blocks to ensure I had space behind the facer boards for the LED strip lights. Screw these to the metal frame of the van along the brace where the wall and ceiling meet.
2. Cut custom facer boards for the length of all 3 walls.
3. Install the facer boards onto the mounting blocks you have in place.
4. Once complete I buttoned it together with a strip of quarter round at the interface between the wooden ceiling and this upper facer board, then glued and nailed into place.

1. Now that the upper facer board and ceiling is complete, you can put the cab roof liner back into place. I used some short wood screws to accomplish this.

Step 7: Build Bed/Bed Storage.

Remember how I said nothing is flat inside the body of a Ford E350 van? This is when it really matters! You want to build a bedframe that is flat; however, you are building on a curved surface. I first built the basic ‘H’ shape of my bed then shaved the bottom down until it sat flat on the floor. Once that step was done I could start building the rest of the bed/storage on this flat base. I chose to have a side-to-side bed (I am 5’7”) that was low enough to the floor that I could still sit up in it and use as a couch (remember to account for your mattress thickness). I also wanted it wide enough to sleep two people. These parameters drove my dimensions of the bed.

Tools/Materials used:

• Table Saw – Ridgid 15amp Portable 10″ Saw
• Sheet Sander – Makita 1.7 amp Sander
• Sand Paper – Grit: 100, 150, 220
• Dewalt Drill 20V Cordless
• Dewalt Drill Bits
• Drill bit with CounterSink (This thing was a huge time saver)
• Screws – Black square head wood screws 2″
• Measuring Tape
• Drafting Compass – Compass (Marking – saved the guesswork)
• Basic Tool Set
• JigSaw – Makita corded JigSaw
• JigSaw Blades – 3 Pack – I used a few different blades, found that the fine tooth took longer but made smoother cuts.
• Birch Plywood – 3/4 in X 4 ft X 8 ft plywood
• Birch Hardwood – 0.75IN X 2.5IN-R/L
  • Qty: 12 ft
• Poplar hardwood – 0.75IN X 1.5IN-R/L
  • Qty: 6 ft
• Piano Hinges – 1-1/16″ x 30″ Continuous Hinge
  • Qty: 2
• Shocks – 100 Lb Single Shocks
  • Qty: 2
• Shock Mounts – Ball socket mounts
  • Qty: 2 sets of these 2: Flat Plate , Bent Plate
• Bed Lid Locks – HoodPins (These hold your bed lid w the shocks down)
  • Qty: 2
• Front Small Drawer Sliders – 24″ Full Extension Soft Close Set
  • Qty: 2
• Big Drawer Sliders – 200 Lb Capacity – 24″ Full Extension Sliders Set
  • Qty: 1

Procedure:

1. Take measurements of your van, and cut your ‘H’ shape to the height of your bed (with cover and mattress taken into account of course).

1. Drill bore holes and countersinks for your screws. Screw it together (make sure it is square! 90 degree corners) and place in the back of the van. Your van isn’t flat, just come to terms with it. Once in place you’ll want to shave away the wood in the middle of your ‘H’ shape until it sits flat.
   • Video progress: https://youtu.be/Q_pk2nhP_Ms
   • Video of Basic ‘H’ Shape Complete: https://youtu.be/z9XKVYsz4RQ
2. Once flat, cut your face boards out of hardwood (I chose hardwood as it can be sanded down and painted for a finished look). Cut your runners to create openings for your drawers. Ensure everything is square and sitting flush in your van.
   • Video: https://youtu.be/RN8z5Dc3QJQ
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3. Once your frame is complete, screw mounting blocks into the floor and then screw your frame to the mounting blocks. I used wood as it was readily available. I am sure you could use metal brackets. At any rate make sure it’s good and secure so your bed doesn’t go flying across your van when you stop!
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4. Now it’s time for the top of your bed! I opted to have lids that opened like a chest and swiveled on piano hinges. This gave me access to the storage below without opening the drawers in the front/back but also gave me the ability to make the bed into a couch with the aid of two air shocks (rated at 200 lbs each). I cut a central strip for mounting the two lids and screwed it to the center piece of the ‘H’ shape. Then I cut both lids, laid them down flat, attaching them with piano hinges to the central strut.
   • Video: https://youtu.be/iyKcVvZL-8g

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5. I then cut the side covers for the areas that would not be covered by the lids. The side storage I cut to size using the lids and van walls to keep them in place (no actual attachment, just laid on top). I cut a hole in the top to manually pull for access. I split the difference of the legs of the ‘H’ between the side covers and the two hinging lids to ensure they both had surfaces to rest on when closed. I cut small blocks and screwed them to the wall as a support stopper for these side covers.
   • Video: https://youtu.be/C9iHKHNxx90
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6. I ended up cutting a flat strip of hardwood for the edge of all the lids and screwed it into place from the ends. I did this to keep a clean finish once sanded and painted.
7. I then installed the air shocks for the back lid and two hood latches. This took some adjusting, but once in position they worked great! You can accomplish this “couch mode” by rigging up a couple of pieces of wood for struts to hold the back lid up. Warning: The shocks will put some decent forces on your bed frame, make sure it’s sturdy or it will rip your lids from their hinges or shift your frame making the perfect lids you cut no longer fit correctly. I went back and beefed my frame up for this reason.
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8. Install your drawers – I bought my drawers custom made, I provided the dimensions of the holes I had designed for my three drawers and gave the dimensions of the sliders I purchased and picked them up when they were done! I really didn’t want to play around with trying to make perfectly square drawers so I outsourced this to my friend Sam’s dad (thanks Peter Gallen!). Once I had the drawers I installed them with sliders that I purchased from Home Depot (the sliders come with installation instructions). Once installed I (Peter actually) cut facer covers for all three drawers and screwed them in from the back to give the closed drawer a flush look (don’t need to be snagging everything on the edges of drawers).

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   • Video: https://youtu.be/ZNaGEtvXih4
   • • 
       Be a bum and get someone professional to build you some stellar drawers (Thanks Peter Gallen!)
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       Sliders in!
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       Size them up, and install with your selected sliders!
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       Like a glove!
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       Screw on your facer boards from the back for a clean flush look!
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       No catch handles to finish it off
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       Boooyaaahhhhhhhhhh
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       Go on and throw that back drawer in while you're at it!
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       Screw the facure board on from the back.
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       Cut your handle out (don't need a protruding handle here as it will interfere with the back doors of your van)
9. Stain your drawer facer boards and install your handles. I installed sleek handles on the front (facing the living space) that wouldn’t snag. I simply cut an elongated hole in the large back drawer in the back that I could just grab by hand (no handle needed).
10. Cut your futon that you bought from IKEA down to fit your bed frame. I removed the foam blocks from inside the futon and cut 6” off the height and 3” off the side to side to fit. I took my futon cover to an awning company to be boxed up to fit the cut-down size of the foam pieces.
    • Video 1: https://youtu.be/I3UjRC07Eow
    • Video 2: https://youtu.be/NF60CThpC6o
    • Video 3 – Installed (taken later in the build): https://youtu.be/NAindaPd9WA

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    • 

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11. Now that you’ve pulled your hair out getting this thing into place, screwed down, and operational, just have a break and drink a beer . . . this may be the most important step for your sanity!

Step 8: Build Storage/Sink Area

Endless options and different ways of doing this part; so I am just going to stick to what I did. I built everything around my appliances. The sink, stove, and fridge were allotted to this area. I wanted the counter to cover the top of the fridge and be big enough for my sink and stove. Of all the areas of the van, you will be using this the most when you cook your meals. I opted to have the sink closest to the bed (makes for lazy teeth brushing at night/morning), then the stove in the middle (dimensionally it was close to the sink size (front to back) and I wanted it farther from the bed for safety), and lastly I placed the fridge furthest right (just behind the driver’s seat). I built the countertop around the appliances, then the cabinet to hold it up, cabinet doors were last of course.

NOTE: All appliance installs (including fridge, sink, stove pictured in this Step) will be Covered in Step 9: Install Appliances. 

Tools/Materials used:

• Table Saw – Ridgid 15amp Portable 10″ Saw
• Sheet Sander – Makita 1.7 amp Sander
• Sand Paper – Grit: 100, 150, 220
• Dewalt Drill 20V Cordless
• Dewalt Drill Bits
• Drill bit with CounterSink (This thing was a huge time saver)
• Screws – Black square head wood screws 2″
• Measuring Tape
• Drafting Compass – Compass (Marking – saved the guesswork)
• Basic Tool Set
• JigSaw – Makita corded JigSaw
• JigSaw Blades – 3 Pack – I used a few different blades, found that the fine tooth took longer but made smoother cuts.
• Router – 8.5 Amp Ryobi Hand Router – Used this to make smooth edges on corners
• Router Bit – 1/2 Inch corner bit
• Bartop Sealer – SuperGlaze Gloss Kit
• Propane Torch – Worthington Trigger Start Torch
• Most of the items below are leftovers from Step 6: Install Floors, Ceiling, and Walls)
  • Cabinet Body – Birch Plywood – 3/4 in X 4 ft X 8 ft plywood
  • Cabinet Doors and Face: Birch Plywood 1/2in. x 2 ft x 4 ft
  • Fridge Cover: Birch 5mm Plywood – 0.196 in. X 48 in. X 96 in
  • Screws – #6 x 1/2″ Philips Screws
    • Qty: 200
  • Screws – #6 x 1″ Philips Screws
    • Qty: 100
  • Stain – Natural 209 MinWax Wood Finish Stain
    • Qty: Quart
  • Magnets – 10lb Magnets – 1 set for each corner of cabinet doors
    • Qty: 16 (8 sets)

Procedure:

1. Make a template (I made mine from cardboard), I can’t stress this enough, this will help you so much in not only in the design of your counter, but it will also help you decide what appliances to purchase by understanding the workspace you have to deal with.

   • 

2. Get your appliances in hand (or just pull dimension from online) and cut your template to the final dimensions making sure everything fits where you want it.
   • Video: https://youtu.be/lFOKREjklBk
3. Use the template to take measurements and cut your final countertop. I outsourced this to a guy with a CNC shop who happened to have a chunk of glued together hardwood that was messed up for a customer (and was going to be scrapped). It was the right dimensions for my build so I snagged it at a deal and got the CNC cutting done for free 😉 Right place, right time kind of thing. The countertop was made from strips of pine, glued together, jointed, planed, then cut to size.

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   • 

   • Video: https://youtu.be/RNCook7NE3A
   • Video fitting in appliances: https://youtu.be/dGVq6um1pl8
4. Stain and seal your countertop: I first filled all cracks with wood putty, sanded it down, routered the outer edges, then stained with Natural 209 (that I used on the ceiling). Finally, I sealed it with SuperGlaze Gloss Kit (just follow the instructions on the kit – You get to use a Propane Torch YAY!!!!)

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   • Video: https://youtu.be/USuqAIiz1Zc
5. Build the legs for your counter. I used the wall as the back face and cut three legs to size and fit them into place. I put my fridge in at this point to make sure dimensionally that the counter legs fitted around it. Once in place, I screwed the legs to the bottom of the counter using blocks, reinstalled the counter and legs into place and screwed it down to the end of the bed. I then screwed it in place to the floor walls using mounting blocks I cut from wood.
   • • 
       Mocking up legs, I have my subwoofer speaker holding up the countertop (it's no levitating I promise)
     • 
       Mounting Blocks I used for my legs on the bottom of my counter top
     • 
       putting fridge into place to ensure legs are properly spaced
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       Putting in last leg, screwing it all together!
   • Video 1: https://youtu.be/OkJsgvjJyVg
   • Video 2: https://youtu.be/z0z3IhPkf1M
   • Video 3: https://youtu.be/EsqHxbg19FQ
6. Cover the face of the cabinet. I used ½” plywood (use thicker if you have it for durability),that will be painted later, and cut to size with 2 holes for cabinet access (in hindsight I would use ¾” wood here so I can have more options for cabinet door hinges).
   1. Once installed, cut two holes with shallow blue wall outlet boxes.
   2. Install the shallow blue outlet boxes, and then install a switch into one and a wall 125V outlet into the other.
   3. Wire up the switch in line with your water pump (I cover this step further in the Install Appliances Step).
   4. Wire up your outlet with wires from an extension cord and run the end of the plug near the place where you plan to install your inverter.
   5. Install the plate covers on the outlets.

   6. 

7. Cut the cabinet doors. I used some ½” plywood to cut some lightweight cabinet covers which I fixed into place with magnets (I wanted to remove them later and use them as cutting boards or lap tables). Make 4 magnet mounts for the corners of the cabinet doors and install them on the back of the cabinet face (see video for clarity). Router the outer edges of the cabinet doors and sand down any imperfections.

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   • Video: https://youtu.be/DV8UqHWMfhg
8. Stain and seal the cabinet doors with the same stain and sealer as the ceiling, counter, and drawer faces.
9. Affix your handles to the cabinet doors (I used the same handles as the front drawers beneath the bed).

Step 9: Install Appliances.

It’s time to get serious (as if you weren’t already!)! This is where you put in all those high dollar expenses you dropped on appliances . . . oh yeah, and the part where you CUT A HOLE IN YOUR ROOF (I cried a little, just being honest)! Fantastic  fan, fridge, sink, stove, water pump, time to throw it all in there.

Tools/Materials used:

• Dewalt Drill 20V Cordless
• Dewalt Drill Bits
• Drill bit with CounterSink (This thing was a huge time saver)
• Screws – Black square head wood screws 2″
• Measuring Tape
• Basic Tool Set
• JigSaw – Makita corded JigSaw
• JigSaw Blades – 3 Pack – I used a few different blades, found that the fine tooth took longer but made smoother cuts.
• Fridge Cover: Birch 5mm Plywood – 0.196 in. X 48 in. X 96 in
• Screws – #6 x 1/2″ Philips Screws
  • Qty: 200
• Screws – #6 x 1″ Philips Screws
  • Qty: 100
• Sink – Houzer 15″x15″x6″ Sink
• Sink Faucet – Single handle, single input faucet
• Sink Drain – Houzer Strainer Drain
• Sink Drain Piping – Piping Kit – I used 2 sets to get the pieces I needed, then frankensteined them together.
  • Qty: 2
• Soap Dispenser – Ultimate Kitchen w 17oz bottle
• Outside Fan Sealant – Dictor 10.3oz Lap Sealant 
• Water Pump – SHURFLO Water Pump
• Water Pump Filter – SURFLO Strainer
• Sink hose – 1/2″ x 10′ Clear Tubing
• Fridge – Engel 60qt DC 12V Fridge
• Stove – Atwood stainless 2 burner propane stove
• Fan – Fantastic 2 way fan 801250
• Fan install kit – Puddy & Screw kit
• Wire Ties – Used for organization
  • Qty: 100 x 4 in Cable Ties
• 18 gage wire
  • Qty: 3 Black, 3 Red
• Hole driller – Milwaukee 1-1/2″ Hole Dozer

Procedure:

1. Cut a hole in your roof! I knew right about where the cross bar support for of my roof were and I wanted to get my ceiling in first before cutting my fan hole (I did this so I wasn’t building around the fan when I installed my ceiling, forcing those tongue and groove boards into place was hard enough, just imagine working around a hole and aligning perfectly). It was a gamble, but it paid off. Mark your ceiling where your fan will go, drill 4 holes at the corners of your square, mark the lines on the roof (inside and out) and cover the lines with tape (the tape will help hold onto the metal and wood shavings and keep a smooth cut). Use a JigSaw and cut that bad-boy out! I played it pretty close to the wiring that I installed right before the insulation went in, but it worked perfectly.
   • 

     Who let this homeless guy in? Just cutting holes in the roof, no bid deal!
   • 
   • Prep Video 1: https://youtu.be/KStUYyef5TY
   • Prep Video 2: https://youtu.be/7nLvYAb0GU0
   • Prep Video 3: https://youtu.be/n9TeWWQlegw
   • Post Hole Cut Video 4: https://youtu.be/hMPX-ureKlE
     
     
2. Install your Fantastic fan (use the instructions that come with it, don’t forget to putty and calk seal for a water tight seal. I oriented the opening of my fan towards the rear of the van so I wouldn’t accidentally rip the fan cover off if I forgot to close it properly and drove off. Go ahead and solder the fan’s wires into the wires you put into place before insulating the ceiling.
   • • 
       Clean all surfaces and get that putty going! This is crucial to having a leak free fan!
     • 
       Clean the underside of your fan and choose the orientation. I made my fan cover open towards the back so I didn't accidentally rip it off by driving with it open on accident.
     • 
       Clean up all the edges and get it ready for the plastic faceplate
     • 
       Don't forget to wire it into the wires you already ran in Step 4 (start laying wires)
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       Clean it all up with the plastic face plate
   • Install Video 1: https://youtu.be/Uze1B9_vKEw
   • Install Video 2: https://youtu.be/EABCH8bVfdY
3. Install your refrigerator. First I drilled a ½” hole in the back right leg of the cabinet high enough to clear the fridge (This hole will be for the fridge wires). Scoot the fridge into place and screw it to the face of your cabinet. Taking a measurement, I cut a custom piece of wood to cover the hole that was left below the counter and above the fridge (you will paint this later). Pull the fridge out a bit, run your wires through the hole in the cabinet to the fuse box area. Install the custom wood piece cut and put the fridge back into place.
   • • 
       Run wires through the side hole you drilled
     • 
       Collect all the wires together where you plan to place your fuse box (done in Step 10: Wire it up)
     • 
       Cut custom faceplate to cover space above the fridge on front of cabinet
     • 
       Sit back and look at your new fridge, in place, ready to cool off some tasty beverages
   • Video: https://youtu.be/z0z3IhPkf1MRemove the cabinet covers and the cabinet face cover to make working under the cabinet easier.
     
     
4. Install your sink (follow instructions that come with it). Install sink drain. Install sink drain piping with the 2 kits you bought. Finally cut a hole through the floor of the van and routing the piping kits until it fits. Connect your water tank to the faucet with th 1/2″ hose and hose clamps. (Video below)

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   • 

5. Install the water pump. I attached the pump to the back wall of the cabinet with four screws. Run the feed hose from the sink to the pump outlet and the hose from the pump inlet to your water tank. I have been using a temporary/portable seven gallon water tank which I drop the feed line into. I will eventually install a permanent larger tank inside the van (outside the van would run the risk of freezing water and busting lines). Run the wires for your water pump by drilling a good 1/2″ hole through the cabinet center leg in the back, I made sure it is high enough to be above the refrigerator on the right. Run the wires through the cabinet to the fuse box area. Run the 1/2″ hose from the pump to the sink input tube and to your water tank. Tighten everything with hose clamps. (Video below)
   • 
6. Install the stove (follow the instructions that come with the stove). I chose a propane stove and bought an extension line that hangs down inside the cabinet. I have a flat bottom propane tank which I use to fuel my stove that sits inside the cabinet (make sure you close the valve after use and run your Fantastic fan while cooking). (Video below)

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   • 

Video: Sink, Stove, and Water Pump Install:

• Part 1: https://youtu.be/kxDomjLq9zc
• Part 2: https://youtu.be/DVLB6Jhu5uI

Step 10: Wire it up.

It’s time for the part that most people are afraid of, electricity! By this point all the ends of the wires for your appliances and lights should be hanging around the designated fuse box area. I will do this Section in three parts: 1) Basic Electrical Theory, 2) Basic Circuits, and 3) Putting Theory to Work (the install).

Click for Basic Electrical Theory Details

Click for Basic Circuits Details

Putting the Electrical Theory to Work: Wiring up your van.

Now that you have the appliance, wire size, fuse size, and a basic understanding of simple circuits, let’s start putting theory to work! If you followed the wire running Step 3 then all of your wires should be located in one central place you have allocated for the fuse box area (this includes all your wires for appliances and the two extension cable plug-ends meant for the inverter.

Your fuse box will be power central. I decided to mount my batteries below the body of the van onto the frame itself. This will save me a ton of room inside the van for storage. I placed the batteries as close to my fuse box area as possible. Once this was complete you can start mounting your components to the side of the cabinet and start wiring things together.

Tools/Materials used:

• Dewalt Drill 20V Cordless
• Dewalt Drill Bits
• Screws – Black square head wood screws 2″
• Screws – #6 x 1/2″ Philips Screws
• Screws – #6 x 1″ Philips Screws
• Basic Tool Set
• Soldering Iron kit
• Wire Stripper
• Wire Ties – Used for organization
  • Qty: 100 x 4 in Cable Ties
• Power Extension Cord – Used for wiring outlets
  • Qty: 2 Extension Cables 25′ & 6′
• 18/16 gage wire
  • Qty: 3 Black, 3 Red
• 4 Gage Inverter Wiring Kit – I used the large 4gage wires for all my battery connections
• Copper Lugs – 4 gage copper connectors and shrink tubing
• Copper Ring Terminals – Assorted for wires to fuse box screws
• Deep Cycle Batteries – LifeLine AGM 6V 220 Amp*Hr Batteries
  • Qty: 2
• Polyurethane Battery Box – Fits two 6V batts side by side
• Solar Panels + Charge Controller (Renogy kit) – 40amp MPPT Charge Controller + Two 100 Watt Solar Panels
• Fuses
  • Renogy 10 Amp Fuse
  • 40 Amp Fuse
  • 250 Amp Fuse
  • Fuse Holders
  • Assorted Fuses for Fuse Box
• Fuse Box – Blue Sea Fuse Box with Pos + Neg Posts
• Power Selector Switch – Blue Sea Marine Switch
• Wire Grommets – Assorted pack (Use the right size for the hole you drill in your van. Use a grommet for any hole through sheet metal that you plan on having a wire run through)

Procedure

• Build a battery box to house your deep cycle batteries (thanks Adam!).
  1. Grab your plastic battery holder for dimensions and start cutting angle iron to make a frame around it.
     
  2. Drill 4 holes that will be used to mount the metal battery frame to the van’s frame.
     
  3. Weld the frame together and make sure your plastic battery holder fits snug inside without being pinched.
     
  4. Lift the battery frame up next to your van’s frame with the bolts and nut plates screwed onto the end.
     
  5. Tack weld the nut plates to the frame, remove the bolts, lower the battery frame down, fully weld the nut plates to the frame. Video: https://youtu.be/UR8SUxsoaoc

     

     

  6. Make four spacers to go behind the frame so it will clear the emergency cable that runs next to the frame.
     
  7. Spray paint the Nut Plates, Plastic Battery Box, and Battery Frame with anti-rust spray paint.

     

     

  8. Install the batteries into the box, wire them in series (I have two 6V batteries, wire in parallel if you have 12V batteries), put the lid on, lift it into place and bolt the battery frame to the van’s frame.

     

     

     1. Important! Make sure to have hot (red – positive) and ground (black – negative) wires that are long enough to reach the frame (ground) and the fuse box inside your van while the battery frame is lowered to the ground (makes for easy maintenance and removal)
  9. Attach the ground wire from your battery to the van’s frame.

     

• Drill a hole through the floor of your van just next to the fuse box area and the batteries mounted below the van on the frame. I found a precut hole with an oval stopper in it. I removed the stopper and drilled an identical hole through the wood floor of my van.
  1. Once the hole is drilled, insulate the edges of the hole with a rubber grommet to protect your battery wires.

     

• Mount your fuse box, BlueSea power switch, charge controller, inverter, and two single large fuse holders (one for the inverter, the second for the charge controller).
  1. You’ll want to strategically place these so you can run large gage wire between the power and ground terminals.
     
• Once you’ve mounted these, start running your wires. I wired my system in a way that I could isolate the batteries from the fuse box and the charge controller if I so chose. I opted to run my fuse box straight to my batteries instead of to my charge controller. If I would have wired it to my charge controller I could have monitored the current used by all my appliances (perhaps I’ll do this in the future, but just wanted to keep it simple for now). I used the following wiring diagram I drew to wire up my system (this doesn’t show the switches I put in for the lights, and water pump – The fridge and fan have built in switches for on/off).

  

  1. Run all your wires on the recommended gages to the fuse box. The recommended fuses and wire gages will be in each component manual.
  2. I utilized the wall switch I installed early on in the build for the ceiling puck lights, and will be used for the LED strip lights and eventually the cook area puck lights.
  3. Video: Shows generally whole wiring scheme – https://youtu.be/YqlrzXS5fnU
• Now that you are ready, run the hot (red-positive) wire from your batteries to the Blue Sea switch. Double check everything, cross your fingers, and turn the switch on! Congrats! You either have power easily flowing to your appropriate appliances, or you have a crap ton of problems you have to run down and correct.
• Install your solar panels on your roof. Tons of options here, I created some brackets that would keep the panels in line with my roof rack which cut down on air resistance.
  
• Drill two holes into the side of your van BELOW the rainguard lip where your roof meets the side body of your van. Run your wires through the body of the van and connect them to your charge controller.
  1. Use rubber grommets to protect the wires from the sharp edges of the holes through your van body

     

     

• Now clean everything up, use ties and organize the mass bundles of wires to a tidy mess.

Step 11: Finishing touches.

Whew, man it’s been a wild ride! The van looks good, but it isn’t the final version of what you envisioned. It about to be though! In this final push I closed most of the loose ends, and cleaned up all the ugly edges.

Tools/Materials used:

• Table Saw – Ridgid 15amp Portable 10″ Saw
• Sheet Sander – Makita 1.7 amp Sander
• Sand Paper – Grit: 100, 150, 220
• Dewalt Drill 20V Cordless
• Dewalt Drill Bits
• Measuring Tape
• Basic Tool Set
• JigSaw – Makita corded JigSaw
• JigSaw Blades – 3 Pack – I used a few different blades, found that the fine tooth took longer but made smoother cuts.
• Router – 8.5 Amp Ryobi Hand Router – Used this to make smooth edges on corners
• Router Bit – 1/2 Inch corner bit
• Bartop Sealer – SuperGlaze Gloss Kit
• Propane Torch – Worthington Trigger Start Torch
• Screws – Black square head wood screws 2″
• Screws – #6 x 1/2″ Philips Screws
• Screws – #6 x 1″ Philips Screws
• Stain – Natural 209 MinWax Wood Finish Stain
  • Qty: Quart
• Paint – BEHR 3050 – 32oz
  • Qty: 2
• Paint Tape – Blue Paint Tape – 1 Roll
• Paint Tray – Small disposable
• Paint Roller – 6″ Mini Foam Roller
• Pain Brush – 1.5″ Angled
• Magnets – Neodymium Magnet 6 Pack
  • Qty: 36 (6 sets)
• Reflixic – Double sided insulation
• Sewing Machine – Singer
• Backlighting – 5 color LED strip 32ft
  • Qty: 2
• Quarter Round – 3/4″ Wood – Used for finishing the interface at the back wall/side wall.
• Finishing Nails – Nails – Used for the quarter Round
• Wood Glue – Gorilla Wood Glue 8 oz

Procedure:

1. Make window sills. I cut strips of wood to go between the glass and the wooden walls that I installed. This would create a windowsill, stopping anything from falling behind the walls from the windows. I used a finishing facing strip to clean the outer edge once installed. Sand it down to prep for paint!

   

   

   

   • Video 1: https://youtu.be/kY_VeDkjhjg
   • Video 2: https://youtu.be/xjOsI3CuSf4
2. Complete the back corners of the van. The space where the back walls meet the side walls must be dealt with. I used some quarter round to accomplish this. Cut to length, cut slits in the back, and then soak in a water bath for a few hours to allow the wood to become bendable. Cover the back of the wood with wood glue and press the quarter round into the corners and nail it into place with finishing nails. Sand everything down to prep for paint.

   

   

   • Video 1: https://youtu.be/1_sF3UDD9Ho
   • Video 2: https://youtu.be/mrNAtllTjjY
   • Video 3: https://youtu.be/DFE4jMRFtFg
   • Video 4: https://youtu.be/zG2hoKsABgA
   • Video 5: https://youtu.be/7UugZaSNUXo
3. Run the LED light strip behind the upper facer board. I held these in place with some wood ‘C’ clamps that I cut and glued over the light strip itself. The adhesive isn’t good enough on the back of the lights as it didn’t adhere to the wood so I had to create these ‘C’ clamps to hold them in place. Wire these lights into the light switch (that was run early on in the build).

   

   

   

   • Video: https://youtu.be/2RWEncGjwBA
4. Make the stool. My van does not have a pop-top or a hightop, therefore cooking must be done from a seated or kneeling position. I made a stool to accomplish this. I used one of the wooden cutouts from the counter top for the stove as my seat top attached with a small piano hinge, then stained and sealed it just as the counter was. The wood I used for the body was some leftover MDF my brother had laying around.

   

   

5. Grind down any extruding metal. The bolts that hold the windows into place stick out quite a bit when not covered by the plastic interior plastic body that I removed during the stripping step. I used a metal grinder and cut these down.

   

   

6. Time to paint! Get your brushes, painters tape, and friends out to help. Tape down any area that you don’t intend on painting. Make sure you use wood putty to hide any blemishes or screw holes. Remove any covers, drawers, or things that you don’t want to have painted from the van. Sand everything down to prep for paint. Vacuum all surfaces and wipe them down. Paint it up (I went with two coats)!
   1. Prep for paint, sand it all!

      

      

      

      • Video 1: https://youtu.be/4ViYypDOA2k,
      • Video 2: https://youtu.be/9JMoNYxX3PY
   2. Paint the bed frame, inside and out, excluding the drawers.
   3. Paint the cabinet, inside and out, excluding the countertop and cabinet covers.

      

   4. Paint the walls top to bottom.

      

      

      

   5. Paint the stool, inside and out, excluding the top.
      • Video coat 1 in progress: https://youtu.be/DTn_9AAMh8E
      • Video coat 1 done! https://youtu.be/WJpZApE3tt0
      • Video coat 2done! https://youtu.be/pzzlysPAcyM
7. Let it dry then replace anything you removed to prep for paint.
8. Grab the plastic cover for the column just behind the driver’s seat and cut it to fit your new counter. This will be used to cover all the wires that you ran down the column and save your sanity from trying to make a custom cover. Install the modified plastic cover.
9. Make the window covers. I used Reflectix to accomplish this, it keeps the heat out and does decently for insulating the windows. I had a friend (Thanks Lyndz!) print out some pictures I loved from treks I had done and I had my old roommate (Thanks Laura!) sew the cloth printed pictures onto the reflexive. I finished it all off with a layer of gorilla tape. I taped on some strong magnets and manually sewed them into place to make sure they didn’t come free.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   https://www.etsy.com/shop/Featz – Laura Schmidt

   1. Construction Video: https://youtu.be/3gLHX7jIcTs
   2. Installed Video: https://youtu.be/Hq7oZ2Qu_NQ
10. Stain and seal the floor that is still exposed and not painted white.
    
11. Replace the plastic step to the sliding door.
12. Replace the rear plastic lip at the bottom of the rear doors. I had to modify this to fit below the wooden strip of my rear drawer frame. Once cut in, it really made everything look clean.
    
    • Video 1: https://youtu.be/9JWyLOZgKiw
    • Video 2: https://youtu.be/FNaxH06ZYdQ
13. Remove your passenger seat base and replace it with a swivel seat. It’s pretty simple overall, just make sure the seatbelt buckle wire does not get pinched. You may need to split the carpet to have it fit over the new base.
    
14. Make your sliding door and rear door covers. Once again use thin wood similar to what was used for the walls. Attempt to utilize as much of the existing bolts/screws as possible that held on the original paneling. Stain/seat as necessary.

    

15. Make a spice rack. I used a piece of cardboard to fit the contour between the roof and the facer hang down boards at the corner. From there I sketched up a design and grabbed a 3/4″ x 10″ x 6′ board from home depot.

Cut the spice rack cover (3 1/4″ x 56 3/4″) and the base (6 x 55 1/4″) leaving the rest of the excess wood for the supports you mocked up with the cardboard. Cut the 3 supports out and fabricate to fit flush sanding as needed for fit. Drill bore holes and counter bore holes for the 3 fastening screws that will hold the supports to the ceiling. Screw the end-caps to the spice rack base (with bore and counter-bore holes of course) using 3 screws for each side and hold the structure up and figure out laterally in the van where the rack position should be. Mark the location and drill the end caps into place.

Once in place fit the middle support into place, and figure out how the spice separation should be. I used magnet closures so I offset my middle support a little to compensate. For sanity I threw all the spice bottles I had into place to ensure the spacing was correct before marking the middle support, removing the spice rack base and screwing the middle support into place.

Now that all the wood was cut to size and sanded I stained everything (base, cover, 3 supports still in place screwed to the roof) and put it all back together once it was dry.

Once dry I grabbed some hinges and screwed the cover into place. To hold the spice cover door closed I used 3 magnet clasps with strike plates for a cabinet doors and screwed them into place (adjust as needed for proper closure). Finally I laid down 2 strips of drawer and shelf liner, cut to size, in the bottom of the rack, held into place with some spray adhesive. Grab all your spice bottles, fill them, mark them, and throw them into your finished spice rack!

Congrats! You’re long adventure in converting your van is now done, go forth and adventure! Explore all the things and sleep well knowing all your hard work can now truly be appreciated and put to good use!