Learn EVERYTHING about Van Life in the next 5 minutes

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Project Van Life
A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S
This book would not have been made possible without the love and support of our incredible
family and friends. Without all of your knowledge, patience, and encouragement, we
wouldn’t be where we are today. We cannot thank you enough for helping us put our
traveling home in motion and allow us to follow our passions.
To the friends we have made on the road, thank you for encouraging our adventures and
inspiring us to create content worth contributing to the traveling community and the rest of
the world.
To anyone who has sent us positive emails and messages, thank you for the encouragement
and kind words. Your support means more than we can describe.
Thank you all for supporting our vision, passion, and lifestyle. We hope this book inspires you
in the same ways you’ve inspired us.
Project Van Life,
Pete and Tay

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Project Van Life
P R E L U D E
As we started our conversion process, we would have loved to have a book that served as a
source of knowledge on the entire process; offering inspiration, helpful tips, design ideas,
and pictures of someone actually going through the process. We were able to find brief
descriptions of some aspects, but finding a resource with a wealth of knowledge was tough,
so we started our conversion process without much guidance. This inspired us to document
our conversion and share it with you.
We wrote this book because we want to share our experience, knowledge, mistakes, and
insights with you to inspire and guide you throughout your own conversion process. The
information in this book will help save you time, materials, and a few headaches along your
conversion journey.
This book goes into detail on the steps we took to convert our Sprinter van. The book is split
into chapters that highlight each major conversion process, so feel free to jump around
from chapter to chapter. We know lengthy descriptions can be boring and confusing. That’s
why we’ve included hundreds of photos throughout this book, showing us in action during
the conversion process.
By no means should you implement our exact design in your vehicle. Rather, we encourage
you to use this book as a resource to generate your own ideas throughout your conversion
process. Converting a vehicle is all about figuring out unique ways to use the space you
have, so get creative!
We suggest that you keep this book handy during your conversion process.
Happy Converting!

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INTRODUCTION 7
GENERAL BUDGET 10
CHOOSING A VEHICLE 12
GUTTING 18
FLOORING 21
INSULATION 26
WOOD PANELING + TRIM 30
BED/BENCHES + STORAGE 39
CUSHIONS 46
UPPER SHELVING + CABINETS 50
FANTASTIC FAN INSTALL 61
KITCHEN BUILD 65
HANDMADE FURNISHINGS 77
BATHROOM APPLIANCES 83
OTHER FURNISHINGS 85
SOLAR AND ELECTRICAL 90
OUR NEW HOME 100
PHOTOS FROM THE ROAD 104
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Project Van Life

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Project Van Life
Why should you trust our input?
We’re strangers.
You’re not supposed to talk to strangers.
INTRODUCTION
So, to start, we’d like to tell you a little more about ourselves.
We’re Pete and Taylor and upon graduating from college, we had a unique vision of what we wanted our lives to
look like. You see, during college we decided to take a year off to backpack Southeast Asia. This incredible trip to
some of the most beautiful places on the planet shifted many things within us. It changed our perspectives on
happiness and purpose. It changed the way we valued the people and places around us. And ultimately, it inspired
us to live a life we are passionate about, even if that meant walking down a path of uncertainty.
We were in love with the nomadic lifestyle and after discovering the vanlife community, we knew what we wanted
to do. We wanted to travel and create a self-sustained life on the road, so we took action. We bought our Sprinter
and started the conversion process. We worked at our jobs all day and built out the van from the minute we
punched out until we went to bed. After five months, we were ready for full-time vanlife.

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Even if you haven’t begun the conversion process but are toying with the idea of living on the road, we understand
you may have some fears and hesitations. The idea of leaving a home with running water and a full-size refrigerator
among other common luxuries may not seem enticing, but for us it was worth it. If it’s a life you’re passionate about,
then let go of that fear! Because while venturing into the unknown may be terrifying at first, it can also bring you
more opportunities than you ever thought possible: whether that be personal growth, financial independence, or
building new, meaningful friendships.
So now that you know us a little better, we hope that you find us to be a little more credible. Anyone can throw a
mattress in the back of a van and live out of it, but we made a conscious decision to live this lifestyle. We didn’t just
want a place to crash at night; we wanted to build a home, and we wanted (and needed) to do it inexpensively.
The beginning of the conversion process is all about searching for information, and this part was overwhelming for us.
There is so much information on numerous platforms, and it takes a lot of time to navigate it all.
W E W R O T E T H I S B O O K T O H E L P M I N I M I Z E T H E I N F O R M AT I O N S E A R C H F O R Y O U B Y H AV I N G
T H E M O S T H E L P F U L , D E TA I L E D I N F O R M AT I O N T O R E F E R E N C E D U R I N G Y O U R C O N V E R S I O N :
A L L I N O N E P L A C E .
CONSIDERING DESIGN OPTIONS
As we started thinking about the conversion process, we saw two different approaches to design layout: plan and
design the layout of our van before we started building or design it as we went, one step at a time. Since we’ve
never been ones to plan in advance, we opted for the second option. We felt that it would give us the freedom to
create and improvise throughout the process.
PLANNING YOUR APPROACH
Obviously, there are advantages and drawbacks to each method. We didn’t tackle each conversion step
chronologically, which caused a few headaches. For example, instead of installing the solar panels and running our
electrical right away, we waited until the end, causing us to work backwards. Having said that, without improvising
and designing one step at a time, we wouldn’t have created the layout we have today. If and when we convert
another vehicle, we’ll approach it with a better balance of planning and improvising. But hey, in hindsight, everything
is 20/20.
Project Van Life

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Project Van Life
ALLOWING FOR MODIFICATIONS
Another design aspect we prioritized was building everything in our van to be easily moved, subtracted, or altered.
We didn’t want to add anything that was permanent or obstructive to remove. Instead of using nails, liquid nails, or
different forms of glue, everything in our van is attached to the metal frame with a minimal amount of screws.
SECURING EVERYTHING
We can’t express enough how important this design aspect is. Of course, building a beautiful and functional home is
the goal. BUT, building a home that can withstand sharp turns, dirt roads, and fast stops is equally as important. We
tried to design everything in our van in a way that would hold itself in place, but we didn’t always succeed. The only
true test? Trial and error. We would design, build, and attach something in our van and then immediately go for a test
drive. If it fell, slid, or broke, we found a way to position or secure it better. There came a point where after building
and attaching something, we would grab and shake it to see how it reacted to being jostled around. Looking back, this
may have been a bit overkill. Having said that, if we find ourselves in the heart of a devastating earthquake, at least
we won’t have to worry about our cabinets falling on us. There’s some comfort in that, right?

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Project Van Life
We made sacrifices to afford this lifestyle, but every single one of them was worth it.
GENER AL BUDGET
2004 SPR INTER VAN $4,500
CO NVER SIO N CO STS 5,555
TOTAL CO ST $1 0,055
Our budget wasn’t set to an exact dollar amount, but being in our early 20’s with relatively small savings accounts, we
had to do it as inexpensively as possible. That meant we wanted to do every aspect of the conversion process
ourselves.
We spent around four months looking for a van within our price range. We found it on the website where you can
find anything that is pure gold: Craigslist. It was much cheaper than we anticipated which was huge for us. We were
able to re-allocate the money we saved purchasing the van to other aspects of the conversion process.
Another factor that drastically helped us was the fact that we split each cost between the two of us. We can’t
emphasize enough how much that helped our bank accounts. We also had access to a woodshop, scrap wood, and
tools; all of which exceedingly helped in our conversion process. Keep that in mind when we list costs.
Throughout the duration of the conversion, we both worked full-time jobs. Even though we spent a lot of our
paychecks on conversion materials, we were still able to save during this process. After our day jobs, we worked late
into the night and only spent money on van-related expenses. We made a lot of sacrifices to afford this lifestyle, but
every single one of them was worth it.
MONEY SPENT WISELY

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PRODUCT PRICE
Laminate Flooring $200
Spray Insulation $275
Cedar Paneling + Trim $250
Foam (cushions) $300
Fantastic Fan $180
Sink $50
Faucet $25
Refrigerator $450
Camp Stove $40
Serape Blankets (Curtains) $110
Fruit Hammock $10
Pressure Shower $100
Toilet $95
LED Lights $100
Solar Kit $730
Sealed Gel Battery $270
Inverter $270
Total $3,555
BREAK DOWN OF OUR COSTS
These are the prices we paid. Your prices may be lower or higher than listed below.
An additional $1,500 was spent on these lower cost items:
• Hinges
• Drill bits
• Hole saws
• Tape
• Varnish
• Paint and painting accessories
• Upholstery fabric
• Drawer slides
• Electrical accessories
• Sandpaper
• Water jugs and tubing
• Glass jars
• Magnetic strips
• PVC pipe
• Weather stripping
• Caulk
• Silicone
• Jigsaw blades
• Storage baskets
• Curtain rods and clips
• Polycarbonate
• And more…
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF PRODUCTS WE USED AND LINKS TO PURCHASE THEM ONLINE.

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Project Van Life
As you know, there are a ton of options when choosing what type of vehicle to convert into
your home on wheels. Here are a few options we considered.
CHOOSI NG A VEHI CLE
VW – VANAGON OR WESTFALIA
PROS: We’ve always drooled over the idea of owning an old VW van, strapping surf boards to the top, and cruising
the country. VW’s are easy to drive in cities and congested places and also allow you to stealth camp when needed.
CONS: They are expensive! Since we were searching for our vehicle in the Midwest, our VW van options were very
slim. When we did find one for sale, it was for $15,000 which was way out of our price range. We also wanted a larger
living space for ourselves and Snoop than this option offered.
Courtesy of our friend Tom @thommybahama

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Project Van Life
CARGO VAN (ECONOLINE, EXPRESS, ETC.)
PROS: Cargo vans are great because their length allows for a more comfortable amount of living space. Because
they’re used for construction and other heavy-duty tasks, they are extremely durable and many have four-wheel
drive.
CONS: This biggest downside to this type of van is obvious; they don’t allow you to stand up. Having said that, there
are high-top cargo vans that are great for conversions. If a cargo van seems to be the best option for you, start your
search early and try to find a raised-roof model. If you find a good one, you’ve got the best of both worlds: durability
and spacious living quarters.
HIGH-TOP CAMPERVAN (FIESTA, COACHMAN, ETC.)
PROS: This type of campervan offers a comfortable amount of living space and the ability to stand up. If you’re buying
a used campervan there could be many pre-installed appliances and other features that you don’t have to do yourself
which cuts down conversion time.
CONS: If you are the kind of person who wants to build an interior from scratch, campervans may force you to work a
little harder to obtain that “blank canvas.” While pre-installed appliances may be ideal for some, they may be
hindering for others. Taking out broken appliances or any unwanted furnishings can be time-consuming and
strenuous. Campervans also tend to have poor gas mileage so it can be much more expensive to travel long distances.
Courtesy of our friend Scott @boldlyexplore - www.boldlyexplore.com
Courtesy of our friends
Matt and Angelalynn
@asfarasweknowmad
www.asfarasweknowmad.com

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SCHOOL BUS (SKOOLIE)
PROS: The first pro - Skoolies are awesome. The obvious attraction for a school bus is the amount of living space.
We’ve been in a few converted Skoolies and they feel like a proper home; some seem larger than our college
apartments! You can also find them extremely cheap because there isn’t a secondary market for old school buses.
CONS: Since it’s a huge vehicle, you won’t have the same mobility and functionality of going through mountainous or
dirt roads and other rough terrain. Although Skoolies get better gas mileage than similar-sized RV’s, they only get an
average of 6-10 miles per gallon.
AMBULANCE (CAMPULANCE)
PROS: Old ambulance vehicles have a perfect shell for converting into living quarters. The shell is a box, so it’s much
wider than most vans, allowing you to be more flexible with layout options. Most ambulance vehicles will have a ton
of outside storage compartments which are perfect for storing propane tanks, tools, and other accessories or
equipment.
CONS: Ambulances are harder to find than other vehicles and depending on where you want to travel, you may have
to add four-wheel drive.
Courtesy of our friends Jon and Sarah @thegypsywolfbus
Courtesy of our friend James Bowler

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SPRINTER VAN
A Sprinter van seemed ideal for us when considering the living space and dependability we desired. Here’s a
simplified list of other reasons we chose to convert a Sprinter:
• LARGE LIVING SPACE – The Sprinter model we own has a 170” wheel base with a ceiling height of 6 feet.
• GAS MILEAGE – Our van averages about 22 miles per gallon on highways. We also have dual wheels in back which
helps our gas mileage. Our tank holds 25 gallons, allowing us to drive roughly 400 – 450 miles before filling up.
• LONGEVITY – If treated well, Sprinter vans can last a long time (600,000+ miles), especially if they have a diesel
engine – which ours does!
• AVAILABILITY – Sprinters have become more popular and sought after in the last 5 – 10 years. They’re ideal for
construction and delivery vehicles, so finding a used one isn’t too difficult. Finding one in your price range can be
the tricky part.
• STEALTH CAMPING – Although it’s not our favorite way to camp, we knew that a Sprinter would allow us to park
and rest for the night in urban areas without calling attention to ourselves.
- 2004 Dodge Sprinter 3500, Mercedes diesel engine, 170” wheel base
- The odometer read 194,000 miles at the time of purchase
- We bought it used on Craigslist for $4,500 – a steal of a deal!
- 22 miles per gallon (highway)
OUR SPRINTER VAN

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UNDERSTANDING A VEHICLE’S PREVIOUS LIFE
Our van has lived a diverse life thus far. Originally, the van was built and used as an airport shuttle bus in sunny San
Diego, CA. After its career shuttling people around, it was picked up by a windmill construction company in California.
After that, it was used as a construction vehicle for various owners in Minnesota; you could call it a jack-of-all-trades.
When buying a used vehicle, understanding it’s previous life can give you a glimpse into the overall condition,
allowing you to factor in costs of potential repairs and accessories you may want to add or detach from the vehicle.
In our situation, some examples of unique things our van came with are:
• Shuttle doors
• Air conditioner on top (which we removed)
• Emergency light (also removed)
• Five windows in back
• New tires (big benefit considering the price)
• Hinged metal plate in place of a rear window
• No bumper
Always get a “pre-purchase inspection” before buying your vehicle! Ask the seller if you can bring it to a mechanic
before driving it home. If the buyer has been transparent and truthful with you, they shouldn’t have a problem letting
you take it in for a general inspection. Sure, it will cost you anywhere between $40-100, but it will save you a lot of
hassle if something major is wrong. If everything is in the condition that the seller has told you, you can make the
purchase with confidence. We recommend going to a local mechanic rather than a franchise automotive shop. Often
times they offer more extensive and personalized inspections than bigger chains.
Also, ask the seller for the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and check the history of the vehicle. Nine out of ten
times there won’t be anything shady, but many people have been scammed this way – they bought a vehicle in
“good” condition and later found out that it was totaled and in a junk yard only a few months before. Again, you
probably won’t have this problem but it’s always good to check. You can check for free here:
https://www.vehiclehistory.com/ or www.carfax.com

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EXPECTING USED VEHICLE SURPRISES
Our van had a lot previous owners, all of which added their own features/accessories. Most of these additions were
done by “less-than-professionals” and working around their personal touches was like putting a puzzle together
without all of the pieces. Fuse blocks were added in random places, the vents had no air directors and blew out
chunks of dust, and dashboard controls were ripped out and replaced with mystery buttons. Don’t be surprised if you
find similar situations in your vehicle, it’s all a part of the process!
Throughout the journey of converting our van, we have spent days taking off old accessories added by previous
owners. We ripped off the top air conditioner to make room for a “sun deck” and detached a battery box from
underneath the van (with a 150 lb battery still inside).
Disconnecting and ripping off the old air
conditioning unit.
Figuring out how to detach the battery box with a
battery still inside.

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Since the gutting process will be different depending on the vehicle, prior use, and
condition, this process will be very situational. Having said that, there are a few things to
keep an eye on when gutting (or prepping) your vehicle.
GUT TING
MATERIALS TOOLS
LIQUID SOAP • SCRUB BRUSH/SPONGE
HEAT GUN
PORTABLE DRILL • HAMMER
WIRE CUTTERS
As you’re getting down and dirty tearing off old paneling and ripping up the floor, watch out for mystery wires! There
were a few instances where we found wires hiding in places we’d never expect. Some of the wires will always remain
a mystery to us.
Tearing down old ceiling paneling and carefully
cutting wires.
Removing old wall paneling and foam insulation.
GETTING DIRTY

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When you’re getting closer to your vehicle’s bare metal shell, do a thorough examination of the floors, ceiling, and
walls, both interior and exterior, and look for things that may need repairing. It’s way easier to find and repair
things at this stage, trust us. After we had torn the old floor up, we saw there were nearly 20 holes, each about 1/8”
diameter, going straight through our van. You could see the driveway through them! Luckily, we found and filled
these holes with caulk, saving us the potential hassle of removing moldy floors caused by water saturation.
Another luxurious job we endured in this stage of the build was the removal of all the old vinyl on the side of our van.
Whatever company used our van as a windmill construction vehicle had plastered the entire exterior with bright blue
and purple vinyl. When we bought it, ¾ of the vinyl remained. When we went to see the van for the first time, the
seller joked, “If I could have taken all the vinyl off, I could have sold it for $2,000 more. . . but it wasn’t worth it. That
stuff is a pain to get off.” He was absolutely right.
When we had finally torn everything down, ripped up the floors, cut old wires, and cleaned the interior (multiple
times), we took a step back and saw our van as a blank canvas.
A BLANK CANVAS THAT WOULD SOON BE OUR HOME ON WHEELS.
Old floor removal – this is when we found the holes! Grinding away old screws that had rusted
Heating and peeling old vinyl from the van. Countless hours spent removing old vinyl, one small
piece at a time.

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LET THE CONVERSION PROCESS BEGIN

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After gutting the vehicle, we were ready to start turning it into our home! Depending on
what type of insulation you decide to use, you may want to install your insulation first. We
chose to install our floor first but it’s all situational.
FLOORING
MATERIALS TOOLS
PLYWOOD • UNDERLAYMENT
SNAP-TOGETHER LAMINATE FLOORING
JIG SAW • CHOP SAW
TABLE SAW
SUBFLOOR
A subfloor is basically just a sheet of plywood covering your entire floor, making the surface flat so you’re able to lay
flooring on top. Our van already came with a subfloor, but adding one yourself doesn’t require a lot of material or
labor. We were fortunate in our case but in most cases, you’re going to have to install a subfloor before you begin.
You’ll need enough plywood to cover the floor of your living
space. We recommend using 4’ x 8’ sheets of ½” or ¾”
plywood, which you can get at most home improvement
stores or lumber yards. First, cut the sheets of plywood to
fit around your wheel wells and other obstacles using the
cardboard template technique (explained in a later chapter
- to read about this technique click here). Then, attach the
subfloor to the floor grooves by countersinking the wood,
drilling holes through the wood and metal, and secure the
floor in place using anti-rust screws.
Project Van Life
Our plywood subfloor

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FLOORING OPTIONS
Now for the fun part, choosing and installing the floor! We decided to use snap-together laminate wood flooring
which is common among a lot of conversion vehicles. The snap-together flooring offers a variety of price ranges,
materials, and color options.
After walking through the flooring aisles for a long time, we finally decided on the floor we wanted in our van. Here’s
a quick tip: try to have a general idea of what you want your floor to look like before you go to the store. We had
absolutely no idea what we wanted and ended up spending ages picking one out! Eventually, we chose a flooring
called “Farmhouse Oak”.
We chose our laminate floor for a few different reasons: it’s lightweight, durable, attractive, and relatively cheap. The
material we bought was roughly $35/case, or $1.85/sq. ft. We bought five cases (just under 100 sq. ft.) and used a
little over four of them. The total cost was around $175.
UNDERLAYMENT
Because snap-together flooring is a “floating” floor, we first had to lay a polyethylene foam underlayment. A floating
floor means that the floor is not nailed down or secured in any way. You can find cheap rolls of polyethylene foam
at almost any home improvement store. A polyethylene foam underlayment generally does a few things. First, it will
act as a moisture barrier; this is more important when being used in a standard home than it is in a converting a
vehicle. Second, it allows the floor to float instead of rubbing against the subfloor in instances where it expands or
contracts. Lastly, an underlayment drastically reduces driving noise which is more important than it might sound!
Make sure the subfloor is flat when you’re finished. If you want, you can fill the screw holes with wood filler to ensure
that the surface is as flat as possible. On to the next step, the flooring you’ll actually see!
First strip of polyethylene foam underlayment

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FLOOR INSTALLATION
Once we laid the polyethylene foam underlayment on top of the subfloor, we were ready for the glamorous job of
laying the floor. It was our first time working with snap together flooring, so don’t be nervous if it’s your first time too.
We chose to start by working around the left wheel well and since we had already made a cardboard template for the
wheel well on the subfloor, this process went smoothly. The tricky part with snap-together flooring is cutting curves
that stretch over multiple boards. Using the cardboard template helped tremendously. We did this by snapping
together as many boards as we needed to cover the wheel well and tracing the template onto the back of flooring.
Once we had the template traced, it was as simple as un-snapping the flooring and cutting each piece individually with
a jigsaw.
We learned that it is important to not lay your flooring tight against the wall. Leaving a ¼” gap between the flooring
and the wall allows your floor to move or expand over time. An easy way to keep a consistent space is to put small
scrap pieces of floorboard (standing on edge) between the wall and floor. We made sure to leave this amount of
space around the entire perimeter of the floor.
Working down the length of the van, we staggered the boards in each row to add visual interest to our floor. We
made sure that each board was securely snapped into the next, especially on the ends. There are tools to assist you
with securing the boards, but we found hammering on a block of wood at the end of the boards worked just as well.
At the end of each row, we cut the boards to the proper length. When cutting any board, always make sure to cut the
opposite side of the grooved end or the board won’t be able to snap into the other. We made the mistake of cutting
the wrong end a couple times. Nothing learned without a few mistakes!
The first strip of flooring is an amazing feeling. Laying underlayment as we go.

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After we worked around a few more obstacles, the rest of the floor was an easy process of snapping pieces together.
When we reached the other wheel well, we repeated the steps from the previous side. As we approached the other
wall, we ripped (cut lengthwise on a table saw) the floor boards so they fit between the wall and the last row of
boards.
Our beautiful wood floor!
Custom fitting the last strip of flooring
Getting measurement for the strip against the wall Leaving a ¼” gap between the flooring and the wall.

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FLOOR TRIM
When purchasing flooring, there should be matching trim next to each flooring option. We made sure to buy enough
trim for the two ends of our van and the stair well. To finish the raw edges of the floor, we positioned the trim so that
the recess on the bottom laps over the end of the flooring, allowing for ¼” expansion of the floor (see manufacturer’s
instructions). Each style of trim is installed differently, so understanding the method for each is important. We
ended up using two different types of trim (shown below).
The trim for the stairs covers the edge. It’s also how we keep our turf stair mat
in place. Double whammy!
The trim at the back of our van covers the end of the floor and has a nice
rounded edge.

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Project Van Life
On cold days, you want to retain the heat you have, and on hot days, you want to
keep the heat outside. We knew that temperature control would be an important
part of staying comfortable, especially since we planned on living without an air
conditioner. Because insulation is vital in keeping the interior comfortable,
deciding what type of insulation to install can be a daunting task.
INSULATION
SPRAY INSULATION
We chose to use spray foam insulation in our van for a couple different reasons. First, we knew that spray foam is
extremely efficient at keeping consistent temperatures and it reduces water vapor from making its way to the metal
frame, potentially causing rust. Second, using fiberglass insulation would require us to attach wooden tracks along the
walls and ceiling to keep the insulation in place, something we preferred to avoid if we could find a viable
alternative.
We knew spray insulation would be slightly more expensive than other types of insulation, but considering its benefits
and ease of use, it made sense for us. We started researching DIY spray foam kits and were surprised by how
expensive they were. Our options seemed to be either buy a TON of spray foam cans or invest in a spray kit, which
seemed excessive for only needing it for this small job.
MATERIALS TOOLS
SPRAY FOAM KIT • CANS OF SPRAY FOAM
PLASTIC SHEETING • PAINTERS TAPE
METAL SCRAPER • SHOP VAC

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Before committing to either option, we thought we would take a chance and call around to different companies that
apply spray foam insulation in buildings. After calling a few places that claimed our job was too small for them to
take, one company offered to do it. They said all they would do is spray it for us, no prep work and no clean up. They
charged us a flat rate of $275 which was much cheaper than the DIY kits and accessories.
Don’t be afraid to call around! Even if you think some options are farfetched, you might get lucky.
PREPARATION
Preparing our van for spraying consisted of buying a roll of plastic sheeting and a few rolls of painter’s tape, followed
by two hours of joyous work. Since spray foam is a messy job, the point of prepping is to cover all the areas you don’t
want sprayed. In our case, we had a lot to cover: windows, the wires running along the ceiling and walls, our newly
added wooden floor, the entire cockpit, and our shuttle doors. Make sure you double check that everything you
don’t want sprayed is covered!
Protecting the floor and cockpit with plastic sheeting. Taping off part of the back door.
Ready for spray foam insulation!

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CLEAN UP
This is where you’ll see exactly how effective your prep work was. Even if you did a great job prepping, you’ll probably
have a lot of excess foam to scrape away. Don’t let the fluffy yellow foam fool you - it can be a pain to get off!
Shop vacuum, metal saw, and good tunes. Scraping foam so wood paneling can sit flat on
metal studs.
Scraping excess foam from ceiling studs. All cleaned up!

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GREAT STUFF
If you haven’t heard of this product yet , prepare to have your mind blown. Spray foam in a can is revolutionary,
especially when filling small gaps and holes in your vehicle. The foam can get messy, so make sure to be wearing
gloves, eye protection, clothes you don’t care about, and something covering your hair. Then go to town!
The foam as it starts to expand.
A little bit of foam goes a long way.
“The Foam Graveyard” - We ended up needing way more spray foam cans than we thought.

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We’ve all heard the classic saying “measure twice, cut once” right? In this part of our
conversion, this saying began to ring pretty dang true. There are several ways to go about
ceiling paneling, but in this book, we’re going to focus on wood paneling.
WOOD PANELI NG
MATERIALS TOOLS
CEDAR PANELING/TRIM • SHEET METAL SCREWS
EXCESS CARDBOARD
PORTABLE DRILL• JIG SAW
TABLE SAW • CHOP SAW
The amount of options to choose from was overwhelming when picking out what type of wood to use for the walls
and ceiling of our new home. Part of the decision came from the functionality and integrity of the wood, and the
other part came from the type of design and look/feel we wanted in the van. Of course, there is no “right” option,
but many factors pushed us in a specific direction.
CHOOSING A MATERIAL

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In our case, we knew that we wanted to use large sheets of wood versus individual wooden strips for
these reasons:
• Sheets tend to come thinner, therefore less weight added to our van and fewer screws used to attach the sheets.
Less weight = less gas over thousands of miles
• Sheets would minimize labor time. We wanted to use the same material for both our side and ceiling paneling and
we had a large area to cover.
• Sheets offered us more options in material and design, most of which came cheaper than other alternatives.
• Sheets are large and thin, making it easy to custom cut pieces with a table saw, chop saw, and jigsaw.
WHAT WE U S ED - 4’ X 8’ S HEET S OF ¼ ” C EDAR
THE COST OF PANELING
Knowing exactly how much material we needed was tough. Sure, measuring the height and width of the area we
wanted to cover got us close but, in the end, custom cutting each sheet sacrifices the use of the remaining material.
The biggest unmeasurable variable of all though was our own mistakes! We’re not professional woodworkers so
mistakes were bound to happen, and they happened quite often. Without mistakes, how we would learn, right?
So to get to the point, we bought six 4’ x 8’ sheets of ¼” cedar at $32 a sheet.
6 x $32 = $192
This material covered the entire walls, ceiling, doors, and cockpit of our van. Even with custom cuts, re-cuts, and
mistakes, we still had one entire 4’ x 8’ sheet left over and a lot of useable scrap pieces. We’re saving them for future
renovations and projects.

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WHERE TO BUY
We bought our material from a home improvement store in the area; Menard’s. Finding a variety of 4’ x 8’ sheets was
easy for us as they are readily available at most home improvement stores. If not, we suggest checking a local lumber
yard.
We learned to always call stores to see if they had what we wanted in stock before just driving there. There were
numerous times where we would drive an hour to get something just to find that they had either sold out of the item
or simply didn’t carry it in the first place. Running around from store to store can be exhausting, especially when you
have a big project like this!
CUTTING
We chose to cover our walls and ceiling with the same paneling for the sake of simplicity and cost efficiency. We knew
a large portion would eventually be covered by our bed/benches, kitchen unit, dresser, shelving, and other furnishings,
but it offered us the freedom to design our layout on the fly. It also allowed us the option to change the layout in the
future, without having to fill in empty spaces of paneling.
In our case, all the cuts we made were performed on a table saw, chop saw, band saw, or with a jigsaw.
Although each vehicle is designed differently, cutting and attaching the paneling will be very similar in each situation.
One obstacle we had, and most people probably have during a conversion, is customizing wood paneling to fit around
the wheel wells. Instead of trying to measure the awkward space and drawing it onto the sheet, we traced custom
pieces on cardboard first, and we highly recommend doing this.
HERE’S HOW:
Take a piece of cardboard and measure the width and height of the wheel well and draw the curve onto the cardboard.
Always start with a smaller outline first. It’s easy to cut a larger curve in the cardboard, but too big of a curve will
require you to start over with a new piece of cardboard. Now, cut this curve with a matte knife and fit it around the
wheel well. Too small? Find where it’s not fitting correctly, draw a line, and cut again. Repeat until you’re happy with
how it fits over the wheel well and trace the cardboard cutout onto your sheet of wood. This method allows for no
wasted material, less hassle cutting with a jigsaw, and a snug fit on your first try!
The magical cardboard template method. The first panel secured to our van.

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We used the cardboard technique for almost every piece of paneling that had curved edges and intricate corners,
both large and small. Believe us, it might seem like it takes a lot more time, but it will save you time, materials, and
headaches in the long run.
A LITTLE MORE WORK UP FRONT CAN SAVE YOU A LOT OF HASSLE DOWN THE ROAD.
SECURING THE PANELS
Securing the paneling to the van was fairly straightforward. Each vehicle has a different frame, but the process remains
the same. Since we used ¼” cedar paneling, we used #8 ¾” sheet metal screws to secure them to our van. We ended
up buying button head screws, but in retrospect, we wish we would have used flat head screws and countersunk the
holes. It all comes down to personal preference.
First, we found where to attach our paneling to the van’s metal frame. In our van, we had metal struts running the
length of our vehicle on the walls. Underneath our windows, the struts ran on three different heights, allowing us to
screw to each strut, one on top of the other. We spaced our screws (horizontally), about 2 ½ feet from each other,
securing them tight to our walls.
Before screwing the panels to the metal frame, we positioned each panel where we wanted it and drilled pilot holes
through the wood and into the metal. Without doing this, our screws wouldn’t have pierced the metal. We found it
easiest to put a screw in the pilot hole right after drilling. This ensured that the panel was aligned exactly in the place
we wanted. Also, with our long sheets of paneling, we made sure to drill and screw in the top two corners first. This
held our paneling in place while we finished inserting the rest of the screws.
THERE IS NO NEED TO PUT MORE SCREWS IN THE METAL FRAME THAN NECESSARY. WE WERE SURPRISED BY
HOW SECURE OUR PANELING WAS WITH THE FEW AMOUNT OF SCREWS WE INSERTED INTO EACH PANEL.
Tracing old paneling to get the exact size. Using a jigsaw to make custom panel cuts.

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They might look like bumping speakers but they’re
just boring old air-vent circulation holes.
All of our lower paneling secured to the frame. Each
side consists of only 2 sheets of custom cut paneling.
Although some areas may be tedious,
adding wood paneling to the smallest
areas can make your vehicle look
much more homey.
Although the we loved the look of this (ha!), we
decided to cover it with cedar paneling. For a
shortcut, we took the old paneling off and traced it
onto our new panels.

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Because we used 4’ x 8’ panels, the ceiling went pretty smoothly with two people. One of us held the sheet to the
ceiling and the other drilled pilot holes and secured the paneling with screws. In most cases, metal struts run the
width of a vehicle’s ceiling (from one wall to the other). We repeated this process with each piece of paneling
installed in our van. Position, drill pilot hole, and then insert screw . . . over and over and over.
Pete and his brother securing the ceiling panels.
It’s much easier to do this step with two people.
Four custom cuts of cedar paneling make up
our entire ceiling – an advantage of using
4’ x 8’ sheets.
We secured the corner piece by inserting
screws only in the bottom of the panel.
Although it’s not necessary, having somewhat flexible
paneling will help with the corner installation.

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TRIM
Our vehicle was starting to look more like a home! Now that our walls and ceiling were covered with cedar, we needed
to add trim to the raw edges of our paneling. Trim covers up areas where paneling looks rough and unfinished. It might
not seem like an important step, but it makes a living space look much more homey and professionally-built.
The raw edges and corners before adding
cedar trim.
Panel trim adds a professional touch.
Taking a rest after a long day of paneling and
trim work.
We added trim to cover the metal frame
between each of the windows.

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All of our cedar trim is ¾” thick. Depending on where we used it, the trim has a width of either 3” or 4”. For raw edge
corners we used cedar corner trim.
The trim was attached in the same exact way as the paneling - by drilling pilot holes and screwing them in. The
only difference in this process was that we countersunk and used flat head screws.
Corner trim for the area above the driver and
passenger seats.
Corner trim on the side of our shuttle doors.

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VARNISHING
After all of our paneling and trim was in place, we prepared for the epic varnishing party! Well, it wasn’t much of a
party, but we had fun doing it. There are a few different options depending on what type of finish you want the
wood to have. We chose a semi-gloss varnish and bought a few small cans at our local paint store.
Since we planned on putting two coats of varnish on, we were advised to mix the first batch of varnish with 1/3 part
paint thinner (three parts varnish, one part paint thinner). This helps the varnish soak into the pores of the wood and
allows the second coat to adhere better and give a nicer finished look. On large areas, it was easiest to apply the
varnish with a small roller. On small intricate areas and trim work, we used a small brush.
Before applying the second coat, we lightly sanded everything. It took us over an hour but it’s an important step in the
process. We used a fine-grit 3M sanding sponge to brush away the coarse layer of varnish on top of the wood. Normal
fine-grit sandpaper works just as well. For the second coat, we didn’t thin the varnish at all. We applied the varnish
the same as the first coat and let it dry overnight.
HELPFUL TIP: MAKE SURE TO VENT YOUR VAN AFTER YOU VARNISH! THE SMELL OF VARNISH
IS PUNGENT AND WILL LINGER FOR A FEW DAYS (AT LEAST).

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Going into the conversion process, we knew that the bed would be one of the most
important design features. Every time we talked about the layout of our van, we always
started with where we wanted our bed and in what form. Because our van is 170” long, it
offers the possibility for countless bed options. These are the designs that appealed to us
and could be used in your conversion vehicle:
BED/BENCHES
MATERIALS TOOLS
PLYWOOD • HINGES
PLASTIC DOWEL ROD
BED OPTIONS
FUTON-STYLE
This type of bed sits on a futon-type frame against one wall and acts as seating when in futon position. A fold-up table
attached to the opposite wall acts as a desk/table, perfect for doing work or eating meals. When the futon is made
into a bed, the table folds flat against the wall.
BED LIFT
A bed lift allows you to have a permanent mattress that can be easily lowered into a bed or lifted to the ceiling during
the day. Benches can be built underneath, so when the bed is on the ceiling, you have ample seating. One appealing
aspect of a bed lift is the ability to keep your bed made at all times. This isn’t an option unless you have a vehicle
around six feet tall, and even then you most likely won’t be able to stand up underneath it. This is also one of the most
expensive bed options.

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STATIONARY BED
This is a classic option for a good reason. A stationary bed in the back of your vehicle allows you to have a spacious
bed, a comfortable mattress, and a ton of storage underneath. The storage space is one of the largest appeals for this
type of bed, which is accessible from both inside and outside of the van. The underneath storage is perfect for storing
outdoor gear, big objects, and clothes, all of which are accessible from the back doors (snowboard, climbing gear,
cooking equipment, surfboard, etc).
BED AND BENCH COMBINATION
The bed and bench combo is what we eventually decided to go with. It offered us the ability to have a spacious,
comfortable bed that doubled as a seating area. We chose to design our own unique bed and bench system after
looking at a few examples we found online. Pictures throughout this chapter will show the building process and
different functionalities of our bed/bench system.
HOW OUR SYSTEM WORKS
We built two boxes on each side of the van out of ¾” Baltic birch plywood with a support panel in the middle of each.
This design feature allowed us four separate storage boxes (two on each side).
This storage space is invaluable.

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We hinged the bench seats in three places at the back so we can easily access our storage compartments. Instead of
having to lift on the corners to open the bench seats, we cut a hand-sized hole for ease of use. We also drilled several
holes top and made “seat plugs” to hold our seat backs in position. Our design gives us the option to recline our seats
to various inclines - luxury van living!
The black material is anti-slip tape. This material helps keep the cushions from shifting or sliding when we’re sitting
or sleeping on them.
You might be wondering why we split our benches into four separate sections. Later in the chapter, you’ll see the
seating and lounging options this design allows us!
Hinging two pieces of plywood together keeps the
lids from falling closed when accessing storage.
The plywood against the wall is fastened to the top
of the storage box.
We use four seat plugs to keep each seat back in
position (2 in front and 2 in back).
We made the seat plugs by cutting a plastic dowel
into sections, drilling a hole, and hammering a long
metal rivet through the hole.

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For the sake of comfort, we added incline to our seats when in the bench position. Almost any couch or chair you buy
will have an incline of about 12 degrees, so we wanted to incorporate this feature into our benches. We
experimented with flat bench seats and constantly felt like we were sliding off while sitting. The slight incline pushes
our weight to the seat backs which is much more comfortable. It also keeps our back rests from falling forward when
taking a sharp turn. After all, it’s our living room seating, desk chairs, and kitchen chairs all in one!
We also added an access point to our storage area from the back door. To make this door, we first cut out the size
hole we wanted with a jigsaw. After, we measured and cut the door size from cutout piece, considering a 1/8” gap on
all sides so the door smoothly opens and closes. Then, using 1/8” spacers on each side, we positioned the door evenly
and attached two hinges to each. Instead of adding handles, we drilled finger sized holes to open each door.
We hinged the incline bar to the inside of the bench box. To flip it
up or down takes no time at all.
Our finished bed/bench plywood build, showing the
easy storage access from the outside.
Two back rests laying on the track makes a flat
surface for our bed.

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SEATING AND LOUNGING OPTIONS
”THE CRASHPAD”
“THE AFTERNOON
SNOOZER”
”THE HANGOUT" “THE LAZYBENCH”
Here are some of our favorite ways to use our multifunctional bed.

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SIZE OF BED
70 inches wide x 78 inches long
When made into a bed, it spans the entire width of our van. This makes our bed slightly smaller than a king-sized bed.
It comfortably sleeps the two of us and our 90-pound pit bull, Snoop.
STORAGE
Our motto when designing our layout was “no wasted space.” The storage space underneath our bed/benches is a
huge advantage of this design. Here’s what we keep underneath:
Our cozy bed comes with a great view out the back
of our van.
Snoop is the “King of the Bed”.
Easily accessible storage space underneath our benches and bed.

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TOOL BAG
PORTABLE DRILL
JUMPER CABLES
FIRST AID
12 VOLT VACUUM
WETSUIT
TENT
2 LAWN CHAIRS
CAMP STOVE
2 SLEEPING BAGS
WINTER COATS
DOWN BLANKET
BED SHEET
2 PILLOWS
FUSE BOX AND WIRING
100 FT. EXTENSION CORD
SHOES, SANDALS, BOOTS
HOT PLATE
CLEANING SUPPLIES
DIRTY LAUNDRY
BATTERY
SMART ISOLATOR
INVERTER
WIRING
WHAT WE STORE UNDERNEATH OUR BENCHES

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Our cushions are just as comfortable, if not more, than the mattress we used to sleep on.
Here’s how we did it!
CUSHI ONS
MATERIALS TOOLS
FOAM • UPHOLSTERY FABRIC
FOAM BATTING
SEWING MACHINE • SPRAY
ADHESIVE
Cushions were the trickiest part of our bed/bench design. Even though it involved quite a bit of work, we put a huge
emphasis on making our cushions as comfortable as possible.
Because we split the bed/benches into four sections, we needed a total of eight cushions for our setup. We got in
touch with a foam company in our area and asked for recommendations regarding what foam thickness would be
comfortable to sleep on. They originally suggested a 5” cushion which, to us, seemed too thick to function properly as
a bench and a bed. After another conversation, they offered to laminate ¾” memory foam on top of 2 ¾” firm foam.
Once they sent us the foam, we had to custom cut them ourselves for our system to work. We used a band saw and
cut them with extreme caution. Luckily, we both had past experience cutting foam on a band saw. We wouldn’t
recommend this to someone unfamiliar with this machine, especially with large pieces of foam.
M A K I N G T H E C U S H I O N S

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Having eight separate cushions as a mattress required us to design them to fit the exact width of our van so they
wouldn’t move or shift throughout the night. Our cushions fit snug from side to side and hold each other in place
throughout the night. Occasionally there will be a small crack between the cushions running the length of the van but
we’ve never noticed them while sleeping. If ever there comes a time when we do feel the cracks, a thin mattress pad
will easily disguise them.
After we cut our cushions to the right size, we decided to add foam batting to the top and sides of each. The extra
foam gave our cushions a fuller look and added extra padding. We cut foam batting to cover the top and sides of
each cushion and applied them with spray adhesive. This step might not have been necessary but we wanted to
ensure a comfortable night sleep!
ON TO THE UPHOLSTERY!
Testing the measurements after custom cutting
each piece.
A snug fit from side to side holds our cushions in
place.
Spraying the top of the cushion with glue to
adhere the foam batting.
After applying the foam batting, we cut the
excess material off the sides.

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Once our cushions were complete, we bought two different types of fabric to upholster them. The first material was a
navy cotton fabric which we used to make a sleeve, or pillow case, for each cushion. Some of the foam batting didn’t
adhere to the foam as well as we would have liked, so the sleeve helps keep everything together. Without the cotton
sleeves, it would be really difficult to slip the cushions into the denim covers.
We chose to make the cushion covers out of denim material. Besides being a sturdy material, we chose the denim
based on personal design preference. We sewed a zipper into one side of each cushion cover so we could easily take
them off to wash which has come in handy while being on the road!
Sewing “pillow case” for each cushion. Inserting cushions into the “pillow cases”.
We made a cushion sized template so we could save
time by simply tracing it onto our fabric.
Always iron the material before you measure and cut!
HELPFUL TIP: ALWAYS WASH THE MATERIAL BEFORE YOU START CUTTING AND SEWING. WASHING
BEFORE YOU SEW ENSURES YOUR MATERIAL WON’T SHRINK WHEN YOU DECIDE TO WASH IT LATER!

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OUR FINISHED CUSHIONS
Inserting the foam into our denim cushion covers.
We ran out of blue cotton fabric so we
used an old white bed sheet to make
this cushion sleeve.
Our finished cushions bench mode. Anti-slip tape on
the plywood keeps them from shifting while sitting on
them.
Our finished cushions in bed mode. They fit snug
against the wall so they don’t shift or move
throughout the night.

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Upper shelving and cabinets were an important feature that we wanted to incorporate in
our living area. Storage space is one of the most crucial aspects when living in a van, bus,
tiny home, or other small area. The storage underneath our benches holds a lot of our
possessions, but we wanted more accessible storage for things that we used consistently in
our daily routines.
UPPER STOR AGE
MATERIALS TOOLS
PLYWOOD • SHEET OF POLYCARBONATE
HINGES
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
There were a couple important aspects we took into consideration while planning our upper shelving and cabinets.
The first thing we considered was the space beneath the upper storage units. For example, building a shelving unit
over our sink and food prep area wouldn’t allow us to stand comfortably while cooking or using the sink; we would
have to lean our upper bodies back to avoid hitting our heads on the shelf. Because we designed our layout one step
at a time, we started by putting upper shelving over our benches because we knew that this area wouldn’t be
useful as standing room.
A few weeks later when we had more of our layout planned, we added upper cabinets at the end of our shelving
units. Above the area where our kitchen would eventually sit, we built a shallow shelf where we could place jars of
food, oils, spices, and other kitchen-related things.

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Another design aspect to consider is how deep to make the shelving and cabinets. Head space in your vehicle is
extremely important. It’s surprising how much smaller your living area can feel once you add shelving and upper
cabinets. Before we started the build, we tested a few different depths to make sure we were confident in our final
decision.
BUILDING AND SECURING
We built our cabinets and shelving at different times, but designed them with the exact same foundation.
First, we built the bottom of the shelving units. After experimenting with different depths, we decided we wanted all
of our upper units to have a depth of 15”. We then measured how long we wanted each unit. Above the benches, our
shelving units measure about 75” long, which happens to be the same length as our benches. Our upper cabinets both
measure around 40” long. We rounded each of the corners to avoid having sharp edges in our van. Since the walls are
slightly concave in vehicles, we beveled the back edge of each shelf. We did this by measuring the slant of the wall
with a sliding T-bevel, adjusting the table saw blade to this degree, and cutting the edge on the table saw.

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The bottom track runs the length of our van. This is where the shelving
units sit. We secured the back of the shelves to the top of the tracks
with screws.
Resting a shelf on the tack to see how level it is.
You can see the tracks on the ceiling where the
support beams will hang.
Determining the length of each support beam is how
we leveled each shelf. We measured from the top track
to the edge of the shelf to determine each length.
Once our shelving bottoms were complete, we cut plywood tracks that would support the shelves. The tracks run
along the top of the windows, stretching the entire length of the van. We beveled the top edge of the track so we
would have an easier time leveling the shelves. After the bottom tracks were built and screwed into the trim and
metal frame, we made similar tracks to attach to the ceiling. These tracks are wider and are not beveled on any
edge. This is where the support beams will attach and carry the weight of the shelves.

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Cutting a dado and rabbet into our support beams. Finished support beams. The shelf fits into
the bottom dado and the track on the
ceiling screws into the rabbet.
The support beams screw into the top track and edge of the shelf, holding the
shelves in place and keeping them level.
For each shelf, we built two support beams to hold the weight and keep the shelves level. We used a table saw to
cut a ¾” dado on the bottom of the beam and a ¾” rabbet on the top of the beam. These cuts allowed us to secure
the beams to the track and shelf, using one screw on both top and bottom.

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SHELVING BUILD DETAILS
We designed shelf facing over our benches to be transparent and used as easy access storage. To keep our
possessions in place without adding more plywood, we used polycarbonate, a transparent plastic material, as the face
of our shelves. An added benefit of the transparent material is that it gives the illusion of a more spacious living
area. Using a table saw, we cut a groove in the front of the shelf so that the polycarbonate would fit snuggly. We built
the end pieces of the shelves out of plywood and attached them by screwing up from the bottom of the shelves.
Test fitting the polycarbonate on scrap wood
before cutting a groove in our shelves.
Can’t see the polycarbonate face? That’s the point!
We installed the four end pieces of plywood by screwing up from the bottom of the shelves.

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CABINET BUILD DETAILS
The support beams holding the shelves up also act as a perfect place to hinge cabinet doors. We cut our cabinet doors
out of 1/2” plywood, attached two hinges to each door, and screwed them into the beams. To cut the cabinet end
pieces, we used the cardboard method until we had the right fit – measure, cut, measure, cut, measure, cut . . . bingo!
Positioning the new shelves at the end of the
existing ones.
We found it easiest to attach the end pieces
outside of the van.

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VALUABLE SHELVING STORAGE
TAYLOR’S PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND BOOKS

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VALUABLE SHELVING STORAGE
PETE’S PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND BOOKS

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VALUABLE STORAGE
ONLY CLOTHES WE LOVE TO WEAR HAVE A PLACE HERE

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VALUABLE CABINET STORAGE
A PERFECT PLACE FOR SNACKS AND COFFEE

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FLUSH MOUNT CHARGE CONTROLLER
Each charge controller may flush mount in a different way, but they all use the same principles. We cut a hole the
required size (found in the charge controller’s manual), slid the charge controller in from the outside, drilled pilot
holes, and screwed it into place!
The correct size hole to flush mount our
Renogy charge controller.
Flush mounted charge controller on the end of our
upper cabinet. We made sure to install it somewhere
where we would have easy access to it.
Running wires from solar panels and battery to charge controller. Organizing wires
keeps a strong connection and allows for more storage space.

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We decided to add a Fantastic Fan vent to our van late in our conversion process. We highly
recommend installing it as one of the first steps. This will eliminate the hassle of working
around insulation and ceiling paneling. Although we didn’t do this step as early on as we
should have, the installation went far more smoothly than we anticipated.
FANTASTIC FAN
MATERIALS TOOLS
FANTASTIC FAN • GASKET
PAINTER’S TAPE
FA N I N S TA L L AT I O N
We knew that cutting a hole in our ceiling wouldn’t be the hard part. The hardest part would be cutting a CLEAN hole
with a jigsaw. If the jigsaw blade was too long, it would rip through our ceiling paneling and tear it apart. We bought a
metal jigsaw blade, measured as accurately as possible, and decided that even if we tore up our paneling, we would
be able to fix it in some way. Learning how to overcome obstacles becomes second nature during the conversion
process.
IT’S NOT SO MUCH ABOUT CARPENTRY KNOW-HOW AS IT IS ABOUT PROBLEM SOLVING.

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First, we measured a 14" x 14" square on the top of our van. Our roof has metal ribs, so we positioned it on the most
level area we could. We would suggest measuring two or three times. Cutting a hole in the roof of your soon-to-be
home is something you can't hit the "undo" button on.
After that, we outlined the square with tape and drilled four holes in the corners so we had an entry point for the
jigsaw. We made sure to use a metal jigsaw blade which ended up cutting through the roof like butter.
We outlined the 14” x 14” square with painters
tape so we could easily see the lines.
Measuring the 14” x 14” square and marking it
with permanent marker.
We drilled holes large enough to stick the
jigsaw blade into. You may need to drill a
smaller hole first and work your way to a
larger drill bit.
Making the first cut!

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And the best part? The blade didn’t tear through our beautiful ceiling panels! Once the square hole was cut out, we
drilled four corners in our ceiling panel from the roof. This allowed us to easily outline the same square from the
interior and ensure an accurate cut.
We hopped down from the roof and connected the four corners with tape to recreate an identical square on the
interior. Once we had the square marked, we simply cut it out with the jigsaw, using the drilled holes as entry points.
Voila, we had a tiny sunroof! From there, we set the fan in the hole from the roof (with the gasket that came with our
fan), cut the inner trim to the shape of the roof, and screwed them down from the top of our van.
Cutting the same size hole from inside the van.
As always, make sure you’re wearing safety glasses.
Taylor holding the trim in our newly added sunroof.

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We used plumbers putty to fill any gaps between the gasket and the roof. Once all gaps were filled, we applied
silicone around the edges and just to be extra safe, we put butyl tape over the screws and edges to ensure no water
could enter. All that was left was the electrical hookup!
Securing our Fantastic Fan with screws. A view of our Fantastic Fan from the inside. The trim
simply attaches with a screw in each corner.
Fantastic Fan success!

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Our kitchen was another aspect of the build that we prioritized. We wanted to build a
kitchen unit that was versatile, easy-to-clean, equipped with ample storage space, and
centrally located. Not too much to ask for, right?
KITCHEN BUILD
MATERIALS TOOLS
PLYWOOD • WALNUT WOOD
WATER JUGS/TUBING • SINK
PORTABLE DRILL • JIG SAW
CHOP SAW • TABLE SAW
KITCHEN LOCATION
We went back and forth between two different kitchen location options before we made a decision. Location option
#1 was behind the driver’s seat, parallel to the shuttle doors. Option #2 was on the passenger side, to the right of the
shuttle doors. Ultimately, it made more sense to put our dressers closer to the bed/benches and have quicker access
to the kitchen from the shuttle doors, as we planned to do most of our cooking outside. With all of this in mind, we
opted to go with option #1.

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SIZE
We knew we were going to be cooking almost all of our
meals, so we wanted a good amount of counter space. We
decided to make the kitchen the length of the window that
sits behind the driver’s seat, making it just over 4 ft. long.
The unit is about 14” deep to accommodate two 5 gallon
water jugs and sufficient storage space. The standard
kitchen counter height is 34-36”. We went with 36” to
allow for a little more space underneath and because it
would put the countertop right at the bottom of the
window.
LAYOUT
We originally planned on having an “L” shaped countertop in which the sink would be located on the left end, and
the “L” would serve as ample storage for food, utensils, and cooking supplies. We came to realize that this design
wasn’t the most logical use of our space, so we designed a layout that gave us the best of both worlds. The sink and
water system occupy the left half of the kitchen unit and the right half consists of four drawers for storage and a
pull-out cutting board (acting as the “L” shaped countertop).
BUILD CARCASS
The first step was to build the carcass out of ¾” birch plywood. The carcass is essentially the outer shell of a unit.
This process started with determining the size we wanted, cutting out the walls, back, top, and toe kick on the table
saw and band saw, and assembling the carcass with screws. Remember our helpful tip: always use screws. Chances
are you’re going to mess up at some point or want to change something, and when you do, it’s much easier to take
out a screw than pry out a nail.
Before building anything, we always tested different
heights, lengths, and depths with scrap wood.
Using clamps to hold the carcass together while
inserting screws.
Making sure the kitchen unit fits in the space
before continuing the build.

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An important part of this type of build often gets overlooked, and that’s the toe kick. If you look at any standard
dresser or floor cupboard, you’ll notice that the face of the unit doesn’t extend all the way to the floor. Instead,
you’ll see that there is about a 4” (10.16 cm) gap between the drawer or door and the floor so that when you stand
in front of it, you don’t jam your toes; this feature is quite literally named.
The hole for our stainless steel sink.
We designed the kitchen to fit two 5 gallon jugs.
Make sure you don’t have to force your sink into the hole.
Cutting the toe kick on a band saw.
A piece of plywood runs lengthwise, attaching to
each toe kick cutout.

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WALNUT COUNTERTOP
We were very lucky to have some beautiful walnut boards fall into our possession and we were excited and eager to
use them. We decided to make all of our tabletops out of these boards, keeping the “live” or “natural” edge for
aesthetics. It was a long process to bring out their natural beauty but it has become one of our favorite features.
The walnut boards we started with. Thickness planing to reveal the walnut’s
beautiful grain.
Look at the difference! Using a jointer, we gave each board a straight,
square edge so we could make accurate cuts
and glue them together.

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Using biscuit joints before gluing
boards together gives them a much
stronger hold.
We let the glued boards sit overnight to ensure a
strong bond.
Once the board was routed and varnished, we mounted it to the plywood top with six screws. We ran the screws up
from the bottom so the screws would be hidden. We also made sure to make the board larger than the carcass top
so that there was some overhang. Varnishing walnut wood highlights the grain color beautifully.
The walnut top screwed to the plywood carcass. Dry fitting the sink before permanently installing it.
WALNUT TABLE TOPS COMPLETE!

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DRAWERS AND CUPBOARDS
The sink side didn’t need any interior work, but building the drawers on the right side proved to be a learning
experience. If you have ever built your own drawers and attached them with drawer glides, you know how spot-on
your measurements need to be in order for the glides to work properly. Another one of our valuable lessons comes
into play here: “measure twice, cut once.” We built the drawer boxes out of ½” plywood and attached them to the
carcass with 14” full-extension drawer glides. (See “Handmade Furnishings – Dresser” section for pictures of making
drawers).
We built two lower drawers that are covered by a cupboard door. These drawers store our food, bowls, plates, pots,
pans, and lids. The right side also has two more drawers: one for utensils and one as a junk drawer. The last feature
of the right side is the pull-out cutting board, which we will go into more detail later.
The inside storage of our kitchen unit.
This drawer holds all of our cooking and eating utensils.

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CUTTING BOARD
Making your own cutting board may sound a little
intimidating, but it’s actually surprisingly easy with the right
tools and materials. We made ours out of maple because it is a
hard, durable wood. We used one board that had really
beautiful grain patterns in it. We cut the board into long,
1” x 1 ¼” thick pieces and began assembling our own unique
puzzle, flipping and turning pieces until they made a design that
we liked.
Once we had our design, one by one we coated the sides of the
maple strips with wood glue, evenly clamped them together,
and let them sit overnight. Note that you should use a
generous amount of glue during this step. It’s okay if it oozes
out the sides; you can use a scraper to remove excess glue once
it starts to harden.
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Once all of these components were built, the last steps were to routing the edges and varnishing the entire unit.
With the build completed, we installed stainless steel handles and knobs on the drawers and cupboard doors as well
as a hook latch to keep the cupboard doors from swinging open while driving. On our first trip, we learned the hard
way that magnet catches are not strong enough to keep our kitchen doors closed.
Our kitchen drawer for non-refrigerated food. Pots, pans, bowls, plates, strainer, and tupperware all
fit nicely in the bottom kitchen drawer.
The maple board that soon became our
cutting board.

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When the glue was dry, we thickness sanded the new board until the surfaces were flat and then cut it down to a
16” x 14” rectangle. After that, we routed the edges to give them a nice, rounded look and wiped the entire board
down with mineral oil.
Helpful tip: Because you’ll be preparing food on your cutting board, you should not varnish it. Instead, spread
mineral oil over the wood and gently rub it in. This protects and moisturizes the wood just like varnish. You will have
to do this periodically because the mineral oil will fade as you use the cutting board.
The most complex aspect of our cutting board was the “pull-out” part. We didn’t want to be able to see the drawer
slides from the top because we knew it would be easy for crumbs and food scraps to fall down into them. Instead
we mounted two 1 ½” wide support strips of ¾” plywood to the bottom of the cutting board, setting them in just
enough so that the sliding piece of the drawer glides were flush with the board’s sides once attached. This took
some trial and error when it came to getting the support strips in the right location so that the cutting board pulled
out and closed easily.
We can easily remove the cutting board from the
drawer slides and use it outside when camping.
Aligning the drawer slides for a smooth open/close
can be tedious work.
We custom built tracks into the underside of our
cutting board to attach the drawer slides.
Along with protecting your cutting board, mineral oil
also highlights the grain of the wood.

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WATER SYSTEM
HAND PUMP
SINK
Right off the bat, we knew we wanted a simple water
system. We didn’t find it necessary to lug around tens of
gallons of water, and we knew we could easily get by
without a pump and a hot water heater. The system we
settled on is very simple; it uses no energy and works
perfectly for us. It consists of a top-mount stainless steel
sink, two 5 gallon water jugs, a hand pump, and 0.5” and
1” tubing.
The Valterra Rocket hand pump we purchased looked great with our setup and worked like a charm, but
there was a slight problem; it was too big for the faucet hole that came pre-drilled in the sink. We had to be
creative, and luckily Pete’s dad, Rick, had an idea in mind. He took a chunk of plastic, cut it to the size of the
pump’s base, and fastened them together with two screws. He then drilled a hole in the bottom for the
tubing to connect to the pump and voila! It fit perfectly.
Clamping the sink to the countertop with clips.
The white plastic spacer beneath the faucet is the custom piece
we added.

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TUBING
We thought that buying tubing for our water system would be pretty straightforward, but we were very wrong. The
tube running from the clean water to the hand pump was easy; we just bought enough ½” clear tubing to run from
the hand pump to the bottom of the water jug. Rick even fashioned a small ring of stainless steel onto the end of the
tube to keep it weighed down to the bottom of the water jug.
The drain tube is what caused us the biggest headache. If you look at the drain on a standard sink, you’ll notice that
it’s pretty big (about 2.5” in diameter). A clear tube of that diameter didn’t exist at the hardware stores in our area,
so we began putting together a puzzle of PVC fittings to make the drain hole small enough to fit a tube onto. We
eventually were able to fit a thick, 1” clear tube onto it, but when we bent it so that it would lead into the gray
water tank, the thick tube kinked, creating a blockage. We had to connect the tube to two PVC elbows and create a
zig-zag to the opening of the water tank. Sound confusing? Check out the photos below.
Also, to create a tight seal, we used plumber’s putty between the drain and pipe fittings.
Like we said, it was a bit more complicated than we thought it would be!
Our makeshift draining system.
WATER JUGS
A lot of people see our bulky water jugs and say, “Why
don’t you use jerry cans? They’re so much more space-
efficient.” And they are right, jerry cans take up way less
space and hold more water. The main reason we chose
the water jugs we did is because we like to be able to
open the cupboard door and know exactly how much
water we have left. Jerry cans are opaque and it’s
difficult to tell exactly how much water is in them.
Having said that, we recently acquired a jerry can to
store an extra six gallons, making a total of 11 gallons of
clean water available.
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The stainless steel weight that keeps the tubing at the
bottom of our water jugs.

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REFRIGERATOR
We did a lot of research when it came to choosing our fridge. We looked into dorm fridges, marine fridges, and Yeti
coolers, and while these are all viable options, we couldn’t be happier with our purchase. We have a Dometic CFX-
35US Portable Electric Cooler Refrigerator/Freezer with a 35 liter capacity that sits perfectly between the driver and
passenger seat, right next to the kitchen unit. We have been pleasantly surprised at how much food we can cram
into it.
The best part about our fridge is that it basically sips energy. We run it off of our solar which consists of two 100
watt panels and a 160 AH AGM battery. We have it on all day, every day, and still have plenty of energy to power
our lights, charge devices, and run our fan all night. It’s the most energy-efficient portable fridge we have come
across so far.
Our fridge sits perfectly between the driver
and passenger seats. If we’re driving and
we’re hungry, we can easily make a sandwich
without leaving the front seats!
Even when we stock our fridge to the
brim, everything stays cold.

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STOVE
When we were figuring out our cooking setup, the thought of keeping propane in the van at all times freaked us out.
Even though so many people travel with large tanks of propane, we had this idea that it would be like driving around
with a bomb in our home. Because of these irrational fears, we didn’t incorporate a stove into the kitchen build.
Ironically, we still cook with propane. We have a two burner Coleman camping stove that we store under the
benches. If weather permits, we cook outside. If it’s raining or windy, we put the stove on a folding table or our
dresser countertop.
After being on the road and seeing so many other RVs, vans, and busses using propane safely, we realized that we
may have let our fear get the best of us. Even though we know now that it’s pretty safe to keep propane in the van,
this way of cooking still works for us. We would most likely put in a fixed stove if we could do the conversion over
again simply because of the money saved by not having to buy so many 1 lb. propane bottles. This is the kind of
lesson you learn and pass on so others don’t make the same mistake!

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Even though we had built the bed/benches, upper storage, and kitchen units, we still had a
lot more work ahead of us! In this chapter, we’ll talk about the various additions we added
to personalize our home on wheels.
HANDMADE FURNI SHI NGS
MATERIALS TOOLS
PLYWOOD • WALNUT WOOD
DRAWER SLIDES • HASP LATCHES
PORTABLE DRILL • JIG SAW
CHOP SAW • TABLE SAW
DRESSER BUILD
Our dresser is about 45” x 16” x 30.5” in size and were made using virtually the same process as our kitchen unit.
First, we built the carcass out of ¾” birch plywood. We wanted three drawers each for our clothes: one “sock drawer”
and two larger drawers. We built the drawer boxes out of ½” plywood and attached them to the carcass with
14” full-extension drawer glides.
Making sure the dresser fits after
building part of the carcass.
After attaching the toe kick plate.

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For the countertop, we glued together two boards of walnut (shown in the “Kitchen” chapter). Again, we loved the
live edge of the walnut and used it for visual aesthetics. We secured it to the top of the carcass with six screws. We
used two screws to attach the back of the dresser to the metal frame of the van.
The various pieces that make up each drawer.
Attaching the faces to each drawer.
All six drawers before attaching faces.
We used scrap plywood with colored writing for
the drawer bottoms.
We added leather pulls to each drawer. We were surprised by the amount of clothes we
could fit into each drawer!

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END TABLE
To the left of our kitchen unit, we have an end table that is 27” tall and 17” wide. It has a single shelf that holds two
baskets for toiletries. Underneath that shelf is where we keep our toilet.
The top and left side of the table are made out of more scrap walnut, while the shelf and right side are made of birch
plywood. We didn’t do this strategically. In all honesty, we ran out of walnut and had to use plywood for the rest. It
just so happened that it blended in with the kitchen unit and still looked good!
You’d never think our toilet is behind the
curtain, would you?
This shelf space always comes in handy. Often times this is where we’ll
have our coffee maker.

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MUSIC CENTER
Finding a place for our instruments was tough; figuring out how to keep them safely in one place while driving was
even tougher. In the end, we hung the guitar and ukulele on regular wall mounts and used more scrap walnut to
fashion support rests for them to sit on, securing them in place.
CURTAINS
We love the style of Mexican serape blankets, so we decided to cut a few and make them into our curtains! We love
how they match so well with the denim cushions and bring some color to our interior.
Making them was very simple. We bought three blankets and cut them slightly larger than the size of the windows.
We rolled the edges a couple times to avoid fraying and sewed a seam along all four edges. We even used a scrap
piece to hide our toilet.
To keep the curtains together, we stuck adhesive Velcro
on each corner. This ensures there are no gaps when
they’re closed.
To keep the curtain in place, we Velcroed
the top two corners to the plywood.

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The curtain that separates the cabin from the cockpit is made from a tapestry we bought at an international textile
shop and a blackout curtain. We simply cut the tapestry and curtain the same size and sewed them together at the
edges. This allows us to stealth camp and still have a beautiful view from the inside! We also used the scraps of the
blackout curtain to make a curtain for the rear window.
The tapestry brightens up the inside of our
van when all of the curtains are closed.
The blue blackout curtain sewn to the back
of the tapestry.
Scrap blackout curtain we made to fit our back window.

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TURF STAIRS
Our shuttle door stairs were pretty hideous and no matter how much we cleaned them, they looked old and rusty.
We wanted to cover them with a material that was okay to get dirty, so we came up with the idea of putting green
turf on them. It’s a great place to wipe your feet and it’s easy to sweep clean. Plus, it looks like you’re walking on our
front lawn, into our tiny home.
We ordered a roll of faux grass online and the application was pretty straightforward. We cut the turf so that it was
big enough to cover the top two stairs. We didn’t cover the bottom stair because it is the only one exposed to the
outside and we didn’t think the material would hold up in the rain. Next, we unscrewed the corner trim at the top of
the stairs, slipped the turf underneath it, and then screwed the trim back in, clamping the material underneath it.
The last step is to bind the turf to the stairs with glue but, first, it was important to thoroughly clean the stairs; dirt
and debris can affect the integrity of the glue. We used 3M spray adhesive to bind the turf to the stairs. We applied a
layer of glue to both the back side of the turf and the stairs. After letting the adhesive sit for two minutes, allowing
the glue to turn tacky, we carefully secured the turf to the stairs, making sure that the surfaces were flat and had no
bunches or bubbles. The glue works wonders. The turf hasn’t moved, peeled up or shifted since we’ve been on the road.
The turf stairs are the perfect way to enter our home.

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Okay, so we don’t exactly have a bathroom, but we have everything we need to comfortably
relieve ourselves and keep clean.
BATHROOM APPLIANCES
PORTABLE TOILET
Stored under a shelf next to our kitchen unit is our 2.6 gallon Dometic Portable Toilet. It’s small, convenient,
and doesn’t smell-up the van. We drop a small bag of chemicals into the lower holding tank and fill the top tank
with water so we can flush. The chemicals do an impressive job of keeping the toilet odor-free. We don’t use it
every single time we have to relieve ourselves, so we only have to empty it about once a week.
It’s small enough that it can be emptied into any standard toilet.
There are a lot of ways to have a toilet in a mobile home, but we wanted to stay true to our simple and
inexpensive model. There are portable toilets that hold much more than 2.6 gallons that don’t have to be
emptied as often but, at the same time, emptying a larger tank becomes a more strenuous task. Composting
toilets are also a great, eco-friendly option. If we had sufficient space, we would definitely consider
installing a composting toilet for the environmental benefits.
We built the end table to fit our toilet.
The toilet flushes using a pressure system.

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SHOWER
Even if we had a full shower in our van, it would still be impossible to bathe every day without a massive holding tank.
We did a ton of research on how/where to shower while living on the road. Yes, you can shower at campsites, truck
stops, and gyms for a decent price, but what about when you want to camp on BLM land for two weeks? We’re cool
with not showering for a few days, but we also value personal hygiene enough to want a simple shower when
boon docking.
After reading virtually every review of every camping shower made, we purchased a NEMO Helio Pressure Shower.
This shower has a 2.9 gallon reservoir and becomes pressurized when inflated by a foot pump. We set it on the
highest step of our ladder and let it warm up in the sun for a couple hours before we use it. It’s perfect for a full-body
shower or just a thorough hair washing. It’s a great, affordable option for keeping clean on the road.
The ladder is the perfect spot to
hang our shower.
The shower stays pressurized the
entire time we use it. No need to
keep pumping while you shower!

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OTHER FURNISHINGS
KITCHEN PULLS AND KNOBS
We wanted to contrast the wood features of the kitchen unit with more modern, stainless steel drawer/cupboard
pulls and knobs. We also installed a matching swing latch to keep the cupboard doors closed while driving.
STORAGE JARS AND MAGNETIC SPICE TINS
We use these square jars and magnetic spice tins to hold some everyday cooking essentials. In the jars we store rice,
quinoa, tea, granola, and mixed nuts. We use these nifty magnetic spice tins to hold our salt, sugar, and various spice
blends. We secured them to the wall using an old leather belt, screwing one end into the wood paneling and using
Velcro on the other side.
These pulls are great for hanging towels and
other things.
This swing latch keeps our heavy cupboard
doors from swinging open while driving.
The leather belt keeps the jars from sliding off
while driving. One side is screwed into the
wood paneling (on the right side of the jars).
This side of the leather belt is Velcroed to the
wooden box. This keeps the belt tight enough to
keep the jars in place.

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MAGNETIC KNIFE STRIP AND PAPER TOWEL HANGER
Because there are only two of us, we installed a magnetic
strip to hang all the utensils that we continually use. Below
the knife strip was the perfect place to put our paper
towel holder. Mounting it above the sink gave us more
countertop room.
Helpful Tip: When you drive, put a rubber band around
the paper towel to keep it from unraveling. We’ve had a
number of paper towels fully unravel while driving. Tape
works just as well.
FRUIT HAMMOCK
This little fruit basket expands to be large enough to hold most of our fresh fruit and vegetables. We have to be careful
when driving on rougher terrain because the basket will smack against the window, causing some foods to bruise or
even burst open. Keep avocados out of the basket while driving . . . we unintentionally made guacamole once.

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DRESSER DRAWER PULLS
We wanted to add some different textures to our plywood and walnut dresser, so we bought these beautiful leather
drawer pulls on Etsy. If you decide to use leather pulls, put a washer between the screw head and the leather handle
so the screw hole doesn’t pull through the leather.
DRESSER AND DRAWER HASP CLASPS
Keeping drawers and cabinets closed while driving is important. On our first trip, we learned that magnet catches
were not strong enough to keep them closed (food and clothes were flying everywhere), so we installed these hasp
latches to lock them when we drive. The only downside is that they are cheaply made and have a tendency to squeak
when driving on bumpy roads. This can be a little irritating, but they do their job and the look great. This is where
using self-closing drawer glides may be a solution.
The screw and washer combination allows you to
pull the handle firmly without the screw popping
through the hole.
We attached the leather drawer pulls in the center
of each drawer face.
Our hasp clasps work for both of our upper cabinets. Our hasp clasps fit perfectly on the edge of our
½” plywood drawer faces.

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CURTAIN RINGS AND RODS
To avoid the hassle of sewing loops into the curtains, we used curtain rings with clips to hang our handmade shades.
We bought the longest extending curtain rods we could find to fit the length of the windows.
THROW PILLOWS
Because our curtains already give our living space an abundance of color and texture, we wanted simple, solid-color
throw pillows. Of course, they had to be approved first by the pillow expert: Snoop.

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STORAGE BASKET AND BOWLS
Again, we wanted to mix up the colors and textures we used in the van to avoid looking monotonous. We used
different shapes of wooden bowls and collapsible navy blue and tan storage bins to store personal belongings in the
upper shelves.
CORK BOARD AND CHALKBOARD
We love hanging up little trinkets from our travels and are constantly needing to make “to do” lists. This hexagon cork
board and navy blue chalkboard fit well with our color scheme and are the perfect sized for our upper cabinet doors.
We added Christmas lights along our upper shelves
but hope to upgrade to LED strips soon.
Organizing our upper shelving with baskets and bowls
helps keep everything in place while driving.
A peg board with stickers collected from the road. A chalk board helps us keep our ideas fresh.

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Like most “vanlifers”, we wanted to be able to comfortably live off the grid . To ensure that,
we purchased and installed a Renogy RV Solar Kit to power our refrigerator, fan/vent, LED
lights, and other devices. We’re completely powered by the sun!
SOLAR AND ELECTRICAL
MATERIALS LIST TOOLS LIST
- (2) RENOGY 100 WATT SOLAR PANELS
- RENOGY ADVENTURER CHARGE CONTROLLER
- RENOGY 1000 WATT PURE SINE INVERTER
- RITAR 160 AMP HOUR SEALED GEL DEEP CYCLE BATTERY
- 120 VOLT POWER CONVERTER
- FUSE BREAKER BOX
- SMART ISOLATOR
- (2) USB PORTS
- ADDITIONAL 12 VOLT OUTLET (SPECIFICALLY FOR FRIDGE)
- (2) ADDITIONAL 120 VOLT OUTLETS POWERED BY CONVERTER
- PORTABLE DRILL
- WELL NUTS
- ASSORTMENT OF WIRING
- WIRE CUTTERS
DISCLAIMER
We had a professional electrician help us with some of the electrical work. Seek help from a
certified electrician if you are not experienced or comfortable with this step of the conversion.

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SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION
The first step of installing our solar panels was orientating them on the roof. With the large A/C unit from previous
owners still intact and taking up most of the space at the rear, we decided to put one panel on each side of our
Fantastic Fan. After figuring out where we wanted the panels, it was as simple as screwing down the Z-brackets
(with well-nuts), putting silicon around them, and taping over them with butyl tape to keep out any moisture.
Depending on your vehicle, you may need to insert ”well-nuts” into the metal roof. This will clamp the Z-brackets to
the roof, securing the panels with more force.
Decide where you want your panels and mark
each bracket hole.
Drill holes and insert a well-nut in each hole.
Insert a screw into the bracket and into the
well-nut.
Make sure to use washers and lock-washers with
each screw. This keeps the screw from loosening
over time.

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HELPFUL TIP: PUT SILICON UNDER Z-BRACKETS BEFORE YOU SCREW THEM DOWN BECAUSE SEALING THE
BACK OF THEM AFTER THEY’RE ATTACHED IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
Then we drilled holes in the roof to feed the positive and negative wires through to the interior cabinets. We used
the cable housing unit supplied by Renogy and secured it to the roof using Liquid Nails polyethylene adhesive.
The positive and negative solar wires before we
connect the two panels and run the wires
through the roof.
Liquid Nails works wonders when attaching this
protective housing unit. We also applied silicone
around edges to keep out all moisture.
Make sure to plan where you want to feed your solar
wires into the living space of your van. We fed ours
into the upper cabinet where our charge controller
was flush mounted.
Our finished solar panel installation!

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BATTERY
We bought a Ritar 160 AH Sealed Gel Deep Cycle Battery from Renogy because we knew it came from a company
we trusted. We decided that a 160 AH battery would be sufficient enough for our off-grid use. If we ever want to
increase our battery bank size in the future, we can easily add another battery wired either in parallel or in a series.
Although our sealed gel battery isn’t supposed to off-gas, we built an airtight battery box around it because it’s
located directly under our bed (opposite end of our heads). In the event that it does off-gas from over charging or
over-heating, the gas will be directed outside. Since our battery already lays underneath our bench, we simply built
a lid out of plywood, attached tracks for the lid to sit, adhered weather stripping to the top of the tracks, and ran
two 1” diameter PVC pipes to the outside. We ran one PVC pipe above the height of the battery and one at the
base, allowing air to circulate through the box. Whether the gas is heavier or lighter than air, these holes ensure it
will be directed outside.
OVERKILL? PROBABLY. DO WE SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
Our battery, located in one of our bench storage units.
The plywood lid we built for our battery box. We built tracks along the edges of our storage box
and attached weather proof stripping to the top,
making an airtight box.

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FUSE (BREAKER) BOX
We sought help from an electrician for this part. Our electrician friend installed an old RV fuse box/converter that he
gave us for free because he had no further use for it. We had never planned on adding a 120 Volt hookup to our van
but, since we now had a converter, there was no reason not to. We drilled a hole in the side of our van, inserted a 125
V flanged inlet, and wired it to our converter. Now we had the option of plugging our van in with an extension cord and
running household appliances in our van. To this day, we have only used this plug two or three times.
Instead of using an RV breaker panel, we’d recommend just using a Blue Seas marine fuse box. This was our initial
plan. They take up a lot less space and have the same functionality if you don’t want to add a converter. We ran and
secured all of our positive wires into the fuse box and grounded all of our negative wires to a bus terminal, which we
screwed into the floor next to our fuse box.
A bus terminal is just a fancy name for a central location to ground all of your negative wires.
The electrician also ran wires from a USB/cigarette lighter port in the front our van to our fuse box. This allows us to
charge our refrigerator and USB devices at the front of the van.
The face of our fuse (breaker) box, located on a face
of one of our benches.
The inside wiring of our fuse (breaker) box.
Our fuse (breaker) box, wiring, kill-switch, and bus
terminal all in a central location.
USB and cigarette lighter outlets located at the front
of our van (behind driver seat), used for charging our
refrigerator and charging USB devices.

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Project Van Life
SMART BATTERY ISOLATOR
We wanted the battery bank to charge when the car was running, so we installed a smart battery isolator between
our battery and the van’s starter battery. This allows an alternative way to charge our battery, which is especially
useful during multiple days of very little sunlight. A smart battery isolator has a few great features:
1. It allows our auxiliary (aux) battery to safely charge when the van is running.
2. It isolates the two batteries, meaning our van’s electronics do not discharge our aux battery.
3. Similarly, it pulls all power from the aux battery when the van isn’t running (without having to manually
switch it).
4. If our van’s starter battery is dying or dead, the isolator uses our aux battery to recharge our starter
battery.
ELECTRICAL WIRING
Due to the fact that we went about the electrical system backwards, we had to take down all of the paneling and upper
shelving in order to hide the wires. Luckily, there was just enough room between the paneling and insulation to run all
of our wiring. If it was a little too tight in some areas, we dug out a line of insulation to push the wires into.
Our smart isolator is attached to a wheel well. Another view of our smart isolator in action.
The wiring from our solar panels to the charge
controller, and the charge controller to the battery.
The wiring for our lighting, light switches, and
charge controller.

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Project Van Life
The wires were run to the back from each appliance (refrigerator, LED lights, Fantastic Fan, outlets), to the left side of
our van, along the metal frame above the windows, down the side of our van, and along the siding until we fed them
through to the fuse box and bus terminal. Figuring out where to run your wires will be different depending on the
placement and amount of appliances. In some cases, it may be easier to run them in separate locations.
LED LIGHTS
We installed five LED lights down the center of our van. This turned out to be one of our favorite decisions. We
wired the back three lights to one switch and the front two lights to a separate switch. This allows us different
lighting options, depending on what we’re doing. We plan to add a dimmer switch in the future.
All of the wiring run along the top of the windows. The wiring to the back of the fuse (breaker) box.
Using a hole saw, we cut 2 ½” holes in
our ceiling.
We ran the positive and negative wiring
down through each hole so we could
easily attach our LED lights.

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Project Van Life
It’s as easy as hooking up the lights and
pushing them in!
Wiring two separate switches.
We drilled holes in our siding to push the
switches through.
Adding trim for a finished look.
Even in the dark of the night, our van gives off vibrant light.

Learn EVERYTHING about Van Life in the next 5 minutes

Learn EVERYTHING about Van Life in the next 5 minutes

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Learn EVERYTHING about Van Life in the next 5 minutes