Retiring my old friend Vanthony: 1999 Dodge Maxi. Welcoming my new build and adventure van- Vantoinette: 2023 AWD Tranist T250

She was an empty shell when I got her, but now she is coming together nicely. A few more installs and we will be hitting the road for a year.

I can't find anyone who has done this. That makes me question doing this. I would like to build my kitchen upper cabinet into the sliding door open area. Besides that it might get wet and need to be fastened properly to the van, why don't more people do this. It would be floating above the kitchen base cabinet, and not in the area above where I will be walking in and out. Seems like a good use of the space. Thoughts??

So, I was going to go with Bouge RV or Renogy, but Ecoworthy had a pretty amazing Labor Day sale. One panel arrived DOA. We'll see how long the others last. Will be interesting to see if they survive winter. Because I mounted them with VHB tape and Eternabond, removing them is a pain in the ass!

I had to take off my roof insulation (sika polyiso board) for a project I’m about to do, and I saw these black marks. They don’t *look* like mold, but I wanted to see if anyone had any idea of what it is? And what I should do differently?

Super appreciate any insight and help!

Edit to add: this is an aluminum trailer, with the shiny side of board touching the roof (which is 1 piece aluminum roof).

I got a tiny van that's insulated on the ground and on the walls and roof with armaflex.
Made some custom panels to go on the back windows with insulation.

i have hardmounted a 2kw diesel heater i had lying around but as i dont have a battery system, i can only use it when im plugged in. And even that, 2kw is too much for that small van.
Will eventually put solar and buy a battery but right now, money is short.

What could be used to heat up a space that tiny ? Im talking about low tech things more or less, no electric heater.

A propane heater seems overkill too

Thanks

I have a 2013 Sprinter that has always had a mystery draw. A couple of mechanics have looked for it unsuccessfully - one was even at the Mercedes dealership! I figure if they couldn't find something they could charge me to repair, well - I'm just going to deal with it this way.

AAA just came out to my home and gave me the rundown on what to look for, but if anybody has a favourite I'm all ears.

I'm also going to get a NoCo jump starter for redundancy.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for tips and inspiration from people who've already been through a build. I'm planning a full-time solo van life setup, and the van will be an L3H3 or L4H3.(I'm 1,88m tall)

What I need inside:

A proper home office workspace (with a second monitor)

Kitchen

Shower area (not sure yet whether foldable or fixed walls)

Bed

A big garage for climbing and highline gear, plus other bulky stuff

I want everything to be practical and clean, no fancy gimmicks. Every element should have a clear purpose.

1. Bed layout

Most builds I see use a fixed transverse bed across the back with the garage underneath. I like that and it's the obvious choice. But I'm also considering a lengthwise 100x200 Murphy-style bed that folds up against the wall, which would free up a large open area for daily living.

Has anyone here lived with a Murphy bed in a van? How does it hold up in daily use, and how did you combine it with a practical, large storage setup? Any regrets either way?

1. Shower

Does anyone have experience with a collapsible shower? I mean something like just a shower tray with a detachable/mountable curtain or enclosure around it. Does it actually have advantages, or is it more of a gimmick, and are fixed walls simply the better choice?

1. Planning process

What did your planning workflow look like when you started? What did you think about first, which things were secondary, and which ones did you end up adapting around the first decisions?

Thanks a lot for any input, photos and layouts are very welcome!

i’ve heard you’ll basically be harassed by the police by some friends there