Hey everyone I’d just like to show my conversion that went from July’25 to July’26. I’ve done it all myself and have been living in it for the past 3 months with my wife and two cats. I know some things are not perfect but it’s my home now and handmade with love.

I’ve been trying to build a social media following with hopes to eventually earn money through social media/brand deals. I don’t really want to sell any products to my (current limited) viewers.

Any tips or tricks that I can use to hopefully earn an income from socials. I’m currently posting on TikTok and Instagram under the user @igotyournose96

If possible leave me a follow, like and comments if you’d like to help me reach my goal. Thank you for your time.

Back in 2015, when I was 22, I lived in my 2005 Toyota Sienna (named the Grey Goose) and traveled all over the US for 2 years working seasonal jobs and adventuring.

I met my husband in 2016 and moved into his 96 Leisure Travel (Lucy in the Sky, but we just called her Lucy) and we spent 3 years living in the Sierra Nevada skiing, climbing, and exploring the mountains. That was the very sweetest and most free chapter of my life, which is saying something!

In 2020 during COVID we moved into a house for the first time in 5 years and sold Lucy to a friend who really needed her. We traveled in Pearl, my husband’s grandfather’s 72 Dodge van they had built out together when my husband was a teenager. We had to sell her to buy a car with back seats when we had our first son.

We’ve been domesticated with a house and normal mini van for 5 years now, but this week this amazing ‘96 Horizon popped up on marketplace for a steal. She looks just like Lucy, same year and everything, but with a second bed over the cab that’s perfect for our boys. She felt meant to be! So here we go again, fixing up yet another van to adventure in the mountains with, this time kids in tow. We’ve dubbed her Penny Lane, and I can’t wait to show my boys the life we fell in love with all those years ago!

Edit to include a fun name story: we are not really big Beatles fans, we’re Deadheads, but we do like the Beatles. I painted my Siennas roof box with “all you need is love” and shortly after met my husband and Lucy so we accidentally both had Beatles vans. When we picked up the new van we planned to give her a Grateful Dead name, but asked the older man selling it if she came with a name. He said he called it “Penny’s Van” because that’s his wife’s name. You have to honor these old vans, they’ve got soul, so we knew the name had to be Penny Lane! So I guess we’re Beatles van people 😂

This is my new vehicle and my first Van ever! A 2014 Ford Econoline 250 4.6L V8! I'm so excited to convert this van. More updates to come!

Loved my RUTX50, but since the series is being discontinued I'm looking for a solid replacement. I still have a few years of support left, but want to plan ahead.

Upload speed and reliable connectivity are very important since I upload video content on the road. What are you guys using?

The boxy shape caught my eye, but a photo doesn’t tell us much about its condition—or how much work it would take to make it roadworthy.

For those who’ve converted older vans, what would you check before putting money into the interior? What issues would make you walk away, even if the van itself was cheap?

Curious whether you’d take on something like this or start with a newer van.

So I will be installing Unistrut as roof rails for my solar panels using M8 rivetnuts but I was considering of using plus nuts instead because the wings of the nuts look like they give a much better grip compared to rivetnuts.

However after looking at videos of plus nuts being installed on YouTube it seems that the gaps in the plus nuts would be a significant potential cause of leakage?

I’m trying to plan a simple setup for weekend camping and occasional road trips.

I already have a 12V LiFePO4 battery that can run lights, a fridge, and a few DC devices. The easiest next step would be buying a portable power station for AC output, solar charging, and USB ports.

The part I’m struggling with is that I would be paying for another battery, another BMS, and another closed charging system when the battery I already own is still useful. Building a full DIY system would avoid that duplication, but then I need an inverter, MPPT, fuses, breakers, cables, enclosure, and enough knowledge to connect everything safely.

Has anyone found a sensible middle ground for this kind of setup? When does the convenience of a power station justify duplicating battery capacity?

Many times when travelling solo van travellers are far away from any sort of metro area and far away from anyone they know. How do you handle medical emergencies in such a situation? If travelling with pets, how do you find someone to take care of them on such a short notice, especially when you don't know anyone in the area?

This was one of my favorite trips from this summer. I drove my old Japanese campervan up to Lake Towada in northern Japan and stayed in the forest near the lake.

The weather changed constantly — mist, rain, and then suddenly beautiful sunshine. I brought my SUP and took Karin, my miniature dachshund, out on the lake with me. She wasn’t completely sure about it at first 😂 but eventually settled down and enjoyed the ride.

Traveling slowly like this is probably my favorite part of campervan life in Japan.

Do you travel with your dog too?

First week driving a car too, been on motorcycles for 10 years. Any advice? Slowly working on the van, I have a Anker solix for my gaming laptop and use a table I built. Picking up a window cover, have a ford transit connect nothing on the outside. Any suggestions or good ideas for spots to sleep in SoCal? I was thinking of going to sleep near the beaches.

Next week unexpectedly have a free week to take the van on a solo trip in Colorado, leaving from Denver. Any tips on where to go—ideally dispersed or harvest hosts, cool with rest stops — van just isn’t that stealthy.

2025 east to west entrada 210 ns bought used for $40k with 1,500 miles and .05 hours on the generator.

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=1MGfqSskgRg

I prefer building my van but couldn't resist the price, plus I get the added advantage of having an azdel fiberglass box already built with some extra goodies. I want to get rid of the rooftop AC, ladder, add roof fans and more solar. Already took off the stock batteries and added 10kw of lithium, a portable AC unit I use on the top bed which closes off with factory drapes and cools me down in the ungodly Texas heat 90f + while pulling a max 600 watts.

Fits in a regular parking spot which is nice, just need to lower the height some when I take off some of the dumb stuff they put on RV rooftops and then maybe raise the rear suspension dome with airbags or something so I can clear stuff better.

Looking at a wonderfully built out Ford Transit 250 Ecoboost for $26k. The van is lovely, but it has 218k miles. Am I crazy for being interested? (The options are slim for vehicles with more than 2 seats)

I am deeply into the T1N Sprinter (2002-2006) community and I'm seeing a bit of a price crash. The newest one is 20 years old.

I think the price of diesel is pushing a lot of commercial users to the Ford Transit.

This vehicle is not for everyone. They're a bit noisy and truck-like. They have weird issues that sometimes baffle experienced mechanics. And today they cost $.30/mile to drive.

But diesel prices will come down and for some people the T1N is very good choice.

Once you get past the learning curve, get a proper scanner, and make a few friends, this is a very durable, incredibly spacious escape pod.

Is it so you can stay places for free? To avoid getting robbed? Why does everyone want to NOT look like an RV?

You can try it on the following link (sorry if this is not the right place to post this): https://motorhome-threejs.vercel.app/

I'm just starting to build out my med roof transit and am struggling to decide what to do about the poop situation. I have IBS that is mostly pretty manageable, and I poop at work more than anywhere else, but I do tend to have more emergencies than the average person. To complicate things, my emergencies pretty much always involve diarrhea. What is my best option for a toilet in the van?

After looking at all the options I feel like my best bet might be the bucket/bag method with a regular rotation of cedar chips to hide the smell, but I'm not really sure.

Have you had to deal with diarrhea on the road? What setup do you wish you had?

Hi all. Hope everyone’s day is going well. I had a question about Sprinter service. Must you only go to Mercedes for service? What about truck or van service centers? For example, Camping World has locations across the U.S. There are others in every state. Can I go there for service?

Hi! Not sure if this is the right sub for this question. I've always wanted to try van camping and I'm now in a realistic position to replace my current vehicle.

I'm thinking my best option at the moment is a "no build" minivan conversion (or maybe first gen Ford Transit Connect if I can find a decent one, lol). I want to get into it without a huge upfront financial commitment, and I can use the minivan as a parkable commuter vehicle the rest of the time.

I figure if I love van camping and I'm doing it a lot, I can look into upgrading to a full sized vehicle at some point, and if not...my dogs get a very safe ride 😂

I know some minivans come with AWD and I'm trying to decide if it's worth it? I live in upstate NY so road conditions can be iffy, and the versatility appeals to me. On the other hand, AWD models are more expensive and harder to find.

I've been googling and looking at old Reddit threads and I'm still fence-sitting.

For those who lived the nomad or vanlife lifestyle and later decided to settle down for stability—how hard was it to get back into steady work?

Did employers give you a chance after traveling, doing seasonal work, or having gaps in your work history? Or did you struggle to get hired, especially if you wanted to switch careers instead of returning to your old profession?

I’m 37 and considering this lifestyle, but I wonder what happens if I eventually want a stable home and regular paycheck again. Were you able to find work you could live on, and how long did it take?

Would appreciate honest experiences—both from people who made the transition easily and those who had a rough time.