How to Convert a Van for VanDwelling:
By Jason Ebacher
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SO here I am the proud owner of a 92 conversion
van, rust free. And really needs an interior detailing
job and a muffler. The power windows lock and seats
all work... Cruise control doesn't.. All in all I feel I
got a steal on this van for $1000.. Needs a lot of
detailing work. I will do a complete fluid change, oil,
trans and radiator. I will also change plugs and run
seefoam for a couple of tanks to clean the fuel
system up.. The are some minor repairs to be made..
But for the most part it's in great shape.
Stealth:
For me stealth means being able to camp almost
anywhere, in urban environments or a campground..
In either situation it just looks like a van parked
there. In a camp ground it may be odd there is no
tent, but many people camp in their vans. In the
urban environment, stealth just makes sense. You
could go anywhere and fit right in with a standard
van converted in a stealthy manner. And really thats
my goal, I want to be able to go anywhere and just
be seen as a standard van parked there, wherever
it may be. I want to limit my run-ins with others
that don't understand what VanDwelling is about and
authorities that feel I may be a nuisance. It simply
makes my life better, their lives better, its a
win-win! My reason for stealth isn't because of
shame, it is to hide the fact I'm in there, to avoid
being bothered by cops or others that feel that
VanDwelling is not right in their book. If they don't
know, it won't matter. .
van, rust free. And really needs an interior detailing
job and a muffler. The power windows lock and seats
all work... Cruise control doesn't.. All in all I feel I
got a steal on this van for $1000.. Needs a lot of
detailing work. I will do a complete fluid change, oil,
trans and radiator. I will also change plugs and run
seefoam for a couple of tanks to clean the fuel
system up.. The are some minor repairs to be made..
But for the most part it's in great shape.
Stealth:
For me stealth means being able to camp almost
anywhere, in urban environments or a campground..
In either situation it just looks like a van parked
there. In a camp ground it may be odd there is no
tent, but many people camp in their vans. In the
urban environment, stealth just makes sense. You
could go anywhere and fit right in with a standard
van converted in a stealthy manner. And really thats
my goal, I want to be able to go anywhere and just
be seen as a standard van parked there, wherever
it may be. I want to limit my run-ins with others
that don't understand what VanDwelling is about and
authorities that feel I may be a nuisance. It simply
makes my life better, their lives better, its a
win-win! My reason for stealth isn't because of
shame, it is to hide the fact I'm in there, to avoid
being bothered by cops or others that feel that
VanDwelling is not right in their book. If they don't
know, it won't matter. .
I'm venting them with some tubing out to the outside of the
van through the floor..and then weather stripping the lid of my
battery boxes to avoid leaks. As for the battery boxes yes the
hydrogen would fill the box.. In my situation the only time the
batteries are getting charged is when I'm driving, that's when
they create gas (I'm pretty sure of that but not positive). If
the box is sealed then no gas should escape and no sparks or
flames can get in, it should be safe. When driving, the vent tube
to the floor will create a vacuum and draw gas out. My vent
will be right at the top of the box. My batteries fit the box
very tightly so the actual air space that is in the box is small.
van through the floor..and then weather stripping the lid of my
battery boxes to avoid leaks. As for the battery boxes yes the
hydrogen would fill the box.. In my situation the only time the
batteries are getting charged is when I'm driving, that's when
they create gas (I'm pretty sure of that but not positive). If
the box is sealed then no gas should escape and no sparks or
flames can get in, it should be safe. When driving, the vent tube
to the floor will create a vacuum and draw gas out. My vent
will be right at the top of the box. My batteries fit the box
very tightly so the actual air space that is in the box is small.
Divider curtain separating driving area from living area.
The Kitchen:
Kitchen cabinets are 95% complete: Stainless steel sink (made from
a mixing bowl) and drain is finished. Kitchen stove is mounted and gas
cylinder located below the cabinet. Counter top (parkay oak flooring)
is completed including backsplash. Heater/Furnace is mounted,
Microwave mounted, Water tank in place waiting for pump. I am
using Kerosene to heat my Van.. not a cooking stove but heat that
requires no electricity, I have heated houses with kerosene heater
like this for two winters, they are 99.9% efficient and don't stink
except for when you turn them off then they put out a small amount
of smell for a few minutes, and I feel is safer than propane, so safe
in fact I sleep while its running. I put a microwave in my van, the
reasons were simple: easy, quick meals and hot water. What I did
was bought a smaller model the little 800 watt ones are fairly
compact but still large enough for me to cook a plate full of grub.
The other advantage is 800 watts is fairly small load, a hot plate for
instance is 1200 watts and takes longer to cook so it wastes more
energy. And yes as some one else stated when not in use store stuff
in the microwave . We place stuff like paper towels in ours so they
don't roll away and come unrolled. Works well. When you first lay out
your arrangement in the van, you quickly find yoruself utilizing space
much more efficiently. Inches make a difference in a van. The other
advantage of a microwave is less dishes dirtied, so less water used
for clean up. So in my book, a small microwave is absolutely
necessary. I have a 2 burner propane stove too.
Kitchen cabinets are 95% complete: Stainless steel sink (made from
a mixing bowl) and drain is finished. Kitchen stove is mounted and gas
cylinder located below the cabinet. Counter top (parkay oak flooring)
is completed including backsplash. Heater/Furnace is mounted,
Microwave mounted, Water tank in place waiting for pump. I am
using Kerosene to heat my Van.. not a cooking stove but heat that
requires no electricity, I have heated houses with kerosene heater
like this for two winters, they are 99.9% efficient and don't stink
except for when you turn them off then they put out a small amount
of smell for a few minutes, and I feel is safer than propane, so safe
in fact I sleep while its running. I put a microwave in my van, the
reasons were simple: easy, quick meals and hot water. What I did
was bought a smaller model the little 800 watt ones are fairly
compact but still large enough for me to cook a plate full of grub.
The other advantage is 800 watts is fairly small load, a hot plate for
instance is 1200 watts and takes longer to cook so it wastes more
energy. And yes as some one else stated when not in use store stuff
in the microwave . We place stuff like paper towels in ours so they
don't roll away and come unrolled. Works well. When you first lay out
your arrangement in the van, you quickly find yoruself utilizing space
much more efficiently. Inches make a difference in a van. The other
advantage of a microwave is less dishes dirtied, so less water used
for clean up. So in my book, a small microwave is absolutely
necessary. I have a 2 burner propane stove too.
The bowl idea came to me when I saw the one we had under
the sink, I like stainless steel, so easy to clean.. SO I went
looking of one at a discount store.. $3.99 Then went to the
home improvement store and found a drain pipe with a
standard rubber stopper in it... $3.95... I modified the drain
a bit to shorten it so I could fit it over the microwave..
Dremel tool helped there.. and in cutting the drain hole in the
bottom of the bowl SO for under $10 I have a stainless
steel sink that looks really professional and really stylish.
Its fairly thin stainless but sturdy, perfect for my needs
because I needed to cut the hole in the bottom and a really
good thick bowl would have made it much tougher. The drain I
used was one that was about 6" long, I cut it down to about an
inch and epoxied a plastic bilge pump hose to it. It fit right
inside the drain pipe. I then slathered some 5 minute epoxy
on it and put them together and held them till it set up.
After it cures it's very strong, leak proof and works very
well. Cook Stove: walmart $20 two burner 7k BTU each
burner. I didn't know if it was enough BTU but when we
made supper on it we found it to be more than enough..
5-6 Day cooler: it was on sale for $25, the color matches
my van perfectly and it fits perfectly between the front
seats for storage or for beverages while traveling! Tables:
found 2 oak TV tray style folding tables at Walmart for
inside the van. Nice, heavy duty, and fold flat for storage.
They are to eat on and/or hold the laptop etc.
the sink, I like stainless steel, so easy to clean.. SO I went
looking of one at a discount store.. $3.99 Then went to the
home improvement store and found a drain pipe with a
standard rubber stopper in it... $3.95... I modified the drain
a bit to shorten it so I could fit it over the microwave..
Dremel tool helped there.. and in cutting the drain hole in the
bottom of the bowl SO for under $10 I have a stainless
steel sink that looks really professional and really stylish.
Its fairly thin stainless but sturdy, perfect for my needs
because I needed to cut the hole in the bottom and a really
good thick bowl would have made it much tougher. The drain I
used was one that was about 6" long, I cut it down to about an
inch and epoxied a plastic bilge pump hose to it. It fit right
inside the drain pipe. I then slathered some 5 minute epoxy
on it and put them together and held them till it set up.
After it cures it's very strong, leak proof and works very
well. Cook Stove: walmart $20 two burner 7k BTU each
burner. I didn't know if it was enough BTU but when we
made supper on it we found it to be more than enough..
5-6 Day cooler: it was on sale for $25, the color matches
my van perfectly and it fits perfectly between the front
seats for storage or for beverages while traveling! Tables:
found 2 oak TV tray style folding tables at Walmart for
inside the van. Nice, heavy duty, and fold flat for storage.
They are to eat on and/or hold the laptop etc.
The Bed:
I have the plans all laid up for the bed and supports, the side
rails along the walls of the van are 2x4's with notches cut out
for 3/4" steel square tube that will sit flush with the 2x4's..
Then there will be 3/4" particle board over this to make the
platform. This design will allow for maximum storage space
with maximum strength with no other supports beside the
side rails. Right now the bed is an inflatable air mattress.
I have the plans all laid up for the bed and supports, the side
rails along the walls of the van are 2x4's with notches cut out
for 3/4" steel square tube that will sit flush with the 2x4's..
Then there will be 3/4" particle board over this to make the
platform. This design will allow for maximum storage space
with maximum strength with no other supports beside the
side rails. Right now the bed is an inflatable air mattress.
Battery Box:
Wired in the 4 gauge wiring from the battery to the first battery
box.. fused it and also put my isolation relay on it. Wired the relay
(continuous duty solenoid) to ignition power. Also ran the lines to the
second battery box (it isn't built yet but the lines are ready for when
it is). Hopefully 2 batteries will be sufficient for my electrical
needs. My batteries are the biggest deep cycle batteries that Wall
Mart stocks, 115 amp-hours each. Hopefully it will suffice. If your not
handy in any way, goto a car audio shop that builds there own custom
speaker boxes. They can build you a battery box, vent it ,carpet it,
and do the electrical work, for a few hours of labor. Really, your
battery box could be as simple as a Tupperware container and a hose
to the outside of the van. You don't have to custom build a container
for them. Inverter: Got a 1550watt inverter for the van, it has been
ordered, should be here in a week :)
Wired in the 4 gauge wiring from the battery to the first battery
box.. fused it and also put my isolation relay on it. Wired the relay
(continuous duty solenoid) to ignition power. Also ran the lines to the
second battery box (it isn't built yet but the lines are ready for when
it is). Hopefully 2 batteries will be sufficient for my electrical
needs. My batteries are the biggest deep cycle batteries that Wall
Mart stocks, 115 amp-hours each. Hopefully it will suffice. If your not
handy in any way, goto a car audio shop that builds there own custom
speaker boxes. They can build you a battery box, vent it ,carpet it,
and do the electrical work, for a few hours of labor. Really, your
battery box could be as simple as a Tupperware container and a hose
to the outside of the van. You don't have to custom build a container
for them. Inverter: Got a 1550watt inverter for the van, it has been
ordered, should be here in a week :)
Curtains:
Well today I went to Walmart and found some black
fabric that is perfect for blackout curtains for a $1 a
yard. I bought 10 yards. Made curtains for the rear
windows and one of the side windows. They are double
thick and block out the light from a 60 watt bulb 2
inches from the shade. They work really well.
Well today I went to Walmart and found some black
fabric that is perfect for blackout curtains for a $1 a
yard. I bought 10 yards. Made curtains for the rear
windows and one of the side windows. They are double
thick and block out the light from a 60 watt bulb 2
inches from the shade. They work really well.
Electricity:
Also have battery box designs figured out.. I wanted to distribute
the weight in the van evenly.. so, since my kitchen and other utility
pieces are on the drivers side two batteries will go on the pass
side, one in front and one behind the rear wheel wells.. this space
is kind of unused any ways.. the one in front of the wheel well will
also double as a bed side table.. The inverter will go on the
battery box in the rear of the wheel well.. and if this isn't enough
battery power with two batteries, I will make a third battery box
for the drivers side behind the rear wheel well. If three deep
cycle batteries aren't enough.. I will have to rethink it. But with
300 plus amp hours of storage it should be fine.
Also have battery box designs figured out.. I wanted to distribute
the weight in the van evenly.. so, since my kitchen and other utility
pieces are on the drivers side two batteries will go on the pass
side, one in front and one behind the rear wheel wells.. this space
is kind of unused any ways.. the one in front of the wheel well will
also double as a bed side table.. The inverter will go on the
battery box in the rear of the wheel well.. and if this isn't enough
battery power with two batteries, I will make a third battery box
for the drivers side behind the rear wheel well. If three deep
cycle batteries aren't enough.. I will have to rethink it. But with
300 plus amp hours of storage it should be fine.
Why a destop computer? I have it, it's already paid for, it's
expandable, and more future proof vs. a laptop, parts are much
easier to get and replace... The list could go on and on..
Originally I was going to go with a laptop, but after considering all
the pros and cons I decided a desktop would work fine, with a
lightweight powersupply in it to conserve power, no reason to have
a 450 watt power supply when you can get by with 250 watt.
expandable, and more future proof vs. a laptop, parts are much
easier to get and replace... The list could go on and on..
Originally I was going to go with a laptop, but after considering all
the pros and cons I decided a desktop would work fine, with a
lightweight powersupply in it to conserve power, no reason to have
a 450 watt power supply when you can get by with 250 watt.
Roof Vent:
So I was looking through the local home improvement place looking for ideas on that and other stuff.. I found a attic vent
that only sticks up about 3-4 inches. It has a over-hanging lip all around to keep rain out and also had a aerodynamic front
part that was sloped nicely. It really looks like it belongs on a car vs. a house. Kind of hood scooping looking. It was a soft
rubber-like plastic kind of like a rubbermaid container. They came in grey, black, and brown, it was $6. My van nearly
matches the greys shade, grabbed it and took it home for brainstorming. Well after many ideas, and a few trips to other
places and looking online I finally figured out how to make it all work.. I cut a hole in the roof for the vent, epoxied a
screen in the vent to keep bugs out.. placed the vent on the roof and sealed it and screwed it to the roof really well. I
also bought two of these 10" 12v folding camping fans, that ran off 8 D cells for 24 hours..(low current draw), that they
had at walmart they were $12 but what I did was ripped them apart and molded the casing, rewired (hardwired them to
12v) and basically made the two fans into one that would work and still look good.. I could have made it work with one fan,
so the second fan was all for looks and keeping it clean looking.
So I was looking through the local home improvement place looking for ideas on that and other stuff.. I found a attic vent
that only sticks up about 3-4 inches. It has a over-hanging lip all around to keep rain out and also had a aerodynamic front
part that was sloped nicely. It really looks like it belongs on a car vs. a house. Kind of hood scooping looking. It was a soft
rubber-like plastic kind of like a rubbermaid container. They came in grey, black, and brown, it was $6. My van nearly
matches the greys shade, grabbed it and took it home for brainstorming. Well after many ideas, and a few trips to other
places and looking online I finally figured out how to make it all work.. I cut a hole in the roof for the vent, epoxied a
screen in the vent to keep bugs out.. placed the vent on the roof and sealed it and screwed it to the roof really well. I
also bought two of these 10" 12v folding camping fans, that ran off 8 D cells for 24 hours..(low current draw), that they
had at walmart they were $12 but what I did was ripped them apart and molded the casing, rewired (hardwired them to
12v) and basically made the two fans into one that would work and still look good.. I could have made it work with one fan,
so the second fan was all for looks and keeping it clean looking.
Media Center:
I'm calling this the media center panel or media panel. It fits in the
windows frame housing a 19" LCD monitor and a pair of speakers that
sounds good and were free, some one gave them to me working just
fine.. they are just computer speakers..
This panel we made from 1/2" particle board and basically was
designed to fit the window and allow the screen to sit vertical as
the walls of the vans slope in so its basically a L shape panel. The
front face and then the lower leg that goes in and rests against the
little ridge on the windows where the vent windows slide on. Some
still have operational vents also..
Then we traced the speakers and LCD monitor on the panel and cut
them out with a jig saw and fitted them. The fit on these items is
very tight so they are pressure fit into this panel. We decided to
cover this panel with cloth to match the curtains in the rear of the
van. We left a little gap at the top of this for ventilation and we will
sew up a little ruffles curtain for the top of them to allow air flow
and no light escaping.. We will also do this on the bottom to allow
air to flow into the van through the vent window but not allows light
to escape the van..
I'm calling this the media center panel or media panel. It fits in the
windows frame housing a 19" LCD monitor and a pair of speakers that
sounds good and were free, some one gave them to me working just
fine.. they are just computer speakers..
This panel we made from 1/2" particle board and basically was
designed to fit the window and allow the screen to sit vertical as
the walls of the vans slope in so its basically a L shape panel. The
front face and then the lower leg that goes in and rests against the
little ridge on the windows where the vent windows slide on. Some
still have operational vents also..
Then we traced the speakers and LCD monitor on the panel and cut
them out with a jig saw and fitted them. The fit on these items is
very tight so they are pressure fit into this panel. We decided to
cover this panel with cloth to match the curtains in the rear of the
van. We left a little gap at the top of this for ventilation and we will
sew up a little ruffles curtain for the top of them to allow air flow
and no light escaping.. We will also do this on the bottom to allow
air to flow into the van through the vent window but not allows light
to escape the van..
I in no way think you're being "cheap" when living in a van full
time. I think it is smart! Americans in general believe that
bigger is better and they generally are very wasteful. I
believe we should only take up and use what we really need. I
know single people that have 3000 square foot houses and use
the living room, bedroom, and kitchen: what a waste. If you
really look into other cultures such as Europe, their houses look
like efficiency apartments compared to the average American
home. Our mini vans are the size of many RVs over there. Do you
really need all that space in a house and all that material stuff
in it? What things do you use daily, and what things do you use
that you would not need if you didn't have the house? If you look
at those items it may surprise you greatly. I know every thing I
use daily will easily fit into a van or be easily replaced by other
means. For instance a toilet. I have a portable unit, but I would
prefer to just use public rest rooms instead. So there are
trade offs. But think about this, if you didn't have all those
household bills what could you buy or do with all that extra
money? I do think living in a van full time would save tons of
cash, or allow you to work less and play more. Is that "cheap"? I
don't think it is. If you live in a van full time (even if you owned
land to park it on) you would save tons of money in property
taxes and mortgage costs, insurance costs etc. Heck you could
be totally self-sufficient and not even have power or utility
bills. In todays world you can get internet through your cell
phone company and have satellite TV anywhere, even while you
drive now!..
time. I think it is smart! Americans in general believe that
bigger is better and they generally are very wasteful. I
believe we should only take up and use what we really need. I
know single people that have 3000 square foot houses and use
the living room, bedroom, and kitchen: what a waste. If you
really look into other cultures such as Europe, their houses look
like efficiency apartments compared to the average American
home. Our mini vans are the size of many RVs over there. Do you
really need all that space in a house and all that material stuff
in it? What things do you use daily, and what things do you use
that you would not need if you didn't have the house? If you look
at those items it may surprise you greatly. I know every thing I
use daily will easily fit into a van or be easily replaced by other
means. For instance a toilet. I have a portable unit, but I would
prefer to just use public rest rooms instead. So there are
trade offs. But think about this, if you didn't have all those
household bills what could you buy or do with all that extra
money? I do think living in a van full time would save tons of
cash, or allow you to work less and play more. Is that "cheap"? I
don't think it is. If you live in a van full time (even if you owned
land to park it on) you would save tons of money in property
taxes and mortgage costs, insurance costs etc. Heck you could
be totally self-sufficient and not even have power or utility
bills. In todays world you can get internet through your cell
phone company and have satellite TV anywhere, even while you
drive now!..
Going To The Bathroom
For the most part I plan on using public restroom's, but for the instances when you just have to
go, and don't have access to a public bathroom, I do have a portable toilet solution. I found mine
at a "fleet farm" store. It's a 5 gallon pail with a toilet seat on it. I will use this for number
2's, with a bag liner something that is dry. Afterwards I can tie it up and dispose of it later. For
urine I have a Port-a-johny, its a small pee bottle, you pee into it and seal it up. I also got the
female adapter for the wife. The portable 5 gallon bucket that is a toilet will also double as my
garbage can. I debated on the idea of a true "port a john" and decided that it was more
inconvenient to have to dump the liquid from this device than it was to segregate the different
types of waste..
The only thing I have concerns about would be when #2 comes out in a liquid form (diarrhea). I
think the best advice there is to buy good trash bags to line the 5 gallon bucket with. I plan on
lining the bucket all the time for ease of dumping the waste. The other strategy is doing a
sawdust toilet or using kitty litter in the bucket. This will allow both wastes to be done in the
same device. Using a plastic garbage bag liner is still easier as the 5 gallon pail device doesn't
seal totally so scent may get out. I really like the kitty litter idea.. Use scented kitty litter and
dump it when needed.. Easy, fairly cheap compared to a true "port a potty" and easy to dispose
of the waste as it will all be a solid..
Using kitty litter and shaking the pail when finished may yield better results.. If you have a cat
you know they usually cover up their waste. For them it is probably a survival mechanism, to not
allow their sent to escape.. Pay attention, nature really does provide the basics.
In 2006 Jason bought this nice Ford van and converted it to live and travel in. He posted these
pictures and e-mails in the Yahoo group Vandwellers. He has generously agreed to allow us to
reprint his e-mails and pictures here. Some of these were replies to questions people asked him
pictures and e-mails in the Yahoo group Vandwellers. He has generously agreed to allow us to
reprint his e-mails and pictures here. Some of these were replies to questions people asked him
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