Anybody Campervan? Part 2

[BrianB]

3+ years ago I posted about our little Nissan campervan:

https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/anybody-campervan-93475.html

In January 2021 we decided to upgrade. We ordered a new Ram Promaster and sold the Nissan (for more than I thought it would get!) The Promaster arrived after just 2 months which was a pleasant surprise - Amazon, UPS, and the USPS are buying them by the thousands so retail customers are having a hard time getting their hands on one. In the spirit of the BTD thread, we decided to do this one right.

Some people build out a van doing it all themselves. Others hire a company to do everything. We took the middle road - hiring out the rough framing & exterior modifications ("Anybody wanna help me cut big holes in a brand new $40k vehicle?"), getting a friend who builds cabinetry to help with the furniture, and doing the rest ourselves.

From our experience with the Nissan build we had a clear idea of what we wanted but labor & parts delivery during Covid has been a real hassle.

We decided on twin beds that each slide to the center at night, leaving a 10" aisle so either of us can get up without disturbing the other. When pushed back they make nice sofas with a full 24" aisle.

We have a real furnace with thermostat. It uses gas from the tank for fuel so we don't have to have a propane tank. We've done a few nights in temperatures below 20 deg. and we kept a comfortable 65 deg. all night.

There is a composting toilet, something we're trying to get used to. They require a little more care than a typical RV system, but it let us avoid having a black water tank.

The electrical system is really robust, with enough battery storage to get us through a 4-6 day stay with no hookups. Charging is from 400 watts of solar, the van alternator (when the van is running), or shore power if it's available.

There is a nice 130 liter 12 volt refrigerator, so no more cooler. We have a small ice maker that is going with us so no more buying ice!

The water system is really simple - just two jerry cans (10 gallons) of fresh water with an immersible pump & one for gray water from the sink.

Since the shakedown cruises went so well and everything is working like we want it, we're planning 2-3 months in the SW US after the Holidays. I'm hoping this one will serve us well for 10+ years.

Cheers!

BrianB

And here are a few photos:

 

[njhowie]

Sweet! Enjoy it!

 

[NW-Bound]

... We have a real furnace with thermostat. It uses gas from the tank for fuel so we don't have to have a propane tank. We've done a few nights in temperatures below 20 deg. and we kept a comfortable 65 deg. all night...

The electrical system is really robust, with enough battery storage to get us through a 4-6 day stay with no hookups. Charging is from 400 watts of solar, the van alternator (when the van is running), or shore power if it's available...

There is a nice 130 liter 12 volt refrigerator, so no more cooler. We have a small ice maker that is going with us so no more buying ice!

Nice! Looks like you are ready to tackle the Alcan road.

I did not know they have a furnace that runs on gasoline.

And about the electrical system, it is not expensive to have a good lithium battery to power a 2-kW inverter to run an induction cooktop, a microwave, and an electric kettle (one at a time). And with the 12V compressor refrigerator, you no longer need propane.

I know that there are a few all-electric RVs on the market now, but this is still uncommon.

 

[SnowballCamper]

Nice Finishes! We almost got a camper van, but with three people, dog, and cat, it's just a little too tight. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

 

[aaronc879]

It looks really good and if the setup works for you then that's great. I would need a bigger sleep area personally. I am 6'6" and like to spread out and use most of a queen size bed so I would need a different layout. Have fun

 

[ocean view]

Nice work! My DH is always looking at van conversions. I think I need just a little more room.

What will you do for bathing? An outdoor shower setup? 2-3 months is a long time to go without a bath.

And how many lithium batteries do you have to store your juice?

 

[MC Rider]

Looks a lot nicer than camping in my Kia Soul a couple years ago.
It was sort of like a 1 man tent. Tight fit with all my stuff.

 

[Bamaman]

Congratulations on completion of your new van. It's one of the cleanest looking conversions I've seen. It's nice that you're not new to this kind of travel and you know what your needs are in a van. I'm envious that you have the courage, time and resources to "hit the road."

I too am a RV'er, but our fifth wheel with 4 slides stays in storage at a large campground all the time. We have one of the ice makers probably like you have, and from the size of the wiring I assume it's quite an electricity sucker.

You don't say anything about air conditioning--something that's required where we live. I would want a 3000 watt inverter generator as a backup to the solar power.

 

[Major Tom]

It looks great! I like the idea of the composting toilet, so that you don't have to deal with emptying a black tank. Good idea with the simple grey water system too. I like to boondock, so not having to find an RV dump is a big advantage. I totally get why you've taken this approach to the toilet and greywater.

I know about diesel heaters, but hadn't heard of a gasoline furnace. Sounds better than using propane for heating.

Enjoy the SW!

 

[Dreamer]

Wow, that looks so nice. Enjoy your travels.

 

[travelover]

..........I know about diesel heaters, but hadn't heard of a gasoline furnace. ........

I had one in my Volkswagen. Sometimes it wouldn't light immediately, then it would light with a bang and shoot out flames. It was mounted under the gas tank.

 

[music-and-ski]

This looks great! We have rented a camper van based on a Ford Transit high roof a few times. Once we went on a month-long ski holiday, sleeping in pub parking lots, park-n-ride lots, snowmobile staging areas, and a few campgrounds that bothered to stay open in the winter. Great times. I want to buy one but it's cheaper to rent for now since I'm not actually retired so could only use it maybe 20-30 nights per year, and anyways we like the product we rent.

 

[Markola]

Awesome! Enjoy making memories.

 

[finnski1]

Nicely done. You didn't mention your cooking equipment. Electric, propane stove etc? Do you have an external shower and a method for hot water?
Also is there enough room to use the toilet behind those wall panels or do you have to open the rear door?
Twin beds seem to make the most sense in vans. Enjoy your travels.

 

[old medic]

Very Nice... Enjoy the road

 

[folivier]

Very nice. Since we sold the motorhome and bought a cabin I've been thinking of getting a class B. Main purpose will be for the 1300 mile drive a couple times to the cabin. Having a bathroom and only having to stop to sleep and fuel up is a great advantage.
Kicking over some ideas of building out like you did or buying an older B. I like how you did the twin beds, much more comfortable than the fold down or jackknife sofas in most B's. We do need a shower so that will take a bit more planning to build in. Don't need to cook only need a microwave and small fridge. Air conditioning is a must if only to cross Texas in the summer. Just not sure if I want to do a project like what you did. Right now this is all a pipe dream while I wait for the market to get back up.

 

[pacergal]

Very nice!

 

[Major Tom]

I had one in my Volkswagen. Sometimes it wouldn't light immediately, then it would light with a bang and shoot out flames. It was mounted under the gas tank.

Sounds almost like a description of trying to start the engine in the 1971 VW Transporter pickup truck I used to drive around in

One thing you can say about the old VW's, is that they were "characterful"!