In May of , I bought a used Ford Transit and began converting it into an off-grid mobile home named Casper. Casper gets on average Many of the other Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero My Build Boat Own Zero Fiberglass vans I looked at were much cheaper except the Mercedes, Sprinters� which were much more expensive , but they all had low Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero fuel-efficiency, already had a lot of miles on them, and were no longer under warranty.
As a solo female traveler Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero planning to camp off-grid in rural settings, safety was a high priority for me.
Want info about camping off-grid? You might like my guide to finding free campsites. I love my van, but if I could do it again, I would have Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero bought a Ford Transit high-top probably with an extended body , so I could stand up inside and have more room Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero for cabinetry and storage.
The conversion was a somewhat sporadic endeavor, spanning 2-months while working on and off with the help of friends and family. I included a supply sheet of all the building materials and expenses at the bottom of this post.
I purchased almost everything for the van on Amazon or at Home Depot. I used quite a few resources to get started, mostly Youtube van conversion tutorials, Pinterest for design and layout ideas, and The Vanual.
This is an amateur Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero van build, so feel free to take my suggestions and lessons with a grain of salt. In most cases, I chose the easiest, quickest, cheapest options with the exception of the expensive solar electric system because I was anxious to get on Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero the road. Casper, came quite bare, with these wood beams on the side, which I decided to leave on. It also came with a metal partitioner in the front, behind the driver and passenger seats, Fiberglass Resin For Boat Building Zero which I had taken out at Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero the car dealership I bought the van from.
I did this by cutting and taping together pieces of reflectix with reflectix Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero foil tape , until the floor of the van was covered. After I had the floor insulation mapped out, I used Own Build Fiberglass My Zero Boat Build Zero Own Fiberglass My Boat Own Zero Build My Fiberglass Boat my reflectix blueprint to trace the shape of the floor around the wheelbases onto plywood, which I then pieced together like puzzle pieces to create a floorboard.
We measured twice , chopped, and screwed the floorboards directly into the van, over the reflectix Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero Boat Build My Fiberglass Zero Own insulation. We used Sheet Vinyl Adhesive , which is durable but dries quickly. So we did it in sections and placed bricks on top of the vinyl to help secure the vinyl to the plywood and assist the glue to set in.Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero
After the floor was done, we insulated the walls with a layer of reflectix, and then on top of that, we added pure safety insulation rated at R15 the white wool looking strips. Luckily the wood beams were already in place Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero along the walls and made this process much simpler by holding the insulation in place. We built a bed frame and Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero storage units with scrap wood and with leftover plywood from the floor. We deliberately designed the layout of the van around Fiberglass Zero Build Own Boat My Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero a chuck box that my mom built with her dad.
We incorporated the chuck box so that it would act as part of the support system for the bed and could be used as extra storage and a countertop for cooking on a portable stove when the chuck box is open. I wanted Build Your Own Remote Control Boat Zeros to be able to access my storage spaces from Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero multiple areas. So I left openings in the front and back of my bed frame, and a small side hole. For Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero the driver side storage unit, we created two separate hinge doors, for top loading storage access.
The chuck box is not a permanent fixture in the van which was a part of the design , so after we created the bedframe and side storage unit, we took the chuck box out to make it easier to move around during construction.
I screwed in Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero some plywood to make the top of the bedframe on the right , and created hinge lids out of plywood for the storage spaces on the left. We also built, a cubby hole for my bathroom. That green bucket Building Your Own Fiberglass Boat Zip with the white Boat Zero Build My Own Fiberglass lid is my toilet in the picture below. I used faux wood wall paneling for the walls, which was simple enough Own Zero My Fiberglass Build Boat to screw directly into the horizontal wood beams on the side of the van.
I used this because it was Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero cheap, quick and easy to install, but still looked good. My neighbor let us use his workshop and helped give us guidance on how to tackle the kitchen. At this point, I had already bought a refrigerator , so we built the kitchen countertop and shelves around those dimensions. Utilizing his drafting knowledge and his table saw really helped speed up the process. I then used the extra wood to build a table. I screwed in a table base that I bought on Amazon Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero to the table, and another on the floor of my van.
After I had all my pieces sawed out to the appropriate measurements to fit in the van, I sanded them, stained them, and left them out to dry. Then I used silicone to seal my sink into the counter and drilled in my new hand pump faucet. I ended up storing Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero my water output jug under the bench seat, and kept the input water jug directly under the sink.
I used braided Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero vinyl tubing to connect my faucet and drain to the water containers and metal clamps, flex coupling and PVC bushing to Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero secure them in place. I bought a queen size 6-inch memory foam mattress for my van bed. I traced out the pieces with chalk, directly on the mattress, and then cut the mattress with a bread knife into 5 separate pieces Build My Zero Fiberglass Boat Own that make a couch and a bed, or they can combine to make one large bed. We spray glued the insulation Boat Build Fiberglass Own My Zero Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero Fiberglass Build Own Zero Boat My reflectix and pure safety to each other and then glued and taped it to the roof with reflectix foil tape.Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero
Then we screwed in the same faux wood paneling we used for the walls. We ended up trimming the paneling around the fantastic fan with a jigsaw, and later cut out a hole for the FantasticFan air vent. I hired people to install my vent and solar panels, because neither my mom or I felt comfortable cutting or drilling holes into the roof of the van ourselves. We then connected them to a Goal Zero Yeti Lithium power station inside the van. This power station is a lithium battery, inverter, charge control, display screen, and power outlets all in one and I highly recommend Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero it!
For the final touches, my aunt hemmed some black out curtains for behind the driver and passenger seats and Zero Own Fiberglass My Boat Build used the excess fabric to sew curtains for my kitchen cabinets area.
Finally, I used excess Reflectix insulation to cut out window shades. The conversion could have been much cheaper, had I gone a different route on my solar electric system. All Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero in all, I love the way Casper turned out. A big shout out to everyone who helped me convert this van-especially my mom! March Update: I did a major renovation on my van. I had a high-roof-extension installed and had the entire van remodeled by RV Renovators located in Mesa, Arizona. I upgraded many features of the van after determining what I Fiberglass Own My Zero Boat Build Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero liked and disliked about my first budget DIY build.
Solar Electrical System:. Labor Cost:. If you found this post helpful and want to save it for later, please pin one of the photos below:. Anna is an optimist with pessimistic tendencies Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero who enjoys making a short story long, her coffee black, and watching Friends re-runs. These days you can catch her in her natural habitats wandering through forest roads in her van, hiking to a waterfall or glacial lake, and learning about off-grid living the hard way. You can also find her on YouTube as Anna French.
Awesome guide! The process seems so daunting to start! I am impressed with your build. I am hoping to start a build on a Transit in 18 Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero months. Did I miss what you are using for heat?
Thanks for sharing. On very cold nights I sleep in my Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero down sleeping bag. There is a kid who travels the country in a converted Honda Element. He has solved the Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero heating problem. Here is his website. If you are ever interested in upgrading to a shower, I can share with you how I have been using a propane, portable, tankless water heater since in my minivan. For many of us, the only Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero difference between van living and a residence is instant on-board hot water and showers.
Excellent write-up; the links to products is very useful. Lovely build, Anna. I want to model my van build after what you have done. Thank you so much for sharing all the great details. I love the idea of turning a cargo van into a camper. However, there are some great cargo vans for sale in my area, so this might work for us.
I especially loved how you Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero glued wood vinyl to make the floor look great. Thanks for sharing this great article! Great build. Very economical. Too Zero Fiberglass Build Own My Boat bad about the expensive Yeti. I used a sealed deep cycle lead-acid battery, so we will see how it holds up versus lithium.
Pretty simple to build. Got everything on Amazon. Her linked website has a great post about a budget friendly conversion, which includes a list of supplies used and a shop with affiliate links. Her instagram depicts worldly photos with captions that capture the deeper meaning of travel. Her linked website has a great post about a budget friendly conversion, which also includes a list of supplies used. Thanks for sharing this. I have an Astro Van that I will be using Build My Own Fiberglass Boat Zero some of your ideas on.
This is a solid build and one of the absolute best write ups I have seen. You can catch a few of my additions to it on my Instagram.
You mention the vehicle getting 18mpg before the build.
(Imagine the air blower as well as a approach as a air blower blades stagger they emanate breeze by pulling (or propelling) air. A air upsurge complement. These have been tiny boats with dual or 3 seats.
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