Build Process
Time & Money
We knew going into this that building out the van would require an abundance of time, patience, and money. We've created a spreadsheet calculating the phases and cost that we update regularly with the actual cost. We may post it in the future but for the time being we're keeping our finances private.
It's challenging to capture every detail and design change that we make to the van. The subsequent pages outline high level cosmetic and structural changes.
The Plan (Back in 2022)
The van we dreamed up is based on a 170" wheelbase model in 4WD and high roof option. We wanted a dual workspace with a little separation between the two work areas since we both work remotely and take calls. We wanted a shower/bathroom for convenience since we want to be on the road for months at a time. The dinette converts to a queen sized bed with a small garage/storage area for outdoor gear like snowboards, hiking gear, camp chairs and portable fire pit.
For vanlife nerd details: we are planning on a hydronic heating system for radiant floors, air heating and in demand hot water. For cooking, we are looking at a diesel cooktop or induction burners. Power we are shooting for is a 6000 watt lithium system with solar. For water we will be looking to cram 32-44 gallons of fresh water and 23 gallons of gray water. It's ambitious but we plan to phase it in over 2-3 years but build ready to use by the winter for some basic camping.
Finished Van Build
At the beginning of May 2024, we finshed our van build and hit the road. Checkout our 2024 travel log to see where we have taken it or checkout the final build here.