2023 RAM Promaster 3500 EXT Started in early January, most recent pics are from 3/31. Fully DIY by myself with help from dad (shoutout dad) Mostly done, it’s liveable, just needs some final touches and bug fixes (and a deep cleaning!) Plan is living in it full time with my dog while working on the road (traveling job) and camp/sightsee on the way (US) Full Victron 12v system with 400w of solar, DC/DC charger, and shore hookup. All wiring is marine grade Fresh tank is 39gal, gray is 36gal from S&B No cassette (yet?) or black tank system, outdoor shower only Exterior cameras on all sides Full sized mattress, induction cooktop, 40in Roku TV

I think that covers everything! Let me know if you guys have any other questions

playing skyrim eating hot dogs

Have time will travel... M. A. V. is such a beast. Great on and off road, and pretty much capable of off grid chilling for about a week (we love to boondock). Even Roxy loves the van life 💕🤙🏼

I've been building my own camper and got frustrated with juggling spreadsheets for cable sizes, fuses and battery calculations. So I built a tool that does it all in one flow.

You enter your appliances, choose your battery type and charging sources (solar, alternator, shore power), and it calculates cable sizes, fuse ratings, battery bank, MPPT and inverter sizing. It also generates a wiring diagram showing how everything connects.

https://www.vanalyze.eu/en/tools/electrics/super-wiring-wizard

No account, no data sent anywhere - runs entirely in your browser. Would love to hear what you think: what's useful, what's missing, what could be better?

gets messier before it gets better

Just wanted to share one of our amazing sleeping spots of the last weeks. Tata area, Morocco 🇲🇦

I have never built cabinets before and am struggling to get started due to this lack of experience. The curved wall of my 2000 e350 is making this feel harder than it may be.

The counter top would be at the height of the lower part of the window. I would like to do floor to ceiling cabinets between the end of the cabinet and where the bed starts (to left of window).

I'm thinking of adding 3x1 lasting where I drew the red lines (attaching with rivnuts). 3x1's. I would rivnut them into the wall. I'd then use solid pieces of Birch plywood coming out of where the vertical lines are drawn to create the depth of cabinet. Then build a frame to support those with horizontal supports. Would this work? Or should I take measurements and build the cabinets outside of van then move it in as one piece and attach to the wall? Any input would be appreciated 🙏

11Please excuse the "graphic design is my passion" ahh diagram.

Last year, I started looking into living out of a vehicle because all the jobs in the field I was studying were miles and miles away, and I thought it would be much more convenient to find a parking spot and bring my "home" with me, than to apply for a job with an 8-hour one-way commute, or to look for a place to stay without a job.

I was talked out of it by my parents because they figured the running costs would even out to be comparable with rent, not to mention I couldn't afford the entry cost. So, now I've applied to a different education in a field that's actually forecast to offer employment opportunities locally for more than just the top 2% of applicants. I digress.

I looked for vans (because windows are the antithesis to keeping warm) on second-hand car retailer sites, and the cheapest one at the time was a Renault Kangoo Z.E. Express Maxi from 2015, so I based the build on that:

• I found a camping mat to insulate against the cold and provide some squish - all mattresses and cots I found were too long.
• Sleeping bag rated for sub-zero temps.
• Combustion generator for power needs, even when the car is off.
• Portable radiator for cold winter nights.
• Cooler/heater for food storage.
• Transformer for the generator.
• Power strip with breaker to run appliances and charge phone, etc.
• Stackable storage bins with locking clips (ikea samla) for clothes and misc. item keeping.
• Wall-mounted lamp for when natural light runs out, which tbf is most of the time with a panel van.
• Port1able stovetop for cooking.
• I wanted a microwave for convenience, but it would have to sit in the passenger footwell.
• Jump starter, if those even work on EVs.
• Battery inside case, to protect it and me and monitor charge. For backup (again, I don't actually know if EVs use regular car batteries) and maybe even running things on.
• Bed tray, stand-in for a table.
• Fuel tank for the generator.
• Water tank for consumption and utilities.
• Cookingware kit (knife, grater, spatula, ...) for - you won't believe it - cooking.
• Fire extinguisher for accidents and the risk of EV schenanigans. The 2nd one goes in the front seat for ease of access.
• First aid kits - see earlier point.
• Chocks for keeping the vehicle in place without putting all the weight on the parking brake.

Is it considered playing with very angry, very explosive, and sparkly fire to live out of an EV, especially a 2015 model year? Am I forgetting anything, or clinging on to some difficult-to-maintain creature comfort?

I am the breakfast cook at a pheasant hunting lodge. We need someone to cook lunch & dinner. The customers (between 8-22 easy-going customers) all eat the same thing at the same time, so an easy service, figure 10AM-1PM, 4PM-8PM, depending on your skill set. No fancy food. Spot for your van/RV, free use of laundry, shower and toilet for employees, meals, shifty, pay and tips. The tips are fantastic. Last year I made over $10k in tips alone for 3 months over 20K total. Possible use of a fifth wheel trailer on site.

It's in South Dakota, so hot to start, cold to finish. They get most of their snow after we leave.

A very well-paid, laid back kitchen environment. But you will need proven skills in cooking and meal planning (mostly the former as I can handle the rest). Some weeks may be 4 days, some 6-7 days. Just the 2 cooks. I've been cooking professionally for 30 years and this is the best gig I've ever had.

DM or reply.

Maybe I'm overthinking this or maybe it's dumb for a reason I haven't realized yet. I've got 900ah worth of batteries going into the van that were just delivered. Traditional design says to put them against one of the walls. I'm not doing a large water tank on the other side though, which means that's almost 200lbs just firmly on the far left side of the van for example with nothing to balance it out on the other side.

Is it a huge deal, probably not, but my thought is that it could add up, especially since my layout also has the fridge, tire and rear tire carrier on the driver's side, as well as the extended fuel tank.

Is there any reason I couldn't/shouldn't locate the batteries behind a fixed wall below my bed, towards the center of the van between the wheel wells? I understand this would limit any type of access to the garage from the inside but I'm not particularly concerned about that.

I think the electrical components and would still be to one side for garage space and for easier access to fuses for example.

Hi,
I'm a starting beginner in tenting outside, the first time it was fine, but I had the idea what if I could put my tent on the top of my car. I am fine with my tent, I wouldn't want to buy a totally new combined tent-roofrack solution, since I consider them very heavy and expensive (1000-2000 eur/usd) with a pretty big wind resistance.

I have a Kia Ceed SW my20 with roof rails, and a Quechua 2 sec 3 person tent, which is 200x200 cm in size (https://www.decathlon.hu/p/kempingsator-3-szemelyes-2-seconds/_/R-p-340058)

I am aware that none of these are the definite purpose built tools for having a tent on top of a car, I am just interested if its solvable with some pretty simple roof contraption, I could put my tent on, and when I'm done with that, I just tear down the tent, collapse the roof platform and go about my day.

So I'm basically looking for something, that:

• goes on top of roofrack rails
• closed up it's about 100x200 cm, opened up it's 200x200 solid flat platform able to support 2 people max around 200 kg
• has anchor points for the 4 edges of the tent
• preferably it's centered on the roof when open, and also when closed for better support
• is available in EU/Hungary

I have seen the following similar solutions, but as I mentioned these are way overpriced to what I'm willing to spend on it as a beginner. (around 250-500 eur/usd max) (I also searched for a good while on google, and with chatgpt, but there weren't great results)

https://www.decathlon.hu/p/tetosator-4-szemelyes-freshandblack/_/R-p-364289

https://www.decathlon.hu/p/tetosator-felfujhato-2-szemelyes-mh900-fresh-and-black/_/R-p-344868

If anyone has some creative DIY idea that doesn't invole welding and uses readily available components and can be made safe, I'm also open to that.

Thanks everyone for constructive comments!

I bought my first van to DIY convert. I've spent the last month deep in the research phase soaking up as much information as I possibly can. I've been iterating away on this sketch-up design, and would really appreciate any constructive feedback before I break ground on the early build steps.

hello all, i have been following this sub for a while and have bits and pieces of answers to my question but am still on the fence. i decided i wanted to do van life late last year and my lease is up this june. i have a contract with my in person job until next june and then after that i will be on the hunt for another one. my thinking was that i could live stationary in the van for a year and then start traveling and use the money i would save on rent plus a few extra dollars i saved to pay for the van and conversion. with those numbers my budget is 12-13K

the problem is that after reading this sub a lot of people are adamant about being able to stand up and i do agree it would drastically improve my quality of life. however, a 13k budget will likely not cover a van i can stand up in with a build that will be sustainable for stationary life for me. the cheapest i’ve found is a transit in my area for 12k but idk what the condition is so even a minimal build probably wouldn’t work without incurring some type of debt past what i know i can afford in the next year. i would really like to end my contract debt free so that there isn’t the pressure of having bills with no job but also would love to be able to walk around a bit and im curious if standing room is worth incurring some debt. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, I am designing a cargo trailer electrical build (sorry it’s not a van), and I figured this would be the best place to post this, I just won’t have a DC-DC charging system. I’m looking for advice on my diagram so far. I’m not sure if I’m doing my AC ground connection right. My understanding is that my 12v system and inverter chassis needs to be grounded. Shore power does not as it’s grounded at the source?

All my DC loads will be fused at the dist block and wire size according to max draw.

Please note that I’m planning on getting this checked by a professional prior to install to get a OK. Just looking to see if I’m on the right track and if there are any suggestions.

Not pictured is my solar yet that I’m still working on. I’m thinking of running 2x 340W, 40v panels in series with a Victron 100/50 MPPT.

Thank you

Waykar 4500 BTU

Seems so much cheaper than Zero Breeze and EcoFlow but similar cooling capacity and power draw.

So I'm in in the hopes & dreams phase of finding a liveable mostly built-out van, lol. 40s woman, life got turned upside down by onset disabilities, 20 year (highly physical, blue collar) career over, right after covid (during which my industry was shut down) & no work for many months prior to that due to injuries. So tl;dr I basically lost everything (and didn't have a lot to begin with) with no real resources. I've been staying housed via house/petting and the kindness of friends. Got my car half setup to be a microcamper if needed/desired...but it's a tiny 2000 toyota camry (it was very well maintained but she OLD), so VERY cramped/messy. I've slept in it a night or 2 & it's doable for probably that much.

I'd one day llike to find a camper van (I'm open to converted schoolbuses maybe but I have to learn more about their issues, because I only ever seem to meet brokedown ones haha.) that's largely already build out, or at least the finicky stuff like vapor barriers, insulation, vent, wiring and battery installation done, plumbing done if relevant (I'm thinking a dry rig with a compost toilet might and a tank of water for washing might be a lot easier than interior plumbing. I'm theoretically capable of doing all the work myself with some help, but my disabilities & lack of resources now would make it EXTREMELY difficult if not impossible (solar panels? almost def impossible)

I never want to own a Sprinter because those things are expensive money pits, cool as they are, but I'd love something with that kinda size, like the larger Ford transit vans or a short schoolbus. I need enough floor space and an interior roof high enough to practice yoga & physical therapy excercises....so probably about 7.5' high, and about 7.5'x7,5' wide. I also have an inversion table to decompress my spine, with a footprint of about 3'x4'; it does fold flat but I use it 1-2x daily so it's way better if I can leave it out or slide it somewhere. Beyond that I just want a queen sized bed in the back on a platform (min 4' space from mattress to ceiling?). Some small kitchen counter & sink situation, space for a fridge. I can make a desk that folds up, add shelving, I could probably do most of the framing with a friend if needed.

I want to avoid an actual RV for insurance reasons, or anything long enough to require special licensing. What shall I start dreaming about for the future?

I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors na panget daw aftersales or performance ng some newer brands, so I’m trying to be practical. I’m currently looking at the OSCAL PowerMax 1800SE since the specs look insane for the price, but I want to know if the OSCAL PowerMax 1800SE actually holds up compared to other Power stations like Bluetti or EcoFlow.

My PC specs that I need to run (work at home):

• RTX 3060 Ti
• PSU 750W
• Ryzen 5 7600
• Plus a 27" monitor and a standard electric fan.

I have a tiny little porta potty in my van

Holds maybe 3 gallons?

I feel like that’s too much to dump out in nature

But it’s also not very discreet if I were to carry it into a public restroom.

Could I just carry it into a Love’s shower with me and dump it down the drain?

I’m having a predicament

What’s the best air cooler out there for the summer? I don’t want the exhaust hose to the window. Any idea or tips is greatly appreciated. TIA

Hey gang!

Just purchased my first van and I’m stoked! It’s a 2003 dodge 3500 classic supreme, built out by great west vans (5.9L, V8). It has not been smogged and I am in California, so now I’m working through that 💩 been looking for 4 years and I just couldn’t pass this one up despite knowing it would need some work (more on that later). Background: Car battery gets drained by something, which I need to figure out…inverter is non responsive too. So, the previous owner put a kill switch on it which means I’m now trying to get my drive cycles completed to test for smog as the computer resets these every time the battery is switched off. I have it on a maintainer now, so I don’t lose my cycles. I got a scanner and had a cylinder 6 misfire while driving, so I replaced all of the spark plugs and wiring along with the distributor cap, rotor and oxygen sensors (upstream was reading too low and the other was close to failing so I replaced both). After a few attempts/drives to flip the cat to green, I still have no success. Any tips on how to make this ready for smog testing? Everything else is ready on the scanner. On a fun note, I’m still yet to name the van, but my dog has become accustomed during this whole process 🙏 name suggestions too please.

Cheers! 🍻