Van Build Van Life

Van Build: Making Progress Inside and Out

The van build has been progressing really well, I am so fortunate to have Kevin’s help. I really don’t know the first thing about auto mechanics or electrical wiring. But through this process I am learning so much!

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One of the first things we did was to add a continuous duty solenoid so that When I’m in a situation where I’m not able to get a full charge on my house batteries using solar, I will be able to also charge with the vehicles alternator while it is running. We then added a 30 amp plug, which will allow me to run off shore power when it is available. Most of the time energy will come from the sun as we are also going to be installing 400 watts of solar panels on the roof in a few weeks.

We installed vent fans. Since the majority of the year I will be in southwest Florida, where the temperature and humidity can reach extremes. I needed to ensure that I would have good air circulation, especially at night while sleeping with everything closed up.The fans we chose can be open while it is raining as well. Since I’m also using the van as an art studio, the ventilation will keep any paint fumes to a minimum.

Here the vent fans are open. You can also see we added running boards along the side.
When building the subfloor we decided to cover the step over. It can be used as storage space. With the running boards it was no longer needed and we gained added floor space.

On the inside of the van I added a noise deadener material that will quiet some of the road noise while driving.Then we laid in a plywood subfloor. This week we will be laying the floor covering. I am excited as it is starting to come together. Some of the more enjoyable parts of the build are coming up. I can’t wait for it to start feeling like my second home. I have so many dreams for travel in this van. Life is good, and I am so grateful.

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