As you probably already know, I made a huge leap and purchased a camper van in January. It was already built out but I did a lot of work to it to make it mine. Here I'll tell you about the van, what I've done to him, and some before, during, and after pictures.
Building something out was kind of always a dream, but I had to be realistic. There's a lot I'm just not capable of doing or I wasn't comfortable trying to do or didn't have any of the equipment to do. It would have been too hard, stressful, expensive, and time consuming. I also didn't want to buy a shell and send it off to one of the many companies that do the whole custom build for you. That just wasn't in my budget. I decided to buy something used and already built out. Through a mutual friend, I was hooked up with a 2006 Freightliner Sprinter in Jackson Hole. I bought a one-way ticket, flew through a snow storm, and drove the baby home. I call him Morrison, Van Morrison.
The previous owner had done a really good job with all the basics I wanted in a van. He's insulated, has a solar panel on the roof, two auxiliary batteries in the back, is all wired up, a roof vent fan, a big window in the sliding door, built in bed, shelving, bench with storage, a pull-out table to use at the bench, closet area, kitchen counter, and kitchen storage.
The van walls were covered in gray upholstery. This was the highest priority thing I wanted to change. I really wanted white walls. I like a clean, minimalist look anyway, but it is especially what I want if I'm going to live in a van. I told myself this might be the only thing I change. I think I was subconsciously trying to not overwhelm myself. But once I got going on this first project, more and more and more things came up and it turned into a full remodel. I tore down all of the upholstery and installed blue pine tongue and groove walls. I decided not to paint it so I had the natural element of the wood and didn't have too much white, as I painted the ceiling and all of the built-ins white. There were a few areas that were too small or hidden where I didn't bother to put the pine planks, such as behind shelving, so I used a spray adhesive to attach very thin balsa wood planks. It gave the same look of the planked walls without taking up space or the effort to install.
There isn't a ninety degree angle where the walls meet the ceiling so I wasn't sure how to make the two meet neatly. I'm pretty inept at this carpentry stuff so I had to get very creative. I bought flimsy plastic placemats at Walmart, painted them ceiling white, and cut them into strips that could tuck behind the top pine plank and lie on the ceiling, glued down with liquid nails. They curved and filled the gap just how I wanted.
I installed a shelf over the end of the bed for books and things. This shelf and the kitchen shelf got a one inch by one inch plank across so things don't fall off. I've learned that things on the shelf can actually leap over this, but it helps a little.
At the head and foot of the bed, the insulation in the walls is not there to allow for several more inches of bed length. When I got the van, however, this area looked unfinished and you could see the insulation in the wall. This was quite the trick to finish, as the edges were curved. I used the same ingenuity I used for the ceiling/wall gap. I used the placemats again to curve around the edges and give a much cleaner, finished look.
For the kitchen, I really wanted a butcher block countertop and luckily, found a piece on Craigslist in Denver for a reasonable price (way lower than if I had to buy it new) right when I was looking for it. I had my super helpful friend with all the tools cut this to size for me and also cut out a hole for a sink. The van didn't have a sink before I got my hands on it, so I needed to set up the plumbing too. My super helpful friend saved me again here. I stained the countertop in walnut. I sewed a curtain using a lightweight Ikea throw blanket to cover the water tanks/plumbing and drawers under the kitchen counter. I bought adhesive tiles online for the backsplash in the kitchen and I installed vinyl plank flooring in dark walnut.
The van came with a stove top and refrigerator, both run with propane. This required two vents in the side of the van which are unsightly and the top vent is where I would have liked to install another window. I got rid of the fridge and stove top in order to be able to get rid of the vents and propane tank and allow for more counter space. I ended up deciding to wait on the window so the vents are still there but at least it's ready if I want a window later. I got a top-of-the-line mobile fridge/freezer and for cooking I'm using my parents' two-burner Coleman stove from the 70’s that they mailed to me, as well as a new one-burner butane stove for quick things because it lights instantly. I also bought an Omnia stove top oven from a Swedish company. It looks like a bundt pan. The idea is that you can bake in it on the stove top. I built a shelf over the fridge, under the kitchen counter, to store the stoves.
The van came with a small inverter where I can plug in electronic devices, powered by the auxiliary batteries. I upgraded to a bigger inverter to be able to run more powerful things, like a hair dryer and blender.
Having it all listed here, it doesn't look like that big of a deal. But let me tell you!... To me, EVERYTHING was hard. Nothing was easy. Or fun. This was so out of my wheelhouse and I didn't even touch the really hard stuff. I never knew what I was doing, I was constantly making it up as I went along, doing it over and over because it kept not working, and it was exhausting work. But I DID IT. And I don't regret any of it, but I'm so happy it's over!
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I always wanted the van to be able to be lived in. I always said "Well I might try it for a little while and I'll just get an apartment if it's not great." But really I was defending myself. I didn't want to sound crazy that I wanted to live in a van. But maybe it was okay if I was just going to try it for a little while? That might be fun. Now that it's getting closer and definitely happening, I'm not shying away from stating Yup, I'm moving into a van soon and am going to live in it for three plus months. Of course, there always are other fall back options, but I don't intend to use them. Maybe it’ll be hard. Maybe it’ll be inconvenient. Maybe I’ll sound crazy. Maybe it’ll be awkward when my new coworkers ask me where I’m living. Maybe I’ll save a ton of money by not paying rent. Maybe I’ll get mega-fit from going to the gym so much to shower. Maybe it’ll be a really cool experience that I’ll cherish and want to continue to do. Guess we’ll find out!
T-minus thirty hours until I start full-time vanlife!
*** So much love and gratitude for Caity, Krissy, & Darin for making this possible. ***
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