Van conversion

_WW_

Geriatric Skagit Swinger
Forum Supporter
I retired this week...again. :)
I'll still do some small stuff, handyman type work probably but no more weeks long projects. Knowing myself I'm not going to be able to pull this retirement thing off if I keep a van loaded with working tools parked out in the driveway where all I have to do is jump in and go. So I'm going to convert the thing into a camping van. It's a 2010 E150 with 156,000 miles.

This won't happen overnight as there are a lot of things that need to happen. The first is what I'm referring to as the "Big Purge" I have a small outbuilding that is full of materials 'that might come in handy someday', spare tools, things I don't need or won't ever use again. This will make room for the things in the van that I want to keep so the Adrian Steel cabinets in the van can be sold. Once the van is empty the conversion can begin.

What I want:
Swivel captains chairs in the front so they can serve double duty.
Insulation
Vinyl plank flooring
Dual battery setup
RV style electrical hookup and converter/distribution panel
A 4' wide bed set crosswise in the rear with storage underneath accessible from inside and outside.
Cabinets along the sides for portable stove, sink, and storage.

The plan is to have the bed and cabinets mounted on hanging rails and pegged so they don't bounce off the rails when I hit a bump. The reason for this is so they can be easily removed when I want to use the van as a van.

The main objective is to use this for shorter solo trips like those that last until the ice in the cooler is gone.

Somehow I need to get all this accomplished without missing out on fishing!
 

M_D

Top Notch Mediocre Flyfisher
Forum Supporter
Atta boy(y)

Set your priorities and stay focused.

I’ve been retired just over 1 year. I had big plans to remodel my 18’ trailer. Still hasn’t happened yet but it’s been a fun 14 months 😎
 

Canuck from Kansas

Aimlessly wondering through life
Forum Supporter
Get some help-and a loan!

Isn't a loan just about the last thing you want when you've just retired? Asking for myself, cause it's what I have always heard, ie, be debt free in retirement (apologies for the hijack, if that's what this is).
 

Guy Gregory

Semi-retired
Forum Supporter
All doable. I've an '03 E250 with 150K now, 120 11 years ago when I bought it. A few things I did diffferent, YMMV. Swivels under the drivers seat is not really workable…the steering wheel gets in the way. I'd advocate including a fantasstik vent or some other powered vent for the ceiling, it's great ventilation and way easier than A/c. My cheap chinese diesel heater is the best thing I've put in mine in a long time, really extends the spring and fall camping season and makes boondocking much easier with SWMBO....she's not good when it gets cold. And it was all in under 300. I didn't include the cabinets and sink/stove....I ain't cooking in the van (broccoli and fish, anyone? for the next year?), you can do pretty well with a small one burner propane for heating water for tea or coffee. I didn't do plank flooring, I use the original rubber mat with insulation under, and I cover it with some throw rugs, makes cleaning pretty easy.

There's way more resources now than there was when I did mine, but it's still a grab and go blue lining fiend. We've been to every western state, and am leaving soon for some more. Enjoy your journey, the final product will be just what you want.
 

troutstalker

Born to Fish...Forced to Work
Forum Supporter
Congratulations! That van sounds like it's going to be some work to transform but should be pretty bad ass once completed.
 

Greg Armstrong

Go Green - Fish Bamboo
Forum Supporter
Ditto on the Fantastic Fan w/o AC. If it gets that hot, just go up in elevation or go north to a more comfortable latitude. RV AC's are loud and need too much electricity.

Look into a DC to Dc charger. I've had three camping rigs with solar and it's really great, but I put a Renogy DC to DC charger into my last van build and it charges the house battery surprisingly well. I haven't had to do a solar install.

The Vinyl plank floor was easy to install and looks great too.

LED lights are the way to go.

My van has the standard propane furnace typical of most RV's. It works well, but I really like @Guy Gregory 's more modern setup with the diesel heater. I've heard you can run them on oderless kerosene as well as with diesel, and have read nothing but great things about them.

If you insulate, there are products out there that won't retain moisture from condensation (which is inevitable when it's cold). Also, might as well install noise barrier on the panels while you're at it.

These projects can be a lot of fun - or just hire Ive to do it... he's the master at this!
 

cdnred

Life of the Party
Not sure of your space limitations but you might consider adding a false floor with storage drawers underneath, be good for storaging longer items. You can adjust the height to whatever suits you best so you don't feel too cramped..

D_L2CyhXoAAm4Ml.jpg:large
 

_WW_

Geriatric Skagit Swinger
Forum Supporter
The van has a lumber rack on it with a dropped down roller bar that I want to keep for hauling my pontoon and the solar shower. Also, I think I can mount an awning on it. But that means I won't be putting on a raised roof so a false floor isn't going to work. After looking at the chairs I'm just going to do the passenger side. This is mostly a warm weather rig. I have an R-POD for the spring and fall.

With the reduced headroom of the standard van it means being bent over a lot...unless...one was to have a stool with wheels on it to roll around on the plank floor! :) Hell, I might even put an office chair in there.

I think I can sell the steel cabinets for $800-$1000 which should cover about half of the conversion. I already have most of the wood, cabinet hardware, etc. I have yet to research the insulation.

Not sure of your space limitations but you might consider adding a false floor with storage drawers underneath, be good for storaging longer items. You can adjust the height to whatever suits you best so you don't feel too cramped..

D_L2CyhXoAAm4Ml.jpg:large
Did that to my pickup.
IMG_20200902_121435064_HDR - Copy.jpg
 

cdnred

Life of the Party
The van has a lumber rack on it with a dropped down roller bar that I want to keep for hauling my pontoon and the solar shower. Also, I think I can mount an awning on it. But that means I won't be putting on a raised roof so a false floor isn't going to work. After looking at the chairs I'm just going to do the passenger side. This is mostly a warm weather rig. I have an R-POD for the spring and fall.

With the reduced headroom of the standard van it means being bent over a lot...unless...one was to have a stool with wheels on it to roll around on the plank floor! :) Hell, I might even put an office chair in there.

I think I can sell the steel cabinets for $800-$1000 which should cover about half of the conversion. I already have most of the wood, cabinet hardware, etc. I have yet to research the insulation.


Did that to my pickup.
View attachment 53442
Was just a thought but with less head room cuz of the raised floor, that'll become a pain pretty qwik. I had converted a van over to a camper back in the early '70's (was a craze in Cali at the time) and even without the raised floor it was cramped. I'm 6ft tall and was about 23 years old at that time, it soon became a luv/hate relationship, The van (I think it was a '68 Dodge) had double swing out cargo doors at the side. I secured one door closed and made a screen door on a track that would slide across the face of the other door when it was open. This way I could leave the door open and with the screen door slid across, it kept the bugs out while providing some needed ventilation inside. In the summer especially out west it gets hot and in a closed van. It'll feel like an oven if there's no ventilation provided..

Not sure of the spacing of the upright wall members but I recall that I attached paneling to the walls with screws. You could either use some fiberglass insulation or use styrofoam between the upright wall members and held in place by the paneling..
 

Rob Allen

Life of the Party
I retired this week...again. :)
I'll still do some small stuff, handyman type work probably but no more weeks long projects. Knowing myself I'm not going to be able to pull this retirement thing off if I keep a van loaded with working tools parked out in the driveway where all I have to do is jump in and go. So I'm going to convert the thing into a camping van. It's a 2010 E150 with 156,000 miles.

This won't happen overnight as there are a lot of things that need to happen. The first is what I'm referring to as the "Big Purge" I have a small outbuilding that is full of materials 'that might come in handy someday', spare tools, things I don't need or won't ever use again. This will make room for the things in the van that I want to keep so the Adrian Steel cabinets in the van can be sold. Once the van is empty the conversion can begin.

What I want:
Swivel captains chairs in the front so they can serve double duty.
Insulation
Vinyl plank flooring
Dual battery setup
RV style electrical hookup and converter/distribution panel
A 4' wide bed set crosswise in the rear with storage underneath accessible from inside and outside.
Cabinets along the sides for portable stove, sink, and storage.

The plan is to have the bed and cabinets mounted on hanging rails and pegged so they don't bounce off the rails when I hit a bump. The reason for this is so they can be easily removed when I want to use the van as a van.

The main objective is to use this for shorter solo trips like those that last until the ice in the cooler is gone.

Somehow I need to get all this accomplished without missing out on fishing!
Once I get moved out of the hell hole errr um I mean Colorado. I am going to do a van conversion as well. I think i'll base it off a Chevy Astro to get the AWD. post pictures of process :)
 

krusty

We're on the Road to Nowhere...
Forum Supporter
I retired this week...again. :)
I'll still do some small stuff, handyman type work probably but no more weeks long projects. Knowing myself I'm not going to be able to pull this retirement thing off if I keep a van loaded with working tools parked out in the driveway where all I have to do is jump in and go. So I'm going to convert the thing into a camping van. It's a 2010 E150 with 156,000 miles.

This won't happen overnight as there are a lot of things that need to happen. The first is what I'm referring to as the "Big Purge" I have a small outbuilding that is full of materials 'that might come in handy someday', spare tools, things I don't need or won't ever use again. This will make room for the things in the van that I want to keep so the Adrian Steel cabinets in the van can be sold. Once the van is empty the conversion can begin.

What I want:
Swivel captains chairs in the front so they can serve double duty.
Insulation
Vinyl plank flooring
Dual battery setup
RV style electrical hookup and converter/distribution panel
A 4' wide bed set crosswise in the rear with storage underneath accessible from inside and outside.
Cabinets along the sides for portable stove, sink, and storage.

The plan is to have the bed and cabinets mounted on hanging rails and pegged so they don't bounce off the rails when I hit a bump. The reason for this is so they can be easily removed when I want to use the van as a van.

The main objective is to use this for shorter solo trips like those that last until the ice in the cooler is gone.

Somehow I need to get all this accomplished without missing out on fishing!
Wouldn't the conversion be better fully accomplished during the next winter so as to not mess up your first fishing season as a free man? Maybe purge the van and camp in it while you contemplate the details of the conversion?
 

Guy Gregory

Semi-retired
Forum Supporter
One additional thing: E-series headlights leave much to be desired. I just installed some led’s, way better.

Our design philosophy was rolling tent, not rv. We bought a portapotti but 10 years later we never used it. My house electrical connects 2led circuits of interior lighting, the vent/fan, the heater, and some 12v outlets, which i seldom use for a portable dvd player. It does not connect to the vehicle electrical…too complex. It does have an onboard charger and 1 120v outlet which is powered by a shore power hookup, the 750 watt electric heater is nice when you’ve got a hookup and it charges at the same time. On the road i charge it overnight about every 4-5 days, i bring my own extension cord…never had a problem. And we thought about raising the roof, (I’m 6’3”) but test runs showed us were not inside that much. USFS/State park campsites all have restrooms and sites with some kinda table you can cook or play cards on., and a blue tarp keeps the rain off as good as it always has. Got a thule box for the rack so we can take golf clubs and flyrods more comfortably.

Again you may find you want different stuff, just know vanlife websites with tile showers and such have lots of complexity per pound of utility.
 

_WW_

Geriatric Skagit Swinger
Forum Supporter
Rolling tent with some extras is what I'm going for. I already have a travel trailer for supreme comfort.

Wouldn't the conversion be better fully accomplished during the next winter so as to not mess up your first fishing season as a free man? Maybe purge the van and camp in it while you contemplate the details of the conversion?
I've got the details already... and I can't fish every day. I know 'cause I tried.
 

NukeLDO

Steelhead
Forum Supporter
The main objective is to use this for shorter solo trips like those that last until the ice in the cooler is gone.
12V refrigerator/freezer and a house battery solve that problem as long as you have a way to recharge the house battery. Plenty on the market, I went with the SetPower 37 qt model and haven't been disappointed. Just spent 9 days in Death Valley in Jan, and didn't once worry about ice.
 

DanielOcean

Steelhead
Forum Supporter
I have a long azz way to go till I retire. I hope it doesnt fly by though.
 

_WW_

Geriatric Skagit Swinger
Forum Supporter
12V refrigerator/freezer and a house battery solve that problem as long as you have a way to recharge the house battery. Plenty on the market, I went with the SetPower 37 qt model and haven't been disappointed. Just spent 9 days in Death Valley in Jan, and didn't once worry about ice.
I've looked at some of those. I have 320 watts of solar and a small generator that I pack around with my R-POD. But again, the van will be mostly for short trips and incognito camping. It will have a house battery and several power ports wired in so stuff can be added later.

Hows the fishing in Death Valley? ;)
 

iveofione

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
12V refrigerator/freezer and a house battery solve that problem as long as you have a way to recharge the house battery. Plenty on the market, I went with the SetPower 37 qt model and haven't been disappointed. Just spent 9 days in Death Valley in Jan, and didn't once worry about ice.
I recently spent 11 days out with a SetPower 52 qt fridge in my Casa powered by a Jackery 1000 and the truck itself. While driving, the truck would charge the Jackery which in turn powered the fridge. With the truck off the fridge ran solely on the Jackery. Leaving home with 98% charge I returned with 75% still showing on the meter. Granted, keeping things cold isn't that much of a challenge this time of year but going a week and half without the pain in the ass of ice and the subsequent ice water mess was a treat.

Some thoughts on buying a compressor fridge: Buy big! Don't try to save a few bucks by getting a unit that is too small then want to replace it with a bigger one later. For times when I don't need all the capacity of the bigger unit I place a down pillow inside to take up space and improve the insulation.

Another tip is to wrap the unit with Reflectix which helps a lot in summer. Pay attention to the vents and keep them open. The SetPower has a black lid which is an unfortunate choice on the part of the manufacturer. That can get damned hot if exposed to the sun but Reflectix will keep it right around ambient temperature. Buying ice and dumping melt water are things of the past and won't be missed.
 

NukeLDO

Steelhead
Forum Supporter
Hows the fishing in Death Valley? ;)
Ha! We did get some rain though. And hiking in 60 degree temps in Jan to beat the WA winter blues can't be beat....unless one goes to Tucson.....where there actually is some fishing!
 

wanderingrichard

Life of the Party
One additional thing: E-series headlights leave much to be desired. I just installed some led’s, way better.

Our design philosophy was rolling tent, not rv. We bought a portapotti but 10 years later we never used it. My house electrical connects 2led circuits of interior lighting, the vent/fan, the heater, and some 12v outlets, which i seldom use for a portable dvd player. It does not connect to the vehicle electrical…too complex. It does have an onboard charger and 1 120v outlet which is powered by a shore power hookup, the 750 watt electric heater is nice when you’ve got a hookup and it charges at the same time. On the road i charge it overnight about every 4-5 days, i bring my own extension cord…never had a problem. And we thought about raising the roof, (I’m 6’3”) but test runs showed us were not inside that much. USFS/State park campsites all have restrooms and sites with some kinda table you can cook or play cards on., and a blue tarp keeps the rain off as good as it always has. Got a thule box for the rack so we can take golf clubs and flyrods more comfortably.

Again you may find you want different stuff, just know vanlife websites with tile showers and such have lots of complexity per pound of utility.
These guys can help with upgrades for headlights. They have a pretty good instructional YouTube presence, too:

 
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