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Step-By-Step DIY Camper Van Conversion Process

One of these “common questions” is “how should I approach this build” or “what do you work on first” and many other versions of this same question. I refer to this as the sequencing of the build. So, in this post I’m going to walk you through my step-by-step approach to converting an empty cargo van into a capable tiny home on wheels. I’ve written many other posts about these various steps so there will be plenty of links to those. It’s somewhat specific to my Miles Van Camper build and your specific layout or approach may require you to shuffle these around a bit but hopefully, this is helpful to anyone making their own camper van for the first time. I’ve included 10 photos in at the bottom of the post that shows this transformation. I normally spend about three months on the process. After building out many vans ourselves, Josh and Zach launched our store to help other DIY and professional van builders find the very best parts. We’ve done the work of researching (and road testing) the best products for camper vans so you don’t have to. Our catalog of products is carefully curated so you can have confidence you’re getting the best stuff for your van. Learn more here. Phase 1: The Infrastructure In my builds, it’s actually quite a while before there is any building at all… 1. Cutting Holes! That’s a nice van you have there. Why don’t we start by cutting some giant holes in it! I like to jump right into the fire and start off the adventure with all the holes in the exterior of the van. For me it’s good to get this out of the way and, practically speaking, it’s much easier to clean up all the metal shavings when there isn’t anything in the van which you definitely want to do so they don’t stick around rusting away. By the way, there is another word for this stuff: swarf. Metal Swarf. I’ll be adding that to my ever-expanding list of rock band names. Anyway, in go the windows, vent fans, shore power inlet, water fill/city water inlet, and so on. Part of installing the Maxxfan vent fan is making a simple wooden frame for it. 2. Grey Tank/Drains The van won’t be getting any lighter (or higher off the ground) during the build and every millimeter matters when you’re spending a day underneath your van so I’ll tackle the grey water tank next. This is one of my least favorite projects. These days it’s easier with a Promaster because of our awesome Promaster grey water tank. 3. Shower Pan Full-size showers/wet baths are controversial in camper vans – many think it’s a waste of space. Personally, it’s one of my favorite things in the van. Having a dedicated space to shower and do your toilet business in privacy is pretty great in my book. But, if you’re a pull-out-a-toilet-with-no-walls-around-it kind of person, you can skip right over this and wave to the other shoppers in the Walmart parking lot while sitting on your throne. At this point in the build, I will install my shower pan (on it’s platform) and plumb the drain into the grey tank. I like having this shower pan assembly directly on the van floor instead of on top of the subfloor to save that tiny bit of headroom. Plumbing the grey water tank vent is part of this process as well and requires yet another hole in the van. If you’re like me you’ll become increasingly comfortable with making holes in your van through the process – going from traumatic to just deeply uncomfortable. 4. Floor Insulation & Subfloor I like to get the plywood subfloor installed early into my builds so this happens next atop some insulation on the floor. The subfloor makes it a lot easier to work inside the van compared to the factory metal floor with all the ridges and what have you. 5. Propane? In my first two vans I used an horizontal, undermounted propane tank. Miles v3 didn’t need this since I switched to a Webasto gasoline powered heater instead the Propex propane heaters in the first vans. The tank was bolted through the floor so I wanted to get that done early in the process. I also rough in the gas lines to near where they will connect to the appliances. 6. Solar Panels It’s helpful to get the solar panels up on the roof next before insulating everywhere. If you’re attaching your panels to a roof rack you might do this later in the build but I’ve attached my panels directly to the roof so I need to drill holes for mounting them with either bolts or plus-nuts and bolts. 7. Insulation There are lots of ways to insulate your van but I prefer Thinsulate. It works great, easy to install and has a lot of other benefits. We like it so much we sell it in our store. Officially, we recommend installing Thinsulate with the white side towards the van sheet metal. This provides the best contact for resonance control of the metal panels. We also think this helps move moisture away from the skin should it occur there. Finally, the scrim (black part) helps keep dust/etc. out of the Thinsulate fibers when working through your build process. Some builders will also add Low-E as we detail in our post about insulating a van. 8. Primary Electrical Time to get the van juiced up! The “primary electrical” system is all the main components that make up the heart of an electrical system: batteries, inverter, solar charge controller and so on. It’s basically everything except the branch circuits (below) and the “loads” (things) they feed. I generally locate this underneath the bed area adjacent to the passenger wheel well. This step also includes connecting the van’s battery to a DC-DC charger for charging the battery bank when driving. If you’re daunted trying to design or install your electrical system, you’re at the right place. We have tons of great blog posts including example wiring diagrams. This page is a great place to start. We also have best price camper van electrical system bundles that will save you a bundle! 9. Rough-In Electrical System Branch Circuits I typically use a combined 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC load center like this one. Branch circuits are the wires that run from this load center to the various “loads” like lights, a refrigerator, fans, etc. Each branch circuit has either a fuse (for DC loads) or a circuit breaker (for AC loads). At this point in the build, I’ll run these wires close to where they’ll eventually be “terminated” to the actual device/outlet/thing. I know what you’re thinking – where’s the link to purchase the wire? We got you covered… It’s always a good idea to use protection – wire loom in this case, anywhere the wire might interact with any sharp edges in the van. By the way, this gizmo makes looking wire a million+ times easier. I didn’t know about it until my third build and I sure wish I did. You should also leave a little “slack” at each location so you can fine-tune it later. Finally, consider using conduits in places that might be tucked behind walls or other things to make it easier to upgrade, repair, replace, or add wires in the future. By the way, we have an electrical accessory bundle here that is a great way to get things like wire, shore power inlet, load center, fuses, etc. 10. Ceiling Panels I need to get the ceiling panels up before I move onto the next project of installing the air conditioner onto the roof. I always build a sort of frame to help support the weight of the air conditioner (see below). So that frame is built and then the ceiling panels are installed. The panels are made from 1/4″ luan type plywood that is eventually painted white. I need to add wooden supports/framing to fasten them to at the very front (just behind the cab area of the van) and at the very back in front of the rear cargo doors. Beyond that, they are fastened to the metal ribs of the van but, before I do, I use this foam tape on the ribs as a buffer between the metal and the wood panels. It’s both a small thermal break and a way to prevent any squeaks or rattles which I absolutely cannot stand. More on that later. Anyway, that foam tape is super helpful throughout the build. I also leave a small (1/8″ to 1/4″) gap between the wood panels where they meet. In general, I try to leave gaps between everything which are eventually covered up with some kind of trim or filled in with high-quality flexible caulking. In the case of the ceiling panels, the gaps get covered with trim material I make by ripping the same 1/4″ luan material with a table saw and then glue into place with silicone caulking. The whole idea here is to prevent stuff from smashing and rubbing against each other as the van travels down the road which would make irritating sounds. 11. Maxxfan & Rooftop Air Conditioner I’m revising this post in 2023. These days there are lots of great 12/24 and 48-volt DC air conditioner options. My current van has the Mabru 12,000 BTU unit which is vastly more energy efficient, quieter, and nicer looking than the older-style, 120-volt AC options. We also have this comparison spreadsheet. And, of course, every van needs a Maxxfan (or two). I prefer to have my AC unit in the front of the van and the Maxxfan in the rear, over my fixed bed. Even in the southeast USA, I tend to use the Maxxfan more throughout the year than the AC unit and it’s nice to have that right over the bed. Also, I don’t really like the AC blowing directly on me. Others have exactly the opposite preference! 12. Water Heater Going back to my love for showers in vans, having hot water is the key to keeping the flame alive. So, at this point in the build I’ll install my Isotemp marine-style water heater and connect it up to the engine’s coolant lines. The love-fest continues… This is the very best way to heat water in a camper van! I wrote a post about this water heater and how to install one and compared it to the propane-powered on-demand water heater in my first van build. The short version is that it’s like magic. When you drive – even for a short period of time – your water is heated by simply driving and stays hot for a long time. So in love am I that we now sell these Isotemp water heaters and you can even purchase it with a van installation kit! 13. Webasto Heater As I mentioned before I’ve used both the Propex propane heater and a Webasto gasoline heater. They both work great and are actually pretty similar in most ways but gasoline is much easier to find than propane and the tank is built right into your van (assuming it runs off gas). I wrote about my Webasto heater installation in this post. Probably even better, is this extensive video on tips for installing a Webasto heater. Another chance to get acquainted with the underbelly of your van! 14. Fresh Water Tank & Water Line Plumbing The last major infrastructure project is putting in the fresh water tank and rough plumbing of the lines for all the faucets, etc. as well as connecting up the cold water supply and hot water outlet from the water heater. The water fill door was installed waaay back when all the other holes were being cut. By the way, I hope you’re recovering from the trauma of that by now. I recommend Pex for your plumbing and getting (or borrowing) good tools! WE sell many types of freshwater tanks designed for cargo vans and after installing many different brands and types of pumps, this one and its associated accumulator tank are our favorites. Phase 2: Building Finally the “building” part of the build begins! Generally speaking, I’ll be working my way from the rear of the van toward the front. 15. Bed Area My builds haven’t had the typical “garage” under the bed. Instead, there are two sets of drawers and a deep storage area that really helps keep things organized (some photos here if you’re curious). Much of the infrastructure that has been installed is also located under the bed including the primary electrical system, water tank and lots of plumbing and wiring. The structure for the bed/loft area is a combination of the IKEA drawer units and wood framing. 16. Shower/Wet Bath Have I mentioned yet how much I love my shower/wet bath? I’ll gush a bit more. I have been traveling in camper vans for quite a long time…well before I had my vancy Promaster. Over the years I owned (and tweaked) three VW camper vans. Each was amazing but none of them had any sort of bathroom setup. There was no space and, in my first Westy, it probably would have reduced the top speed from 55 MPH to 35 making it even more terrifying to be on roads with modern vehicles. Anyway, when the Promaster showed up in my driveway, it was clearly big enough (and well powered enough) for this major upgrade. A clean, private hot shower anywhere you can take your van is a true luxury. OK, OK, enough already. You can read about how I made my wet bath here. If you want a shower but not a dedicated space, you might want to check out this folding shower option. 17. Front Wall Of Shower & Panels With the shower complete (I won’t say a thing) I can install all the panels on the front wall. That includes the inverter control panel Cerbo GX with Touch 50 screen, SeeLevel tank monitoring system. Some folks will also have various switches for lights, etc. 18. Flooring I like to wait as long as I can to put in my flooring so that I don’t have to bother with trying to protect it. For me this is a good time to install it. I’m far enough along but before I continue building stuff. I used Lonseal marine vinyl flooring in my last two builds – specifically the “Antique & Ivory” style. This product makes for a very durable attractive floor without any cracks or seams for dirt and water to get trapped into and it’s easy to keep clean too! Lonseal comes in 6′ wide rolls which isn’t enough to span across the van from driver to passenger side. In my case the galley cabinets cover the area where the flooring didn’t reach but you can seam two pieces of Lonseal together. I really love this flooring but not quite as much as the shower. 19. Refrigerator/Microwave Cabinet Next I turn my attention to the cabinet that houses my large refrigerator/freezer and microwave which is across the van from the wet bath on the driver side. The bottom of this cabinet has a door that allows access to the Isotemp water heater. I use IKEA cover panels to “skin” this cabinet so that it matches the finish of the IKEA cabinets which is next… 20. Galley Cabinets Next up is the installation of the IKEA galley cabinets. I’ve used them in three vans and they hold up remarkably well with some basic modifications. And, if you happen to screw up a drawer front (or other piece) you can stop at the next IKEA and replace it easily with minimal tools. I wrote a post about using IKEA cabinets in a camper van. 21: Wall Panels With most of the building blocks in place, I can now install all the wall panels. Like the ceiling panels, these are made from 1/4″ luan type plywood which is painted a color very similar to the plastic trim in the Promaster cab. The wall panels curve inward where they meet the ceiling panels which I think looks really nice and this material is just flexible enough to accomplish this curve while being strong enough to maintain its overall shape and feel sturdy. Rather than install wall panels toward the beginning of the process, I do this now so that I’m only covering areas that are visible in the build. For instance, there are no wall panels below the bed area or behind the galley cabinets. This reduces effort, materials and a little bit of weight. It also allows for the walls to remain partially open so that they can breathe. Making templates for all these panels can be crazy making but it’s worth the effort to get them shaped correctly. Many of my panels also have cut-outs for outlets and lights which certainly adds to the complexity. 22. Painting This is the moment everything seems to come together and start looking much more finished. All the wall and ceiling panels are painted, sanded, painted again, etc. It really is amazing what a coat of paint will do! 23. Lagun Table & Top Somewhere it is written that every camper van must have a Lagun table mount. See what I just did there? I wrote it… Anyway, mine is mounted on the side of the galley cabinets so when the cab seats are swiveled around the table can be used for eating and working. When not in use it swings out of the way over the top of the galley counter. 24. Cassette Toilet Installation Easy peasy. The Thetford Curve cassette toilet (er, Porta-Potti) can be purchased with a mounting plate which makes this job super easy and enables you to remove the toilet quickly for emptying, cleaning or an even more luxurious shower. How does it work? Way better than you’d ever expect actually. If you put in the proper chemicals and empty/clean it regularly you won’t smell anything even if you do the taboo number two. More on the toilet and recommendations on where to empty it in this post – toward the bottom. No pun intended. 25. Seat Swivels I like to save the installation of the seat swivels for the end. It’s a refreshingly easy project and I have the seats covered with large garbage bags for most of the build. In my first two vans I used the Sportscraft swivel but switched to the CTA swivel in the third build and I prefer it. These days (again, updating in 2023) I prefer the Mobiframe/Vanequipped swivels which are the smoothest I’ve used and also the lowest profile. 26. Trim & Details The build wraps up with all the little details and trim work. Everything from cabinet hardware to cleaning and fine trim work. Phase 3: Shakedown Trip & Slaying Rattles A camper van is never really done but, at this point, it’s ready for the maiden voyage which is often referred to a “shakedown” trip. So, it’s time to move in and hit the road for the first time. I have a post about some of the awesome things that go inside the van and are worthy of the space they take up. Even though I do everything I can throughout the van build to minimize any squeaks or rattles inevitably there are a few to hunt down during the shakedown trip. I am pretty much obsessed with a quiet ride so this process typically involves my girlfriend driving and me wandering around the van like a mad man listening for tiny annoyances that it’s likely only I would notice and then fixing them. Sometimes, we’ll find a bumpy road or gnarly parking lot for this purpose. Normally, there are other small things to repair as well. So, I do what I can on the trip itself and keep a punch list of items to fix or improve when I’m back to where I have the right tools. Given how careful and perfectionist (blessing and a curse) I am during the build process, I can’t imagine what kind of build quality issues you’d have with a factory-built rig like a Winnebago. Anyway, it’s been my experience that even the best built vans need some fine tuning. Thanks for reading. One more thing about the shower… just kidding.

Recommended Tools for Converting a Camper Van

Now that I’ve converted three Promaster vans into tiny homes on wheels I’d like to offer up some recommendations on tools and gadgets that make the process quicker and easier. It’s often said that the right tool for the job makes a huge difference and I agree. I’m providing links to specific products below but, of course, these are tools that are made by many companies. I’m trying to link to tools that provide a reasonable balance between cost and quality – a good value. In other words, I’m not linking to the “best” or highest quality tool since I’m assuming you are not a professional and won’t be using these tools every day for the next many years. Many folks may have a reason to buy a more expensive and higher-quality brand. So, I would suggesting thinking of this for what it’s intended to be – a list of recommended tools rather than specific product recommendations. I have another post that details all the products I used to build the actual van. By the way, I’d love to hear from you if you have ideas of things I should add to this list. Jig Saw A jig saw is perhaps the most quitessential power tool for a van build! You’ll use this for cutting all those curves in everything and making giant holes in your van for windows and fans. I recommend some fine metal blades (for those giant holes in your van’s sheet metal) and “down cutting” wood blades that create clean cuts in wood and laminate when cutting from the “top” of the piece. Hydraulic Lug Crimper You need seriously thick electrical cables for things like connecting a battery bank together or powering a large inverter in a van. This crimping tool works great for these hefty crimps like working with 2/0 AWG cable wire. Heat Gun Speaking of wiring, you should always use heat shrink on your cable terminations (lugs/etc.). These heat guns really do work better than a hair dryer. Another tool you’ll use a ton and be glad you invested into. Wire Loom Insertion Tool It’s a good idea to protect your van’s wiring by putting it inside wire loom. I did this in areas where the wires were exposed to the elements or to areas of the van that might harm the insulation. However, getting the wire into the loom in a total nightmare. These tools make that process so much easier! 10″ Contour Gauge Nothing in a van is straight and a huge part of building a camper van is making things that fit into all these crazy shapes like cabinets, wall panels, etc. A contour gauge helps you capture these curves and contours with relative ease and are not expensive. Mini Kreg Jig Kit This jig for pocket screws is pretty much essential when converting a van. Pocket hole joinery helps you build all sorts things with ease and strength. I also recommend this assortment of pocket screws in varying lengths and, of course, you’ll need a long T20 driver bit to screw them in. Plusnuts and Plusnut Installation Tool Plusnuts (also called crossnuts) are an excellent way to add strength to your build. In essence, they allow you to add a “nut” into any part of the sheet metal of your van so that you can bolt things to the van vs. screw them. To use them, you can either use an existing hole in your van – there are many of these along the support beams in cargo vans or you drill an appropriate size hole. Then you insert the plusnut into the hole and use a tool to compress the “bulb” onto the back of the sheet metal that you drilled into. This creates a “plus shaped” support for the threaded insert which is the “nut” part that you can bolt into. You can use a variety of tools to install these. The fanciest is a Pneumatic tool but I’ve had good luck with this simpler and less expensive tool which is quite a bit smaller as well which can be handy in a van. You can even use common tools you already have but it’s a bit more difficult. I’ve also seen plusnut installation tools that work with a drill. I tend to use the 1/4″-20 size of plusnut and various lengths of 1/4″-20 bolts. A Rechargeable Headlamp Building a van means working on precision projects in tight, often dark spaces. Inside a cabinet, underneath a van, behind obstacles, etc. I pretty much wore this thing all day during my build. It’s like having a tiny super power! Impact Driver There will be much screwing around in your van build. You think that, if you have a drill, you don’t need an impact driver. While that’s true, you’ll be amazed how much better these work for screwing stuff. It doesn’t have to be an expensive one. I bought this particular one which works great and is only about $60. That’s like one penny for every thousand screws you drive. Totally worth it! 24″ Quick Grip Clamps Another tool I used constantly. I like these larger clamps but it’s good to have a few small ones around as well. From drilling pocket holes to the 10 extra hands you need every day, clamps like these are indispensable. 11-Piece Oscillating Multi-Tool Kit This was a new tool to me during my latest build and I was actually surprised how much I used it. It was great for cutting openings in plywood for outlets and electronics panels. I used it to cut PVC and hose for plumbing. I used it to sand in tight spaces. I used it to shorten fasteners. I used it just about every day. This kit comes with a nice variety of “blades” but there are even more options available which further extend the utility the tool! Center Punch This one isn’t really “essential” but it sure is handy and only ten bucks. You put the tip of this tool right where you need a hole in something (metal, wood, etc.) and press down to “punch” a tiny indentation into that spot. This allows you to start drilling in that exact spot without the drill bit “drifting”. This is particularly useful when needing to drill into metal but these little indentations are also very helpful when putting in screws that might also “drift” without that little “starting point”. Step Bits Speaking of drilling, a set of step bits is super handy. These things are designed to enlarge a hole as the bit drills through the sheet metal. Each step on the bit is larger in diameter than the step before. Smaller step drill bits are self-starting and no pilot bit is required to start the hole. On larger step drill bits, you need to have a hole pre-drilled that is equal in diameter to the smallest step on the bit. These bits generally create cleaner holes and you don’t need as many standard bits since the step bit can create most size holes! A Good Caulking Gun I’ve used dozens of caulking guns and this is the best one. It’s worth paying a few extra bucks for. Don’t know what else to say. So, there. Pex Crimper If you’re doing any substantial plumbing in your van for a sink, shower, etc. you’ll probably want to use Pex for these water lines so you’ll need a crimper. Nothing special here but necessary unless you decide to use something like Shark-Bite fittings. I’d also recommend a proper pipe cutter to get clean cuts on your Pex (and other) pipes.

Air Conditioning in a Camper Van

Curves: Walls and Ceilings in a Van Where Nothing is Straight

Using a Marine Isotemp 20L Water Heater in Camper Van Conversion

This post details using an marine-style water heater in a camper van conversion. These are small, tank-based water heaters which are connected to the engine coolant lines so that water is heated “automagically” while you’re driving and have an electric heating element as a “backup” for when you’re not driving. Update! We now sell this water heater in our store – either stand alone or with a full installation kit for a Promaster van that includes all the parts and pieces you need plus a detailed installation guide and video. We also sell the Slim versions of the Isotemp water heaters which, as you might guess, are a little slimmer (but longer) and the Square version which is, um, square-ish. They all work the same and the installation is pretty much the same – just different shapes and tank capacities. But, First Some Background In my first Promaster build, I used this on-demand, propane fired water heater. It was installed underneath the refrigerator just behind the main galley area on the driver side of the van. It worked very well but had some drawbacks. On-demand water heaters are triggered to turn “on” when there is adequate flow. So, when you turn on a hot water tap the unit should “sense” this flow of water, fire up, and begin heating water up to the desired temperature (there were three temperature settings on that unit). The problem with this is that you need to turn the water “on” quite a bit – or have a lot of “flow” – in order for it to trigger. In many cases, you just want a little bit of hot water in order to be conservative and maximize the water you have in your tank. For instance, if you’re washing dishes, you don’t need “full flow” just to rinse the dishes. In this type of situation you’d have to use more flow/more water than necessary with an on-demand water heater just to “trigger” the unit to fire up and therefore you basically “waste” water. The other thing I didn’t like is that this “sensing” takes about two seconds. So, you turn on a tap at a high enough flow to trigger the unit and then it takes about two seconds of water flowing (strongly) before it turns on. While this seems minor, it does take a toll on water conservation efforts. Also, if you turn off the water – perhaps while showering to save water (between soaping and rinsing for example) – this startup delay results in cold water flowing in-between these on/off cycles which really isn’t ideal in that situation. I think these on-demand style water heaters are better suited for larger RVs where you have much larger water tanks and hot water demands. It would also be very nice if you spent a lot of time in campgrounds/RV parks where you were connected to a “city water” connection and sewer connection. In that context, the lag in getting the hot water and need for higher flow wouldn’t be an issue and the strength of the on-demand unit – which is continuous/virtually unlimited hot water supply – would be a real benefit with long showers and so forth. We do NOT recommend installing the Isotemp units outside of the vehicle and it would, unfortunately, void the warranty. They are designed to be inside a boat/RV and can be damaged under the van – even with the protection you’re proposing. For winterizing the Isotemp, you really only need a shut-off valve on the cold water supply going into the unit. If you close that and drain the tank with the built-in pressure release/empty valve, that would be enough for winterizing. You could also turn off the coolant line loop valves (shown in green above) for winter but that isn’t necessary since the coolant can still flow through this additional loop – even when the water tank is empty inside the Isotemp. The Upgrade: Isotemp SPA 20L Water Heater After much research, I decided to install an Isotemp SPA 20L in my latest build. This is a 5.3 gallon capacity unit. It’s connected to the Promaster engine coolant lines with one hose supplying the heated coolant and another returning the it back to the engine. In addition, there is a 750 watt (115 volt) electric heating element that can heat the water if you’re not running the engine from an inverter or shore power. When driving, the water heater will heat the water in the tank to 190 degrees or more (up to 160 degrees when using the electric element) which is much hotter than average shower temperatures (110 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit). But, here’s the clever part! The water heater employs a “cold water mixing valve” that allows you to dial in the desired output temperature and works by mixing in unheated water from the cold water supply line. This system vastly increases the actual usable volume of hot water and reduces recovery time. Also, the combination of heating the water to such high temperatures and a very well insulated tank keeps the water in the tank plenty hot for hours after driving. In fact, in my initial testing, the water will stay hot enough to use for up to 12 hours in the warm Florida weather. All of this means that, as long as I’m driving reasonably often, I should only need the electric heating element to raise the “already somewhat warm or hot” water temp up to maximum temperature when stationary. Another benefit of the tank-based water heater (compared to an on-demand option) is that I effectively gain another 5.3 gallons of fresh water since, whenever the water pump is turned on, it keeps the water heater’s tank full as part of pressurizing the system. So, this extends my water capacity from the 33 gallons in the fresh water tank to over 38 gallons. What You’ll Need We sell the water heater with an optional complete installation kit with all the parts you need. Note: RAM sells a “rear heater connection kit” that has some of these parts. But I understand it is expensive and you can just purchase equivalent parts. These are the parts I used on a 2017 RAM Promaster, 159″ WB. If you’re installing into another type of vehicle/van, you’ll likely need other things! 50′ Gates 5/8″ Heater Hose (Safety Stripe 28411). This hose was used for the coolant lines from the engine to the water heater and back. 2x Brass Barb Reducing Tee – 3/4″ x 3/4″ x 5/8″. I used two of these right where I cut into the Promaster’s existing 3/4″ coolant line. So, the two 3/4″ sides reconnect the “cut” in the existing coolant line and add a 5/8″ connection point for the coolant to flow to the water heater and then return to the engine coolant flow. 2x 5/8″ Barb Ball Valves. I used two of these ball valves – one the coolant line that supplies the water heater and the other on the return line. This allows me to completely turn off the coolant flow to the water heater if necessary. 2x Brass 5/8″ Barb to 1/2″ Female NPT FNPT Fittings. I used two of these fittings to connect the 5/8″ coolant hoses to the inlet and outlet of the water heater itself which has 1/2″ threaded connections. Loctite 592, High Temperature Thread Sealant. I used this high-temperature thread sealant on the threaded coolant hose connections to the water heater. 5/8″ Brass Elbow. I ended up only needing one of these – you’ll see it in the illustrations/photos below. The rest of the hose bends were gentle enough curves that the elbows were not necessary. My feeling was the fewer connections the better. Mopar Coolant. You’ll need to add this specific RAM-approved coolant because of the additional length of coolant lines. Permatex 81160 High-Temp Red RTV Silicone. After drilling holes in the van floor for the coolant lines to come up through, I glued in 3/4″ PVC union fittings so that there was a durable, smooth surface for the hose to enter the van through and to protect the hose from any damage. I used this high-temp silicone to seal the gaps. Heat shrink hose clamps (Gates PowerGrip 32925). These are very effective alternatives to standard stainless steal clamps. These are for the 3/4″ and 5/8″ coolant lines that connect to barb fittings. These are often used on high-end race cars and auto restoration and, according to the Gates website they are “engineered with a heat shrinkable tube material that secures hoses more tightly and effectively than traditional metal clamps. The wide clamp construction eliminates damage caused by over-tightening, with a thermoplastic material that’s proven to perform in even the harshest of automotive and heavy duty cooling system applications.” 3x 1/2″ PEX Female Thread Swivel Adapter. I used two of these for connecting the fresh water supply and hot water outlet (using adapter fitting below) to my PEX plumbing. The third one was used for the overflow outlet, but see the notes under Water Lines below for more info about the overflow connection. 1/2″ PEX Tubing. I used white-colored PEX wherever I could for my fresh water plumbing and color-coded the hot water supply lines with red electrical tape. Extra coolant to add to the system – Mopar part number 68163848AB. You might be interested in my post about all the products I used for my build here. Installation To be honest, I was a bit daunted by the installation. I had never cut into coolant lines or done anything with the actual van/engine. But, like most times, the internet came through and I cobbled together the information I needed to tackle the job. I’m writing this post because I didn’t find anything comprehensive – mostly bits of information from various sources that I had to piece together. The first step was to cut into the van’s heater lines near where they go into the “firewall”. If you open up the hood, you’ll see these hoses just to the left of the coolant reservoir. I’ve circled the area in in the photo below. You need to cut both of these. One hose will branch off to supply the water heater with coolant and the other will be the return line. This is a messy process so be prepared for a fair amount of coolant to come out of these hoses. After cutting into the lines, I used the two Brass Barb Reducing Tees (3/4″ x 3/4″ x 5/8″). The two 3/4″ sides of this tee were used to repair the existing 3/4″ coolant line. Then I used a short piece of the 5/8″ heater hose to connect the 5/8″ ball valves onto the remaining 5/8″ side of this tee. These ball valves allow me to completely turn off the coolant flow to and from the water heater which effectively returns the coolant system to the standard, factory design. Next, I ran the 5/8″ heater hose from the output of these ball valves down to the bottom of the engine compartment and all along the driver side of the van to the water heater’s location and eventually up into the van itself. The hose is clamped to the van in many places during this run so that it’s secure. Where the hoses enter the van, I drilled holes through the van floor and glued in 3/4″ PVC “union” fittings. This provides a durable and smooth surface so that the hose is not damaged. Keep in mind that these hoses get VERY hot so be sure to keep them away from anything flammable or that might be damaged by this heat when routing them from the engine compartment to the water heater location. Once inside the van, I used the two Brass 5/8″ Barb to 1/2″ Female NPT FNPT Fittings and the 5/8″ Brass Elbow to connect the coolant lines to the inlet and outlet of the water heater and sealed the gaps with the Permatex 81160 High-Temp Red RTV Silicone. It’s recommended that you use Loctite 592, High Temperature Thread Sealant on the threaded connections. I used the Gates PowerGrip hose clamps on all the 3/4″ and 5/8″ heater hose that connect to barb fittings. In my van, the water heater is located behind a drawer underneath the refrigerator which is just behind the galley area and just front of the bed loft. It’s installed directly onto the subfloor and comes with brackets to mount it to the floor. I used most (about 35′ of the 50′) of heater hose. Coolant Connections Under the Hood of the Promaster Coolant Hose Runs from Engine to Water Heater System Illustration from Manual Testing and Adding Coolant After all the coolant lines were finished up I called the manufacturer to ask if I could run coolant through the unit before there was any water in the tank since, at this point, none of my water lines were in place. They told me that was fine so it was time to test! I made a note of how much coolant was in the reservoir and started up the engine knowing that, with the new 35′ of hose, I’d have to both add some coolant and somehow purge any air that got into the system. When the engine was running, but before the coolant had heated up significantly, I wrapped the area around what I’m calling the “air bleeding valve” with a rag (see this in the illustration above) and “opened” this valve by turning the cap on the top of this mechanism counter-clockwise. As expected, some air and coolant sort of gurgled out. I discovered that it took quite a while for the coolant to make it all the way through the newly added hoses and that it only did so when I started driving slowly. So, I would drive for about two minutes and then let the engine (and coolant) cool down and then check the coolant level in the reservoir and refill as necessary. I also used the “air bleeding valve” a few more times and, each time, less air came out until there was only coolant. I repeated this several times and eventually, I could “feel” the coolant running through the entire length of the newly installed hoses and at the fittings entering and existing the water heater. I ended up adding most of the gallon of coolant that I ordered. Water Lines It took several more weeks of the build process to get around to the actual water lines. I used white 1/2″ PEX for nearly all my fresh water plumbing and color-coded the hot water lines with red electrical tape. You can check out a detailed diagram of my plumbing system here. My goal was to limit the length of the hot water plumbing to the fixtures (sink and show) so that they were as short as possible thus minimizing the time (and water “waste”) it takes for hot water to arrive at the fixtures. The location of the water heater in my build is extremely close to the galley sink I can get hot water at the sink in about two seconds! The shower takes just a few more seconds. The water connections are very straightforward. I used a 1/2″ PEX Female Thread Swivel Adapter on both the fresh water supply and hot water outlet along with standard PEX tubing and connectors to route the hot water lines to the galley faucet and shower mixing valve. As I wrote above in the parts list, all the threaded connections are 1/2″ NPT male except the hot water outlet which is BSP (British Standard Pipe) thread. Note that Isotherm recommends that you use a “single handle” type faucet for effective mixing of hot and cold water. I used this faucet in the galley and this mixing valve in the shower. Update 12/2021 There was some confusion about the BSP threading on the hot water outlet. I wrote to our rep at Indel/Webasto and here’s what I heard back to clear this up. All of the fittings coming off of the water heater should be NPT thread which is used here in the U.S. The mixing valve (hot water outlet), is the one item that is not a standard NPT threaded part and for this reason at the manufacturing level we put on an adaptor. Some product manuals have dated information or some are almost flatly translated from Italian into English or other languages. For that reason we lose the important information that in the U.S. we use NPT and in Europe and elsewhere they use BST. This should be reflected in the corresponding manuals. Everything shipped to the U.S. should have all U.S./NPT fittings coming off of the tank. You’ll also need to connect the built-in pressure relief valve on the water heater to a drain on the exterior of the van. In my installation, I simply used another 1/2″ PEX Female Thread Swivel Adapter and a short length of PEX hose that goes through the van floor. This allows any release of water from the valve (to relive pressure) to run onto the ground. This valve can also be opened manually to drain the tank for winterizing or repairs. Update 4/2025 Some customers have trouble getting a 1/2″ NPT female fitting to seat well on the overflow aka pressure relief valve. According to IsoTemp, this valve is actually 1/2″ tapered BSP, and it is quite difficult to find a fitting that seats well on the shallow overflow valve threads. IsoTemp suggests a simple workaround by clamping braided tubing to the overflow valve instead. Once all the water lines are installed you can let the unit heat up water and adjust the “mixing valve” so that the output temperature is at your preferred temperature. Electrical Connections The electric heating element draws around 750 watts at 115 volts AC. So, you must have either an inverter or shore power to use the electric heating option. The Isotemp unit comes with a standard AC power plug. I wired this switch into the circuit that the water heater is plugged into so that I can leave it plugged in and control it with the switch which has a red LED indicator light when in the “on” position. I wanted this indicator light because I don’t want to leave the unit on unless it’s necessary since it draws a significant amount of power. I positioned this switch just behind the driver’s seat (near the galley) so I can turn it off when driving. I knew that I would forget to turn it off sometimes and want to do so when underway! How It Works I am super happy with this water heater! Since I tend to move a lot/drive a lot, it’s awesome to have essentially “free” hot water. I find that the water in the tank stays plenty warm for long periods of time including overnight most of the time. So, I rarely have to use the electric heating element which is great because it’s a pretty significant 750 watt draw on the inverter when turned on. One thing to be aware of is that, after you heat the water with the engine coolant, if you turn on the electric heating it can sometimes “trip” a built in “high limit thermostat” that is installed to protect the water heater when in electric mode. This can be “reset” with a tiny button near the mixing valve but, by default, it’s located under a plastic cover. So, I drilled a hole in the plastic cover so that if this happens, I can use a pencil or screw driver to reset the thermostat without having to take that cover off. Photo Gallery

Swapping Out A Promaster Passenger Bench Seat For A Standard Swivel Seat

Building a Tiny Shower: A Camper Van Wet Bath

Update May 2021. During the Covid-19 pandemic I got sort of “stuck” at my home in Panama. I was planning on being there for about 5 months and then traveling back to my van that I had left at my dad’s house in Colorado. Long story short, the borders closes, the airport closed, the entire world changed and my van sat there for about 13 months. Hang on, there is a point that has to do with van wet baths… It’s super hot in Colorado during the summers and super cold during the winters. Bad things happened with my wet bath. The plastic material that I used to cover/waterproof the plywood walls bubbled up in many places. My guess is that the heat caused some expansion and for the adhesive to fail. In addition, about 40% of the stick-on tiles had pealed off. It was outrageously cold (defined by me by below 50 degrees Fahrenheit) in February when I first saw all this and I pushed on a sheet of the tiles to put to see if they would stick back and they cracked into pieces like sheets of ice. So, I was very disheartened and realized immediately that I would have to start over on the bathroom finish. While ugly, everything worked in the web bath so I waited until I arrived in Florida so do the work. I document the “remodel” below in the post and you can skip to it here. Don’t want to bother with a dedicated wet bath or take up the space in your build? Check out this other post about the Tetravan folding shower system. One of my favorite features of my Promaster conversion camper (Miles Van Camper) is the wet bath with a shower and toilet. For many people this is just wasted space and they prefer using showers at campgrounds or having a gym membership for showering. For others having some sort of toilet than can be tucked away under a bench when not in use is plenty and others can’t imagine using a toilet in a van at all and prefer to use bathrooms “wherever” they are since they are so plentiful. For us, a hot water shower and a toilet in the van is a necessity. I hate the idea of having to leave the van to take a leak – particularly in the middle of the night. Also, my (amazing) girlfriend has the world’s tiniest bladder and needs to pee all the time (many times a night), so she wouldn’t even consider not having a toilet. It’s also worth thinking about the logistics of using a stowed away loo. When you pull it out do you really want to be in “out there” doing your business with no privacy? Putting the toilet into a wet bath gets around this concern as well. In any case, one of the best things about building a DIY camper van is that you can design it for your personal preferences and how you’ll be using it! Maybe You’re More of a Folding Shower Kind of Person? Some people feel like a dedicated shower/bath takes up too much precious space. I love the luxury of having it. the great thing about DIY van conversions is you can design them to your preferences! One clever approach to a compromise is Tetravan’s folding shower system that we sell in our store. Check ’em out. Before I get into how I built my wet bath, I’ll point out that I have a list of all the parts I used on my build outside of things you can easily get at any hardware store. You might also be interested in another post that details all my plumbing including a PDF diagram. Shower Pan I started by building a frame that the 32″ long by 24″ wide shower pan sits on. The frame itself is slightly longer (33-1/4) to allow the walls to fit into a “gap” that goes below the shower pan (see illustration below). I wanted the “Hepvo trap” that I used on the shower drain to be inside the van instead of underneath it. This special kind of trap provides the utility of a traditional “p-trap” – preventing odors from escaping from the grey tank – but can be installed horizontally to save space and also has a mechanism that prevents water from the tank from back flowing into the shower pan. If needed, I can access this trap/plumbing by pulling off a “panel” covering front of this shower pan frame. You can see how the frame is elevated off the van floor a bit as well as the access from the front in the photos below. Elevating the shower pan in this way also enables you to determine where exactly you want the drain line to go through the van floor. Often there are obstacles below the van floor right where your drain would be – things like metal framing, exhaust lines and so on. I wanted the shower pan as low to the floor as possible (while still being elevated) so that I didn’t diminish the available standing room in the shower. So, I put this frame directly onto the van floor versus on top of the plywood subfloor. Therefore the subfloor sort of goes around this frame. Every 3/4″ of an inch matters in a van! I also used Noico noise deadener below the shower pan. Note: the photos below are from my first build. The frame is pretty much identical in my later builds (Miles 2 and Miles v3) but the plumbing is different and detailed in this post. Shower Pan & Walls Illustration Constructing The Bathroom The wet bath “room” is made of three walls: 1) front – facing the cab, 2) rear – facing the rear doors and 3) the back wall – the one up against the passenger side of the van in my layout. The door to the opening (forth “wall”) is a”disappearing” and self-cleaning Nautilus shower door. The construction process begins with the “back” wall that is up against the passenger side of the van (behind the slider door). This area of the van is very complicated with many contours and curves. So, the first step is to “even out” this space by using a bunch of wood framing. There is a photo that illustrates this below. The goal is to create a frame that is essentially “straight” for about the first threw quarters of the wall and then curves inward toward as it meets the ceiling. Once this “framing” was completed, I cut a piece of 1/4″ plywood to be used for this back wall and screwed into into the wood framing. The 1/4″ plywood was flexible enough to conform to the curve of the van but sturdy enough to feel solid. Next, I glued 1/16″ white plastic material to the back wall’s plywood using FRP adhesive. I have included a photo of the label of this material below – it’s called “Plas-Tex waterproof wall panel” and is made by Parkland Plastics. I bought it at the Home Depot. It’s thinner than standard FRP and less glossy as well. Just a reminder here that this all failed and had to be redone – more on that at the bottom of this post. The forward and rear walls are framed with 2″ x 4″ and 2″ x 2″ lumber. The vertical framing is attached to the van floor and upper metal “ribs” on the van with metal angle brackets and is also screwed into the shower pan frame. The horizontal framing is fastened to the vertical pieces in several places. This created a 2″ cavity in the walls which was necessary on the front wall for electrical wiring/boxes and the panels for the battery monitor, inverter and tank monitors. On the rear wall, the cavity is used for the hot and cold water lines and shower valve. Next I attach 1/2″ plywood to the front and rear walls. These walls are “straight” on the side facing the opening/door and curve to meet the “back” wall on the other side. The plywood exends down into the “gap” between the wall’s framing and the shower pan itself (see shower pan illustration above). Then, the same 1/16″ white plastic material was glued onto these plywood walls and also goes “below” the shower pan into the “gap”. Once all the walls and plastic material is installed covering the plywood walls, I caulk all the gaps and seams between the walls with white Loctite Polyseamseal. Eventually, the door is installed according to the instructions they provide. That is a simple process but I do recommend using silicone caulking as adhesive on the “cassette” side of the door. It comes with some double-sided tape to hold it up but, in a camper van, I would recommend something more durable. The silicone provides enough adhesive power while also allowing removal if necessary to repair or replace in the future. Accessories In my wet bath I have a mirror and bar soap holder on the front wall and the shower mixing valve, shower head and a soap/shampoo dispenser are on the rear wall. The back wall incorporates a waterproof toilet paper holder. At this point, the wet bath/shower looks something like this: In my latest build, I decided to go one step further and enhance the style with some stick-on tiles. These brighten up the space and I think they look great! However, they are not waterproof which is why it’s important to use the plastic sheeting and make the shower water tight before adding the tiles. The stick-on tiles are somewhat translucent and quite thin. So, the white plastic and the smooth surface of the plastic really helps the finished look of the stick-on tiles. Just a reminder here that this all failed and had to be redone – more on that at the bottom of this post. After about 6 months, one of the “sheets” of tiles started falling off. I suspect that I didn’t get that section of the plastic backing clean enough in that spot when I was installing that particular sheet. I repaired this by removing that sheet, cleaning the plastic behind it with denatured alcohol and then replacing that sheet with a new one. I have heard from others that, if you coat the entire walls (all the sheets of stick-on tiles) with polyurethane this helps them stay “stuck”. I have not tried this and I would want to test it on a spare, single sheet to see what it looks like but thought this tip might be helpful to others who are using the stick-on tiles. Below are some photos of the installation and the finished shower walls with the tiles. The Toilet The toilet I used is a Thetford Curve cassette toilet. I utilized the mounting plate that is sold specifically for that purpose. The plate is secured to the shower pan (as far back toward the rear as possible to make room for standing in front when showering) using stainless steel screws. The toilet latches into the mounting plate and can be easily removed from the wet bath area to make more space or to empty. Our experience with this cassette toilet has been very positive. The primary benefit of a “cassette” toilet is that it eliminates the need for a “black tank” that normally stores sewage waste. This is typically separate from your “grey tank” which stores waste water from the sink/showers, etc. in an RV. Black tanks are typically drained with what is often referred to as a “stinky slinky” – a 3″ sewer hose you connect from your rig’s black tank to a sewer line at an RV park or campground when emptying your tanks. This is no fun. In contrast, a cassette toilet uses a removable “cassette” as the black tank. On my particular toilet, the top portion is a fresh water tank has water for flushing (there’s an electric pump that dispenses water around the toilet bowel when needed) and the bottom portion is the “cassette” or the tank that holds the waste. When it’s full (there’s an indicator on the front), you simply pull of the “top” water tank, set it aside, and then detach the bottom (cassette) to empty directly into whatever you’re dumping into. This eliminate the “stinky slinky” and is considerably more flexible. Not only can you you can dump into a standard sewer, but you can also use things like a porta-pot or even a standard toilet at a gas station. To be fair, dumping the cassette is no fun either, but, in my opinion, it’s considerably better than dealing with a black tank. We’ve used this toilet extensively for both “number one” and “number two” and, as long as we use the right chemicals and leave a little fresh water from the flushing mechanism over the top of the “flap” that opens and closes to let whatever waste is in the bowl down into the tank, we don’t ever smell the tank! Also in the wet bath is a soap dispenser hanging on the wall and a small mirror with a shelf on the front wall onto which the toilet paper hanger is mounted. The Remodel I wrote about what happened to my wet bath walls while the van sat through the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s what I did to fix it up! First, I pulled the stick-on tiles off. This was really easy actually because the adhesive was garbage and they were already falling off. Right into the trash they went. Then I had to get the original plastic sheeting off which took considerably more effort! What ended up working the best was using a razor blade and make vertical “slices” from top to bottom about 6-8 inches apart from each other. Then I used a heat gun to heat up the plastic/adhesive and a metal scraper blade to get a small section of the plastic off the plywood. Once I had something to grab onto, I could use the heat gun to heat up/loosen the adhesive for about 3-4 inches at a time and peel it off. This seemed to take forever but I did get it all removed. After doing quite a bit of research and checking out what other van builders had used in their wet baths, I ended up using “standard” FRP sheets (.9″ thick) on the plywood. I cut them to shape using a jig saw using a fine-tooth blade and glued them into place with FRP Adhesive which I applied very liberally! In addition to being a bit thicker than the original plastic that failed, the FRP is much “sturdier”. I actually like the look of the remodel better than I thought I would. This work was done in May of 2021 and it’s about to undergo the “Florida Summer Test” where the van roasts over the course of the Florida summer. I’m really hoping it doesn’t bubble up and stays up in place. If it can survive the “Florida Summer Test”, I think it’s going to hold up well in general. I will definitely update this post once I know how things turn out! Update May 2024: the FRP has survived many summers in Florida with no problems at all! Below are some photos of the “remodel” and the new FRP installation.

Camper Van Plumbing and Grey Water Tank

Miles Van Camper has an extensive plumbing system with both hot and cold water supplying a galley/kitchen sink, a wet bath/shower and an outdoor shower fixture that is accessed off the back doors. Note: there is a photo gallery of the plumbing system at the bottom of this post! Download my detailed plumbing diagram (PDF). Checkout all the parts I used on the build (outside of basic hardware store items). Overview Miles Van Camper has a 33 gallon fresh water tank that is mounted on the floor adjacent to the driver side wheel well. There is another 5.3 gallons of fresh water that is essentially “stored” in the water heater tank for a total of around 38 gallons on board. Below the van, on the passenger side between the front and rear axles, is a 35 gallon grey water storage tank. The design of this tank is very long but “short” so it fits in this space without being too “low”. On Promaster vans, the rear axle effectively determines the ground clearance and my goal was to not have anything underneath the van hanging below this point. So, this grey tank and the propane tank on the driver side ended up being at approximately the same level as the rear axle. On the driver side of the van there is a locking panel that has both a pressurized city-water connection and a gravity-fed fresh water tube that is used to fill up the tank. When city water is connected (a hose from a campsite, etc.) the water lines inside the van are pressurized from that city water connection. Otherwise (most of the time), the water lines are pressurized with a pump which pulls water from the fresh tank (at the bottom) and pumps in into/builds pressure with accumulator tank that is installed just downstream from the pump. The accumulator tank ensures that the pressure is “even” to the various places it’s used (galley faucet, shower, etc.). There is a fresh water gravity drain valve underneath of driver side of the van near the rear bumper that can be used to drain the fresh water tank when it’s not in use. All the water lines are inside the van except for the few feet of drain lines underneath the van to assist in all-weather camping. The van also features a full “wet bath” with a shower and cassette toilet that I detailed in this other post. There is also “outdoor” shower that is accessed from the back doors that can be used outside. Hot Water! I used Isotemp Spa 20L water heater which can heat the water using the van engine coolant or an electric element if you’re not driving. Once heated, the water in the tank stays warm for a day or longer depending on ambient temperatures. The water heater is installed underneath the refrigerator which is very close to the galley faucet so you can get hot water there quickly without running the tap for long. I love this water heater solution for vans and I wrote an blog post about it and how to install it including hooking it up to the van’s coolant lines. Drains & Grey Tank The galley sink uses a small, RV-style trap under the sink. Water exits the trap and runs through a flexible 3/4″ hose to the grey water tank underneath the van. The shower drains into a special, 1-1/2″ Hepvo trap. This device provides the functionality of a standard “p-trap”, but takes up less space under the shower pan because it can be installed “horizontally”. It also prevents grey water from back flowing “up” into the shower. The trap is connected to the grey water tank using a combination of 1-1/2″ PVC and flexible PVC. In order for your drains to work properly and for the grey tank to empty quickly, you need to have a vent line that lets air in or escape if the tank is being filled or emptied. In my latest build, the vent line actually tees off the shower drain underneath the shower pan. This provides venting for both that drain and the grey tank itself. This vent line uses standard (rigid) 1-1/2″ PVC to extend past the shower area to the rear of the van and then goes “up” vertically toward the ceiling a few feet. At this point, where the height is sufficient to prevent any water from being in the vent line, I transition to flexible 1-1/2″ hose which continues over to the passenger rear side panel and vents through a hole in the van that is protected by a plastic vent cover. The grey tank has a 3″ outlet with gate valve that connects to a standard RV sewer hose for draining at a dump station or campground. I store my sewer hose in this handy storage tube which is attached to my hitch-mounted cargo/bike carrier. Here’s an illustration of the shower drain and vent line plumbing: Installing The Grey Water Tank The 35 gallon grey water tank is installed underneath the van on the passenger side. It spans from just behind the muffler in the front back to the jacking point just in front of the rear tire in the back. The tank has “rails” on each of the long sides molded into the plastic. I used heavy duty angle iron bolted up through the van floor to hold the tank with these rails. The 4x bolts that attach to each corner of angle iron/tank rails go through the van floor and they are installed before the floor insulation and plywood sub floor. I use extra large washers on the bolt heads to help distribute the weight of the tank/grey water against the sheet metal of the van floor. There are also three “u-channel” supports that go “across” the tank, perpendicular to the primary supports. These are bolted into the angle iron and support the bottom of the tank as it fills up with grey water. All of the metal and drain lines are painted black. Getting this tank into place and “fabricating” all the supports is a difficult process. Using a jack and a piece of plywood helps to lift the tank into place but it’s oddly shaped and not very rigid so it’s pretty tricky. I installed a large 12 volt DC heating pad on the outlet side of the grey tank. These are thermostatically controlled and designed to turn on at 45 degrees (Fahrenheit) and off at 68 degrees so that the water in the tank does not freeze. I also used two of these smaller pads, designed for drain lines on the sink drain line which is exposed, underneath the van as it travels across to the grey tank. All of the these heat pads are on a switch so that I can leave the system off unless I’m in a cold climate. Below are some photos of the grey water tank including the drain lines and heating pads. Download my detailed plumbing diagram (PDF). Checkout all the parts I used on the build (outside of basic hardware store items).

Using IKEA Cabinets in a Custom Van Camper Build

I decided early into my planning that I was going to use IKEA cabinets in my camper van conversion. See photo gallery of the finished galley and the process at the bottom of the post What I Like About IKEA I love the modern style of IKEA cabinets and that aesthetic was exactly what I was shooting for. I was also keen on using all the IKEA organizing products that are designed specifically for their kitchens: drawer organizers that fit perfectly and maximize the space, waste bins that are the right size, storage bins that stack, and so on. In a small space this efficiency would have a big impact. I also knew that the fit and finish of these cabinets would be better than would I could accomplish myself with my tools. I’m a perfectly capable woodworker/carpenter and did plenty of carpentry for the rest of the van but, the “look” and overall finish quality of everything in the van was big priority for me. Also, it would save a ton of time. Instead of building from scratch, I would assemble the pieces and drop them into place so that I could focus on the other ten billion projects that building a tiny home on wheels requires. Of course, I also knew that there were some drawbacks and limitations to IKEA cabinets which I’ll address… What About Durability? I’ll start with this first question that most people have about IKEA cabinets in general and in this context in particular. I actually have a fair amount of experience with these cabinets and their durability and quality in somewhat extreme conditions. About 11 years ago, I was building a house in the mountains of Panama and considered using IKEA cabinets for this house. People immediately told me I was crazy. That’s a fact that’s well established! But, was this idea crazy? I was told how they were built from “particle board” and would “fall apart” in the tropical rain forest environment where it’s often 90% (or higher) humidity and nobody uses air conditioning to dry things out. You’re essentially living in a cloud sometimes. so the cabinets would grow mold and be ruined while fasteners rusted away. All these seemed like reasonable concerns but, long story short, I ended up finding another expat couple in a nearby town (same climate) who shipped IKEA cabinets down to Panama and installed them in their house about three years earlier. They were kind enough to offer a visit and had nothing but good things to say about the cabinets. I checked them out myself – looking closely for damage or “swelling” of the cabinet frames caused by the extreme humidity or for mold or other issues but everything checked out fine and they looked awesome. So, another even longer story shortened, I ended up installing them into my house and they’ve held up great. Here’s a picture of the kitchen after 11 years that I took two months ago (April of 2018). I also used IKEA cabinets in my house in Florida which is a considerably less extreme place and, of course, they’re done just fine thank-you-very-much. How They’re Made These IKEA cabinets are constructed of “boxes” made of MDF that are laminated with a melamine foil. When you put your kitchen/galley together you build these boxes/frames and then place drawers and doors in/on them. The door and drawer fronts are made from a variety of materials depending on the style you choose (link to their 2018 kitchen cabinets catalog). They also utilize great hardware like Blum “soft close” drawer slides. Simplified Repairs Because of the modular way these cabinets are designed you can actually change out just the drawer and door “fronts” at any time with another style if you want to change the look of your kitchen. I didn’t realize how big of an advantage this was until shortly after I built my first van and came to a hard stop on the highway. I used had used “grabber latches” on the drawers under the bed area (more on those below), but they clearly were not strong enough and one of the drawers flew out landing hard against the floor. The drawer slide itself was broken from the force and the door front was smashed up too. After the adrenaline and anger dissipated, I realized that I could simply visit the nearest IKEA store and get a new drawer and “front” which is what I did the next day. I was able to make that repair in less than a half hour in the parking lot with only a screwdriver. If this was a custom built drawer that repair would have been impossible and that situation a much bigger bummer. Making Them Work In A Van There are some important things I did to minimize the limitations of these IKEA cabinets in a camper van context. When building the cabinet boxes/frames, I used a heavy-duty construction adhesive at all the joints in addition to the provided hardware. This should make those connections more durable and reliant if the hardware fails due to the constant vibration of driving. In my experience using these cabinets in the rainforest of Panama, I knew that the melamine foil that covers the cabinet boxes prevented moisture damage/swelling – even in such a high humidity environment. But, if that foil was damaged and the bare MDF was exposed, it would fail. So, I took the time to apply several coats of paint to any exposed MDF areas – notably on the backs and bottoms of the boxes where there was no melamine foil in order to protect these areas from moisture damage. I had to trim some areas of the cabinet boxes/frames to match the contour of the van walls where the backs met the body. I didn’t put any wall paneling up behind the cabinets so that they could be positioned as far back against the van wall as possible (note: these were also painted to resist moisture). I didn’t use the the IKEA “rail system” that you would normally in a stationary home for installing the cabinets. Same goes for the standard plastic “legs” you would normally use underneath the boxes/frames to adjust how far off the floor they stand and to be used to attach the kick plate/plinth. Instead, I made 2×4″ “rails” which are fastened to the van subfloor and then screwed each of the cabinet boxes to these rails in several places. I also fastened angle brackets in the upper back corners of the cabinet boxes which are screwed into the van body. These strong connection points to the van itself ensure that the boxes are firmly in place and make them considerably more rigid. Finally, I screwed each cabinet box to each other for even more strength. With all these attachment points to structural elements, the cabinets couldn’t be budged. I had to add latches to keep the doors and drawers shut when driving – see below for more info on that. I also used IKEA “cover panels” in a few places. These are panels they sell that are designed to literally cover the sides of exposed cabinets. For example, if you have a row of cabinets and the last one in that row is “seen” (not up against a wall/etc.) then you would use a cover panel to cover up the exposed side of that cabinet box/frame with the same material/finish as the rest of the cabinets. As an example, I used a cover panel designed for a “tall/pantry” cabinet as the front wall of the bath/shower that you see directly adjacent to the sliding door so that this finish matched the galley cabinets. I also used cover panels to craft my own doors/drawers in places like underneath the refrigerator that houses the hot water heater so they matched as well. One additional note, unlike most IKEA items, you don’t go to the store and just pick them up yourself in the warehouse are of the store. Instead, you actually have to go to the kitchen department in the showroom and place an order with an kitchen specialist and pay for that order. Then, they “pick” the items for you. You hand them your order and they give you a cart (or many carts) full of flat-packed goodness. Grabber Latches: Keeping Drawers/Doors Closed When Driving Note: this section of the post was updated in February of 2019 to reflect my latest build. So, latches are very important. Since IKEA cabinets are normally installed into stationary homes, they don’t have any latching mechanisms and while the “soft close” drawers so have some resistance when pulling to open, they DO need proper latches to keep doors and drawers closed while driving. After much experimentation in my first, and now my second build. I ended up using grabber latches for most of the drawers and doors. I actually used a few of these on my first build as well but placed them in the “typical” location – up front where the door or drawer front meets the cabinet frame. However, in this location, these type of latches were too big (tall) for the shorter drawers and I needed a different type of latch. I ended up using “roller latches” on those which worked fine. In my second/current build, I decided to move the latches to the rear of the cabinet for drawers. This eliminated to “too short” problem and, because the latch is now centered in the span of the drawer width, the pull is a bit more even compared to the latch being installed in the front on either the left or right side. This required that I add some simple wood framing to the base cabinets so that the “receiver” part of the grabber latch would have something to be fastened into at the right spot. I used these 5lb “pull force” latches on the smaller drawers and these 10lb “pull force” latches on the larger drawers and the one door in the middle of the galley span. Below are some photos detailing this installation. This shows the simple framing that I added to rear of the base cabinet. This photo shows the “receiver” part of the latches installed on the vertical framing at the back of the cabinet. One of them is circled in red. This shows the other part of the latch installed on the back of a drawer. Push-Button Latches For the three drawers that are located underneath the bed, I wanted a “positive latch” since the position of these drawers make them most susceptible to coming out under the force of hard braking, etc. So, on those drawers I used these “push button” latches. With these latches the “tongue” is actually physically behind the “catch” when closed (pushed in) and then drops down when open and the “button” of the latch becomes a handle for opening the drawer. Unfortunately, IKEA cabinets don’t have any place to put the “catch” – there is no horizontal support between drawers. The base boxes/frames are designed to hold innumerable combinations of drawers and drawers of all sizes and therefore, when you assemble those doors/drawers into the boxes you just put the hinges/drawer slides into the right pre-drilled holes. So, I had to add a horizontal support at the correct place for each of these 3x drawers in order to install the push button latches. IKEA Cabinet Pros Style, fit and finish. They look awesome and frankly, nicer than what most of us DIY’ers can accomplish on our own. You can see some photos of the finished result in the gallery below. High-quality hinges and drawer slide hardware is included which provides soft close and smooth functionality. Many issues can be repaired on the road if necessary by visiting the nearest IKEA store for a replacement part vs. needing a shot/tools to fix a custom cabinet. Time savings: you don’t have to build these from scratch. If you don’t have carpentry skills, you can use these and still end up with great looking cabinets. It’s easy to pull IKEA drawers “out” off their rails – you just pull them out and make a certain kind of pull upward on the drawer and it comes right off. The doors come off their hinges too with a small “latch” on the hinge. This is super handy when you need to get to things for repairs, to retrieve things that have fallen behind the drawers or for cleaning. There is a photo of this in the gallery below. IKEA Cabinet Cons The MDF material that the cabinet boxes are built with is heavy; heavier than plywood. I took this into consideration when planning the van and balancing the weight of all the components across the various axles/sides of the van. Ultimately, these are cargo vans and have enormous capacity. Even with this heavier material (and all the other stuff) I didn’t have a problem going over weight. If the MDF gets wet it’s game over. Unlike plywood which is more resilient to water damage, if these cabinets get flooded or really wet they’re toast. This is something that I just accept. However, if a cabinet gets ruined, I can replace it in a very modular way. You’re “limited” to the range of cabinet sizes that they offer. All the “base” (not upper) cabinets are 24″ deep and come in a variety of widths including 15″, 18″, 24″ and 30″. So, depending on your floor plan/design, this could be a limitation. Needing to modify the cabinets with a horizontal support between drawers if using push push button latches like these (more details on that above). At the end of the day, I’m very happy with the outcome and I’d use them again! What I Used & How It Works IKEA calls their kitchen cabinets Sektion. They sell a huge variety of individual cabinet configurations which are organized into three categories. Their “base” cabinets are installed on the floor and normally normally covered with a counter. Their “wall” cabinets are normally hung on the wall above the counter. Finally, their “high” cabinets are tall and span from the floor to the top of the “wall” cabinets for use as pantries or similar. I used entirely “base” cabinets. The “base” cabinets come in a wide variety of widths. Depending on the particular cabinet model, it may be offered in 15″, 18″, 24″, 30″ or 36″ versions. All of these “base” cabinets are available in the standard 24″ depth used in stationary houses. Some also come in 15″ depth as well. There are tons of various types/models of “base” cabinets. Some have only doors. Others only have drawers. Others have drawers with hidden drawers inside. There are more options that you would imagine! However, they’re all built on the same foundational “boxes”. For example, if you had two 24″ wide and 24″ deep “base” cabinets in your design – one with one door and another with 4x drawers – the actual 24″ “box” for both would be identical. Then you would distinguish them (build them out) with the components included with that model. One would come with a single door (and hinge hardware) and the other would come with the four “modular” drawers (and slider hardware) which are installed into the “box”. Here’s a link to a recent (when this post was written) IKEA Sektion Buying Guide/Catalog. Once the “boxes” are built and the specific components that make that cabinet installed (drawers, doors, etc.), you apply what IKEA calls a door or drawer “front”. So, in the case of a cabinet with a door, you’d have one “door front” that attaches to the front of the “box” with it’s supplied hinges. Or, in the case of drawers, each drawer would have it’s own “drawer front”. This allows all the modular components and the staggering array of cabinet configurations to be “styled” with whatever “front” style you prefer. Even more clever, you can change out the “style” of an entire kitchen (or galley) very quickly and reasonably affordably by simply taking off the old door/drawer fronts and replacing them with a different style/look (new door/drawer fronts) while re-using all the of the existing structure (boxes). If you take a look at the buying guide, you’ll see that the first many pages show the various door/drawer styles – everything from dark wood tones to pure white is available. Toward the end of the buying guide is a detailed overview of all the cabinet models, the sizes that model is available in and the cost for each with the various “fronts”. So, when you purchase IKEA cabinets, you need to specify the cabinet “model” itself (it’s unique combination of drawers, doors, etc.), what size you want (in width and depth) and what door/drawer type you wish to use with that cabinet. Ultimately, this results in a whole pile of flat-packed goodness that you get to assemble into the final cabinet! It’s all a bit confusing which is probably why you must order any kitchen cabinets from an IKEA kitchen representative in their kitchen department. You don’t just pick up a box from the “warehouse” part of the store like you would for most of their products. I’ve found the kitchen folks very helpful. Below is a table of all the cabinets I used in my van. All of the door/drawer fronts are the “Veddinge” style. Location Model Dimensions Galley Rear B4E (4x drawers) Width: 15″, Depth: 24″ Galley Middle B1D (1x door with shelves inside) Width: 18″, Depth: 24″ Galley Front B4E (4x drawers) Width: 15″, Depth: 24″ Clothes Storage Under Bed Loft B3EE1I (3x drawers with 1x inner drawer on top) Width: 18″, Depth: 24″ Rear Door Gear Storage Under Bed Loft BS3EE (3x drawers) Width: 30″, Depth: 15″