In this video I'm going to show you how to camperize a van, which is making a kind of house-vehicle. In other videos, I’ve shown you how to leave it decent on the inside and outside from the paint that was rough going to shiny to a small restoration where I removed some rust it had, and then painted everything so it wouldn’t happen again This is normal if you buy an old van, as is the case it requires a little time to leave it well, so to say, it’s mandatory to do so because then we're going to put a bunch of things on top and if we have rust problems underneath we’ll have to remove everything and it'll be twice the work The ideal would be to buy one that is already in perfect condition, and thus save us all this it would be a bit more expensive but it could be worth it. Having said that, the camperization begins We start at the bottom, on the floor, and we have to buy good wood It has to be marine or phenolic plywood, because otherwise it bulges with moisture that is, this kind of wood doesn’t absorb water, so it won’t give us problems in the long term In addition, it’s quite light and we don’t need it to be very thick to be resistant. This is important, because we cannot put a lot of weight either, because vans don’t have too much power and mine had even less I already had a measured wood on the floor, it was like that when I bought it but it had happened what I told you before with the humidity it ended up bulging and when you stepped on it, it cracked That's why I had to buy new ones The good thing is that if you already have a floor even if it's in bad condition, you can use it as a template before you throw it away Otherwise, you can use cardboard or paper, and draw the shape with a pencil and then transfer it to the wood Something that usually happens, which isn’t a problem but we have to keep in mind is that the woods they sell aren’t big enough for the floor of the van, that is, you’ll have to do it in several pieces The good thing about this is that it’s going to make it easier to place In my case, for example, I made the floor in 3 parts Once we already have the form in the wood, either with cardboard or the old floor, it’s time to cut We can do it with a wireless jigsaw, which is very comfortable and using 2 sawhorses so you can cut comfortably, you can do it nicely You need to have 2 saw blades, one to make the curves, which are thinner, and another one for the straight cuts. When you get to cuts that are angular, as 'L' you will have to cut on one side and then the other, that is, join them at this point Therefore, don’t expect to do everything in the first cut following the line, you’ll have to make several small cuts to finish everything For example, here I had made the first piece of floor and I still had to cut half a centimeter more or less but it’s better to have too much than too little, because otherwise you’ll have to buy another wood later. So the key is to leave a margin and don’t pretend to do everything the first time, but adjusting until it’s perfect it takes time I don't know if it took me a couple of nights, but because this was the first time I did it I had never worked carpentry or anything similar The second piece that was bigger, and in theory more difficult, took me much less you learn to use the saw fast. The important thing is that when you put the pieces together and you have them on the floor of the van they fit to the millimeter that you almost have to do some force so that you don’t have to screw them and they don’t move or creak when driving. Now, if your van is mixed, that is, it has seats in the back, they usually have some hooks in the floor so you have to make those holes on the wood so they stick out and you can place the seats. They're a bit complicated to make and more to fit later You can save it and directly remove the hooks, but I think it's good to have them After this, I already had the third piece finished, and with that the base of the floor. It was the first time I did something like this and I'm very happy with the result, it almost fit to the millimeter and very stable nothing cracked I have two things to say: the wood weighs and cuts, so be careful and it dirties a lot, so don’t try to do it in your room or the living room, because everything will be fill with dust. With the new floor done, I was going to throw the old one, but I finally kept it to continue using it as template, at least the largest piece, because if I kept removing the new one, the edges were going to be damaged Now, so it doesn’t’ look so sleazy, you should put tiles or vinyl. In this case they are like plastic tiles although it looks like bamboo; the good thing about this is that it not only will look more beautiful but it'll also be more resistant both to water and blows It gives you a layer of insulation, you can clean it better… all the perks of having a good floor Before you begin to put the tiles like crazy, I’d recommend positioning it first cause it has drawings, at least in this case, so the tiles have to match to see straight lines that look beautiful When you see you already like how it looks, you can start to cut, which is done just like the wood, but easier You've the template and instead of using the saw you mark it with a pen or a pencil, and then you can even cut with a cutter Well, that's in theory and what it says in the package, because I saw it easier to cut it with the saw When you already have the pieces cut, you must glue them to the wood, so you have to take it out of the van take glue and spread it with a spatula or a brush. I think I used too much, because I used two cans and applied it as if it was cement, applying a thick layer which even went out the edges, but I think it’s better if there is more, so it sticks well and the floor doesn’t raise. The key to make it look good is to make a piece at once stick everything, putting you on top, putting weight so that it sticks well Even if you see that it’s a bit bad, at the end, when it’s drying is when you can move it a bit to join the edges avoiding any separation, leaving it as if it was the same sheet. If you see that glue comes out from the edges as in my case, don’t worry because, at least this one, it’s easily removed even when dried with a little water and a rag, you rub and it goes. At this point I saw that since woods were separated I also had to cut the tiles, so that if I needed to lift the floor later on, I wouldn't have to take everything off The cuts were irregular, so I went to a store that did it for me as a favor and I could place it with a kind of eyelash to place one on top of the other, without seeing the joint This is how long a can of glue supposed to be for a whole house lasted. As I said, I think I used quite a lot Now, one thing I did was passing a cable for a rear vision camera in one of the cracks Well, I’ve already explained this in another video but I say it in case you want to take advantage to pass some video cable because the fat electricity ones are better by the wall, since there you won’t step on them nor break them The last pieces left, I directly did them inside the van because to adjust to the millimeter is better to place it and cut if necessary These small cuts you can do them with the cutter, as when you sharpen a pencil or a piece of wood In fact, this floors which are vinyl and soft, can even be cut with a pair of scissors, your fingers will hurt but in specific cases, it can be done. Little by little you finish the floor, gluing it and if you don’t have any problem, in a night, more or less, you can have it finished. I had to remove a tile, because of the seat’s couplings stuck out over the floor and it was very ugly so I had to remove it as I could, because the nut was very hard A trick is to heat it with whatever you have, with a lighter or something, and leave it without the support. Then, if the hole is exposed metal, apply a bit of rustproof paint and then the tiles will be smooth It’s important that you step onto each one that you put, because otherwise it rises and looks bad. In the small pieces is where this happens more, because they don’t have much surface so put weight on top so that it stays well glued and to avoid being there for more than an hour with each. Then clean the glue well, as I said it comes out easy and finally throw away the clippings, which as you see are quite a few. Now the paneling As you can see the standard wasn’t in very good condition; we have to remove all the panels There're a lot of staples and screws so it’ll take us a while. There will be dirt accumulated over the years it’s normal, the important thing is that it isn’t wet, because otherwise it’ll end up producing rust When everything is clean, you can pass the cables It's something easy, if you have holes like you see here, take advantage of them The most important thing is that since the edges are sharp, you have to put a corrugated plastic tube so that with the cable's movement it doesn’t end up cracking, producing sparks, short circuits or maybe a fire, so using that plastic is essential If you don’t have holes through which to pass the cables, you make them yourselves The next thing is to insulate, which is the most important step, to be comfortable inside the van. The insulation may seem expensive as it looks like a simple piece of foam or rubber, however, it’s worth it I even made a video dedicated to this, because it’s applicable to any car you'll have less vibrations and the temperature is much better instead of freezing in winter and roasting in summer, it’ll have a good temperature It can be the difference between being able to sleep or not To put all the panels back together, I used staples, I bought a pack of 200 The next thing I did was visiting the DIY store to choose which paneling I wanted to put in What I recommend is that you use the plastic used for interior, not MDF, neither wood nor things like that First, because they weigh and second, because they absorb moisture It's necessary to use a plastic like this one, which is used for baths, under the ceilings...PVC basically It's nice, is the cheapest, is very easy to cut and put and also we’re going to have a little more insulation by the layer of air between the panels In theory, as put in the package, this can be place with staples because it holds well as they don’t weight much but I recommend to put screws and if you can a little glue behind to make the joint and avoid vibrations Cutting it is very easy, we can do it with a cutter, but it’s slower, so I did it better with the saw It is necessary to take the thinnest blade you have, if not the edges will look disgusting Use a thin one so that they remain this way and to take measures, you can first use a cardboard template or do it on the go. I put it in front of the wheel arch, marked with the pencil and then cut. It is likely that you don’t do well the first time, you’ll have to make some adjustments. The good thing is that the other wall, since there are 2 you can copy it, put a panel on top of the other, copy and cut it. The rest of the boards are very easy, just pull up and cut where necessary The only complicated one is the first one but since they are so big, with one I had already covered almost a quarter of the wall, you finish quickly The panel of the sliding door, unlike the others couldn’t be used, I throw it away, only using it as a template to know where the holes were because I was going to hold the new with staples. As the door will be opening and closing tightly all the time, it needs to be much more securely fastened than the rest, which may have some margin You can put hold them with lag screws and with one every half a meter is enough the panel is going to be attached to the board that is inside and as it doesn’t weigh it won’t fall. This would be very different if you wanted to put wood you'd have to put reinforcement beams screwed to the chassis or glued and in the end I think you’d have to homologate it, while with these panels you wouldn’t In the end, the whole project has been focused on not having to homologate anything not having to screw anything to the chassis, or making modifications, or cuts, because then at least in my country (Spain) you have to pay a lot in engineering projects, paperwork ... is a mess, so I’ve sought not to have to do that... Now I had almost finished the wall on the right, which has no wiring; I had passed all the wires on the left so you only have to make some holes in the panels where you want the cables to go out you take a drill and take out the cable before putting the panel Actually, it’s a very easy process and is also reversible, in case one day we need to pass another cable everything goes with screws that can be removed just like they are put In fact, at this point is when I realized that I had to remove a few panels because I had left on the old floor that is, I had put the panels on top without having removed the old floor which I had left there not to worry if glue dropped and to leave the tools without damaging the new one. I removed the panels, as I said they are just some screws, once they top panels are placed and screwed you can for example remove a panel below or in the middle, nothing happens Here I definitely got rid of the old floor and saw how good it was looking It really encouraged me to see the floor so clean, the white walls, it was a huge change. The left wall, which was the one I was finishing had a metal beam that held the old paneling what happens is that it look awful in that scratched grey, so I painted it matte white That way, instead of seeing that crack in the middle of the panels, you see that bar which looks much better The next thing I did was getting the most important part of the furniture, the bed. I did 100km back and forth you’ll say "why so much?" well, this bed is what I wanted I even went out of my city and arrived at another that I liked a lot, I said "These people know". They had the whole town with artificial grass walls that I said "Here I have to stop, park, and touch everything". It was curious The grace of the bed is that it was the size I needed for the van and that it extended straight you could be seated and open it to make a double-bed After disassembling it to take it out of the house and reassembling it outside, which took us a while this is how it looked inside the van I tell you that it will look better later Since I was in the area, I went to a junkyard to take and look for some pieces that would suit me well. I think this is one of the biggest scrapyards in my country For example, inside, all these are shelves full of engines and then outside, to move between zones you can take a free bus, so you can imagine how big it is The grace is that you can go looking for the car you want, collecting pieces, touching everything you want that is, is quite enjoyable for those who like this stuff which isn't for everyone because you see things with a lot of filth, dirt, etc. and I understand that there are people who prefer to buy the piece new, but it can cost you a lot more In this case, for example, my van’s model were almost empty with no interior, nothing, no pieces People take advantage of them because it’s a very famous model and what many people do is take and sell the pieces I was looking for the back of the bumper and some of them didn’t match the model, others were broken there were even some that were already camperized with a skylight, well with the skylight’s hole, because there was nothing else The only one that wasn't touched was this one, I suppose because it was creepy. Even if the roof was new, it was a funeral van, so it’s normal that people didn’t take anything from it It was difficult to find pieces that were compatible because not all are from the same year or have the same doors, for example some have a single door and others 2, as mine I needed the rubber, but it was hooked by the door Sometimes it costs a little to get the piece you have it there at the reach of your hand and if you don’t know how to pull this cable, you've lost that piece The following, after removing this rubber, was pure chance I found in this pile of rubble, a piece of plastic which was just what I needed for the entrance of the door the step I had painted and all that, I could cover it so it didn’t get scratched It was like in those TV programmes "Oh, what a surprise!" but without having prepared it It wasn't exactly the same model since mine doesn't have that grid or doesn't take advantage of it, but it fitted perfectly The good thing is that if it doesn't work for you, you go back in and return it So I checked that everything fitted and the truth is that for little money I left the van quite decent When I put the rubber I noticed several differences The first was that, when it was on, you noticed less noise from the outside when driving, it’s better insulated However, when it wasn’t on, especially in summer, the van was super well ventilated there you could almost fit a hand and a lot of air entered It was like having the window or even a door safely open, so I saw as a good choice cutting only this part the bottom, to put it and remove it when I wanted Changing the part of the bumper was putting a couple of screws, because the old one was falling apart the truth is that changing anything in a van is super easy Another thing to keep in mind is that the bed made a hell of a noise, which takes you off the urge to drive so I couldn’t leave it like that At that moment I turned the music up but then I put some pads as the ones you put on the legs of the furniture and that completely solved the noise, plus the mattress on top The rivets of the walls, which are like the skirting boards, the edges of the doors and all that what I did was buying and assembling them in the parking lot, so I could return them or buy more depending on whether I was short or had too much You only need a saw and silicone in case you see it doesn’t stick well somewhere so you can perfectly do it there and they didn’t say anything, at least to me Actually, due to the size of the van I couldn’t park it in any garage, so I've done everything on the street This is in a public parking during the day, but when I usually had time was at night These wall ridges even if they seem ‘useless’ give a much more professional finish instead of having the edges as nibbled, it’s smooth and very professional Just like the floor, since the panels cannot be perfectly adjusted, you install a skirting board which is a board like this, and it looks much better In the end, you don’t need to be a professional, and not even do it perfectly do it and then this details cover all the faults and look at the difference, it looks great Besides, these things so you don't see the screws or anthing come with self-adhesive you can buy it this way All you have to do is clean the wall a little and glue it, you have it in a moment After finishing the details, I began with the electric part I had already passed the cables through the walls, but it lacked the photovoltaic installation that is, the solar panels and everything that accompanies them The first thing is to install LED lights, so it consumes less and looks better The next thing is preparing the cables since they need some connectors for the solar panels they're very easy to put We unscrew the cover of the connector, pass the cable through, peel leaving a little copper in sight and solder it to the connector itself, this piece of metal When you have it, you screw back the plastic cover, so to speak, and you have the connector finished. The two are the same, one male and one female. Now something essential is to put a fuse and these are specific to solar panels, just look and put it well the drawing it brings indicates where the current passes Normally when you buy it, it already tells you where it goes, so you wouldn’t have to open it but if you see something goes wrong, it could be for this Now we need a battery and it can even be a car’s one the bigger the better, since we’ll have more light hours I took one from a car that was going to the junkyard The thing is that car batteries are almost always lead and that means that when we completely discharge them, they can be damaged. By the way, it’s better to take them with the connectors so if you can, cut the cables better, because then you can directly use it for the solar installation Anyway, lead batteries aren’t ideal because the more discharges, the less they last. The best is to buy a gel or lithium battery, but they are very expensive To install the solar panel the first thing to do is climb on the roof to clean it, because normally vans aren’t cleaned so there is dirt there to bore There’s no need to clean the entire roof, just the area where you're going to put the solar panel you can leave the rest dirty, it's just so that the silicone sticks well and the panel doesn’t fly when we're driving I’ve chosen a very thin one, of about 2 millimeters, thick and flexible, so it molds super well to the roof and it doesn’t protrude anything, so we won’t hear more noise when driving nor will it affect the aerodynamics It looks very good and sticks super easy Before ordering it, I measured the roof and where I was going to put it so that it didn’t protrude or was too small This one has 100 watts that allows you to have a light, a small TV or even charge a laptop It's not much, but what it does is charge the batteries and then that's from where we use the energy it doesn’t go directly to the device, otherwise we could only use 100 watts devices. At this point there are two possibilities, drilling the ceiling or not In my case it wasn’t necessary and I didn’t’ want to do it to avoid having to homologate so what I did was running a cable through the door, I think it was the easiest and best solution The cable won’t be spoiled because it isn’t crushed and water won’t enter, because there’s a kind of gutter, so the water falls down the sides. It isn't that by leaving the cable there water will enter About that, as lately it wouldn’t stopping raining, I bought a silicone that could be used even under water with ice, it dried in an hour, because otherwise I think it would have been ruined The first thing I did was checking it worked As you can see it gives 19.8 volts, don’t think that this will ruin the battery as it has 12 volts since then we've to put an intermediate step so to speak Now it’s time to apply the silicone on the panel I recommend one thing, don’t put the mouthpiece it brings cut the mouth and leave it like that so silicone goes out quickly otherwise, with the mouthpiece on, as I first did, only a super fine threat of silicone comes out, which isn’t enough to cover the ceiling's undulations This silicone is expensive, but I see more expensive having to do it all over again I used almost two cans, because a little of the second one must be left to make the outside edge hermetic By the way, apply the silicone in closed squares so there are no gaps through which water can come, to avoid rust or problems Then to apply strength to the glue I saw it difficult from the ladder, so I climbed to the ceiling If yours is fiberglass, don’t climb because it can crack If it is metal, be careful and lean only on the beams because the center can be dented Once you’ve pressed a bit, put some weight on it and leave it there To put silicone on the edges, you’ll do it better with the nozzle and some tape placed at a centimeter of distance Since you’re going to spread it a lot so it won’t look ugly when you remove the tape, it will be a super clean cut the same as when you paint and use tape, but doing it with thick paint and spreading it with your fingers. After removing the tape, which by the way stains quite a lot and will probably stain your clothes, so use old ones you’ve to fill these holes, which are used to put the panel with screws This isn’t difficult at all, think that I am doing it with one hand on the ladder, another on the camera and another on the silicone gun, well more or less, because I don’t have 3 hands, but you know what I mean When a few hours have passed and the silicone is dry, we remove the protector from the solar panel which comes in handy, if it doesn’t bring it, you put it because look how there’s silicone on top, and when you take if off it’s perfect. By the way, I didn't expect it to look so good since it was the first time I used a silicone gun and I did it more or less at a guess With this I could benefit from the sun’s energy and didn’t need to depend on plugs or look for a campsite, the truth is that gives an awesome autonomy. The panel loses a little efficiency being flat instead of inclined, as you see it gives 18.3 but it also depends on the time, the time of year or if it's raining The cables finally remain like this, with some flanges so that they don’t move with the air although they could even stuck with silicone to the plate Now we need a controller, I already had one in another car’s glove compartment because I had put a small solar panel on the dashboard, so I didn’t run out of battery. This must be bought thinking about how much power the solar panels are going to have in total I used one of 130 because the panel was 100, but if I wanted to put more, I should have put a bigger one like this of 390 watts which would allow me to put 2 panels. The function of this device is very important What it does is to take the voltage from the solar panel, which is continuously changing 19 volts, 6, 0 whatever and transform it into the 13 volts you need to charge the battery If it wasn’t for this device, it would discharge if the voltage was smaller or overcharge and be damaged To install it, it goes in three parts 2 wires, positive and negative from the battery 2 panel wires and 2 wires from the electricity that we’ll use, as if it was the plug When we connect the panel and the battery, it’ll start to work and it will be charging. It normally brings a programmer function which we adjust with a button to indicate at what time it gives or stops giving electricity This is explained in the instructions, I leave it at 17 for example, which gives constant electricity at all times just like in a house which is switched off with switches These two lights are to know if the panel is charging and to see how much load we have. If the light flashes, it is full. If it's fixed, it's normal. If it's yellow, it is low and if it's red, it's super low Now what is left to finish the installation, is to put plugs in the walls of 12 volts like those of a cigarette lighter because this way it is much more efficient Make the holes, put the connectors and connect the cables that we have passed before If we wanted to put things with plugs like those at home we would need an inverter, but they aren’t efficient at all and it would drain our battery Now I start with the furniture, which are't going to be many The first thing I did was putting a table on the bed so I could put the laptop on top, the food plates and that sort of things. What I recommend is that when you buy the wood take the one below, because it will be the flattest and use plywood, which is like skateboards, very resistant even if it is thin and light It’d be nice if you knew the measures you want because normally they cut it for free in the shop and that way it looks much better As in the van there isn’t a lot of space I wanted the table to be foldable, like the typical ones of the class stool, but in a bed First, I made the necessary holes that are easily marked by pressing against the screw and then I varnished it because I didn’t like the color of the wood at all Besides, I think that way it is more protected I'm not a carpenter, but applying a bit with the brush it absorbs it and looks as if you’d bought it like that very professional I'm not going to say much more about this, because they are simply 2 tables, literally put the fixed with screws and the other with the hinges and we already have a folding table So it stands still when unfolded you can put a couple of bolts like those in the bathrooms or a leg that moves and becomes fixed Almost the next day I realized that they sold this and wasn’t expensive, but it was late and it didn’t look bad I bought a counter, a bathroom furniture and a sink by the way, the system under the pipes must be bought separately. I had to make another trip to the store Then assembling a piece of furniture is very easy it comes with the instructions; they aren’t very good, but they are light that is important for a van I bought the one that entered more just in the hole that I had left, without passing over the window This had legs, so if it was too high I could remove them and leave it lower I had to do the counter twice, but at least the board I bought was big enough to make a mistake The key to make it look good is to mark the edge of the sink with pencil and then mark again a centimeter inside so it fits tightly and there is no need to use silicone, so then we can lift it if we want make changes in the future As said, the furniture isn’t very good, so if you buy the cheap ones they won’t be good this for example was cork, but well, is a resistant cork they put it in the form of a bee panel and you can even climb on it that doesn’t break Then you have to assemble the tap, which is quite easy and it even includes the tools, to call it somehow Stick the counter with silicone again and put a faucet you only need it to have cold water and it is installed as if it was a large screw with its nut Now, to have water we need a water pump with its correspondent tubes You can buy everything in a kit, I would recommend that it also comes with a hose, then you'll see why The installation of these tubes is almost the same as the solar panel connectors first the plug is passed through the cable, it is connected and then screwed so that it is fixed tightening tightly but without breaking it, this is what avoids dripping Like this connector's joint, which is a standard hose one to which we’ll connect the hose that comes in this kit and from there to the tap, to which I’ve also put a standard hose connector. At the end of the tube that catches the water we must put a filter so that sand doesn’t enter and some weight as a nut, so it sinks and doesn’t float, taking air. Now, at this point there are several ways to follow One is to take water from a deposit, and the one going down the drain, ends up in the ground through a hole Another is to take a deposit of clean water and another of dirty water, and we have to empty it Another is a deposit for everything, is a little dirty but is the easiest and if we only use this to wash our hands, it is the simplest We can change the water as well, as is done to the turtle and such things. I have used a refrigerator, to also give it that use for example the hermetic things like cans, bottles etc., leave them there fresh. Another thing that is nice is to put a switch to the tap even if the pump only works with water demand it costs nothing to cut one of the cables of the cigarette lighter and put a switch in between This is like having a stopcock at home, that if you use it, the water is cut off If you're not interested, you can put that switch directly to all the lighters and so everything connected can be easily disconnected as if it was the switch of a multiple socket. Under the furniture, so that neither the cables nor the deposit are seen, I put a piece of wood For the faucet to pour water, it must be filled It can be filled by the drain, which is going to be the same from where it takes water If you don’t like this, you can do any of the other options throw the water to the street or throw the water to another bucket the important thing is seeing there are no leaks and to avoid having everything flooded When you are sure about this, you can use it. This one can move, so leave it always looking inwards and the button I have put as a safety makes that if you turn it off, the tap doesn’t work The advantage of putting the faucet connected to hose is being able to connect an irrigation head like this and be able to pour water outside It is useful to have a shower and even to clean the van with how long the hose is we can even clean the car next door. Also, for that is the switch, because that way you turn off the water pump, disconnect the normal tap there isn’t water everywhere, so you can connect the head quietly and go outside with it By the way, I bought one with several modes sprinkled, normal, to pressure, and then it is collected much easier than it looks In the windows I put translucent curtains, so light passed but they didn’t see me I put the bars with magnets to avoid drilling because as I said before, every drill in the chassis has to be homologated I preferred not to do it I think these are shower curtains, and I have put them because they are easier to clean if for example we stain them with oil when cooking or water splashes Where I had cut the furniture I could see the cardboard I thought that it was going to go against the wall, but you could see through the window and even that the curtain was going to be there, I didn’t want it to look like that, so I put a decorative tape which are very easy to install The last thing you've to do is holding it because when you're driving it’ll move everywhere, I say it from experience I became with the idea of joining two L angles together, to take advantage of a hole in the wall I fixed it to the furniture with four screws and their nuts and then in the hole I put it with a clamp, but it would be better to put threaded rivets that are like welded nuts inside the plate in which you can then put and remove the screws you want I didn’t need it, because I put this other support on the side held to the chassis of the seat I didn’t want to do irreversible things, but things that I could remove with a few screws in a moment For example, these screws you put them, turn the metal, tighten them and there is no one who moves them One thing I still had to finish was the top of the wall which I couldn’t close before since I had to connect the solar panel For the missing piece, as it is smaller than a whole panel, you have to take it and cut it. Measure how much you need, with tape you mark a straight line and then follow it with the saw If for whatever reason it isn’t perfect at the end which is normal, you put a skirting board like in the floor and it looks very good The only inconvenience I had, which is typical, is that the bed didn’t fit well, and even if fitted by measures the height touched with the wheel arch and I couldn’t stick completly to the wall I made it some wooden legs, I tried to screw them to the original legs but they were awful because the bases of the legs were like plastic plugs that didn’t have any robustness and they moved a lot My final solution was go inside a store with the van to the corridor of aluminum tubes I didn’t do smash-and-grab raid, you can go inside with the car, I measured and cut what I needed I had the bed turned with the legs out, so that it was easier to measure and cut in a moment You have to mark them with a number because each one measures different and then it's a mess to put them By the way, as they aren’t perfectly fitted, it’s nice to put a little insulating tape so they don't fall when turning Another option instead of fitting the tube to the bottom is adjusting it to the measure you need and screwing it The next thing I did was another trip to the center to buy another bed that you will say is stupid but I wanted the mattress of that model because it was perfect as backrest and to have a double bed The bed, new, costs 200€ that I wasn’t going to spend for just a mattress, nor do it to measure because it was expensive. I bought it used and then the first thing I did was washing the covers in the washing machine Besides going to buy things with it, I use the van as a vehicle daily The only thing that scares a little is the size of the deposit, it has 75l but it doesn’t consume so much After thousands of kms I have done about 8l to 100km I spent a lot of time until I found some sheets that I liked and I found just these that I think are perfect because they give that touch of beach that matches the van quite well, I think they are great Besides, they’re reversible so they can last twice as long The only thing left were the rear windows that left no privacy, everyone could see everything I could have put some curtains but then I'd have to be removing them to drive, something I didn’t feel like doing Actually with the rear camera, when you put it by button you can be looking back all the time parking at millimeter, etc. but I prefer to see the lights if someone comes close, I drive better So I dyed them, well, rather I had them dyed because I tried once and it was so-so, so I didn’t want to risk wasting a couple of sheets and in the end the price was going to be almost the same as dying them I chose the darker tone, practically nothing of the inside is seen, so you can be quietly inside on a rainy afternoon watching a TV series After this I was already using it to be in the interior and enjoy it, I put more things like a fan in case it was hot even though it wasn’t necessary with the insulation I put everything with magnets and hooks to avoid having to make drills I also put a TV which I practically don’t use, because who wants to TV having a laptop? I also have a small mattress under the bed because the cushions are very nice, but it’s better to have a hard mattress to rest our back The wooden table that I made was nice but in the end I didn’t use it having one of these folding ones that I could put in the same place and approach it, I could do it in a second and I saw it more comfortable In the end, more is less, so I stopped adding silly things For example, I left this wall empty so as not to have furniture I could hit and be able to open the bed which is big and occupies the whole van since it is a 1.20x2 meters bed, extended it occupies almost everything Next to the sink I have a bin, which I consider essential and then inside the sink, it has the same measure, I can put a portable stove which is enough to cook then you draw the curtains and open the window and the smoke and all that goes away This is something I use a lot both at home and out in the car when I go somewhere, I recommend it Something I also have is a portable heating that works with the same system a gas cylinder which heats a kind of ceramic plate It works very well at least for small spaces like these is more than enough and lasts two hours Actually I don’t have much more things because travel light, I fit almost everything in a backpack if I needed more I would buy this kind of boxes that go under the bed and well, this is all at least for now because these things are finished when you want, you can always add more things It has cost me a lot to do this, so I hope you like it. You need a lot of time to build something like this, even if it is simple, economical and practical but then you enjoy it, especially if it's a vehicle that you're going to use daily, is a kind of mini house behind It's awesome You have everything: a faucet, an outside shower, a very big bed, insulation (the most important) not to get too cold or too hot a TV, light, solar panels, you can cook and I don’t know you have almost everything you’d have in your room, which isn’t a big deal but I'm enjoying it very much.
