Search results

+1 A fan is the combined "AC Unit, Ceiling Fan, Kitchen Exhaust Fan and possibly Bathroom Exhaust Fan" of your build. The Maxx Air more than any other feature except maybe the bed makes my van a home on wheels.  In addition to being able to leave it open in the rain AND while driving down the...

Consumer reports built some homemade ice type coolers and then tested them in the same chamber they use to test conventional AC units, using a variety of ice types. They found it drops temps a few degrees for about an hour and then temps quickly climb back up...

I don't think it's the fact that nobody cares. I think when you start taking engines apart and getting that detailed, it's beyond the technical level of most people on this forum and they can't meaningfully contribute. When you start posting about building out that rear box and adding...

I assume that ALL camper vans and trailers leak or have leaked on the past. That way I'm never disappointed. The reality is that unless the previous owner climbed up on top and thoroughly inspected the roof and walls every year, it likely leaked at some point. The older the vehicle the more...

Basically all you save on using a shipping container versus a regular tiny home is the cost of some shell framing, minus the cost of container, delivery and rigging expense. You will find that most containers are (surprise!) for sale near ports and depots, not in the middle of nowhere. They...

Is anyone using any kind of enclosed awning or tent at their side door to give them a changing room/added space? (Note, I'm looking for solutions that work on a full-sized van with side cargo door.) Ideally I'd like a hard cased option like the Thule or Fiamma but they start at $800 and up...

How dare Ford introduce features that are incompatible with the desires of the 0.05% of customers who want to live in a tiny van! I'm shocked, outraged and irate at their lack of consideration.

I've done a combination of backpacking and tent camping from motorcycles, cars/Jeeps and now vanning since the late 70's. The AT, state and national parks, private campgrounds, state campgrounds and in my youth private lands I probably shouldn't have been on. I've never had anything stolen. I...

Moisture is your enemy. Whether from spills or from leaks or form condensation, water will find you and your unsealed surfaces. I sealed every surface of every piece of wood in my build with urethane. Top, bottom and all four edges of every sheet and stick, with surfaces sealed BEFORE assembly...

Hey deryk just saw you were in NJ, I'm in the Burlington/Bordentown area, I work in Princeton. If you need any tools or a hand with anything let me know.

I can't see how. :D A traditional twin mattress which is considered the minimum for one adult is 38" wide.  I have an REI 30x80 camp pad that sees tent duty and I never sleep very well on it because of the narrow width. Is your companion particularly miniscule? How big are you?

If your interior walls are VERY thin and tight against the van walls (a minimum of foam and paneling at the belt line) you are just at 72" maybe an inch or so longer. You can probably get a foam (no springs at all) Twin mattress (38" x 75") across the back. A Twin XL (38" x 80") down the...

+1! And they love big white vans. In 30+ years of driving I never came even close to hitting a deer. I get my van and start building it out, I hit two within 6 months, both early morning. The first totalling the van (I bought it back and continued with the project) and the second I repaired...

DEET, more DEET and Citronella candles for me. I'm more afraid of what the mosquitoes might be carrying than what DEET might do to me. Mosquitoes are vectors for bacterial, viral, protozoan and filarial diseases impacting not only humans but dogs and cats as well. I will use 100% DEET on me...

I didn't put anything in my van build that would absorb moisture. Living in a sealed box makes moisture your enemy. The ceiling and walls of my van build in this order... -Stock sheetmetal -Dynamat -Various thicknesses of 1/2"or 3/4" EPS, either single thickness or layered where applicable...

I can speak from experience here. I'm 6'5" and 300lbs. My GF is 6'0" and less than half my weight. I too have a Ford van, an E-150. We're not living in it full-time right now, but are camping in it several times a month. My original plan called for a bunk at the back, crossways with her feet in...

Best case for ground clearance: -Remove any ground effects/steps if installed, -Go with the tallest tires that fit in your wheel wells, preferably with a truck tread -Add air assist springs to the coils to help minimize bottoming out -Or get a different vehicle. Face it, minivans aren't for...

As others have mentioned, your weight on your hips and your body shape require more than 2" of deflection in order to sleep comfortably. Foam that is firm enough that your hips don't bottom out will be too firm to be comfortable. Softer foam lets your hips bottom out and touch the floor. You...

I bought an external mounting flange on Ebay that fit my E-150 van, filling in the concave ribs and creating a level surface and then just screwed the Maxxfan into the metal roof. (Butyl tape, 3M sealer and then Dicor self-leveling lap sealant on all screws and seams.) My interior ceiling is...

I'm not afraid of driving old vehicles, but it depends on the definition of "old." I drive a 2001 Ford E150. It has 95K miles on it right now, the low mileage and knowing it's history (it was in the family before I got it) is why I have confidence in it. While it's going on 19 years old...