the kam van

[ilovemyvan]

Kamturbo, you must be so proud of your van. It's so beautiful and so well done. I can't believe you were able to fit a shower in there.

Nicole

 

[kamturbo]

Kamturbo, you must be so proud of your van. It's so beautiful and so well done. I can't believe you were able to fit a shower in there.

Nicole

Thanks Nicole! Having some sort of shower was a must for me as it was one of the key ingredients to having this be my home and not just a casual camper. It's a little cramped in there but feels good to be clean

Kam

 

[kamturbo]

I'm looking forward to Bob's blog post, I just picked up my new Ford transit today.

Awesome! Is it the newer style transits? I really love the amount of room in those things. Was so close to buying one but with my budget i wouldn't have had much left for a proper interior. If they ever come out with a 4x4 I'll sell this in a heartbeat to get one. Looking forward to your van build!

 

[SaltySeaWitch]

Very inspiring!! Love it!

 

[Cammalu]

Wow!!!!


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[Canine]

Kudos sir.I admire craftsmanship,and you are a craftsman.

 

[TequilaSunSet]

Bravo... just beautiful

 

[Cheli]

That is amazing, great job!

 

[Cheli]

So for the shower I'm guessing you had to add a grey water container or something underneath the van? When I do my van I want a shower but I think that's a project way more complicated than my skill. But maybe I'll figure it out when I get there.

 

[Big Country]

Awesome! Is it the newer style transits? I really love the amount of room in those things. Was so close to buying one but with my budget i wouldn't have had much left for a proper interior. If they ever come out with a 4x4 I'll sell this in a heartbeat to get one. Looking forward to your van build!

I first looked at the Ford Transit vans about six months ago and thought no way, too expensive and two wheel drive.  Since then I’ve looked at a lot of other options and other vans. I hated the idea of not having a 4WD. After spending a few days camping out of my pick-up with a topper my priorities changed, I decided a larger more comfortable living space was a lot more important to me than having 4WD. Then I saw that the 2015 vans had been marked down quite a bit, it was only about 5K more than the used vans I had been looking at.

 

[GotSmart]

That has inspired me to rebuild my van.  Thanks! 

 

[kamturbo]

So for the shower I'm guessing you had to add a grey water container or something underneath the van? When I do my van I want a shower but I think that's a project way more complicated than my skill. But maybe I'll figure it out when I get there.

Thanks for the kind words! Yeah there's a grey water tank underneath but its not complicated at all. Basically a large diameter PVC pipe that is secured to the bottom frame of thr van with heavy duty zip ties. The shower and sink both drain through the van and into the pipe. End caps that screw on/off allow for drainage.

 

[rvpopeye]

Great idea with the PVC "tank" Kam !!

 

[ColdBrook]

Your van redo is gorgeous. I was thinking I would be happy with a rougher interior but now that I see what's actually possible I am drooling. Thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas. Hopefully I will find an old used van in my price range soon, and then it will be adapted to my needs. Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures and info that you have. Enjoy your home....Kat

 

[Cammalu]

So Kam, when are you going to open your custom van makeover shop?


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[cortttt]

I first looked at the Ford Transit vans about six months ago and thought no way, too expensive and two wheel drive.  Since then I’ve looked at a lot of other options and other vans. I hated the idea of not having a 4WD. After spending a few days camping out of my pick-up with a topper my priorities changed, I decided a larger more comfortable living space was a lot more important to me than having 4WD. Then I saw that the 2015 vans had been marked down quite a bit, it was only about 5K more than the used vans I had been looking at.

Enjoy the Transit. That is a fun van to travel around in. Love that big windshield.

 

[cortttt]

Hello Everyone,

Long time lurker but first time post.  Just wanted to share my van with you guys/gals and to say thanks for all the help that's provided on the forum (especially to Bob)!  This is a full-time rig and although I've only been living in it for a month now I'm pretty comfortable with vehicle dwelling from my past experiences with camping and "cheap" traveling.

Like most here I'm doing this for the freedom and simplicity.   I think this quote sums up best:  “Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.” - Ellen Goodman

I'm not normal  

Van details:

• 2000 Chevy Express (extended w/ hightop already install) with 73,000 miles
• Ex-border patrol van used by the state of Arizona
• 200 Watts of solar
• 225 amp-hours

Looking towards the rear barn doors.  I'm 5'7" so I can sleep sideways comfortably.  Since I will be mainly chasing the snow in the winters the van is insulated with 2" of Polyiso on the sides and anywhere from 2-6" on the roof due the curvature.  So far I haven't had to use my heater but it hasn't been incredibly cold.  The wood paneling that you see throughout the van is only 1/4" thick so it's not as heavy as it looks.


Here's the view looking into the front of the van. That's my shower with the folding door open.  The walls have been waterproofed with an epoxy-acetone mixture and have been covered with linoleum with seams caulked and taped. Hopefully it's waterproof.  I've tried to go as simple and non-electric as possible so the shower is your standard modified weed sprayer with kitchen spray head.  Works quite well for me!  Also, you might notice that I don't have a passenger seat. That's because my fridge is there. Had to make a big decision to remove the seat but the extra room is worth it.  It's also where I have my 2 batteries stored.  


This pooper goes in the shower as well.  Had some leftover wood and decided to make a simple sawdust toilet.  Once again it's simple and works for me. Plus it was fun to make!


The cooking area.  2-Burner stove with sealed propane compartment underneath.  The manual foot-operated sink pump helps me conserve water and batteries.  Also added a little diy porthole medicine cabinet for toiletries.

You set the standard for design!

A modified weed sprayer! I love it.  Plus an ex-border patrol vehicle....ha....

What fridge are you using and how did you choose it?

 

[Glenda From Oz]

Very Nice and looks quite functional.  Enjoy your travels.

YOLO (You Only Live Once)

The mountains are calling and I must go! - John Muir

 

[Morningstar]

Oh my gosh! What a dream! 

:heart: :heart: :heart:

 

[accrete]

VanKudos to you Kam!!