As one saying goes “There is more than one way to skin a cat.” There are a million different ways to convert a truck/ van into a camper. I went off of what worked for my situation and what advice was repeated over and over from multiple different sources.
Insulation: When I did my first build in 2019 I was on a lot tighter budget and there were not quite as many options available as there are now. I did a rigid foam board with reflective side on my first build. I was overall happy with it however just having the base layer of wool down in my truck, man what a difference this is going to make. I also didn’t have the budget in my first build to do the sound deadening.
Types of wood: There are so many types of wood out there. I knew that, but I really didn’t know that haha. I chose cedar and oak for this build. Cedar is known for it’s resistance to decay, insects and warping. All qualities that are perfect for a rig that is going to be in the elements a lot and in a plethora of different climates. I wanted to do staining instead of painting for my shelves and bed frame which cedar will also work great for. For the cedar I am using 1x2’s, 1x12’s and 1x4’s. Oak represents a lot of the same qualities as cedar as well as added strength and durability. The oak will be my floor and walls. My AC/ heater indoor air handling unit (approx. 20 lbs) will be hanging on the driver side wall so I wanted to make sure I had something that was going to handle the weight. For the oak I am using 3/4 in. 4x8 - 8 ply plywood.
Solar: The amount of companies that have come out over the last few years is mind blowing. Bottom line, I had 0 problems with my first system and after talking to the guy that purchased my van and confirming he has also had no problems I just stuck with them so I will be using Renogy for my solar power.
Main components: Solar panel - bring in power. Inverter/ Charger - Give me shore power and make the power brought in from the panel usable ie. give me outlets to plug in all my stuff. MPPT Charge controller - regulates the power coming in so stuff doesn’t blow up lol.
Wanting a full AC/ Heat setup and the ability to cook at will, I needed more power for this setup compared to my last one. I will have a minimum of 3 - 200W solar panels, a 3000W inverter and a 60A MPPT charge controller. My previous build was 3 - 100W panels, a 2000W inverter and a 40A MPPT charge controller.
There are an endless number of van conversion companies out there that will do everything for you from top to bottom, no work required on your part. The cost however can be a bit steep. I have a very clear idea of what I want. I like plain Jane. If this breaks down on me in the middle of nowhere I want to be able to access everything and potentially be able to fix it myself. The more moving parts there are, the more chance of something breaking. I think I can have a nice build and still be straightforward.
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