Guest Post: The 5 Biggest Mistakes You May Make When Building Your Van

The 5 Biggest Mistakes You May Make When Building Your Van

Van life can be such an adventure and deciding to take the plunge is a big decision; once you have decided to try out this alternative lifestyle choosing the perfect van is an exciting process. But, realising that a new campervan can cost upwards of £50k is less exciting, and this is where DIY campers come in. Converting your own van not only allows you to save some precious pennies for life on the road but also enables you to create your very own tiny home, exactly how you want it. 

However, building a campervan can be hard work and stretches most DIY-ers capabilities. Not only do you need to think about how to make a small space function as a home, and look good doing it, but you also need to think about temperature control, weight limits, electrics, plumbing, building regulations and much more. Today we’re going to be looking at the five biggest mistakes you can make when building your van so you can (hopefully) avoid them when it comes to your conversion.  

1. No Prior Planning 

At number one on our list, we have no prior planning. While it may seem boring to spend ages planning your build when you want to crack on, it’s important to have a good idea of what you want your finished van to look so you have something to work towards. So, get your sketchbook out and test out some different floor-plans. If you’re handy on the computer, then give sketch up a go for a 3-D scale design of your new tiny house. 

As well as planning your layout, it is essential to do some initial research, get online and see what other people have done in their vans and look into your country’s laws surrounding DIY campervans and weight limits. You may find some restrictions that you didn’t know you needed to hit that may alter your layout slightly. It’s also great to get out there in a rental van to find out what you need and what you haven’t used; there’s no point in building a full bathroom if you aren’t going to use it. 

2. Poor Insulation 

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is badly insulating your campervan. Insulation is so important as it regulates the temperature inside your home, keeping it warmer in winter and cooler in the summer. Without insulation, a van is essentially a huge tin can, heat will escape through the thin walls exceptionally quickly, and the interior will feel like a greenhouse in the summer, making your van uncomfortable to stay in. 

There are several different ways to insulate, and it’s worth spending some time finding the right combination that works for you. Some factors to consider are efficiency, cost, and how eco-friendly the product is. 

3. No Airflow or Ventilation

Airflow couldn’t be more critical when designing the layout of your van. If air cannot circulate around your campervan, then you may get a build-up of moisture in some areas causing damp and mould, which is never fun to deal with. 

An open-plan layout is an excellent way to avoid moisture build-up as air can easily flow through the entire van. If you want to go for a static bed with storage underneath, then make sure you consider ventilation beneath the bed and allow air to circulate from the rest of the van into this area. Windows that can open are also a good option to allow fresh air into your home, as is an electric fan in the roof of your van. 

4. Not Testing For Leaks 

Nothing kills a campervan like a leak; even a small hole can allow water into your van which can then soak into your insulation before you’ve realised it’s there. Testing for leaks is especially important if you are converting an old van or if you have added items to your roof that meant cutting or drilling holes- think skylights, fans, solar panels or a roof rack.

It’s a good idea to install all roof items before starting on the rest of the build; then you can check you’re leak-free before starting your conversion. Once you have added everything to the roof of your van, feed a hose pipe onto the roof, or get a friend to hold one above while you stay inside. You’ll want to run the water for quite a while to make sure your roof is fully sealed. Remember, any roof fans or skylights will probably need resealing from time to time, it’s worth having a look every six months or so.

5. Investing In The Wrong Vehicle 

Our last mistake that you will want to avoid when building your campervan is to not invest in the wrong vehicle. This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to do, especially if you know nothing about mechanics. Don’t be taken in by a low price; if a van is cheap, then it’s probably for a reason. If you know a mechanic, then ask if they will come along with you to view the van so you can have a professional opinion on the vehicle you are buying. 

Don’t buy a van just on looks, yes it may be an attractive colour or an unusual shape, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to start and run well. A van conversion isn’t cheap, and if you’re doing it yourself, it also takes a lot of time. The last thing you want to do is invest your time and money into an unreliable van. 

And we’ll be honest, the same goes to doing parts of the build. Don’t just do it because you have to, we know a lot of van lifers who outsource parts of their build that they either don’t have experience doing or just feel like they need a professional to help with. 

We are currently converting a micro van, and although we have converted in the past, making a double bed in such a confined space is challenging, so we outsourced this to a small local conversion business who create flat pack beds and interiors for smaller vans. 

This not only saved us time, but also saved us the possibility of ruining our van. Just because everyone on YouTube builds every inch of their van doesn’t mean you have to, you’ll be surprised how many DIY’ers out there outsource and get help with their builds. Remember it’s your van, do as much or as little as you wish!

We hope you have found this list of the top five mistakes you can make when building your van helpful, and that you manage to avoid them all when you complete your conversion. While there are points to prevent, building out your camper is an adventure in itself and is an exciting process. Remember to enjoy it, and take pictures along the way so you can see how far you’ve come, it may be hard at times, and these will act as visual motivation. Best of all, once it’s complete, you’ll be able to hit the open road for some epic road trips.  

What other tips can you offer other DIY builders? Please leave your comments below.

Written by Van Clan.