Engineer shows how to convert a van in 7 days and a $1000 budget
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
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I met Mark in Yosemite. He is an engineer from the UK who had built out a van for a 9 month climbing trip. It was cool to meet him because had used my van conversion how-to info to help him with his project.
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In this video Mark explains how he converted this van on a tight budget (buddha?!). He tells you about the tools he used and the techniques building the bed, shelving, drawers and kitchen units... also a few other hacks that made his vanlife an enjoyable experience.
I particularly liked how he created his quick-to-use folding bed that created a seat which he could also cook from. His ingenious use of cheaper materials where it doesn't matter - and better ones where it does - ensured he kept his build cost (and time) down.
This van is a great budget road-trip van - it focuses on the main things; storage, sleeping & cooking. It features a great water system and some great carpentry.
It is great meet people from all over the world who have used my guides to do their van conversions and in-turn share their creations with you!
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Loving this. Was getting sick of the fancy van life videos I've been watching. This is exactly my approach. Cool guy.
richlondonrich Yes there’s some really over the top videos out there. Mobile homes crammed into vans. Got to way up the amount of time added gear is actually used to the amount of space lost. Half of them end up with no space to chill out in all for the sake of stuff that’s hardly used.
Living in Greenville, SC. Looking for someone to help convert my van. Pro Master high top. I'll pay a reasonable amount. Need bathroom, kitchen, stove, TV, Entertainment system, solar, the whole nine yards. Similar to a irok or a crossfit 22d. 9546051241. Do my share of helping, decent with tools. Can't afford those high price rigs. They mark them up 200%. Outrageous!
@@mont5584 i will suggest you convert it by hand, given if u have the time of course. Imagine having a little piece of yourself in every furniture. It will be so worth it.
It's CHILL DUDE
Right! Van life isn't for the materialistic. Kind of the point.
CEO's of company's trying to do van builds and designing of motorhomes need to absolutely pay attention to this young man and LEARN and LISTEN to what we Nomads are looking for!...well done!!!!
Never heard of a VW westfalia? This design and layout has been around over 50 years.
biff binford lol that’s what I was thinking whenever people were saying the design is revolutionary and they’ve never seen it before. I agree it’s a pretty great design, but it’s nothing new.
Yeah propane explosions is just whar you need.
@@davidalexander6533 what are you talking about?
exactly, those boujey ass vans aren't what van life is about. Like they might as well just get an rv.
This must be by far my favorite van conversion. I like how simple, practical and on budget it is.
Yeah, I like how simple, yet practical it is. The only drawback to it I see is that the left-s suspension might need a bit of an upgrade, but one side or the other is practically guaranteed to be a problem in van conversions.
A van conversion is simple if you don't add a bathroom, and don't make a safe place for the propane tank. I respect that people complete their build-outs, but propane tanks are not supposed to remain in a vehicle - period.....
.....except for with windows down and tank secured up-right while taking to be filled or exchanged.
@@wownewstome6123 You forgot unless the vehicle is specifically designed for it. Nothing about a propane tank is natural so they don't belong anywhere but places designed for them.
@@ThouArtOfWar0724 "unless the vehicle is specifically designed for it." RVs have them mounted outside and vented well on the bottom even if they appear to be in an exterior cabinet. Travel trailers have them mounted outside, secured to the front of the trailer.
If under a plastic shell, the bottom is non-existent since propane gas is heavier than air and must be allowed to vent.
Do you have a law to cite allowing them inside any enclosure or vehicle? It's actually prohibited.
What are you worried about? He has an alarm!@@wownewstome6123
Dude, I was sold on your concept in the first 5 seconds. I've watched hundreds of Van life videos and yours is very impressive.
Really first 5 seconds.he hadn't said anything of worth... smh
@@Rita_unteathered😐
Its the same as erics design, which like 60% have taken for inspiration hahaha.
Now *THIS* is what I’m talking about! No unnecessary drawers or closet, no led lights or anything else extra for aesthetic! Just the basic needs and it looks great! I’m loving the rustic look and wood! 😊❤
I've been watching van conversion videos for 7 hours straight. Take my money already.
Great job ..I agree;)
Right!!
😂😂I'm supposed to be shopping for Vans online, but I can't stop looking at conversion vids.
@@j.r.walden9937 Are you going to convert a van? If so, you might consider a "step truck/bread truck" instead. In this vid, a guy built a space saving bathroom in a unique way: "Full time living in fully custom SMART city STEALTH van- story from idea to execution."
@@wownewstome6123 I would if the step truck is a little gas friendly. I have a 2hr round trip for work. I often have to spend the night in my car if I get off too late. I want something that gets me at least 15mpg. My dream Van is gonna be that electric GM ev600 Brightdrop when they make it available to the public. Supposedly will get 250 miles electric. The only stealth thing that really consumes my mind, is having any light showing whatsoever at night from inside the van. But that's just my own paranoia, here in So Florida, no one really seems to care about people chilling with their vanlife.
His bed design was probably the best I’ve seen. I can’t imagine converting the seating area and table to a bed every day the way most vans are designed. His design was much simpler and smarter, like a futon. Then when you’re sitting up you’re right next to the kitchen area which is perfect. I’m guessing he just uses a gym for bathroom needs. So many people say they have toilets and showers and then don’t even want to use them, it seems like a waste of space, imho. He did a great job!
You can tell he is soo proud of his work when he smiles a little after he leans back at 1:33 great vid!
this is an honest conversion and well designed, this guy was totally honest about the tinyest detail. it may not be the best camper I have seen on UA-cam but its def amongst my top 10 faves and if I was to do a conversion myself this is the guy I would come to for advice.
I've been looking through hundreds of van videos searching for the nicest
most practical luxury feeling layouts and saw the title of $1000 budget as sort
of a pfft, how good can it be but was thoroughly impressed. This had the
practical aspect to it that so many specially crafted vans lacked.
Great work!
Hey Nate, here's one I AM SAVING!!! Sending a round of applause and A+ for the absolute simplicity you used in creating a livable space. One that doesn't look like you opened the doors and threw in a sleeping bag and a bunch of stuff, yet has a well thought out arrangement.
Great video, I am homeless and wish I had something just like this. Awesome setup, thank you for your video sir. Hope you have a blessed and awesome life!
Hey "Thank You"...I want to speak life into your situation...of thinking creatively of how you could get your dream van...where there's a will there's a way...I wish you well!!!!!!!
Hey I’m homeless too I just bought a van for $1200 and I’m gonna convert it like this I think you can too
@@777superlightwater good luck mate! Looking forward to your video 👍
I really appreciate him going all out and taking apart his van for us. I know it wasn’t super easy to place everything back. Sorry haha I Appreciate the small things ;)
Love this guy’s attitude and humor 😆 👍 👍
No kidding.. my fave talking about the gas alarm "I haven't died...that's good." 🤣
I love the simplicity and modest approach he had. I can see hear the engineer within in the way he explains everything
I normally avoid reading the comments section, because there are too many mentally ill people out there whose only purpose in life is to destroy. It's obvious many other people very much liked your van. I agree, strongly. Please don't let the bad remarks get you upset. This video was unusually enjoyable to watch. By now, you're home in the UK(?) and hopefully had a good time here in the states. Americans can be a handful at times, and it seems we're getting worse. Don't let that be a reflection on you. Your van job was efficient, good looking, interesting and normally creative. Hopefully, I speak for the majority in saying that I wish you a good life and I hope you keep your enthusiasm in things you do. So many critics out there are people with empty lives, lashing out at anyone who succeeds. Ignore them. I, for one, sincerely wish you well. Your efforts have been noted🤗.
15,000 thumbs up votes, 564 thumbs down. typically, You tube votes 5 to 1 thumbs up, no matter how terrible is the video.
This guy is a major kiss ass. Judging on the replies, the van owner didn't even read your comment.
Well put, Roy!
Roy Hinkley you’re fucked hahah
Europeans can be a handful, too. Lived there several years. Loved it, though. :)
Best van layout I've seen and I've watched over 300 van tour videos. Very practical and makes use of all space very well.
Maybe this engineer can tutor other pros on use of space and cost $ 120,000 of chipboard.
Maybe do vans for people and call it poor mans vans.
BRILLIANT CREATIVE MIND.
I agree!
Yes, this van and cycle cruza's bug out moto are my two favourite thus far.
Commander Rick
Best? Nice but best? Is there a build series for this or just the tour? Says this was built in 7 days?... Impossible. Under $1000?...Impossible. Great tour and final reveal. Well done!
😀 🤘 😎
he is a European engineer so its no surprise
Mark is adorable. Soft and candid approach, yet a perfectly clever builder. Sweet.
Lindzee u wet?
Lindzee is getting horned up!
The best conversion I've seen...This guy that is a great problem solver . Impressive!
Budget friendly. Straight forward. Functional. Thanks for the great walk through!
I love how simple but practical this build is. I also love how down to earth this guy is.
This is the best conversion I´ve seen so far. I love the ability to have secret compartments. Where you can hide things just in case.
I loved the window by the sink. I loved how the design was simple but not crude. He is self-contained. Hope it all worked out for him.
This is incredibly impressive! This is the most practical and well-thought-out Van build that I've seen. I really like the design and can't believe everything was able to fit into that van. 7 days and under $1000 is amazing!!!
One of the best videos I’ve seen about this! The details you share, the solutions, methods and materials, brilliant stuff and really budget friendly!
Not everyone is aimed at an expensive long term full time fancy mini house on wheels with a zillion technical systems to maintain their first time around. Especially as everyone doing this keep saying the main thing is to get out there and try it out and know it’s doable!
Thanks man, this really is acheivable for most people, and very smartly done!
🙌🙏❤️
As a single guy living near Vancouver Canada... where every house is worth over a million, and rent for a tiny 1 bedroom basement is over 1,000 a month.. This looks really awesome!
Plus I'd cut down on any commute to work (traffic sucks here)
Probably would travel n find short term jobs along the way
Not having all this *stuff* would be such a relief, let go of all this furniture and bills, simplify my life.. Ahh daydreams
DJ do it!
Listen to yourself and do it. Watch the housing market crash.
I’m in Vancouver as well, I feel you mate. This is the way to go!
Did you do it?:)
The Farmers Daughter House prices are going no where, population rises every year and Vancouver is a nice town to live in. I bought in London UK in 2008 and everybody said it would crash, it didn’t even drop during the 2009 crisis and now it’s double. I’ve rented it out since 2010 to fund my travels which included a 3 year road trip from NYC to South America. So be clever and use a no rent time in your life to work, save and BUY something, it will pay of for the rest of your life.
I especially like how you did the bed so it converts into a practical seating area
I'd pay him to convert my van. I'd decorate it differently, but the layout I like. Clever. :-).
That's kind of layout is common in europe
I love the sink! All the other van life videos show various drainage, gray water, ect. Then this guy is like, dude I just toss the used water out. You know at most he's just rinsing organic veggies, so its not like the 'gray water' is really that gross/harmful if tossed, and if he really does have something hazardous he can just take that bowl into the proper wash/disposal area. No crazy water dump stations, or complicated hoses/pipes to get clogged. No plumbing videos to figure out, just a man with a bowl. Genius!
I was delighted to watched your simple lay out, designed for your needs.
Congratulations.
One of the more intelligent presentations I have seen. Gives me the idea to build a secret or secure storage in my build for a laptop, the most important thing most van dwellers own.
True, one Rver couple said they got all their cameras, laptops, etc. stolen when they were hiking or shopping or something.
love it , love his simplicity and originality when he speaks about his van . you have done a good job in a very economical way. thank you for inspiring people
How can anyone give this a thumbs down???!!! Great job!
Simple, well thought out.
Excellent van design. I love the way the bed converts to a seat too. 👍🏻
Clean, budget, no nonsense and functional build! I think you know what you really want after using it a while. I had a ' 71 VW pop top for 35 years and it had the same bed idea, a table and nice storage/chair on the other side of the table. Sink and stove unit were removed before I got it, but made for a nicer open space. I most cooked outdoors, but I could do inside if need be. Had same 2 burner Coleman propane stove with a slightly smaller tank..lasts forever. Solar bag shower and good to go. The poptop was nice for being able to stand up, store stuff on the roof and get ventilation, an important consideration on the Baja...back in the day.
Dude start a company selling those trucks I’d buy one in seconds
me too
Me too
Yep
Yes sir please !! :)
ive planned to buy conversion vans and turn them into campers for a while. Was planning to begin building Summer 2020. Let me know if interested
7 days 😆. That's incredibly impressive. Each component of that would take me an entire weekend!
Finally! A legit build! And a mention to having a fire and carbon monoxide alarm! So important!
Nice to see a quick and simple approach for a change. Not everything has to be a $30,000 buildout.
Dude... I was thinking about buying an SUV next spring but you are really selling me on this simplistic van conversion. Nice work!
Carbon Monoxide Detector. As you said....it's not 15 feet away from fire source. Moisture, dust & grease will clog the airflow through the detector. Carbon Monoxide is heavier than air, usually below 3 feet or below waist level. Probably the best spot is back of passenger seat at level of the bed. If there's a leak, the CO will pool here. Some van campers have their propane in a wooden box with a hole cut to outside of van so fumes can spill down & out.
Gas is heavier than air, carbon monoxide is lighter than air so gas detector needs to be low, the other higher than appliance. The leaflet with the carbon monoxide detector in my hand says "a small caravan may not have suitable vertical services available, the two most important considerations are (1) not mounting directly above source of heat or steam (2) mounting 1-3m from potential source.
This is important. Regulations exist for a reason. It's worth reading them, understanding them and complying. Then having it audited by a licenced installer. save your life.
CO is actually slightly lighter than air and diffuses fairly evenly through an enclosed volume.
In my apartment, the powers that be have mounted the CO detector at the ceiling.
good point about the height. Also you can get monitors now that also detect propane in case there is a leak or you forget to turn the gas off.
This is the best layout I've ever seen! Well done man!
Man dude this one of best setups I ever seen in all these vans nice work 👍👌
So impressive... from the concept to the execution. Thank you for making the time to share it with us. I hope you sold it, and I suspect the new owner is thanking you everyday! I sure hope you had a great time touring the USA and are doing wonderfully back home. Your friend doing the video work did a good job helping us to see your excellent craftsmanship.
Great concept, pragmatic approach, well executed. Props to this chap, there's a lot to be said for the engineering mindset! Looking to do something like this with a similar size or smaller van when I return to UK. Main thing I would want to add would be a downward venting gas locker for the propane bottle. My first (aborted) van conversion project was a Fiat Ducato L2H2 former ambulance - too big (long & high) for UK city use & country lanes, a lot of work to build and very heavy built with DIY materials.
Very nice! This is one of the best budget builds I've seen.
This is an amazing lifestyle. I hope more people do this in our society.
Whole Food Plant-Based Man No because then they will make it illegal.
More people started flying "drones"with gopro footage on drone becoming popular and suddenly all RC pilots got f****d. Now FPV capabilities are so strict and long range flying is illegal. need to be in line of sight of aircraft with it being visible to naked eye. Thanks droners. Now imagine everyone started to live in vans. oh damn it would be illegal so quick, or very heavily regulated. In Canada here, there is already nowhere you can park a trailer, almost no spots to boondock in a trailer. And many places are not allowing you to park on streets... You could imagine countless amount of bylaws that would prohibit van life. Definitely want it to stay minority.
This is by defenite one of the best if not the best van convertions ive seen, ill defenitly nick some ideas from here when i build mine. Cheers
"I wanted something simple", said no engineer ever!! 🤣
No, most old engineers crave simplicity, but young engineers usually crave excessive complication. In this respect our man here is very positively thinking 20 years older than he is ! Bed hinge geometry very impressive, but hope he's bluffing about his safe's location!
Engineers always want it simple. Architects want it to look crazy.
Actually, my experience around engineers my whole life is that they say that all the time. But what seems "simple" to them makes heads spin for the rest of us. "I wanted something simple, so I used a carboflux thermal capacity garbometer interfaced with a mechoptimized oxysymeter and ran that though a byzantinium arc spanner. Now, I could have gone with a nucleocide differential titulator running off a potassamite reflex synchomatic gadgetron, but that seemed a bit overkill."
@@NorthernKitty No, a 3/8 inch bolt should be enough. Maybe a hydraulic marvelspring also, but we'll try and avoid it.....
@@NorthernKitty I was married to an engineer. Your comment pretty much sums it up.
When I first started watching videos on van living, I came across a video with this guy (sorry I didn't get his name) and I just loved his idea for a sofa bed. So simple and no moving cushions around. I've kept his design in mind since then!
And because the bed folds up on both sides instead of just the one, you can even use it to chill with your girlfriend while having the rear doors open parked on the beach watching a sunset. How perfect is that? Better engineering than even the VW Vanagon!
I need the plans for this bed/ futon chair. So easy and practical. Impressed
How perfect? You need to read the definition of perfect. Like "FULL", it can't be more or less.
You're assuming he is straight and has a girlfriend. How arrogant!
@@GameOver-ei8ui your the minority dude...dudet whatever!
@@thefarmersdaughter8235 he's just trolling you 😜
You should set vans up for other people who arnt as crafty. Just charge a reasonable price and boom your in business. Nice job. That's what I wanna do with a van and hot the road.
I'd pay for a service like that!
Same
Was thinking the same thing.
I concur
Makes me want to do the same to my van but i can’t get it to pass inspection.So it’s just sitting for about a year
I really overlooked how simple yet full purpose this is. The bed is 👏 wonderful idea. I want something similar so I can have a couch/bed
1:32 If I made this mechanism, I would be pretty happy too. This is the face of someone who knows they made something cool.
Well done..takes me back to my days when I studied design at uni. Innovation is the key.
Well done! I hope you had a lot of fun in America!
The thingy to hold the cabinets is simple and genious!
A lot of vans have that couch/bed display but i think it takes space..
Great job !!!
Maybe a roof vent above the stove and you can put this van as one the best ones in you tube. Looks great bro.
And the front seat(s) with the capabilities to swivel towards the back is a must-have for me, that is.
Also, no toilet shown.
This van's more homely than any of the fancy ones I've viewed. Well done, mate!
I love the simplicity and smart ideas of this guy😍
You given me so much inspiration, absolutely brilliant job
Outstanding work for a month, nevermind a week! Holy moly
mate, that bench is brilliant.
some "door Ease" on the sliders would work a treat
thanks for the inspiration.
This is the best built camper van I've seen so far! I don't understand why most campers are build to resemble home with "home looking" kitchen etc. It shouldn't look like home and that's the whole point. It should be easily maintained, simple design, minimalistic as possible and you should be able to leave some conveniences behind 'cos it's all about adventure when you're on the wheels and the great outdoors! So massive thanks for that video!
Idk if anyone has mentioned it to you yet, but a lot of people say to never store your propane inside, especially if you are sleeping next to it. Those tanks are notorious for leaking, even when the top is closed tightly apparently. I saw someone build an airtight box for theirs. Other option is a carbon monoxide detector. Love the build!!
the "bed chair" is fantastic.... nice
It would be better if it was safe enough for passengers when driving...seatbelts and more than one bolt to keep it in place. But I do like it
That seems like a really well made van, awesome job!
0:07 that dude look 15 and 47 years old at the same time
Guest 123 it’s been hurting my brain this whole video lol
I cannot stop laughing!! 😂😂
😆 for real
I THOUGHT THE SAME DAMN THING.....AHHHHHHHH
Kinda true
As you Brits would say absolutely "Brilliant". The guy from CheapRvliving needs to interview you for his followers. You do have the perfect storm of skills for this build. Your Intellect, education and experience is perfect to do what you did diy and no, not many others will be able to replicate so hats off to you. I have a full cabinet shop in my garage, own a brand new Sprinter adventure van which I will sell my when my new Storyteller arrives early next year, but still have nothing but but admiration for what you did. Highlights: The sink! Advice: move the detector to a vertical surface just above the floor.
Great set up, and I know this was uploaded some ago but I have to mention that the gas detector probably needs to be installed lower as gas is heavy and falls to the lowest point.
Laying in bed he may be overcome before the detector set off.
Love the van!
You did an awesome job. It’s simple and very well organized. I like that you didn’t spend a ton of money on it.
Great job with your build. Very smart design.
Simplicity,steathy and practical thanks, best Ive seen. No frills my kind of build.
Nice. Simple and has all that's needed. One of the best budget builds I've seen.
Tonnes of great little details and ideas. Thanks. Very well done.
Really well thought out :-) . Love the fact that there is a monoxide alarm. Lots of really cool features. Hope your 9 month trip went well :-)
You should use the silver reflective bubbly wrap thing on your windshield and front windows as well! I'm sure it would keep it even cooler and block out even more light.
Loving this, my favorite van conversion, practical, simple, good budget, all we need to have good time, thanks a lot from Belgium.
Love hearing someone from the UK that has been in the states a little while, the twang is so funny. Thanks for the vid bro, picking up my van next week wooooop.
"I haven't died yet so... it's good..."
Woke up this morning so we good!!
That's the thing about dying.
Science
That’s just a very British thing to say actually 😂
He should get a second CO2 detector as backup in case the first one fails
Great design, simple but comfortable. Better than many builds and anything I've seen built before 1990.
Great ingenuity, I so admire this man's creativeness and can do attitude. Wonderful van build, both artistic and functional, well done!!
Nate - thanks for all your videos, good camera work and editing and focus on the speaker. The music is very annoying though and serves little purpose. No music is best. I turn off sound and miss most of the discussions. Eventually I tune out, too irritated to subscribe. There are those who like music and those who don't. And those who feel massively irritated for having music thrust upon them. You would gain another subscriber if you removed music entirely. The voice and natural sounds are so soothing to hear.
The simplicity of this finish out makes it worth more than money can buy.... I love it and want something similar just to do some road tripping.
This is the most impressive Van build I have ever seen, and I have watched hundreds. Awesome Van.
I really like this van build...
Really cool man, I especially liked the way you built the bed.😎😎😎
Watched once last year, come again 2019, still love it.
WHO would downvote this?? This is an excellent video of an excellent build!!
Finally a video according to my budget and ideas, but also really practical useful advice on materials and how to build! Thank you!
This ranks #1 Your build is awesome. And it looks so cozy. You made it both affordable and functional. Wow
THIS IS GOOD SIMPLE VAN BUT ORGANIZED
Sweet build! Excellent walk-through.
Re. Smoke/CO alarm: The reason the manufacturer says to keep the alarm away from your cooker is that the sensor can get contaminated from the greases that develop when you’re cooking. The result of contamination on the sensor head is that it will loose sensitivity, or simply stop working. Obviously you’re limited for space, but I would suggest moving the alarm as far away from the cooker as possible. Be safe!
Wow. Great job! And it looks so nice. I love that esp because you did this cheaply. I think this is the best build I've ever seen. I am disabled so I would just put my folded down scooter where you have that big drawer accessed from the back. Truly amazing. Thank you!
Best van build I’ve seen! Mark is cool dude
So the way he pulls that bed up into a couch it looks like he has a couch in back of it that faces out the back door, right? So that's extra seating for company even though it's facing out the back door. I like that bed design.
How much would you charge to convert my van?
It’d be great to open the back doors and hang out on the couch like you would on your porch. Not very stealth, so I’d reserve that config for a more vanlife-friendly place, but how cool is porch seating?!
Yes and great views !
Unless you are staying in one place for more that a week you don't need an auxiliary battery, solar or any of that stuff. I have a voltmeter and a jump start pack, just in case. All my lights are LED which use nothing, and charging phones use nothing too, have to careful of charging my laptop. But correct, you don't need all that stuff, just turn the gas off when you are not using it...Engineer too but a little older...ok a lot.
It depends on what electric appliances you are using. Forget about your water pump, over period of a few seconds it is nothing. We have 5 small LED sets, so if you work out the consumption it is a tiny amount, even over a few days, charging your phone again such a small amount too. The problem arises on higher consumption items, constantly charging a laptop batteries over a few days, running a TV and worst of all a fridge/coldbox. We have two circuits and only power the fridge when the engine is running and keep an eye on the voltmeter when charging the laptop. If you have a well insulated chest type cold box thawing shouldn't be a problem and if you are wild camping forget about TV, you won't die without it. Finally I haven't bothered with electrical hookup, I have a good extension lead with RCD protection, which is 100% safe. Remember too that if you do make a mistake you still have the starter pack. This system is designed for shoestring budgets and works well because it is not complicated at all and saves space, weight and money.
Panasonic DVD-LS850 is a good option for "TV" in the wild. 6 hour battery life unplugged, and has a power draw of 1200mAh. So, if you charge it while you are charging up your other stuff with the van on, you'll have 6 hours of DVD/DIVX content per day, and it will play DIVX, which means you can put tons of youtube vids on one DVD, which you can stock up on by pilfering some place's wifi. He is right though, if that LED pulls even 100mAh, it would take a very _very_ long time to drain a car battery with it. Many cars have LEDs that run while the car is off anyway, and you can't switch them off(at least my car does). Anyway, if I did do this van living thing, I would shove around 4, 1000 amp batteries in there lol. I would also install a remote ignition and wire it up to a controller, so if the charge is getting low, it automatically starts the engine, and then has a relay to turn it back off again after an hour or so [555 timer monostable hooked up to some 4033 ICs, driving a mosfet to drive the relay]. I am a total technophile. I would just make up the battery weight by designing everything else with minimalist/lightweight design features. Such as a barracks style bed, and plastic storage areas etc. I think I would even put slotting holes in the sides of whatever wooden cabinets I had just to half the weight of those, and then cover the sides with shower wall material to cover the holes. I would also use shower walls to cover the insulation.
Engineers....Engineers all over the place...(insert Woody and Buzz Lightyear picture here)...LOL
We travel with a 12v refrigerator. If you really live out of your vehicle, it's the most important thing. I'd take a fridge over a bed as long as I could throw down some pads. Ice chests are for weekend warriors. Only other real option is learning to live with dry foods and limiting to long lasting produce. To have a fridge you need a house electrical system. All very do-able these days.
@@ceeweedsl "house battery" to run the fridge and use a battery isolator, then run the vehicle every couple days to charge the house bat.
This is a great build. Love the couch/bed. I’m hoping to get a minivan and build it out next year if the financial gods co-operate. I’d love to do a 30” version of that bed.
Reflectics= bubble wrapped foily stuff. Too cute!
Very clever, creative and practical design. Everything you need. You are such a smart young man. Thank you for this! It is wonderful!
ideal van build. Well done. I see this is from a 6-7 years ago and then when I clicked your channel...Wow! you have come so far! Well done!
And engineer doing something for under $1000? I’ve got to see this!