No. More drain on batteries. Look into some type of durable spray on insulation on the underside of the van. That will even keep the cold from reaching the sheet metal under your floor. Also avoids need to redo interior to accommodate insulation.
Regarding aluminum framing....I think you are referring to galvanized sheet metal studs and track that are typically used in commercial buildings. Inexpensive and available in Home Depot’s and Lowe’s. No rot, no termites, fireproof, screwed together with small self drilling ‘tec screws’, lightweight, tin snips to cut (no saws). (All houses should be made of sheet metal.) Regarding insulating pipes and pipe heaters: ..always run pipes inside of van directly into top of tanks to avoid any exposure to outside cold. Regarding insulating floors...Look for durable spray on insulation for underside of van at this point since van is built. No need to redo interior. Insulating inside uses up about 2” height anyways - every inch counts. Love your use of spaces in the walls for storage as well as double uses of areas. Almost nobody does this. However not a fan of fixed beds. In all videos, it’s either the fixed bed/garage type or convertible benches/ table bed. Only one video I have seen where there was a compromise between the two: 12” raised floor for storage underneath with convertible bench/ table bed above. Also have only seen one video showing a temp shower with 360 deg curtain in middle of van. Had a cover over floor pan when not used and curtain is removed. Thus no need for large dedicated shower area that gets used for a few minutes twice a week. Toilet stays out of sight in a drawer.
We lived in our van for a year and then when covid hit we moved into an apartment for a year. Our lease is ending in April and we’re about to move back into the van so I’m just entertaining myself with van videos again and I’m so glad I found y’all. TRANSPARENCY. No one ever talks about specific energy usage it’s so confusing lol we don’t even understand our own power system we just do whatever and hope for the best lol
I know why you would rent an apt. 😅 But I'm wondering how did you pay for rent?, y'all didn't get laid off work? We could barely afford it and took us awhile to catch up to the rent 😅🙏🏼🌿💜
I am so grateful to finally have someone tell me that to run a Vitamix, which I want to do daily, requires a 3000 watt inverter, and 400 watts of power. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Right?! No one mentioned this in the van tours we watched and someone told us (a guy who did electrical systems on vans) that it wouldn’t be an issue. It is 100% an issue unless the car is running or we are at nearly 100% on our energy. So so happy you found this video first so you don’t have to go through what we did!!!
@@vanhallaadventures Me too! And, I'm serious. I've watched far too many power videos and you're the first to say. Thanks for the clarity. I'm so grateful.
Thank you for doing this "mistake" video. I am converting a 1996 Ford Econoliner 350 with a 14' box. I am 65 years old and I am getting a late start. In 2012, I dove into a 4' deep backyard swimming pool, thinking it had a shallow end. I broke my neck at C-1 and pancaked my spine most of the way down. 8 years with 13 surgeries slowed me down. I am grateful to be alive and I had a really good medical team that got me back to about 90%. Most diving accidents like mine are fatal but as a Paramedic, I knew right away my outcome depended on a skilled Ambulance team. I had several things you covered that I needed guidance on and you two young people helped this old lady 👵 avoid the same mistake for sure. I have subscribed to your channel and will enjoy watching your life on the road going forward. Thanks again!
EXCELLENT VIDEO AND TIPS! GLAD I WATCH IT! MY WIFE AND I PLAN TO PART TIME SNOWBIRD WHEN SHE IS ABLE TO RETIRE. I'M WATCHING AS MANY VIDEOS AS POSSIBLE TO NOT HAS SO MANY REGREATS. NEW SUB. THUMBS UP!
these are the most helpful videos of all the van videos on UA-cam. being honest about mistakes is great to share with the community and helpful for new builders. honestly this community is so great for that. in our new build we are using hydronic heating system. I suggest you look at it. I am in Canada where winterizing isn't optional :) so we decided to combine the heating to an all in one system. basically you have piping that runs through your floors and throughout the van. instead of heating the air you heat the water in the pipes. this will achieve the following. heated floors, heated shower, preventing pipe and tank freeze underneath. this last part is a bit more complex. will be insulating under the grey/fresh water tanks instead of floor creating a lower heated controlled zone called the "basement" this will allow me to skip insulating the floor and save space inside. this is all really conceptual but I think you get the idea. I will be posting my designs at some point but its all in my head right now .. thanks for sharing.. Cheers from Canada!
Very humble, honest and informative. I may know nothing about van life or van conversions, but I still don't regret giving that positive comment before. You're still one of the best! 😊
Try finding some old oriental wool rugs for insulating the floor as a quick fix. You can find them cheap sometimes in flea markets and vintage stores. Great videos. Safe travels!
Thank you for this video. I am learning about van life and would like to purchase a van to convert for myself. This was a tremendous help. I would definitely insulate the whole van and include the heated floor.
*SUBSCRIBED!* Extremely helpful video! The fact that I *KNOW* I will regret doing *something* in my van build (in the near future) is what is holding me back right now. Sharing your insight after your experiences takes a huge amount of angst off my shoulders. Thanks, so much!
That’s one thing I wondered about why isn’t there more people who don’t have heated floors or at least have them insulated for me thats an auto checkmark if I ever get a build. Also I would go the route of the 80/20 build with the aluminum for weight, rigidity and strength :) for me I’m more of a stealth/minimalist as much as I like the wood finishes and stuff for long term I’d rather go that less visual noise route if I’m gonna live in it full time.
This was so incredibly helpful you guys are absolutely amazing I appreciate your videos a lot!! I hope to learn so much more from you since I am extremely inspired to model my build very similar to yours!
Thank you for mentioning TEXAS. We have experienced the Winter Blast here in Texas. We were going to go camping that weekend and our RV end up parked in our driveway. Glad we have winterized it when we got the news that Texas will be hit by Winter Blast. We knew that we have some repairs to be done. Now the challenge we are facing is, it's hard to get an appointment to get it repaired.
I watch a lot of van life and bus life videos, because my husband and I are building a skoolie. One thing I've seen on a few of them that might help y'all, is if you didn't insulate the floor, when you're in colder climates, put thick strips of carpet down on your walkways. They say it really helps with the cold floors in the mornings.
Yes - that’s what we plan on doing in the Fall so we are ready to go for Winter. I think we might be able to put the heaters under the rugs too. We just have to check on the safety of it. How’s your Skoolie coming along? We want to convert one in the future.
The more extensive the build the more complications I'm finding. I plan on going low tech (no plumbing or and no electrical), so those people have less regrets because everything is so containable.
Thank you for talking about the Vitamix and how much power you'd recommend to run it. I definitely need my Vitamix and will plan at least a 3000 watt inverter. That's what I was originally thinking anyway, but depending on fridge and other items I may go higher, depending on cost. I was thinking heated floors would be nice in walkways, especially after a shower. Thanks for the tips about putting heater in garage for circulation vs under the seat. Makes sense. I wonder why more people don't do that. Good tips. Thanks!
I love your van’s layout! -and yep, I’ve been watching George at Humble Road evolve van building to a new level. Putting the heater in the middle or back of the van just makes sense. Aluminum? He’s all about it. I’m using 8020 now in my own build.
You made my day talking about your "water heater!" I would subscribe to your channel just for that show of knowledge! It's a terrible pet peeve but it kind of drives me crazy when people call it a "hot water heater." Why do you want to heat water that"s already hot? I'm also gonna check out those radiant floor heaters too.
Great video guys, we get our new van in May/June so these tips have come in really handy. Its our first conversion, a bit scary but so exciting. Take care and stay safe guys xxx
For your water heater. I was thinking of wrapping mine in two 12 volt electric blankets. That's 100w versus 800w. Might not keep it hot hot, but you can leave it on longer.
Thank you so much for sharing these subjects, It is so helpful and I will for sure take your words seriously and remember everything🙏 when I begin my van build. Keep up the good work and have a wonderful journey ☀️ Greetings from Camilla in Denmark
Bad advice about the floor. We did, however, insulate our transit fully, and the floors are still a bit cold. We cut a Pilates mat in two and stagger it in the walkway so using the toilet during the night was not cold.
Thanks so much guys for this great video truly awesome, I know that you say not to listen to many people on UA-cam but you two are a clear exception!! great and realistic advice, I'm just getting started with my van build in the planning phase and your advice is truly invaluable. Your both a true inspiration!!!
Thanks for the honest review. I am in the middle of a custom build right now and I have 7/8 things on your list already done in my build. I am building out van using light weight composite materials; I have not planned pipe heaters but everything else is covered. A quick fix for your grey tank issue is put an overflow drain at the top of the grey tank and when your tank is full it will overflow to pavement (not ideal) but avoids shower backup issue. Also easy fix to add tank gauge (I have both). Hot water is via engine coolant heat exchanger/750w electric hot water tank.
@@vanhallaadventures I mentioned a company that I got heater from and price 2 times previously and the comment mysteriously disappeared. It is more cost effective to purchase from Europe over US or Canada fyi.
Straight up and to the point. Nice tips! I don't quite get the "heater in the back" point though. I thought the intake came from the outside. What am I getting wrong?
With the heater mounted in the back taking air from the garage creates an airflow that is more efficient for heating. The webasto heater has two different air intakes. One for the interior blower fan and the other for the combustion unit. Taking the air from the garage which would be colder is blown into the van as warm. It creates a centrifugal air flow. When the heater is in the front of the van it is still pulling cold air from the rear causing a cool breeze down by your feet as it travels to the air intake of the blower fan. I know my explanation is probably confusing.
use some reflectix on the floor, just as a rug. not glued to the floor, but something you can put it on and take out and hide it in the closet. Keeps the heat inside and the floor warm. I did and worked awesome during the cold winter
@Chris just used on the floor this winter as a rug. Just a little trick that helped and made a huge difference. Not talking about insulating under floor or on walls.
I am currently in the van build process and really really appreciate your advice! The things you suggest make perfect sense. One question: why did you stop using the induction cook top? Is it because of too much battery drain, or overloading your inverter? I was planning on using induction with a 3K inverter and 400 a/h lithium batteries, but now you have me second guessing my plans. BTW, love your van build!
Great question! It was both. The induction burner takes A LOT of energy - some people that have inductions in their van told us they only used it maybe once a day because of it. Our inverter would shut off because of the high draw. It sounds like you however would most likely do just fine. I will say if you plan on cooking/simmering a soup all day on the burner then that might be an issue but overral we think you’d be all good 👌🏻🤓 Thanks! We appreciate the compliment and the watch 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Nice video, I have no insulation in the floor of my 3500 4X4 ext Sprinter, factory floor, I do have Thinsulate in the walls and ceiling as well as insulated window covers for all the windows. For the floor I use throw rugs and several 3 feet by two feet foam sink drying pads under the carpet for added "insulation". I split my time between ski resorts -15F and the desert 115F, currently in Lake Havasu City 70F last week skiing in Utah 3F. Generating heat relies on the laws of thermodynamics, there is no way around the basic principles of the energy required to create heat, (kjoules of heat energy in equals kjoules heat energy out). If you plan on installing propane hot water why not ditch the induction and install a propane cooktop and keep your 2kw inverter? My ESPAR is located next to the drivers side rear wheel for the exact reason you mentioned in your video, works great. I used 80/20 extensively in my build and highly recommend using it, strong, looks good with many options, it is however fairly expensive. Cheers and keep up the good work!
We did in fact ditch our induction burner last month as mentioned in our van tour video. Currently using a counter top /butane burner. Propane can also be used on said burner. Yeah we’re gonna remedy the floor situation with heater pads and some rugs at some point. Thanks for watching!
That’s exciting!!! I’d definitely touch/push on everything to see if the structure is sound - I know that sounds odd but one of my friends looked at vans and some people for their shower areas and walls only used plywood and wood on top, there was little to no framing. I’d also “pretend” to do you morning and night routine in the van. That’s what we did over and over to ensure we enjoyed the flow of the van and it made sense for living. I’m sure you’ve thought of these things though I thought I’d mention because it’s such a big purchase and we want to see everyone LOVE their van 💕 So happy for your upcoming adventures!
An excellent and honest review of your conversion experience 👍 All eight intended changes make absolute sense. I am so sorry that the, so called professional, advised you ‘not to bother to insulate the floor’! Let’s face it, we’ve all been told that hot air rises so, unless you’re installing a heating system under the floor, it stands to reason that the floor will be pigging cold 🥶 particularly if the outside temperature is a little on the chilly side. Good luck with the upgrades 🤞
Hey guys.. Just found u'all an so glad I did. The other van lifers I watched all live in homes now!! Still watch them but miss the travel.. So glad I found u guys. Keep on wit the wonderful vids. Show more of time of u guys living in ur home. It's truly beautiful. Luv& Peace from Madison IN. (come visit our historic downtown an state park)
Aw thank you 💕 We’re happy to have you with us on our travels 🙂 And we look forward to chatting more as our community grows. Peace and Love to you Rhonda ✌🏻🥰
Youre the fucking best, this is a great video, I really wish I could have helped more, you have such an incredible vehicle and its so cool that you did it yourselves! Youre really making me miss our van Tigerlilly.
Haha thanks Toby! Thanks for helping out with the roof rack and solar installation. That day really made us see our vision come to light. We will never forget that feeling. ☺️✌🏻
You people could install solar panel, My suggestions, i guess it will help little more. Can you people discuss about this in next video! Will be helpful to us also.
Your videos are awesome!!! I'm learning lots of tips n tricks both for van building n traveling. Good luck with your home updates. Looking forward to see your next videos.
No problem! The pipe heater system I want to get runs on 12v. It’s low wattage and the batteries can handle. I’ll let you know when I find said product. Or if you find it first please share! 🤙🏻
Thanks, great video. These are always helpful. I would not have thought about the aluminium framing. I'll look into it when I start my build, but I think I would try to use slightly thiner planel. Or may thin them afterward with a router... I'm thinking of a non permanent shower. A video on permanent vs temp shower would be nice. How often do you use yours and when (as it depends on what you are doing I suspect)...
Yeah defiantly aluminum framing. However, the cedar panels we used are no concern for weight issues. We use the shower quite often. Some weeks more frequent than others. Like you said, it just depends on what we are doing. Thanks for watching!
@@vanhallaadventures, preparing to offcially announce everything in the coming weeks once we have our new insurance policy in place. I hope we can cross paths again before long. I love what you're doing with this YT channel!
Good morning, I have a question, first off all I love your van, iam German and I got a old campervan, I like to change it, but over here it is all about how heavy your van is, how is that were you travel? I would love to have lots of wood in my van. Greeting to you lovely people. Martina.
Thank you! Yes different vehicles have different weight limits in order to be covered by insurance and/or warranties. Our van is rated to operate at a maximum of 10,000 pounds. That being said, our total weight with us inside is 9,400 pounds. If we ever build a van again I would use aluminum framing but still use wood for the outer/finishing layer. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!
We use our cell phone hot spots but we’ll be doing a whole video about the set-up as we have other options too. Be on the lookout for one in the next 2-3 weeks :)
We cook ALOT! The induction burner kills the battery fast. Having to rely on electricity to cook was a burden. We already have a big demand for power to use our laptops so getting rid of the burner definitely helped.
The thicker the floor the closer you get to the ceiling. If you are tall that would be an issue. However, we should have insulated the floor. But someone gave us bad advice.
Thanks so much for sharing!! We love your van and are grateful for all you’ve shared. We just uploaded a new video about putting cork flooring in our van! 🥰 It would mean a lot to us if you checked it out and let us know what you think!!
I've been watching van builds and am amazed at all the HEAVY wood EVERYONE is using, and the fact no one seems to be insulating the floor. My own plans are aluminium framing and metal interior cabinetry. There are better options than heavy wood. Clean minimalist lines in my mind. Your the first that have actually brought up "finished weight". 🇨🇦 Insulate insulate insulate... First and last thing. On demand water heater, no one seems to be using. Yet many new home builds are incorporating this idea of ditching the water heater and hot water tank. I'm curious if it works in a van build???
Tankless water heaters have 2 options. 1. 110v - uses a lot of power 2. Propane - at the time of the build we did not want to commit to propane. But I wish we did. 3. Yeah heavy wood. I would switch to aluminum for the next van.
We ADORE our van - but these are a few things we want to change (and plan to in the future!) What do you think - do we need the heated floors?
Yes, if you plan on travelling in cold weather. At the very least, insulate the floor.
Definitely insulate. But I don’t know how you would do it without removing everything.
Yes. But the cold is the worst
No. More drain on batteries. Look into some type of durable spray on insulation on the underside of the van. That will even keep the cold from reaching the sheet metal under your floor. Also avoids need to redo interior to accommodate insulation.
Regarding aluminum framing....I think you are referring to galvanized sheet metal studs and track that are typically used in commercial buildings. Inexpensive and available in Home Depot’s and Lowe’s. No rot, no termites, fireproof, screwed together with small self drilling ‘tec screws’, lightweight, tin snips to cut (no saws). (All houses should be made of sheet metal.)
Regarding insulating pipes and pipe heaters: ..always run pipes inside of van directly into top of tanks to avoid any exposure to outside cold.
Regarding insulating floors...Look for durable spray on insulation for underside of van at this point since van is built. No need to redo interior. Insulating inside uses up about 2” height anyways - every inch counts.
Love your use of spaces in the walls for storage as well as double uses of areas. Almost nobody does this. However not a fan of fixed beds. In all videos, it’s either the fixed bed/garage type or convertible benches/ table bed. Only one video I have seen where there was a compromise between the two: 12” raised floor for storage underneath with convertible bench/ table bed above. Also have only seen one video showing a temp shower with 360 deg curtain in middle of van. Had a cover over floor pan when not used and curtain is removed. Thus no need for large dedicated shower area that gets used for a few minutes twice a week. Toilet stays out of sight in a drawer.
We lived in our van for a year and then when covid hit we moved into an apartment for a year. Our lease is ending in April and we’re about to move back into the van so I’m just entertaining myself with van videos again and I’m so glad I found y’all. TRANSPARENCY. No one ever talks about specific energy usage it’s so confusing lol we don’t even understand our own power system we just do whatever and hope for the best lol
I know why you would rent an apt. 😅 But I'm wondering how did you pay for rent?, y'all didn't get laid off work? We could barely afford it and took us awhile to catch up to the rent 😅🙏🏼🌿💜
I am so grateful to finally have someone tell me that to run a Vitamix, which I want to do daily, requires a 3000 watt inverter, and 400 watts of power. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Right?! No one mentioned this in the van tours we watched and someone told us (a guy who did electrical systems on vans) that it wouldn’t be an issue. It is 100% an issue unless the car is running or we are at nearly 100% on our energy.
So so happy you found this video first so you don’t have to go through what we did!!!
@@vanhallaadventures Me too! And, I'm serious. I've watched far too many power videos and you're the first to say. Thanks for the clarity. I'm so grateful.
So glad they mentioned this. I use a Ninja foodie almost daily. This is a very helpful tip. ☺
Thank you for doing this "mistake" video. I am converting a 1996 Ford Econoliner 350 with a 14' box. I am 65 years old and I am getting a late start. In 2012, I dove into a 4' deep backyard swimming pool, thinking it had a shallow end. I broke my neck at C-1 and pancaked my spine most of the way down. 8 years with 13 surgeries slowed me down. I am grateful to be alive and I had a really good medical team that got me back to about 90%. Most diving accidents like mine are fatal but as a Paramedic, I knew right away my outcome depended on a skilled Ambulance team. I had several things you covered that I needed guidance on and you two young people helped this old lady 👵 avoid the same mistake for sure. I have subscribed to your channel and will enjoy watching your life on the road going forward. Thanks again!
Keep posting, the community is going to love you guys when they find you!!!
Thanks! Can’t stop won’t stop!
EXCELLENT VIDEO AND TIPS! GLAD I WATCH IT! MY WIFE AND I PLAN TO PART TIME SNOWBIRD WHEN SHE IS ABLE TO RETIRE. I'M WATCHING AS MANY VIDEOS AS POSSIBLE TO NOT HAS SO MANY REGREATS. NEW SUB. THUMBS UP!
Thanks for your comments. I'm in the planning stages of my van build, so these are very helpful things for me to keep in mind.
And thanks for watching! Good luck on your build!
these are the most helpful videos of all the van videos on UA-cam. being honest about mistakes is great to share with the community and helpful for new builders. honestly this community is so great for that. in our new build we are using hydronic heating system. I suggest you look at it. I am in Canada where winterizing isn't optional :) so we decided to combine the heating to an all in one system. basically you have piping that runs through your floors and throughout the van. instead of heating the air you heat the water in the pipes. this will achieve the following. heated floors, heated shower, preventing pipe and tank freeze underneath. this last part is a bit more complex. will be insulating under the grey/fresh water tanks instead of floor creating a lower heated controlled zone called the "basement" this will allow me to skip insulating the floor and save space inside. this is all really conceptual but I think you get the idea. I will be posting my designs at some point but its all in my head right now .. thanks for sharing.. Cheers from Canada!
Yes the hydronic system is definitely on our radar amongst other new things for the next van build. 👍🏼
Very humble, honest and informative. I may know nothing about van life or van conversions, but I still don't regret giving that positive comment before. You're still one of the best! 😊
Try finding some old oriental wool rugs for insulating the floor as a quick fix. You can find them cheap sometimes in flea markets and vintage stores. Great videos. Safe travels!
Can't wait to watch your rebuild. About the heater... Yes... Better unrestricted convection heat transfer. Keep the vids coming. Stay safe.
Thank you!
Unfortunately the heater location will not be changed. But if I build again, definitely will.
They don’t do vanlife anymore
Thank you for this video. I am learning about van life and would like to purchase a van to convert for myself. This was a tremendous help. I would definitely insulate the whole van and include the heated floor.
Glad this video helped you.
VanLife has been a life changing experience.
Good luck with your build!
16 degrees Celsius? That Swedish summer ^^XD
Sorry we’re talking 16° Fahrenheit.
So for you that would be -8° Celsius!
🥶
*SUBSCRIBED!*
Extremely helpful video! The fact that I *KNOW* I will regret doing *something* in my van build (in the near future) is what is holding me back right now. Sharing your insight after your experiences takes a huge amount of angst off my shoulders.
Thanks, so much!
Glad this video helped and thanks for watching! Good luck with your build!
That’s one thing I wondered about why isn’t there more people who don’t have heated floors or at least have them insulated for me thats an auto checkmark if I ever get a build. Also I would go the route of the 80/20 build with the aluminum for weight, rigidity and strength :) for me I’m more of a stealth/minimalist as much as I like the wood finishes and stuff for long term I’d rather go that less visual noise route if I’m gonna live in it full time.
Looking forward to seeing your build someday! Thanks for watching!
This was so incredibly helpful you guys are absolutely amazing I appreciate your videos a lot!! I hope to learn so much more from you since I am extremely inspired to model my build very similar to yours!
It nice to know the places that may go wrong
You could fix your gray tank issue pretty quickly with a few hepvo valves. We put them in our Skokie and they are working well so far!
Our original install had a hepvo valve. It didn’t work for us.
Thank you for mentioning TEXAS. We have experienced the Winter Blast here in Texas. We were going to go camping that weekend and our RV end up parked in our driveway. Glad we have winterized it when we got the news that Texas will be hit by Winter Blast. We knew that we have some repairs to be done. Now the challenge we are facing is, it's hard to get an appointment to get it repaired.
Sorry for the delayed response but hope everything works out for you! 🙏🏻
Thank you for your honesty. You will be helping more people than you can imagine.
We are so glad this video helps you and others. Thanks for watching!
Thanks so much for your suggestions! They're precious
I watch a lot of van life and bus life videos, because my husband and I are building a skoolie. One thing I've seen on a few of them that might help y'all, is if you didn't insulate the floor, when you're in colder climates, put thick strips of carpet down on your walkways. They say it really helps with the cold floors in the mornings.
Yes - that’s what we plan on doing in the Fall so we are ready to go for Winter. I think we might be able to put the heaters under the rugs too. We just have to check on the safety of it.
How’s your Skoolie coming along? We want to convert one in the future.
@@vanhallaadventures what are " hearers under the rug" & "skoolie"??😅🙏🏼🌿💜
The more extensive the build the more complications I'm finding.
I plan on going low tech (no plumbing or and no electrical), so those people have less regrets because everything is so containable.
To each their own. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for talking about the Vitamix and how much power you'd recommend to run it. I definitely need my Vitamix and will plan at least a 3000 watt inverter. That's what I was originally thinking anyway, but depending on fridge and other items I may go higher, depending on cost.
I was thinking heated floors would be nice in walkways, especially after a shower.
Thanks for the tips about putting heater in garage for circulation vs under the seat. Makes sense. I wonder why more people don't do that.
Good tips. Thanks!
I love your van’s layout! -and yep, I’ve been watching George at Humble Road evolve van building to a new level. Putting the heater in the middle or back of the van just makes sense. Aluminum? He’s all about it. I’m using 8020 now in my own build.
Yeah he has good building techniques for sure. 8020 is the way to go!
Good ideas ill definitely take this advice 😀
Thank you guys . Really helps
You made my day talking about your "water heater!" I would subscribe to your channel just for that show of knowledge! It's a terrible pet peeve but it kind of drives me crazy when people call it a "hot water heater." Why do you want to heat water that"s already hot? I'm also gonna check out those radiant floor heaters too.
You have to live to learn, thanks for sharing such great information. Beatrice rocks and can only get better. ✌️
Van building is life long… As I start out on mine
Great video guys, we get our new van in May/June so these tips have come in really handy. Its our first conversion, a bit scary but so exciting. Take care and stay safe guys xxx
Thanks! Excited for you!!!
You’ll love it. Our conversion took way longer than expected but it was so worth it.
Have fun! 🌎🤓🚐
Very helpful info -and the links you have attached to the video are pretty awesome too. Thanks!
That’s great, thanks for watching!
For your water heater. I was thinking of wrapping mine in two 12 volt electric blankets. That's 100w versus 800w. Might not keep it hot hot, but you can leave it on longer.
Let us know how this works out :)
Thanks for the straightforward advice! I so appreciate your channel and insight!
Thank you so much for sharing these subjects, It is so helpful and I will for sure take your words seriously and remember everything🙏 when I begin my van build.
Keep up the good work and have a wonderful journey ☀️
Greetings from Camilla in Denmark
That’s awesome glad we could help!
I love Copenhagen! Such a beautiful city!
Bad advice about the floor. We did, however, insulate our transit fully, and the floors are still a bit cold. We cut a Pilates mat in two and stagger it in the walkway so using the toilet during the night was not cold.
Agreed! Knowing what I now know, I wish I did not listen to that company. Oh well, we solve our problems and move on....😉
@@vanhallaadventures yes, we also changed things in our van. It makes for good experience.
Hi ... an extremely well delivered presentation about what you will be changing. I subscribed as I want to follow your build updates. Very helpful. Tx
Thanks so much guys for this great video truly awesome, I know that you say not to listen to many people on UA-cam but you two are a clear exception!! great and realistic advice, I'm just getting started with my van build in the planning phase and your advice is truly invaluable. Your both a true inspiration!!!
Thank you!
Thanks for the honest review. I am in the middle of a custom build right now and I have 7/8 things on your list already done in my build. I am building out van using light weight composite materials; I have not planned pipe heaters but everything else is covered. A quick fix for your grey tank issue is put an overflow drain at the top of the grey tank and when your tank is full it will overflow to pavement (not ideal) but avoids shower backup issue. Also easy fix to add tank gauge (I have both). Hot water is via engine coolant heat exchanger/750w electric hot water tank.
Thanks for the great info Ken!
What is the make/model of that engine water heater?
@@vanhallaadventures Isotemp 4 Gallon Slim Water Heater, 115V
@@vanhallaadventures I mentioned a company that I got heater from and price 2 times previously and the comment mysteriously disappeared. It is more cost effective to purchase from Europe over US or Canada fyi.
Thanks for sharing❣️
Straight up and to the point. Nice tips! I don't quite get the "heater in the back" point though. I thought the intake came from the outside. What am I getting wrong?
With the heater mounted in the back taking air from the garage creates an airflow that is more efficient for heating. The webasto heater has two different air intakes. One for the interior blower fan and the other for the combustion unit.
Taking the air from the garage which would be colder is blown into the van as warm. It creates a centrifugal air flow.
When the heater is in the front of the van it is still pulling cold air from the rear causing a cool breeze down by your feet as it travels to the air intake of the blower fan.
I know my explanation is probably confusing.
@@vanhallaadventures Thanks! I'll keep that in mind if/when I do a van conversion.
Thank you so much for the heads up on your changes
use some reflectix on the floor, just as a rug. not glued to the floor, but something you can put it on and take out and hide it in the closet. Keeps the heat inside and the floor warm. I did and worked awesome during the cold winter
@Chris just used on the floor this winter as a rug. Just a little trick that helped and made a huge difference. Not talking about insulating under floor or on walls.
@@tiagoravazzi maybe just use it until they can install good insulation 😁
@Chris what would you suggest dear?🤔
I am currently in the van build process and really really appreciate your advice! The things you suggest make perfect sense. One question: why did you stop using the induction cook top? Is it because of too much battery drain, or overloading your inverter? I was planning on using induction with a 3K inverter and 400 a/h lithium batteries, but now you have me second guessing my plans. BTW, love your van build!
Great question! It was both. The induction burner takes A LOT of energy - some people that have inductions in their van told us they only used it maybe once a day because of it. Our inverter would shut off because of the high draw.
It sounds like you however would most likely do just fine. I will say if you plan on cooking/simmering a soup all day on the burner then that might be an issue but overral we think you’d be all good 👌🏻🤓
Thanks! We appreciate the compliment and the watch 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Nice video, I have no insulation in the floor of my 3500 4X4 ext Sprinter, factory floor, I do have Thinsulate in the walls and ceiling as well as insulated window covers for all the windows. For the floor I use throw rugs and several 3 feet by two feet foam sink drying pads under the carpet for added "insulation". I split my time between ski resorts -15F and the desert 115F, currently in Lake Havasu City 70F last week skiing in Utah 3F. Generating heat relies on the laws of thermodynamics, there is no way around the basic principles of the energy required to create heat, (kjoules of heat energy in equals kjoules heat energy out). If you plan on installing propane hot water why not ditch the induction and install a propane cooktop and keep your 2kw inverter? My ESPAR is located next to the drivers side rear wheel for the exact reason you mentioned in your video, works great. I used 80/20 extensively in my build and highly recommend using it, strong, looks good with many options, it is however fairly expensive. Cheers and keep up the good work!
We did in fact ditch our induction burner last month as mentioned in our van tour video. Currently using a counter top /butane burner. Propane can also be used on said burner.
Yeah we’re gonna remedy the floor situation with heater pads and some rugs at some point.
Thanks for watching!
Great video, thank you for all the suggestions.
Love you guys you are so down to earth and realistic my favorite channel. Hugs xoxoxox
You rock 🤘🏻 Thanks for watching. We love getting to know our followers and look forward to many more adventures with you 🤓🌎
Thanks for this video and your others! Very helpful!!
Great timing! I’m looking at 2 vans today and now I know what questions to ask.
That’s exciting!!!
I’d definitely touch/push on everything to see if the structure is sound - I know that sounds odd but one of my friends looked at vans and some people for their shower areas and walls only used plywood and wood on top, there was little to no framing. I’d also “pretend” to do you morning and night routine in the van. That’s what we did over and over to ensure we enjoyed the flow of the van and it made sense for living. I’m sure you’ve thought of these things though I thought I’d mention because it’s such a big purchase and we want to see everyone LOVE their van 💕
So happy for your upcoming adventures!
An excellent and honest review of your conversion experience 👍 All eight intended changes make absolute sense.
I am so sorry that the, so called professional, advised you ‘not to bother to insulate the floor’! Let’s face it, we’ve all been told that hot air rises so, unless you’re installing a heating system under the floor, it stands to reason that the floor will be pigging cold 🥶 particularly if the outside temperature is a little on the chilly side. Good luck with the upgrades 🤞
Thanks John 🙂 we definitely went against our better judgement. We appreciate the support!
Awesome thank you 🙏
👍🏻 Great advice and very solid ideas.
Hey guys.. Just found u'all an so glad I did. The other van lifers I watched all live in homes now!! Still watch them but miss the travel.. So glad I found u guys. Keep on wit the wonderful vids. Show more of time of u guys living in ur home. It's truly beautiful. Luv& Peace from Madison IN. (come visit our historic downtown an state park)
Aw thank you 💕 We’re happy to have you with us on our travels 🙂 And we look forward to chatting more as our community grows. Peace and Love to you Rhonda ✌🏻🥰
Youre the fucking best, this is a great video, I really wish I could have helped more, you have such an incredible vehicle and its so cool that you did it yourselves! Youre really making me miss our van Tigerlilly.
Haha thanks Toby! Thanks for helping out with the roof rack and solar installation. That day really made us see our vision come to light. We will never forget that feeling. ☺️✌🏻
So helpful!!! Much thanks!! 👍❤✌😘
Thx u for posting this I’m in the middle of building my van & this help me
That’s great! Glad we could help and thanks for watching!
You people could install solar panel,
My suggestions, i guess it will help little more. Can you people discuss about this in next video! Will be helpful to us also.
We have 525 watts of solar. Check out our van tour video!
@@vanhallaadventures "you people " lmbo!!🤣😭🤣
Your videos are awesome!!! I'm learning lots of tips n tricks both for van building n traveling. Good luck with your home updates. Looking forward to see your next videos.
Glad we could help, thanks for watching!
🙏🏻
thanks for sharing this, so very helpful...can you explain more about the pipe heaters, would that not require shore power to use though?
No problem!
The pipe heater system I want to get runs on 12v. It’s low wattage and the batteries can handle.
I’ll let you know when I find said product.
Or if you find it first please share! 🤙🏻
Actually vanlife tech has a hydronic heating floor system. It’s not only warm floors but it heats the water and the space you’re in.
Great info thanks! Wish I knew about this a year ago....🙄
And it's very expensive
Great video! What kind of heating will you be using for your pipes? Thanks ;-)
Very informative
SUPER helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
For now how about a throw rug on floor until you get it fixed ..and lemon juice down sink and shower will help with smell
Yeah we’re always looking for a rug that fits our dimensions. Not easy.
Lemon juice, nice tip we shall try that one. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing such useful information.
Being in Colorado this was super helpful
First time subscriber and I love your video about adventures.
Thank you!
This is good stuff. Thank you for this candid video. Stay safe and TFS.💖
Thanks, great video. These are always helpful. I would not have thought about the aluminium framing. I'll look into it when I start my build, but I think I would try to use slightly thiner planel. Or may thin them afterward with a router... I'm thinking of a non permanent shower. A video on permanent vs temp shower would be nice. How often do you use yours and when (as it depends on what you are doing I suspect)...
Yeah defiantly aluminum framing. However, the cedar panels we used are no concern for weight issues.
We use the shower quite often. Some weeks more frequent than others. Like you said, it just depends on what we are doing. Thanks for watching!
You are great, thank you very much.
Thanks Olivia!
GREAT INFO...SO USEFUL. THX
I see you watch Humble Road too, lolz
Good information realistically!
That’s great to hear, thank you!
wow great info. thank you
Thanks for watching!
Why did you stop using the induction Cooktop?
We cook ALOT!
We decided to go butane stove to save battery power. It’s working out excellent.
Absolutely the most helpful vid you two have made!
Oh and so sorry you guys got run out of Texas during the big chill. It was HORRIBLE! Come back through before it gets into the 100’s.
Thank you!
@@MomofukoU yeah that was unfortunate but we will come back to Texas later this year or next year. 🤷♂️
I am hoping to buy a van to live in and I like what you have done. Do you have a video of the actual build?
We have a van tour video but do not have a build video.
@@vanhallaadventures I watched the van tour. You have such a sweet van.
@@amyv8416 thanks!
Just found your channel and subscribed… Hope to learn something from you… But it’s fun isn’t it
Hello and welcome!
Yeah it’s pretty fun…☺️
Great video. Thank you
Excellent tips 👍
Brian! It's Paul from Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. Cool video and I hope y'all are doing great!
Hey what’s up Paul! Great to hear from you.
How’s your Roadies and Rescues program coming along?
@@vanhallaadventures, preparing to offcially announce everything in the coming weeks once we have our new insurance policy in place. I hope we can cross paths again before long. I love what you're doing with this YT channel!
Love watching your videos!!!
Aw thank you so much!!! We really appreciate it 💕 We love making videos for you!!! 🥰🤘🏻🙌🏻
Good morning, I have a question, first off all I love your van, iam German and I got a old campervan, I like to change it, but over here it is all about how heavy your van is, how is that were you travel? I would love to have lots of wood in my van. Greeting to you lovely people. Martina.
Thank you!
Yes different vehicles have different weight limits in order to be covered by insurance and/or warranties.
Our van is rated to operate at a maximum of 10,000 pounds.
That being said, our total weight with us inside is 9,400 pounds.
If we ever build a van again I would use aluminum framing but still use wood for the outer/finishing layer.
Hope this helps and thanks for watching!
Useful!
That was so helpful thank you
Glad we could help. Thanks for watching!
Great job!!
Just started watching...I don’t think I’ve asked, but what do you two use for internet?
We use our cell phone hot spots but we’ll be doing a whole video about the set-up as we have other options too. Be on the lookout for one in the next 2-3 weeks :)
Just curious why you stopped using the induction stove - was it only because of an inadequate inverter?
We cook ALOT! The induction burner kills the battery fast. Having to rely on electricity to cook was a burden.
We already have a big demand for power to use our laptops so getting rid of the burner definitely helped.
What propane water heater are you considering? I’m worried about installing propane heater inside due to fumes...
We’re not actually going to change out the water heater in this van. But if I were to build another van I would go that way.
Great video
Thank you 😊
Great advice, thanks!
Of course! Happy to help 🤓
insulate floor means loose headroom?
The thicker the floor the closer you get to the ceiling. If you are tall that would be an issue.
However, we should have insulated the floor. But someone gave us bad advice.
Where is your spare tire?
Factory mounted outside underneath behind the rear bumper.
What do you think about that: SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:
No insulation material should be placed under or over the fabric.
Hi CVA, not sure what you are referring to - can you share more of what you are speaking about? What fabric?
Its about the heatingmat.
Hello!!! 🇵🇷 🏝 buen video.
Vanlife in vietnam say hello
Helloooo!
Thanks so much for sharing!! We love your van and are grateful for all you’ve shared.
We just uploaded a new video about putting cork flooring in our van! 🥰 It would mean a lot to us if you checked it out and let us know what you think!!
The couple so honest, sincere and giving, and their have built a very functional, awesome home on wheels, love it! Subscribe definitely, and DID!!
Thank you so much Katarina, we love your support! 🙌
Hi mom hi dad
I've been watching van builds and am amazed at all the HEAVY wood EVERYONE is using, and the fact no one seems to be insulating the floor.
My own plans are aluminium framing and metal interior cabinetry. There are better options than heavy wood. Clean minimalist lines in my mind. Your the first that have actually brought up "finished weight".
🇨🇦 Insulate insulate insulate... First and last thing.
On demand water heater, no one seems to be using. Yet many new home builds are incorporating this idea of ditching the water heater and hot water tank. I'm curious if it works in a van build???
Tankless water heaters have 2 options.
1. 110v - uses a lot of power
2. Propane - at the time of the build we did not want to commit to propane. But I wish we did.
3. Yeah heavy wood. I would switch to aluminum for the next van.