Man I just ran across your channel and I really love y'all's van. I mean you did a really incredible job. I can't wait to go through the videos and watch how you did alot of it. I've probably been checking out this whole van life stuff for about three to four months now. Just going through tons of videos. I was in the construction field for about 6 years in my early 20s although we always subbed out our electric and plumbing which I would say are definitely the most daunting task in a van build. So I'm definitely wishing I knew more about that. But thankfully for me my brother and law is a electrician so that will be helpful. This stuff can really get complex especially when I've been looking at radiant heating and recirculating showers like you have. I want to do a 12v cruise and comfort bottom mount air conditioner. I want to do everything electric so of course I need the power to run everything. I love how you did your solar system to maximize the sun! That was really clever. Anyways I look forward to checking out your channel more and I really hope this virus gets cleared up so you can continue your trip around the world. We're y'all able to make it back home when it hit? I'm not sure how the boarder stuff has been?
Great video about the pros and cons of DIY. You talked a lot about how the complexity of the build can impact the cost, but it also impacts the timeline and basic feasibility of a professional upfitter being able to deliver the service. You van is one of the most complex out there. I don't think you could have found an upfitter to build your van at any price. It is not typically in their business model to build such highly specialized designs. Especially if the installers are required to learn new techniques/engineering that they might not replicate in future builds. There is a lot of reason to use an upfitter for a standard build (if you have more money than time). But if your build complexity exceeds typical upfitter standards there is a lot of reason to go DIY. Thanks again for the videos, always nice to see information rich content. Cheers.
Good video Curt. I am super impressed with all the systems you have built in your van. Kudos to you for taking the leap into van life. I am only a couple of months away from retirement and my wife and I also want to travel. We don’t plan to sell everything, but downsize significantly. We are also going to start out baby steps and do some initial travels in our old Roadtrek. I think that will allow us to see if we can stand living in close proximity for extended periods. The custom build DIY is definitely on my wish list and I will likely shoot for building it at home next summer or soon after. You guys and your van build and adventures (even your foray into the world of UA-cam video production) I find very inspirational. I hope we can get to your stage soon. Really enjoying your videos, you guys are really great and hopefully we will meet you on the road someday.
Bill.... Thank you so much for the kind words! We wish you tons of luck with your upcoming build! One thing we can share with you.... We have found that we actually communicate better now that we live in such close proximity. It took us about six weeks to figure it out, but since then, it's been pretty easy!! Keep us posted!
Keep in mind - if you pay them $100/hour for labor - that means you need to earn at least $130 before tax. It took way more time to do each part of my build -estimate how long - then quadruple it. - really... I had descent skills and bought good tools - both so important. Patients -100% - when things get too frustrating - just chill & stop for a coffee. All valuable information that folks should consider whether to or not to DIY. Also -good chance there will be a waiting time with an upfitter.
Just wanted to wish both of you a happy Christmas I'm going to have to do pretty much most of the build I'll have to hire someone to do the electrical and hook up the solar other than that I'm going to roll the dice on the build myself if I could afford to hire at all done I would it's just not possible by watching your videos and others I think I'll be okay if I just take my good old time it's all in the journey wanted to thank both of you for always sharing it's appreciated
Happy New year Mitch! We are glad that our videos are helping you. Keep your patience in check and you will get it done for sure! Keep us posted as your build progresses.
I appreciate your grounded measured approach to van builds. Did you come across any info regarding compromising the structural integrity of the shell by removing sections for fans, windows, etc?
We did not...and our window a d fan placement is pretty standard to what we saw in the market, do we didn't stress o er this too much. Great question, especially if you are offsetting any fans or windows.
Does any of your videos show the breakdown cost of your van? What did it cost you to convert? Are you willing to help with the design and build of others vans? If so how much would you charge per hour?
Not yet...but we plan on trying to put this together during the first part of 2020. We retired, so not looking to do any more building.... But, Curt is taking a look at putting together a van build guide. Subscribe and hit the notification bell.... We will keep our subscribers updated on the status.
@@SnowAndCurt i discovered your channel and have been binge-watching all your episodes the last few days. what was the total cost of your van build-out? it turned out amazing and i'm enjoying following your adventure.
#1 Cost, I know I can't afford $60 to $100 an hour for someone. I can afford a case of beer and pizza (or BBQ) for help though. P.S. I have really been digging the art on your van walls. It is so simple but does a wonderful job of breaking up boring white walls I see in other van builds.
Thanks Peter!! I'm sure you will get some great helping hands when you roll out the pizza and beer! Thanks for the compliment... I may have built the van, but the finishing touches are all Snow! She wanted it to feel as much like a normal house as possible... I think she did a great job!
Curt - how do you suggest one does a van conversion living in a house with a 2 car garage, typical house in the burbs? I suppose I would have to park cars out of the garage. I don’t even know if an extended 170 WB, high roof would fit in my garage. Ugh! But, I believe there is always a solution!
Probably not. Even my raised roof E350 van is too tall to fit into a typical residential garage. Or even my ex's garage which has larger than normal 8' tall doors. Hopefully you live in an area where working on the build in your driveway is acceptable.
Did you happen to pre-calculate the weight on all the components prior to the build? How did you know the end product would be less than the CCW (cargo carrying capacity)?
We kept a spreadsheet with a rough estimate of what things weighed... but did not know the grand total until we pulled it on a scale when she was done... scary weighting for that weight ticket, but we came in just under! LOL
I see that your Sprinter has four tires on the rear axle. Is this a special model/conversion? On reviewing Sprinter vans for sale I don't see any with four tires on the rear axle. I am considering building a DIY conversion myself. Do you have a list of all of the conversion parts, e.g A/C, heat, water tanks, solar panels, etc. available. I am costing out everything before i begin. Thanks. Hope you are safe in Central America!
It is a mercedes 3500 diesel 4x4 170 extended. They come with 4 wheels on the back. Bought in the USA... maybe that makes a difference?? Check out Curt's Tech Talk Series... he shows how you built our van! ua-cam.com/video/UJfSXwP9QmM/v-deo.html
Some depends where you plan to be with your van. If you're travelling to Panama, for example, it doesn't matter if you have a warranty, that guy aint coming to service your van. You are the warranty.
Correct.... Another reason Curt built out our van, we are traveling international for the next several years....he has to know how to get in there and fix anything that goes wrong!
Man I just ran across your channel and I really love y'all's van. I mean you did a really incredible job. I can't wait to go through the videos and watch how you did alot of it. I've probably been checking out this whole van life stuff for about three to four months now. Just going through tons of videos. I was in the construction field for about 6 years in my early 20s although we always subbed out our electric and plumbing which I would say are definitely the most daunting task in a van build. So I'm definitely wishing I knew more about that. But thankfully for me my brother and law is a electrician so that will be helpful. This stuff can really get complex especially when I've been looking at radiant heating and recirculating showers like you have. I want to do a 12v cruise and comfort bottom mount air conditioner. I want to do everything electric so of course I need the power to run everything. I love how you did your solar system to maximize the sun! That was really clever. Anyways I look forward to checking out your channel more and I really hope this virus gets cleared up so you can continue your trip around the world. We're y'all able to make it back home when it hit? I'm not sure how the boarder stuff has been?
Welcome to the channel!! We are riding out the virus down here in Mexico...plan on heading south towards central america in 2021!
@@SnowAndCurt awesome! Can't wait to check out the travels!
Great video about the pros and cons of DIY. You talked a lot about how the complexity of the build can impact the cost, but it also impacts the timeline and basic feasibility of a professional upfitter being able to deliver the service. You van is one of the most complex out there. I don't think you could have found an upfitter to build your van at any price. It is not typically in their business model to build such highly specialized designs. Especially if the installers are required to learn new techniques/engineering that they might not replicate in future builds.
There is a lot of reason to use an upfitter for a standard build (if you have more money than time). But if your build complexity exceeds typical upfitter standards there is a lot of reason to go DIY.
Thanks again for the videos, always nice to see information rich content. Cheers.
We agree 100% Ben! We learned pretty early that we were going to have to tackle our build ourselves!
Just recently discovered your channel and I'm really loving how informative they are! Really considering van life in the future
Glad you like them!
Good video Curt. I am super impressed with all the systems you have built in your van. Kudos to you for taking the leap into van life. I am only a couple of months away from retirement and my wife and I also want to travel. We don’t plan to sell everything, but downsize significantly. We are also going to start out baby steps and do some initial travels in our old Roadtrek. I think that will allow us to see if we can stand living in close proximity for extended periods. The custom build DIY is definitely on my wish list and I will likely shoot for building it at home next summer or soon after. You guys and your van build and adventures (even your foray into the world of UA-cam video production) I find very inspirational. I hope we can get to your stage soon. Really enjoying your videos, you guys are really great and hopefully we will meet you on the road someday.
Bill.... Thank you so much for the kind words! We wish you tons of luck with your upcoming build! One thing we can share with you.... We have found that we actually communicate better now that we live in such close proximity. It took us about six weeks to figure it out, but since then, it's been pretty easy!! Keep us posted!
My budget is 10-$15k for the van and another 10-$15k in the build. Good info on this vid 👌
You can do some great stuff with that budget...make sure to keep us posted as your build progresses!
Keep in mind - if you pay them $100/hour for labor - that means you need to earn at least $130 before tax. It took way more time to do each part of my build -estimate how long - then quadruple it. - really... I had descent skills and bought good tools - both so important. Patients -100% - when things get too frustrating - just chill & stop for a coffee. All valuable information that folks should consider whether to or not to DIY. Also -good chance there will be a waiting time with an upfitter.
We agree a million percent Terry! Patience is key...things will go wrong!
Happy holidays to you and yours
Thanks Kinda! Wishing you an amazing 2020!
Just wanted to wish both of you a happy Christmas I'm going to have to do pretty much most of the build I'll have to hire someone to do the electrical and hook up the solar other than that I'm going to roll the dice on the build myself if I could afford to hire at all done I would it's just not possible by watching your videos and others I think I'll be okay if I just take my good old time it's all in the journey wanted to thank both of you for always sharing it's appreciated
Happy New year Mitch! We are glad that our videos are helping you. Keep your patience in check and you will get it done for sure! Keep us posted as your build progresses.
I appreciate your grounded measured approach to van builds. Did you come across any info regarding compromising the structural integrity of the shell by removing sections for fans, windows, etc?
We did not...and our window a d fan placement is pretty standard to what we saw in the market, do we didn't stress o er this too much. Great question, especially if you are offsetting any fans or windows.
Does any of your videos show the breakdown cost of your van? What did it cost you to convert? Are you willing to help with the design and build of others vans? If so how much would you charge per hour?
Not yet...but we plan on trying to put this together during the first part of 2020. We retired, so not looking to do any more building.... But, Curt is taking a look at putting together a van build guide. Subscribe and hit the notification bell.... We will keep our subscribers updated on the status.
An in-depth breakdown on the costs and steps for your build would be awesome
@@SnowAndCurt i discovered your channel and have been binge-watching all your episodes the last few days. what was the total cost of your van build-out? it turned out amazing and i'm enjoying following your adventure.
#1 Cost, I know I can't afford $60 to $100 an hour for someone. I can afford a case of beer and pizza (or BBQ) for help though.
P.S. I have really been digging the art on your van walls. It is so simple but does a wonderful job of breaking up boring white walls I see in other van builds.
Thanks Peter!! I'm sure you will get some great helping hands when you roll out the pizza and beer! Thanks for the compliment... I may have built the van, but the finishing touches are all Snow! She wanted it to feel as much like a normal house as possible... I think she did a great job!
I really enjoyed the video. I really learn a lot
We are glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for tuning in!
The level of customization in the build I want pushes me towards a DIY build. Unfortunately, time and space currently make that difficult.
Space is critical... No doubt about it!
Curt - how do you suggest one does a van conversion living in a house with a 2 car garage, typical house in the burbs? I suppose I would have to park cars out of the garage. I don’t even know if an extended 170 WB, high roof would fit in my garage. Ugh! But, I believe there is always a solution!
Probably not. Even my raised roof E350 van is too tall to fit into a typical residential garage. Or even my ex's garage which has larger than normal 8' tall doors. Hopefully you live in an area where working on the build in your driveway is acceptable.
Did you happen to pre-calculate the weight on all the components prior to the build? How did you know the end product would be less than the CCW (cargo carrying capacity)?
We kept a spreadsheet with a rough estimate of what things weighed... but did not know the grand total until we pulled it on a scale when she was done... scary weighting for that weight ticket, but we came in just under! LOL
Thx. for doing this. I'm hopeless so I'll have to hire someone.
Hiring someone is a great decision if you didn't get the DIY Gene... Your build will be awesome!
I see that your Sprinter has four tires on the rear axle. Is this a special model/conversion? On reviewing Sprinter vans for sale I don't see any with four tires on the rear axle.
I am considering building a DIY conversion myself. Do you have a list of all of the conversion parts, e.g A/C, heat, water tanks, solar panels, etc. available. I am costing out everything before i begin. Thanks.
Hope you are safe in Central America!
It is a mercedes 3500 diesel 4x4 170 extended. They come with 4 wheels on the back. Bought in the USA... maybe that makes a difference??
Check out Curt's Tech Talk Series... he shows how you built our van!
ua-cam.com/video/UJfSXwP9QmM/v-deo.html
@@SnowAndCurt Thank you
I'll check it out
Any video on a complete insulation procedure?
No... Curt may put one together... But it's not in the next 3-4 he's got planned!
@@SnowAndCurt thx for the response. That's one of the most controversial and confusing steps of it all. ☺
Some depends where you plan to be with your van. If you're travelling to Panama, for example, it doesn't matter if you have a warranty, that guy aint coming to service your van. You are the warranty.
Correct.... Another reason Curt built out our van, we are traveling international for the next several years....he has to know how to get in there and fix anything that goes wrong!
It is so expensive to run a legitimate business, $100/hr, give or take, is a very realistic number.
We agree!!