Fortunately, as I have been researching how to build a campervan, I have been taking notes on all the various aspects. As a result, I had a good idea as to the steps of the process. I started by putting together a high-level project plan to help me understand each of the steps of the process, which steps needed to be completed before/after each other, and roughly how long each will take (my best estimate). This was a great help, and allowed me to see a few steps that could be completed before the van even arrived.
In my notes, I also listed the tools used for each step of the process. So, after organizing these notes, I made a complete list of tools that I needed to acquire. I was able to borrow several tools from my daughter-in-law, Lena, who also agreed to help me with the build. Lena is super-handy and I’m glad to have her helping me. The tools that I needed to purchase, I quickly ordered from Amazon. In a couple of days, I had all the tools that I needed to purchase ordered.
I spent a couple of days doing some research on components for the van that I wasn’t sure which model to go with, but were important to select for the van either due to their impact to the van layout (e.g., the AC unit) or they would impact the electrical design, or were something that was installed early in the van build process (e.g., the roof rack). I purchased some of these items, but others I’ll wait until closer to the time that I need them.
Before the van arrives, I will try to complete the fabrication of the two twin beds. These beds will dictate where other components go, so there are important to build first. So, I put together a detailed sketch of the bed design and purchased some raw materials for the bed build (plywood, 80/20 AL extrusion, and hardware).
I also completed research on the process that I will use to build the van for the first few steps of the process (roof rack, AC & Fan installation, flooring, sound deadening & insulation, and wall panels). As I perform each step, I’ll include the steps I followed and the best YouTube videos I used. Besides YouTube, I also used the book, “The Van Conversion Bible” to guide me.
While I was waiting for all the tools and materials to arrive, I focused on the electrical design. I first laid out on a piece of paper the location of anything that needed power and highlighted whether it was 12v power or 120v power.
I then made a table of all the electrical components and their electric power specifications. This allowed me to understand how much electrical power my van needed for different seasons. Summer was the worst, if it was hot enough to have to run the air conditioning, as the AC takes up a lot of power. Once I knew my total power usage, I used some different calculators to decide on how much battery power I wanted in the van (turned out to be at least 450 amp-hours), and how much solar power I wanted to generate from the roof of the van. Solar is harder, because in general more is better. And solar panels are not that expensive any more. So, I’ll likely put up as much solar as my roof will hold. Once my roof rack is on the van and I have installed the AC and overhead fan, I’ll search for solar panels that best fit the remaining space.
The list of the electrical components also helped me to determine the voltage of my power system. I had to decide between 12V and 24V. After researching both voltages, I decided to go with a 24 volt system. The 24 volt system will be more efficient and a little cheaper to build. Having made that decision, I purchased a 24 volt air conditioner and refrigerator for the van. I also purchased the components for the 24 volt electrical system along with the lithium batteries. These components are the most expensive part of the van build, and it was a great relief to have designed the electrical system and put everything on order. I know that I ordered the electrical system components a little bit earlier than I really needed to, but while I was up to my neck in electrical design stuff I figured that I should just order everything to be sure that I didn’t miss anything.
So, as of January 25th, I have most of my tools and major components ordered. Any major components that aren’t ordered are only because they aren’t needed yet. Between now and when my van arrives, I’ll focus my work on building some of the fabrications that go into the van with a focus on the beds and cabinet to hold the electrical system.