This van’s got good bones. Services have been done, tires are in good nick, and pretty much everything works. First step is to remove the bits the previous owner left in the cargo area and do a first cleaning. There’s a bit of moss growing in places, and a thick layer of grime over nearly all the surfaces, so finding a pressure washer is going to be a high priority.

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The pressure washer came in handy, but there’s nothing like a solid scrubbing to get through the layers of accumulated grime. After some serious scrubbing and cleaning, the roof finally shown in it’s original bright white. A couple layers of wax on top of the whole body and she was looking cleaner than ever! This was probably the first wax in years, and the paint just soaked it up.

I’ve spent several months now researching countless builds – the materials, the layouts, the equipment; it’s a rabbit hole that’s easy to get lost within. Do I want a shower? A composting toilet? Radiant infloor heating (yes, it’s possible in a van)? A diesel heater? Yoga platform on the roof? Foldaway or fixed bed? Solar with storage and AC/DC power? Forced ventilation? Can I do a small HRV system?

Lots of questions, and a myriad of different answers. Now that I finally have the real thing sitting in my front yard, I can begin to get a real sense of the space and how everything will fit (including me!) Measurements were taken of all the interior spaces and reference buckets, cardboard, and anything else I could throw in there to get a real view of the space. I already had an idea in mind, which cheekily fits my electric keyboard in the space next to a king-single bed. Most people I spoke with about the install thought it crazy to fit a full-sized keyboard in the van – there was very little space to start with (3m L x 1.56m H x 1.54m W), and this thing would take up valuable room! Not to mention it was a bit awkward in determining the layout for the space. This is going to be fun!

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