Creature Comforts and Other Van-Warming Items / July 31, 2019 by Ray Phung

During this first trip we had a house (van-house anyway), but we did not yet have a home. While perfectly functional, it felt like we were missing a few things here and there. A weeklong trip to climb in the desert was a great test what else is needed to make the van more comfy and figure out what worked and didn't work.

Cedarizing and Flooring / January 16, 2016 by Ray Phung

The last couple steps that went into this van conversion are the wood panels that went on the majority of the van and the flooring. Both were installed after all the electricity was wired and the furniture built. I really wanted the overall look to be a "cabin-on-wheels", and I love the look, feel, and smell of wood. So choosing these finishing looks was easy.

Extending Bed Frame / January 14, 2016 by Ray Phung

In the original design of the bed, I wanted something that could convert from a couch to a bed. Like a futon, only less college-dorm and more space conscious cabin. The reason for this is two-fold.

Kitchen / January 13, 2016 by Ray Phung

Building out the kitchen turned out to be easier than the storage shelves. The kitchen cabinets have shorter sides (less warping!) and are smaller in general. I felt like it was easier to ensure everything was perpendicular and square. Also, I chose to overlay the cabinets doors which I feel better hides imperfections.

Storage Shelving / January 8, 2016 by Ray Phung

Next to wiring the electricity, building cabinets was something I was really nervous about. I have not done a lot of wood-working, and cabinets require a lot of precise skills. The last thing I want are lop-sided cabinets with wonky shelves that don't stay closed. In reality, the cabinets only took a couple weeks to do, and for the most part, turned out pretty well.

Electricity / January 7, 2016 by Ray Phung

Electricity was a topic that came up early in the planning phases. We had a lot of hypothetical discussions of the type of amenities we would like to have and whether we would realistically use them. This is quite a large topic, but I will go over installing solar power, hooking the batteries up to the van's alternator, installing the fan, and other wiring and fusing issues.

Cab Upgrades / January 6, 2016 by Ray Phung

Soon after purchasing the van, we decided to take a trip up to Squamish to climb and to test out its livability. But before we embarked on the 6 hour trek, I insisted on making some much needed upgrades to the cab.

Rust Abatement / January 6, 2016 by Ray Phung

Rust. It is the absolute worst. In this entire camper conversion process, the actual building out of the van (minus insulation, which is a whole other ordeal), probably only took about two months. The majority of the summer was spent on the tedious process of rust abatement.