Ballin' on a budget Van Build PT 1.

Whenever I can, I like to start a project with a blank slate as opposed to buying someone else’s half-finished electrical work, carpentry, or mechanical daydreams. A major reason I picked my van was because it was a completely unmolested work van with the most basic options. No infotainment system to break and have issues, no shelving or equipment to take out before I could start insulating and installing panels. From the start, I knew this project was going to be a ballin’ on a budget build and that I was going to buy most of the stuff online directly from small businesses when I could and from Amazon when convenient. Despite living in the woods, I am lucky enough to have one-day or same-day delivery for most things. With my alternatives being multiple trips to Home Depot for inferior materials or buying the actual stuff I want, delivered that day or next from Amazon, I’m going to do that every time.

My strategy for keeping the total cost of things down is based on not cutting corners on quality but limiting features. I don’t need every capability, but I want those capabilities to be good. Buying shitty components often leads to parts failing and needing to be replaced. Time is also valuable, and having the right tool saves tons of time and results in a better result. Take, for example, using a proper crimping tool and a heat gun for waterproof electrical connections. Sure, you can use a multitool and a lighter for the heat shrink, but you’ll end up wasting connectors and needing to redo connections. Cutting corners and using shitty fasteners leads to bloody knuckles and a constant flow of profanity. If I never have to use a Phillips head screw again, I will be a happy man.

Before I got the van back to my shop, I was ordering an assortment of supplies off Amazon. If building out a van or camper is cooking, here are the ingredients needed. I broke up the build into four basic categories in order of application: Insulation (both sound and thermal); Electrical (this includes solar and exhaust fan); Sheeting and General Modifications, specifically installing a passenger pivoting seat and a tow hitch.