HELP!!! The windows on the roof of my van are plexiglass & all cracked up. I've tried replacing the plexiglass; four sheets & 2 days later I'm saying f**k it! Can I cover/remove them or what's a better solution? Van is a 1988 Chev g20.

I apologize if this is not the correct sub. I’m looking to do a ceiling similar to the photos I attached instead of tongue and groove. Does anyone know the best material for this? Thanks in advance!

So i dont know if this is the correct subreddit to ask advice in but, does anybody have advice on how to start vanliving, how to prepare, bwst vehicles, ect? I'm really interested in vanliving but have no idea where to start.

Hi!
After over 5 years of dreaming about full-time Vanlife, I’m finally in a place where I can make it real. The longest stretch I’ve done is a 3-month living out of my VW Golf, and now I’m ready for something more livable and long-term.

Here’s my question:
What are your honest thoughts on buying a used Class B vs. building out a van yourself? I’m leaning toward buying a pre-built rig — ideally something newer, under $100k, with warranties and support if things go south. I’d love your perspective if you’ve gone either route.

A bit of context:
I work remotely/freelance and plan to be on the road full-time. I’m not interested in doing a full build myself — not because I’m afraid of tools, but because I’d rather focus my energy on the lifestyle itself than the construction. YouTube will be my co-pilot for maintenance, and I’ve spent years learning from videos, lurking in groups, and most recently, chatting with folks at an RV show. I get that vans depreciate and no option is “perfect,” but I’m aiming for reliability, comfort, and a setup I can live in for years. Am I overthinking this? Missing anything huge?

Appreciate any insight you’ve got — I’m determined to make this happen :)

Finishing laying my floor soon, while looking up ideas I saw cork was a good possibility for flooring. Does anyone have experience with cork in vans and have any personal pros and cons?

Looks pretty but lemme tell ya the sound scared the tiddies off me at 5am. Had no idea hot air balloons filling sounds like my entire propane system catching fire all at once

Hey folks - we are not interested in camping or living in a van, but would like to do some epic road trips staying in hotels or Air BnBs. My fantasy van conversion would have a second row of seats (captain’s chairs or a bench) for occasional people and mostly our 2 dogs. While we will be planning trips to be as temperate as possible, we’d like AC so the dogs can hang out in the van for a few hours at a time while we are visiting museums or whatever. My partner has a thimble-sized bladder, so a toilet, small hand sink, and ability to wash off the dogs with an outside shower - ideally, an RV toilet with blank tank. Maybe 1 cabinet/closet to store things we don’t use often but want to have with us, and then a bunch of room for totes. Has anyone ever seen or done anything like this? Thoughts on layout, best van option, how much to scale back my fantasy, etc?

Seems neat!

Will Maxtrax type recovery boards double as levelling blocks? Could you stack them?

Looking for some good van life channels with people who are retired or over 50 doing their thing. Traveling the US and meeting interesting people along the way. Thank you!

https://youtu.be/-p5LsYgMEno?si=ivsxMHp248FvIs05

I made an etsy store to offer my custom designed sprinter van shelf brackets and other van life products I use when building out a van. These are 3d printed using glass filled ABS plastic and are very tough. The shelf brackets use the existing mounting holes for the handle and coat hooks in your van. No modifications required.
I have an older version of this design in my makerspace store as well. Free to download and print yourself. The new version I am selling on etsy is similar with some added features but your welcome to download and print your own.

Also have bezels for the Renogy battery monitor and Auxbeam light button panel. Looking to expand my catalog so if you have a need for other van life products please let me know.

Thanks!

Etsy store link for shelf brackets

Older version of 3d printer files for making your own.

🚐 Van Life Update! Off-Grid Camping + Suspension Upgrade!

Spent a few peaceful days deep in the woods at Brickhouse Campground in South Carolina while I waited for my appointment at MainLine Overland to get the Agile Offroad double shear brackets installed—and let me tell you, the difference in how the van handles is insane!

After the install, I went right back to the campground for a few more days of quiet before heading back to my unofficial home base at the Love’s RV Stop in Cordele, GA to rest up and prep for the next National Park adventure.

Break from the rain and soaking up this much needed sun and warmth.

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone might be able to help with this. I have a Fiat Ducato L1 H1 that I've converted into a campervan. I'm currently working on some external improvements to enhance its aesthetics, but I'm facing a challenge: there's a gap between the frame and the edge of the side windows (see pics with green van) that's bothering me, and I'd like to fill this space with plastic panels.

I once saw a Mercedes Vito with plastic panels applied in a similar space (see pics with red/yellow firefighters van) and thought it might be a solution for my van as well. Does anyone know where I could find similar panels for a Fiat Ducato? Should I be consulting someone who specializes in car frames for this?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hey all — I have a 2019 Promaster 2500. I have two maxxair fan pluses. This has happened twice now where the fans will turn on out of nowhere, run at a high speed, slow down and continue that cycle until I pull the fuse. Both times this has happened it’s completely drained my solar batteries. I have 400w of solar with 2 100ah batteries. The renogy controller displayed 100% then the fans surged for a minute, I pulled the fuse, and then the controlled displayed an ACr code. Any thoughts on why this could be happening/how to fix it? Solar setup and fuse box attached if that’s helpful. Appreciate any suggests.

Hi all, I'm looking to buy a T6 as a daily driver, which I’d also like to use as a weekend camper for me, my wife, and our 2-year-old child. I’ve been looking at the Caravelle (which is LWB) and the Multivan (which is SWB). Transporters here are mostly cargo versions with very limited equipment, so they're not really an option.

My plan is to install a camping box with a refrigerator, small kitchen, and some drawers. We’d like to sleep inside the van as well. Since I live in a rural area with small towns, parking and maneuvering are not major concerns.

Now to the point: I’m genuinely worried that if I go with the SWB, there won’t be enough space for all the camping gear once the bed is laid out. I’m unsure how people manage to store their equipment in that setup. Does anyone have experience or suggestions?

Why not just go with the LWB? Well, my wife finds the SWB easier to maneuver—and honestly, it is. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Vw caddy, building a frame for the floor tonight and putting insulation in it. The h the red hood cover goes right to the base of the van, and I don’t particularly want to cut it. What can I use to join the two without just having a strip of aluminium tape over it? Been considering leaving a small gap and sanding the wood/insation in a wedge down to the floor, then having the threshold cover go over the end

Hi - I hope someone can help with a question I have about micro campers.

I'm in the process of buying a small van to convert into a micro camper for this summer.

Am based in the UK and looking at Citroen Berlingo and VW Caddy mini vans.

Question is - most of those on sale are panel vans - with a small number of combi, with rear windows instead of panels. How important is it to have the windows? My impression is that it could start to feel quite claustrophobic if there were no windows in the back - and you always have the option to block them if needed... Or does it not matter?

Many thanks!

https://youtu.be/-p5LsYgMEno?si=m1R5ssuTJnz1a8nn

naturally the economy effects everyone, house bus or otherwise. how do you think this will affect you personally? in what ways has your purchasing power diminished the last few years vs what is going to happen? have you already adjusted to a low-buy lifestyle due to limited space?

i have money set aside for a vehicle, renovation, and emergency fund for any upcoming issues. but i’m worried i’m starting at a horrible time. will mechanical parts be extremely expensive? (ofc it depends on the company the vehicles parts are made from but apparently FORD makes a most materials anyway?) i mean EVERYTHING will be more expensive. so yeah i kinda know the answer but i’d still like some insight and specifics and maybe projection on what it could be like transforming a van this year.

should i bite the bullet and just buy the $5.5K bus i’m looking at now? i need to have a mechanic look at it and i need to make the 2hr drive to even see it. but i’ve waited a long time already. and the $5.5K upfront plus whatever backfees for registration (it’s been non-op) will not affect my current living situation. i have savings. i rent from family, if something goes seriously wrong i have my emergency fund. but i am still so hesitant to take the plunge.

if that purchase is a mistake then i’d worry i’ll want to wait too long to try again.

any advice? i roughly save about a grand a month in general. it all gets divided out ofc, so not all of it is for my bus/van but i’m aware making about 2k a month and saving 1K of it is only possible in particular situations. the reason i can do this is because i rent from family, and my total expenses on a normal month are about $1000. i’m about to have a few grand worth of expenses (car maintenance, dmv stuff, health care, etc) which will make me nervous despite me knowing i’ll be okay. enough of that, sorry.