Building a ski bum van!

S

SapperDaddy

Member
So after months of careful consideration and after an upcoming deployment I will begin to build a van to hopefully go across country and ride random mountains. I plan on getting a van stripping it on the inside and building storage, a bed (or 2), and hopefully an area with a mini fridge and microwave (not full on kitchenette just fridge and microwave). I have a few questions though.

Here they are:

What will be the best kind of van to look for?

Best way to get power to the van?

Best way to heat the van?

Best way to further insulate the van?

Any advice would be amazing let me know your experiences.
 
13105262:SapperDaddy said:
Yeah they have a van. Cool. Answers almost none of my questions. Please read the post before commenting.
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you see if you actually payed attention to it then you would learn things. The tc van is the greatest ski van in history.
 
I always thought using solar panels and batteries would be good for power.

Maybe just an electric space heater would work to heat it but make sure you have a quality sleeping bag. And have a boot dryer.

Not too sure about insulation. Maybe try something like what they use on portable fish houses. Clam uses a heavy insulated tarp like cover for their houses. And make sure to cover up your windows cuz they let out tons of heat. Maybe even have a makeshift wall or something between the front seats and your living area so heat doesn't escape that way.
 
13105295:Katniss_Everdeen said:
you see if you actually payed attention to it then you would learn things. The tc van is the greatest ski van in history.
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I did pay attention but it no where in the show does it answer any of my questions as far as heating, power, etc.
 
13105304:JAHpow said:
I always thought using solar panels and batteries would be good for power.

Maybe just an electric space heater would work to heat it but make sure you have a quality sleeping bag. And have a boot dryer.

Not too sure about insulation. Maybe try something like what they use on portable fish houses. Clam uses a heavy insulated tarp like cover for their houses. And make sure to cover up your windows cuz they let out tons of heat. Maybe even have a makeshift wall or something between the front seats and your living area so heat doesn't escape that way.
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I was thinking about getting one of those vans without the windows in the back. Like a work van. Then building a wooden box almost to go in the back to where i can insulate between the walls of the van and the box. It just depends on space.

I like the solar idea. Ill take a look into it. Would they be durable enough though?
 
13105315:SapperDaddy said:
I like the solar idea. Ill take a look into it. Would they be durable enough though?
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Yeah I'm not sure, and would they be reliable. There might be long stretches where it's cloudy all the time and they won't help much.
 
13105326:JAHpow said:
Yeah I'm not sure, and would they be reliable. There might be long stretches where it's cloudy all the time and they won't help much.
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Yeah. It would be a good idea though for summer traveling though.
 
13105295:Katniss_Everdeen said:
you see if you actually payed attention to it then you would learn things. The tc van is the greatest ski van in history.
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stop being a d bag buddy pal

whats he's trying to say is that if you watch some tc episodes you can see a lot of the inside of the van
 
The VW Westfalia is the best ski bum van ever. My buddies and i drove one throughout wyoming and utah for a climbing trip a couple of summers ago. Make sure to bring an extra car battery or two.
 
Free-Candy-Van.jpg
 
13105545:Bum.Life said:
The VW Westfalia is the best ski bum van ever. My buddies and i drove one throughout wyoming and utah for a climbing trip a couple of summers ago. Make sure to bring an extra car battery or two.
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I wouldn't go this route. I used to have one and they don't handle ice packed roads very well. Plus, mine broke down a lot.
 
In terms of power, you can run a lot of stuff off propane. It's cheap, efficient, and propane heater will keep you nice and warm. If you ever want to get a stove and fridge, you can run both off propane too.
 
Van type:Sprinter vans work well cause you can stand up in them. That being said you can also roll them pretty easy. So first you need to decide how big of a van you want. Tall enough to stand or smaller? minivan or cargo?

Power: I would set up a power system that can can be charged via from the vans Alternator. Buy a few battery rv batteries and a battery monitor system. This would allow you know when your batteries are low and you won't kill the vans starter. You could even buy a solar panel to allow for sun charging.

Heat & insulate: I wouldn't insulate the van. Insulating any rv or conversion van is expensive and space consuming. With a proper sized electric space heater you can heat the van very quickly and efficiently. For sleeping just buy 2 good sleeping bags. One for summer temps and one for winter temps. Synthetic fill. If it ever gets super cold (like -20F) you can always resort to the double condom sleeping bag system, which is where you take a summer bag and put it in a winter bag. My winter bag is rated to 0F but wont use the Double system unless it's -20f.

Cooking: A fridge isn't always necessary for winter. Get a roof rack and put a cooler on top. Winter will keep stuff cold. Maybe just hot plate so you have more room. Also a whisperlight cooking stove or a coleman suitcase stove. You would have to use them outside but they are reliable and wouldn't suck juice from battery.

Here is a good website that has vehicle traveling accessories (batteries, fridges, ect).
http://www.equipt1.com/

Hope this gives you some ideas.
 

If you look closely enough you can see that the innards of Karl's van are lined with carpeting. This is most likely to insulate and keep the van comfortable. Karl also hangs construction lights from ceiling hooks, most likely drawing power from a inverter hooked directly to his cars battery so that he does not have to start the van to draw power. It seems as though a simple hanging bead door way will keep in heat lost to the open part of the van.
 
Paint your van black so it attracts more heat for cold winter days. Elevated bed frame so you have room for storage. Build shelves or cubbies to organize all your belongings so it doesn't end up in a heap on the floor. Tinted windows or no back windows so no one can see the dirty things you do while you're lonely in your van.
 
I'd get something to boil water with instead of a microwave. A gascooker or something. Gives you more versatility in cooking + it's probably healthier.
 
Make sure it's a manual so you can crash start it when you inevitably run the battery flat.

Or run "house" deepcycle batteries separate from the starting battery with an isolator.
 
Best vans to look for:



#1 Sprinter (if you have the money)

#2 Ford Econoline (adventure mobile if you can find one)

Don't waste your money on Westies. Their cult fallowing drives the prices up way higher than what they are worth. They are underpowered, expensive to repair, and require lots of maintenance.

Best way to power the van:

You going to want to buy somewhere close to 400 amp/hr AMG batteries. You can only run AGM batteries down 50% so effectively this will give you 200 amps of power. This will run you around 500$. Also you need a way to charge them. If you choose to go solar, a general rule of thumb is you need a 100 watt solar panel for each 100 amps of battery. You could also look at trying to charge from your alternator. http://www.fridge-and-solar.net/dual_bat.htm. The ideal setup would probably be a combination of both.

To power a mini fridge, you first off need to get the right mini fridge. I would recommend going with a propane for 3 way fridge. If you go electric then you need to get one that draws very low amps. Theres a company that makes fridges meant to be powered off solar panels that might be worth looking into. Expect to spend lots of money here.

Heating the van:

This is a tough one. Catalytic heaters are safe but produce h20 as a by-product. This in turn makes everything wet and thus not ideal in very cold temps. You really need a vented Cat heater:http://ventedcatheater.com/6.html. If you can get your hands on one (they always seem to be on back order by about 6 months) expect to pay a pretty penny.

Best way to further insulate the van:

Just buy thin insulation padding from home depot. Put it everywhere you can.

I could go on but I should be working. Expect to spend a shit-ton on whatever you get. I only use my van for spring/summer/fall camping for this reason. Winter is tough
 
sorry i meant sportsmobile not adventure mobile.

Basically they take 2wd vans and pimp them out with 4wd and other shit. Pricy but maybe worth it if you're driving in the snow all the time.
 
Get a Toyota Hiace, because Toyotas are really reliable. Tint the back windows because you want it as dark as possable when sleeping. Look around on the net fot a small dehumidifier because if not your stuff will get damp because of the coldness outside and the heat inside. Also get some boot dryers because of the same reason of your stuff getting damp. Im not sure how much they are but probably $50. Never use a gas cookers inside the van because you are pracrically asking to kill your self. Put a double bed in because it takes less room than bunks. If there is any thing elce just hit me up :)
 
Chevy 2500 Van. Same frame as the Siverado truck and ya can get it with AWD. And you can make it 4WD for a chunk o change.
 
13106709:Tao. said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO-atp1FH3Y
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I bought a "Mr Buddy" heater. Lasted about 6 days before the thermal conductor switch crapped out. We were using it in November in southern Utah and it was still cold as balls. I wouldn't dare fall asleep with one of those running in a van. I'd be to scared I'd wake up burning alive.
 
13106716:iLLbiLLy said:
I bought a "Mr Buddy" heater. Lasted about 6 days before the thermal conductor switch crapped out. We were using it in November in southern Utah and it was still cold as balls. I wouldn't dare fall asleep with one of those running in a van. I'd be to scared I'd wake up burning alive.
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Or gassed to death. We have a Mr. Buddy that we bought 10 years ago that we use in the deer stands during hunting season, and it still works perfect (Keeps it a solid 70-80 degrees on a sub zero day). I would call the manufacture and ask if they would repair or replace it.
 
A friend and I built out Soul Poles sprinter van last summer. I will post pics tmw while not on my phone. You want to make sure you insulate it. We used r18 insulation and then vapor wrapped it. The power for the components comes from a Goal Zero yeti 1250. It handles the fridge and power tools necessary to make ski poles inside it. It sleeps 2 atleast, has a workshop, LCD lighting, and it's pretty sick. I'll post up some shots from the start to finish tmw.

Check out Soulpoles.com and I think there are some pics on there. I can PM you what it cost.

Also make sure you know carpentry well. Your vehicle is going to be moving, unlike your house, so you need to be sure everything is essentially doubles as far as securing it, and to make sure it doesn't rattle when you max the sprinter out at 85mph with 3 drunk friends passed out in the back.
 
Peugeot Bipper, MERCEDES SPRINTER 313, 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan is a good type of Vans. You can also check 2014 Kia Sedona and 2014 Nissan Quest for more cheaper vans. It will surely be a great car for your next ski trip!
 
a dodge or Mercedes sprinter would be perfect my freind has one he uses for the same thing u r looking to do and loves it
 
A VW Vanagon would be pretty solid. They're more reliable than the microbuses just because they're not as old. They have the Westfalia style too but they're a bitch to find.
 
13106897:perryhunter said:
Peugeot Bipper, MERCEDES SPRINTER 313, 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan is a good type of Vans. You can also check 2014 Kia Sedona and 2014 Nissan Quest for more cheaper vans. It will surely be a great car for your next ski trip!
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Yeah, I'm sure he's looking to buy a basically brand new vehicle for this project......
 
how many solar panels are you going to need to run a fridge?

I could see solar panels being used to run lights and charge phones but the fridge must use a ton of juice
 
They make solar panels now that are thin and flexible. You're supposed to be able to walk all over them.. Probably not cheap.

Get a 3-way fridge for sure, so you can run propane.

I'd cook with the propane too, orrr I'd get a little camp stove and make due.

When propane burns, it produces moisture. This will condensate on your windows and everything else. In an RV, the moisture is no good because of all that wood, but maybe in a van it wouldn't be so bothersome.

They sell buckets of desiccant crystals. I'd get a few of those as they dehumidify without electricity.

Make sure your sleeping bag is synthetic fill, not down. Down doesn't insulate well when wet. On that note, air out your sleeping gear/entire van in the morning to reduce moisture and smell build up.

Get a jumpbox for when you've killed your batteries and can't move the car to pop start it. (most parking areas are flat and covered with snow/ice, have fun finding people to push) You're better off trying to find someone to jump you.

Blankets on the windows act as tint/insulation, but are sort of an eye sore. If you know you won't be using the windows, they sell this window film that shrinks when you use a hair dryer. People also talk about bubble wrap. The smartest thing I've ever heard was to insulate your windows on the outside first. Then worry about the inside.

A cooler outside under the van is a lot cheaper than a fridge.

Have you decided how you are going to defecate on those cold, dark, -20 mornings?
 
13107090:wepresidentnow said:
how many solar panels are you going to need to run a fridge?

I could see solar panels being used to run lights and charge phones but the fridge must use a ton of juice
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Depends on the fridge and the solar panel. http://sundanzer.com/ makes a fridge that can supposedly run off a single 100 watt solar panel. I think it runs at about 8 DC amp/hr.

In the winter time... a lot. Keep in mind days are shorter and stormier.
 
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