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Now for the part where you get to bring all those pictures you have seen on Instagram and what your dreams are together to create the van, you dream of. One of the best parts about building a van from an empty canvas is that you get to customize every inch of it to be precisely what you want it to be for you and your lifestyle!
Before building your van, we would recommend finding pictures or videos of vans that you like and picking out all the things you like from them and creating a compilation of them all to come up with a layout that best suits YOUR needs.
For us, we took a specific layout we had seen and built just that with maybe a few adjustments but after living in this van for over a year we have realized all the things that aren’t as practical as we thought when building. So, if we could go back we would definitely look at more layouts and really consider how functional they are for our lifestyle. What works great for others may not actually work that great for you, which leads us to our next point.
Have you considered renting a van first?
This is something we wish we had done was to try renting a van with a similar layout as the one we built to see how it worked for us. This may not always be possible but doesn’t hurt to look and see if you can. There are apps like RVshare and Outdoorsy where people rent their vans, so it may be worth looking into this before committing to a layout.
Or doing a mock up of your layout?
Another way to get a feel for your layout, if you’re willing to pay a little bit, is to use a software like Vanspace 3D. This program will allow you to put in the layout and move things around to see your vision come to life. If you are anything like us you are a very visual person and sometimes you just need to be able to see what you are thinking to know if it is a good idea or not. We have not personally used this program but definitely think it could be beneficial if you are struggling to finalize a layout.
Here is a list of some other things to consider when planning your layout:
- Do you want a fixed bed, one that is a U-shape couch that converts to a bed (what we have), a bed that slides out (smaller during day mode and bigger for sleeping) – we would also call this a half-fixed bed, or a murphy style that folds up and to the side during the day. I’m sure we are missing some here but you get the idea.
- Do you want a seating area? How big will it be? How many people can sit? We think it is very important to have a comfortable area to sit inside, sitting outside is always great but not always possible or desired. This is also important to consider if you are going to be working while on the road, whether that be for yourself or if you will be working remotely for someone else, you want to make sure that you have a comfortable place to sit for long periods of time while you are working.
- How big of a kitchen do you want to have? Having enough counter space to cook is so important because cooking outside is great but again weather and where you are can throw a wrench into this so having enough space to prepare your meals in the comfort of your home is so nice and will also make this space feel more like a home than just a camper. Pro tip: figure out a way to add an extension to your countertop whether it’s a pull-out addition or a flip-up, it’s a great way to get more counter space!
- Are you going to have propane or all-electric? Propane is great because it saves money from having to bulk up an electrical system and worrying about using too much but it can take up a lot of space and of course can be very dangerous if there were to be a leak. We will talk about this more in another post and why we prefer electric but something to think about for your kitchen setup.
- Do you want to have a shower in the van? There are many different options you can do with this and the pros and cons of each. The main styles are a fixed shower and many different versions of pop-up showers. We have a fixed shower and while we wish we had a pop-up to save on some space, we do love our shower and it is great when we use it.
- Are you going to have a toilet in the van? If so what kind of toilet are you going to have? There are again many options here that we will get more detailed on in another post but deciding what specific toilet you are going to have before building is important so you know the dimensions and where you are going to locate it in the build.
- And lastly, for this section, plan intentional storage. If there is one thing we wish we did a better job of is having a specific place for all your things. This will make using, and taking things in and out much easier. It will probably make your drive much smoother and quieter too (things won’t move and clang around as much)
Now for some example layouts:
Still not sure on what layout is right for you?
Book a consultation call with us here and we can help you decide based on your preferences!