Electrical & power
The most important and most safety-critical system in the van. Get this right first.
Sizing your battery & solar
Work from your daily power use to a right-sized lithium bank, solar array, and inverter, without guessing or over-buying.
Batteries: LiFePO4 explained
Why lithium won, how to read a spec sheet, depth of discharge, BMS, and cold-weather charging.
Wiring, fuses & safety
Wire gauge and ampacity, fusing every circuit, bus bars, and the standards that keep a 12V system safe.
Charging: solar, alternator & shore
DC-DC chargers, MPPT controllers, and how to combine charging sources sensibly.
Climate & comfort
Staying comfortable across seasons comes down to managing heat and, above all, moisture.
Insulation & condensation
Why condensation, not cold, is the real enemy, which materials to use, and how to build a wall that stays dry.
Heating your van
Diesel and gas air heaters, sizing, safety, and why sealed combustion keeps the air dry.
Cooling & ventilation
Roof fans, shade and reflectix, and when a 12V air conditioner is actually worth the power draw.
Water & plumbing
Simple in principle, but the tanks are among the heaviest things you carry.
Layout & interior
The decisions that shape how the van lives every day.
Vehicle & build
Picking the platform and building it in the right order.
Choosing a platform
Sprinter vs Transit vs ProMaster vs box truck, scored across eight categories with a weighted overall ranking.
Weight & payload
Why builds run heavy, how to estimate weight, and staying under your payload without guesswork.
Build order & timeline
The sequence that avoids rework, from insulation and electrical rough-in to finish carpentry.
Money & legal
Budgeting the build and keeping it legal on the road.
Turn the theory into a plan
The Build Planner applies all of this to your situation: a recommended vehicle, systems sized to your needs, a budget, and a step-by-step build guide.