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How to Build a DIY Camper Van

We built our Sprinter Camper Van from the Ground up. Here are the steps we took and the projects we tackled:

How to Prep the Floor for a DIY Camper Van Conversion

We took the stock floor of our van since it used to be a plumbing truck (that floor = gross). Here's how to remove it:

How to Remove the Seats in a Mercedes Sprinter

You'll need to remove the seats in your sprinter to install swivel seats or acess the nice hidden 'storage' area for, perhaps, a heater install. Here's how to remove them:

How to Remove the Headliner in a Mercedes Sprinter

There is a huge open space behind the sprinter headliner that needs to have sound deadening applied and insulation attached. Here's how to remove the headliner:

How to Remove the Door Panels in a Mercedes Sprinter

If you need to access the inner workings of your sprinter door for speaker installation or insulation, you'll have to remove the door panel. Here's how to do it:

How to Soundproof DIY Camper Van Conversion

Without soundproofing material, our van was like a tin can driving down the road. After... it was like a much quieter tin can. Here's how we installed it:

How to Install a Maxxair Roof Vent Fan in a DIY Camper Van Conversion

We have two Maxxair vent fans on our roof which can exchange all the air inside the van once every 20 seconds to keep us cool. Here's how we installed them:

How to Install Insulation a DIY Camper Van Conversion

We insulated our van for both hot and cold weather with rigid foam and expanding foam insulation. Here's how we did it and why we chose what we did:

How to Install Walls in a DIY Camper Van Conversion

The walls in our van is made from dry erase board so we ALWAYS have something to keep notes on. Here's how we installed it:

How to Build a Ceiling in a DIY Camper Van Conversion

The Ceiling in our van is made from an old fence, sealed, and attached to furring strips. Here's how we made and installed it:

Building DIY Camper Van Cabinets

Building the cabinets & storage in our Camper Van was a huge challenge, especially since it was our first time. Although, not necessarily a in-depth tutorial, here is how we built them:

Installing Full-Body Plasti Dip on our DIY Camper Van Conversion

Plasti-dip is essentially a spray on vinyl wrap but is 10x cheaper. It's was a big job, but here's how we did it:

Espar D2 Diesel Heater Installation

The Espar D2 heater is the diesel powered heater we use to heat our van in frigid winter conditions. Here's how to install one:

How to Design and Install Solar on a Camper Van

Learn EVERYTHING you need to know about designing and installing a solar setup on your camper van, RV, or truck camper.

Installing a 4g Cell Signal Booster on our DIY Camper Van Conversion

Since we work from the road, having a strong cell signal is vital. Here's how we get faste enough 4g to upload videos, have skype calls, and all the other business logistics:

Van Tour of Our Complete DIY Campervan Conversion

Our custom DIY camper van features 800+ watts of solar, a composting toilet, full size bed, custom cabinets, fully insulated and much more. Read more about the nitty gritty details here:

2 Comments

Chevy Petersen on June 19, 2019 at 7:50 pm
Hi. I’ve noticed you changed some gauges of wire since your original wiring diagram. Unfortunately I used the original diagram for wires sizes and your new wiring diagram for the rest of the components. Did you find that some wire sizes were insufficient so you upsized? Or is this purely because I’m looking at the 900w solar diagram and larger sized wires are needed. Thanks!
- Nate Yarbrough on June 20, 2019 at 8:15 am
  I’m not sure which “original” diagram you’re referring to as there’s been about 6 versions since we got did the build. Nothing has been ‘dangerous’ though and if your system is already installed; just enjoy it. Any changes I’ve made to the diagrams aren’t worth going back and retroactively changing.

DIY Camper Van Build