My 1994 Safari XT sits and preparations are underway to make it my mobile home. Getting started in winter has its challenges, but I suspect it will work out better this way, as transitioning to warmer weather will mostly mean removing the cold-weather necessities, thereby freeing up space. I could easily run into problems if the rig didn’t allow for the needs of winter living.
I’ve seen great examples of custom campervans and plan on cherry-picking some elements from each (stay tuned, I’ll definitely give due credit!). Before I go too far down the road of designing my dream vehicle, I thought it might be a good idea to come up with a list of minimum requirements to launch the van. Once assembled, I’ll spend some time living in it to help inform the design and additional features.
With that in mind here’s the list of requirements:
Sleeping
For the first iteration, how minimal can I go? A sleeping bag and camping pad on the van floor? A cot with a foam mattress? Since I won’t be sure how I’ll use the interior when I’m not sleeping, something that can be stowed might be the smart move.
Privacy
This one is easy, but necessary–especially for stealth camping. Reflectix with black felt should do the trick. Easy.
Cooking
Since eating out will chip away at my savings, being able to cook most of my meals in the van is a must. I’ve already got a 2-burner propane stove. For now, I can use the 1 pound canisters for fuel, but I’ll be looking to shift to a refillable tank ASAP.
Power
I wish I could do without this for the short-term, but in addition to providing updates on my travels, I’ll also be picking up development work. I could try to rely on public charging and WiFi–and may try that out for a while–but ultimately, I envision having solar power and a deep cycle battery. Since I’ll be adding a pop-top to the van soon, I need to be careful about selecting the right solar panel. Danielle and Mat at Exploring Alternatives shared some great info on their solar setup: We Have Solar Power in The Van! as well a couple of videos: Off Grid Solar Power – How to Calculate Your Needs and Our Amazing Solar Power Setup! I plan on using the same panel from Renogy temporarily mounted to a rigid substrate–thin plywood with a few coats of outdoor paint should hold up until the top is installed and I can attach the panel directly.
But What About Heat?
I may regret not incorporating heat right away, but I’ve got plenty of winter gear to keep me warm. My biggest concerns are freezing/thawing of my electronic devices. And if it turns out to be an issue, I’ll add a Mr. Buddy (or similar catalytic heater). I started a thread on Reddit to see if others have experience dealing with extreme temps and got a few good responses: Winter van-dwelling, freezing temps and a laptop.
Finally
This my first post and I’m taking the same approach as I will with the van: Build the first version quickly then let the journey tell me what adjustments I need to make.
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