Vanbuild Regrets: 18 Things We Would Change About Our Campervan

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Our vanbuild is far from perfect. Some vanbuild mistakes are forgivable, and some make us loathe living in the van long-term. Here’s the things we would change about our campervan & the mistakes you should avoid.

Let’s talk mistakes. Fuck-ups. The big regrets. Because building a campervan for the very first time is a monumental task that is far easier said than done. & if you’re thinking about converting to the vanlife you deserve to know the truth.

The reality of #vanlife, if you will.

First, things first you should read all the dirty details of vanlife and paint of more realistic picture of van-dwelling than you get from Instagram. Once you’ve removed your rose-colored glasses, we can talk construction. Because that’s what this post is all about. Making sure you don’t make the same mistakes we did as first-time van builders.

After spending one full year living in our 1994 Dodge Ram Van that we converted for under $4,000, I have some regrets about our vanbuild, or at the very least some things we would definitely change about our campervan if given the opportunity.

Immediately after converting our campervan, I wrote a post on 8 mistakes I made during the conversion process. This post covers the specific problems I ran into while converting a used 1990’s conversion van with no previous build experience. This post will cover the things we would change about our campervan that can apply to ANY vehicle. Things you should consider before you commit to your floorplan.

A Tip for First Time Van Builders

If this is your very first vanbuild, there is one thing you can do to ensure that you don’t waste your time and money building a sloppy van…

When this vanbuild guide was released we had already built our campervan. Had we had access to this info before our build we wouldn’t have made ANY of the mistakes I’m about to cover below. TWS has thought of everything.

18 Things We Would Change About Our Campervan

I want to help you build your dream van. The van you’ve carefully planned out and pinned hundreds of how-to guides to build.

But sometimes, even the most well-thought-out plans miss something. Because honestly, without having lived in a van long-term how are you supposed to know what creature comforts are deal-breakers??

These are the 18 things we regret about our vanbuild. The 18 things we thought we would be okay without. But were, oh, so wrong.

1. Not investing in a vehicle with 4 wheel drive. (Or high-clearance)

You would be surprised how many places require 4WD. Recently, we had to miss out on epic adventures (& slot canyons) in Grand Staircase Escalante on our Utah road trip, and scenic swimmable waterfalls on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico.

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A post shared by Eva zu Beck | Raw Adventure (@evazubeck)

I’ve never owned a 4WD vehicle so it didn’t even occur to me that this would be a deal-breaker but if we ever have the chance to convert a second van…we’re splurging on 4WD and high clearance. Mostly because one of the great joys of vanlife is getting off-the-beaten-path and often that requires a little more heft than a regular vehicle can offer up.

Another note: When you’re driving a vehicle as heavy and boxy as a campervan, it can sometimes prove difficult to navigate even mildly off-road terrain. Not the best for finding secluded stealth camping sites.

2. Not waiting for a van that we can fully stand up in. Or raising the roof ourselves.

We knew this was going to be an issue.

I’m 5 ft 6 inches, but my partner Evan is 6 ft. Our original plan had been to wait until we found an ultra-hightop conversion van listed in our area but pickings were slim. Plenty of Sprinters were on the market, but we just didn’t have the $60,000 to spare (here are more reasons we didn’t choose a Sprinter). So, we decided it wasn’t a necessity.

If you’re planning on living in your campervan full-time…let me save you from the back-breaking reality. You need to be able to stand up.

Right now, the longest we can spend in the van without a little break is three months. Then we start to feel our hunchback forming. Doing the dishes, cooking, even just hanging out in the van is difficult if you have to be seated. I need to be able to stretch my legs.

3. Buying an old van.

Not a used van. But an old one.

We bought used because it was by far the most economical option. But because we chose a van that’s more than 25 years old and questionably maintained…we’ve had to make some serious repairs along the way.

Repairs that pretty much canceled out any savings we got by opting for the used older models.

For example, our van cost $3,000. The conversion, just under $4,000. $7,000 is a steal for a fully functional quality-made campervan. But then the transmission went out. Even though we had the vehicle inspected by a mechanic just before we bought it. Sometimes they miss shit. Our transmission added $5,000. Then within one year, we had to replace the fuel pump (twice, due to shoddy mechanics), alternator, brakes, and wiring inside the dash. This cost an additional $2,200. Did I mention our speedometer doesn’t work either?

For $15,000, we could have gotten a much newer and nicer vehicle. But the truth is, there’s no way to know if that vehicle would have breakdowns as well.

4. Not splurging on solar panels.

I want solar power.

Good for the environment & good for getting off-the-grid. We move around a lot, so our electrical system works pretty well for us.

Our electrical system charges off the alternator while the van drives. Our current system lets us stay in one location for 2-3 days without moving. UPDATE! With our Bluetti EB55 external power source we can now stay in one location for 6 days. And with this power source, we can easily update our system to solar.

But it would be nice to have the flexibility to stay longer in one destination without moving. We found ourselves craving longer stays on Florida’s van-friendly beaches. & the sunshine state would have been perfect for recharging solar panels.

If you purchase the vanbuild guide I recommended above you also get a 10-20% discount on solar panels. Literally, nearly paying for itself. But I get that a $297 course may not be for everyone. If you just want a step-by-step guide to the electrical system they also have a $14 bundle that will walk you through this tricky step.

5. Underestimating our electrical usage overall.

Between charging my phone, apple watch, camera battery, powering my fridge, and on occasion my laptop…. we use a lot of juice.

Even if I couldn’t spring for solar panels, I would opt to have bigger or more batteries. I would estimate your battery needs and multiply it by 2. Just to be safe.

6. Not installing a roof rack.

Our roof is made of fiberglass and curved. This made fitting it for a roof rack difficult. So, we skipped it.

But honestly, the ability to throw outdoor gear like kayaks, paddleboards, and storage bins filled with snow chains or extra gas is priceless.

This budget-friendly roof rack will fit many models and has good reviews.

7. Spending so much money on “aesthetic” details.

Example 1: We spent $250 on a thick slab of chocolate-colored wood to make a pretty countertop for our kitchen and our table. But we barely use the table and the countertop is heavy beyond belief. Not worth it.

Example 2: We spent loads on fabric to make our own curtains, cushion covers, and lining for window covers. Not only was this expensive and time-consuming it was kinda silly. Who really cares if all my curtains match my seat cushions? I could have just picked some pre-made ones up at the thrift shop and opted for plan seat cushions instead of uniquely patterned.

8. Building a convertible bed.

Our bed turns into a U-shaped bench with a center table.

A great idea in theory. But in reality, we never convert it. It’s far too much of a hassle and instead one of us just ends up sitting on the bed. We should have opted for an easier layout to convert or just stuck with the stationary bed.

9. Not laying the groundwork for more secure and stable shelving.

When you’re in the framing stage of your vanbuild, be sure to create LOTS of sturdy wooden support beams to drill into. We didn’t provide enough and now suffer from weak shelves that can’t hold substantial weight or have to skip shelves in some areas all together.

10. Not considering electrical outlet placement.

Why did we decide to put our main outlet underneath our bed/table??

I seem to remember thinking it would be convenient while the bed was in table mode but what about when it’s in bed mode!! Be sure to put your electrical outlets in plain easily accessible sight.

11. Air-Conditioning. It’s essential.

Our van has no A/C.

You can manage without A/C if you plan all your van trips around the weather. But us, being the stubborn humans we are, planned a road trip through the Baja Peninsula of Mexico in the dead heat of summer. It was brutal.

But it wasn’t just then. It was also warm days in the PNW during the heatwave, Spring in Arizona, and the muggy humidity of Florida.

12. Not taking the time to craft specialized storage, inside & out.

This is a tip I read everywhere but I didn’t really understand until I had been living the vanlife for a while.

Creating specialized storage essentially means deciding what gear is essential to life on the road (I made a list to help you along) and then creating storage for each item.

For example, I wish we had built a shoe rack into the door (update: we did later). Or a spice rack above our cooking space. I wish that our shelves for plates and bowls fit them more snugly. It’s just little details like this that help keep things organized and neatly stored in the van.

This is especially important for bulky items (like bikes, outdoor showers, & paddleboards) that take up a lot of room. You need to plan ahead and design a place to store them.

13. Our shower set-up. It needs work.

We didn’t build a shower or a composting toilet.

I have zero regrets about the toilet in that tight space. But the shower system sucks. We currently use a solar-heated shower bag that works wonders in a pinch, but if it’s even slightly cold or breezy out it becomes a torture device.

If I got to convert a second van I wouldn’t sacrifice the precious inside space for an indoor shower but I would install a “better” outdoor shower system. This blog post outlines a variety of shower options.

What would I add to ours? A stable weighted curtain and a place on our new roof rack to aid in heating and hanging the bag. & opt to pay for a truck stop shower or dude wipes (my secret to a waterless shower) in particularly cold destinations.

14. Not making our greywater system easier to access.

This is an easy fix. Our greywater tanks under the sink barely fit in our cabinets.

This is one of those “specialized storage” problems I mentioned.

You have to empty and refill your greywater and water tanks every few days. This is extremely tedious if they are difficult to squeeze out without spilling like ours tend to be. Be sure to give yourself enough cabinet space for nice big tanks. No less than a 5-gallon bucket.

15. Choosing an electric fridge instead of just a Yeti cooler.

Our fridge sucks power.

If given the choice again between spending $300 on an electric cooler-style fridge to keep our perishables cold and having to deal with ice in a yeti cooler…I might choose the Yeti. But Yeti’s are also extremely expensive.

If you’ve already committed to a solar-free electrical system or struggle with limited power this is the budget-friendly cooler for you.

Obviously, the major downside to a cooler is you will have to refill ice every week or so and drain the excess water. It’s just one more chore to add to the long list of van chores. But it’s a good option for those who aren’t planning on living in the van full-time.

16. Not turning overhead space into cabinets.

To better understand what I’m talking about be sure to take a peek at the 8 mistakes I made during my vanbuild blog post.

But essentially, my conversion van (like many others) had some natural above the cab space that I planned to turn into storage. But unfortunately, I didn’t realize at the time how impossible it would be to create cabinets for this small space once I had already installed the walls.

So now, that space is storage. But it’s very raw and not the easiest to organize. Not to mention that without cabinet doors things fall out on occasion. Be sure to plan out ALL your storage before you get into the build.

17. Not building drawers or a pull-out table in the back.

I always get such van envy when I see a fellow van-dweller with a neat slide-out picnic table or pull-out table in the rear of the van. Setting up outdoor seating is tedious. Especially, because I have to pull my chairs out from my storage benches and dismantle my bed in the meantime. & cooking outside is such a luxury (i get to stand while I cook!). A slide-out table is great for making a place to throw our stove when we’re camping where there are no picnic tables.

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A post shared by Vanlife | Travel | Camper (@vanliferscommunity)

Another great option if the outdoor table isn’t your thing is slide-out storage drawers. This would be more accessible and easier to organize than my under-the-bed storage benches.

18. Bringing so much stuff!

When I’m packing for life on the road, I bring so much stuff. When you’re traveling with a mini-house it’s so easy to do.

That’s why I compiled this list of essential gear for life on the road. Try to Marie Kondo any extras. Because I promise you won’t need it and it will only clutter your already tiny living space.

Here are a few other helpful posts for vanlifers

& now some things we love about our campervan…

We’ve written a lot about things we would change about our campervan, but there are TONS of things we are really pleased with.

For a first vanbuild, we did really well. (We think.)

Check out our blog post on all the things we LOVE about our campervan so that you can be sure to add them to your van plans.

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