1988 Ford E250 Conversion Van

The Plan

I got this van cheap on the local classifieds.  My intention is to use it for long periods of time with no hook ups.  That means not needing water, power, or sewer hookups.  I have been looking for my own van for a few years now and have finally saved up enough to get my own.  Unfortunately, with all the van watching I have been doing over the years, there are many different styles that I would prefer to the one that was available.  So what is someone to do?  

THe Wreck out

After a few hours of work, I managed to get most of the interior out that was screwed down.  Once that is complete, I will have to move onto the larger items.  This will include cutting the plumbing and propane lines and remove the fixtures.  I will also need to remove all in house systems as the only thing I am keeping is the part that belong to the van itself.   I am taking my time with this wreck out because I don't want to mistakenly cut wires to the tail lights, or some other vital system, that I will have to repair at a later time. 

Update from March 19 2017

I removed a little more from the interior of the van.  The next step is the big one.  I believe I am going to have to cut some pipes and gas lines to remove the fridge, stove and toilet.  Wish me luck!

Craig

Update from March 25 2017

I forgot some blades at home to cut the propane, water and sewer lines.  So I only worked on the van for a few hours.  I removed the top part of the toilet and the sink.  After looking more closely at the sink, I think I am going to reuse it.  It seems to be a good size and is stainless steel.

Craig

Update from April 14 2017

The van is pretty much empty.  I need to sweep out the debris, and cut/tape some electrical wires that I will not be using but, everything else has gone.  I recently ordered some solar panels after a little headache.  You wouldn't believe how hard it is to buy an RV solar panel kit in Canada that is ~500 Watts and using an mppt charge controler.  OK so maybe I was a little picky, but I decided to piece it together myself from amazon.  I was just a little frustrated where I called a company 3 times for a purchase and all they had to do was tell me how much it was going to cost.  They said they were going to e-mail me the quote.   After 4 weeks I am still waiting, so I gave up on them.

Anyways, plans with the van have changed slightly.  I am still planning on getting it ready for this summer, but it looks like it is going to be put off for a month.  June is the new goal date but, sooner would be preferred.

-Craig

Update from June 14th 2017

The van build has been put off for another month due to financial issues and lack of time.

There has been a lot of work done since I last updated this blog.  I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

Since the above picture, my brother in-law has installed a bed frame for me and the bed is ready to sleep on.  The insulation and reflectix bubble-wrap insulation has been improved and taped down.  The battery box has been sealed off from the interior of the van venting only to the outside. The only thing left is to mount the solar panels and wire them to the charge controller/batteries/inverter.  The batteries can be seen below.  I have 4 alphacell 180GXL-5's. 

The plan always seems to be changing...   and at the moment the plan is for the van to only be used by me for one season.  If I enjoy it, I may build a new van from scratch.  

I feel I am close to the end of rebuilding this van.  Because I am so close to the finish I can confidently say that it will be ready by the end of the month.  At least ready enough to use.

I will be sure to post at least one more picture of the project once complete.

Craig

The Rebuild

Once I get to the bare shell of the van I need to start working on framing the van to endure the weather.  I would like to have the van be useable in the winter and the summer so insulation is a must.  After the framing is complete and the insulation is installed, the new house systems will need to be added.  I believe these are best entered as modules.  This way, if something fails, it can be easily replaced.  This will mean the power system will be mostly contained in one area, while the fresh water will be in another etc...

I have spent some time over the years thinking about the necessary systems for this build.  

I will just dump them here now with no editing and clean them up later.

-Bed/Battery box

-Fridge/Microwave

-Shower

-Toilet
-Kitchen Sink
-Stove top
-White water

-Grey water

-Wardrobe
-Tools/Storage

-Floor

-Roof top

More data

Here is more unedited info I came up with when planning.  kind of a shopping list.

Item

Van

Solar panel
Charge controller
Inverter
Batteries
Wire

Water tank
water pump
Water Pipes
Water Heater
AWG
Sink
Tap
Gray water tank

Toliet
fridge
microwave
hot plate
Bunk Heater
Carbon monoxide detector

Vent
Plywood
Flooring
Insulation
Shelving
Bed frame
Mattress

So, that's where I'm at

I might do infrequent updates blog style from here out.  My progress is currently dictated by the cold weather and my work schedule. That being said however, I do hope to be completed or near completed around May 2017.  Perhaps that is a little ambitious.  But I won't know until then.