There’s already work out there on this, widely available. Everyone and their mum knows someone who’s been living in a campervan by now. I won’t go too much into detail on how to convert your van but essentially, this craft involves a little bit of multiple different crafts. Rather, I’d like to focus more on my personal experiences, instead of writing an end to end how-to guide. Below are some key things I’ve learnt and I believe are important to know:
Start with purpose
Why do you want a campervan? How do you like to travel? What compromises are you willing to make? These kinds of questions will then play a role in helping you ideate the campervan you want. This will determine things such as choosing a platform based on budget, transmission, fuel type, age, customer base, comfort with trades.
There’s no point starting to build a dream vehicle that never hits the road. Consider timelines, use case and if this is really something you think you would enjoy. It’s fine if you don’t end up enjoying it, but keep in mind that the process of converting a van to a livable vehicle takes time, money, and effort.
Avoid scope creep
It’s very easy to want to add feature on feature to your campervan. Whilst doable, keep in mind that every feature you want to add is another hurdle to you being able to freely enjoy using the campervan. There are so many changes you could make, only some of which are important and have material benefit. Get the minimum done, and worry about that flashy outdoor awning shower combo later. Rather, it’s more effective time wise to focus on iteration over perfection.
Iteration over perfection
Aim for a minimum viable product, and test and identify weak points you would like to address. A leak in the roof won’t present itself in your garage. A battery won’t run out right when you need it if you never are in a situation where you need it. These experiences should inform your work process. Expect problems, and work through them along the way.
Be prepared to make mistakes
Important skills include - woodwork - electrical wiring - plumbing - troubleshooting - upholstery There is no way in heck you will get everything right the first time. Wire sizes, wood measurements, circuit designs, bench height, which way a cable goes in. Make mistakes, accept things might cost a little more than the bare minimum, and keep making progress.