10 THINGS WRONG WITH OUR DIY CAMPER VAN BUILD: Don't make the same mistakes we did!
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- After building our Sprinter camper van and being on the road for 3 months, we've come up with this list of 10 things would do differently if we could do it all over again: Kitchen faucet position, electrical outlets and charging ports, leaky water pipes and more.
Watch this video and learn from our mistakes.
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And check out our website for more van build ideas and to follow our travels:
TimShannonLTD.com - Auta a dopravní prostředky
The quick disconnects for your water tank connections is something most people don't mention. Thanks for pointing that out. Also accessibility and being able to at least semi easily access all those connections. Good thing it wasn't raining when you had to figure that whole leak out.
Thanks for the comment, we're so glad you found this helpful!
Put a little crazy glue on a paint stir stick. Glue nut to the paint stir stick so you can reach without dropping the the nut. from the outside turning the Bolt
Great idea! Next time I'm back there working with the electrical system, I just might try that. Thanks for the tip!
A safety concern would be the electrical outlet being so close to the sink.
Yeah, good point. Next van build, we'll keep that in mind. So far so good with this one! Thanks for the comment!
Is that one a GFCI?
@@terryfund1577 It wasn't.
@@AtrumNoxProductions That's a nothing, cheap fix. I'd do it right away.
@@TimAndShannonLTD Yeah, the way that outlet/USBs are is just begging for someone to get a good zap. I've had one. You don't want them. Move the plug.
You should be mounting your cabinets to what is underneath that cedar. Just like in a sticks and bricks home, you need to support a cabinet with structure.You would never hang cabinets from drywall. You wouldn't even hang a heavy mirror that way. You need to attach it to the "beams" beneath that cedar.
Yeah and I'm still kicking myself for mentioning "mounting our cabinets" on that paneling in this video. We never intended that in the first place - we mounted our cabinets with Rivnuts that we installed in the van before the walls went up. But things that are much lighter in weight like cell phone holders and small beside shelves, reading lights, etc... it would be nice to have a wall that was a bit more stout. Thanks for the comment!
Yup, that's what I said.
Another thought, maybe build a nice box to hold the phones while charging and mount it to the wall above or below the outlet and keep phones and cords and all off the table...cheers
Good ideas - all of them. Thanks Terry!
That was my thought, too, Terry.
#9 probably mentioned already... you can use a Milwaukee Multi Tool to cut off the extra screw and sand it down.
There are also domed caps that screw onto the ends of screws, which could be used to cover the potentially sharp bits.
Thanks for the comments!
The screws can be covered with “acorn nuts.” Like the new counter top and the relocated faucet.
Good suggestion - Thanks!
I was thinking little rubber or plastic caps (like brake bleeder cap) over the exposed screws.
Thank you both for sharing such a genuine honest overview of the not so great stuff to watch out for. Much appreciated 👌
You’re very welcome Kelli - glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the comment!
Our pleasure!
Put a little shelf or pocket on the wall somewhere above the USB outlet to hold the things you are charging and keep them off the table.
Great suggestion and yes we’ve done exactly that. Thanks for the comment!
Good to know on the pipe threads. It makes sense that tape will leak given the vibrations in the van. If the pipes don't move then tape is fine.
Yeah ever since we gooped them up several months ago, no more problems. Thanks for the comment!
You could try rounded acorn nuts for your shore power plate
Very good idea Scott. Thanks!
Thank you, it's of Great use for the Camper builders
You bet - Glad you like it!
I am late to the party, but thank you. Very helpful things in here. I wanted to suggest that if you’re screwing something in and worried about loosing small parts in holes and crevices, try to put a sheet of paper/cardboard or cloths over the area. If something falls, it won’t disappear. I put a tissue over the sink drain if I need to put earrings in over a sink and it’s saved me many a lost earring.
Also, so glad about your tap! My professional house carpenter suggested vegetable oil for sealing wood, but I read a study that said it’s not cost effective because of the amount of oil you need, so you weren’t doing anything wrong.
Thank you. Those are some good tips!
@@TimAndShannonLTD no, thank you! I also wanted to add that it kind of turned out well that you needed to swap your countertop. Now the tap is right! Even the most experienced builders need to re-do or improve. But we can all make a few less mistakes because you shared your wisdom!
@@LaureninGermany As always - happy to help! 🙂
If you hadn’t put that temporary counter top in You would have ruined an expensive one so that was actually a worthwhile loss! You could have a beautiful countertop with the faucet in an aggravating place and be miserable. Every mistake happens for a reason. Great and useful tips on this. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, how serendipitous life can be, huh? Thanks for the comment!
1and 6 was hilarious 😆
Glad you liked them!
I’ve been watching the entire build series and wanted to thank you for sharing such valuable information for van building. Really appreciate your help. Thanks a bunch👍👍👍
Our pleasure - Glad it was helpful!
This was helpful for me before I take the plunge, thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Enjoy your build!
I have a simple idea to power a van cargo area with just 5v/12v charging bricks. I just mount small bungee cords on the walls, along length of cabin, both sides.
Then you can quickly hang a charger &/or phone, light, fan where you need it.
Right? There are so many easy and effective ways to make things work huh? Thanks for the comment!
Thank you! Great to know about the cedar! Safe Travels ☮️❤️🕉️
Thank you! You too!
Congratulations with your new countertop. It's really beautiful.
Thank you! 😊 Yes, it's quite an improvement! Thanks for the comment -
Actually... do a temporary counter top, live with it for a while, check the ergonomics and then redo it properly! 😊
Hi roadtrip - yeah that's pretty much exactly what we did. Hindsight being 20/20... 😜
Very helpful! Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate this video!
So happy to hear that - Glad it was helpful!
Thanks fir the wonderful advise. Very helpful before I build my van
Glad it was helpful!
Just found your channel, had to watch this older video first only because I did not follow my floor plan, made changes and now hoping when done that trim will fix all my ummm issues. I think my biggest problems was not watching enough videos about setups and looking at other builds locally. You have some awesome tips in this video, thanks!
Glad to hear this video was helpful - thanks for the comment!
@@TimAndShannonLTD I have made some shortcuts I am sure I will have to deal with later, much later if I have a choice, lol.
For countertop, my favorite finish is tung oil. Food-safe and more water-repellent and fast-drying than linseed.
OK, thanks for the suggestion.
I tried Tung soil and it smells horrible (for me that is). What would be a better low VOC wood sealer since the van is such a small enclosed space and you can smell every little thing!
Grind the bolts and fit dome nuts!
That's a great idea Lammy, thanks! Just might give that a try...
Another idea is to wrap your finger with a piece of duct tape sticky side out, then put your nut on the sticky.
Should of made the bottom of the bog waterproof lol
Top tips thanks 😊
Glad you liked it. Thanks for the comment!
Very nice van build. Thanks for sharing your mistakes with us and greetings from sunny Jamaica.
Thanks, our pleasure! 👍
put a little shelf
/ rack above the USB port
Thanks!
Excellent suggestions... thank you
You're most welcome - Thanks for the comment.
Your first counter top is Pine board, very light, very good, you can put some epoxy resin on it, solve the problem
Thanks George. We already replaced it, but yes that would have been another option. Appreciate your comment though and thanks for watching!
Very good information!!!ty
Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for the comment!
Very helpful! many thanks
Glad it was helpful - thanks for the comment!
For the USB issue, just build either mini shelves, or slanted wall office style organizer, or just baskets of wood, metal wire, or fabric. Nice build .
Good ideas, thanks!
Thanks for advice regarding counter top. We were able to switch from plywood to one inch butcher block before the build of our conversion van. So happy we did.😀
You’re welcome and glad it was helpful!
Those are some very helpful tips I didn't know. Thnx Tim & Shannon. BTW, no insulation problems? thats usually something a lot of van lifers mention
Thanks for the comment. And no - so far, no insulation problems. It's working great. We maybe could have stuffed some more in there than we did, but it seems to be working fine.
I've seen caps on the ends of screws. They must be available somewhere 🙂 (thought I'd share my thoughts).
Thank you and good idea.
@@TimAndShannonLTD the quick solution is just heat glue gun on each end.. (also you can make those screws shorter with dremel)
Use Danish oil on your counter top (worktop in UK) and cut off the extra thread on the screws with a grinder.
Good ideas - Thanks!
Some great ideas. I had to put my faucet in sideways too, but it would only work on the right side. So I dodged that problem and didn't even realize it until I watched your video. I love you guys. Your so down to earth and real. Even watching your problem video was relaxing. Happy travels.
Well thank you! Happy travels for you too!
On your outside socket you only need 2 threads. Cut the rest off and put a dab of plastic on the to eliminate the threat of banging into them
That new counter is really killer looking
Great idea - thanks Kim! And yeah, we're loving the new counter!
thx for the tips, very helpful
Happy to help!
Thanks for sharing your mistakes and your other videos. It will help me and my wive with our build. We are just at the beginning... we got the van :-)
Cheers from LA.
Glad to help and good luck with your build!
New Sub, we are currently converting our van to a campervan so out here
in CZcams land learning planning etc Thank You for sharing! - Stacey
& Bill :) :)
Cool! Hope we can help - Good luck with your build!
You two are awesome! Loved your video.
Thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing. We have those same seat swivels and have the same problems. Passenger side isn’t bad, but driver’s side is finicky about position to spin and it grinds/squeals. But those were the standard to use when we started building in early 2019. They’re a bit annoying, but not that big of a bother to us.
Thanks for sharing, and yes we're getting used to them as well. 18 months on the road now and they're working fine - squeaks and all...
Thank you !!!
You bet!
Cooking wasn't on your list or the refrigerator so that's working? Thanks for sharing...real professional video 👍 btw I'm left handed so my faucet must be centered. Lol. Glad to hear about the cedar as I am planning IDK something... thanks again
Yes, cooking is working out fine - maybe another single burner cooktop would be good, but other than that, it's great. And the fridge too - we love that! Thanks for the comment, greatly appreciated!
Thank you for sharing. You can use Osmo Polyx oil (food grade version) for countertop. That stuff is made in Germany and expensive but worth it.
If only we knew that then! LOL. Too late, we already have a new one and we put Waterlox on it this time. Thanks for the comment!
Why not hang some sort of basket right above the USB ports, so you can have your device in there charging without having the chords on the table ?
Yeah good idea - we ended up putting a magnet for our phones above it and it's working pretty well. (we were still pretty new in the van when we first made this video and this was one of many small adjustments we had to make)
Number 6
If you make the box watertight, the whole box may overflow. ;-)
At least up to the level of the extraction fan. :-D
I would consider using a weighting scale with a loose monitor.
The scale sits under the vessel that is in use. And the screen is outside and out of the way of the user.
If there is a certain weight, you know you have to switch the jerrycans.
Electrical gauges won't work, because I wouldn't stick the sensor in nr. 1 liquid.
www.bonso.com/en/pd.php?id=35
This one its display could stick out on the floor outside of the box in front of the seat.
While the jerrycan sits on the scale.
Hard to find, but you can put the display somewhere better visible and still out of the way.
akashganga.in/WeighingScales.htm
Too big, too expensive (US$ 5000).
But if there was a 2 kg version .....?
That you could find ....?
www.bestweighingscale.com/best-electronic-weighing-machine/
Or one like this?
Attach a cord to the jerrycan that goes through a tiny hole through the upper side with a small metal ring at the end outside. The ring prevents that the cord slips back in to the box inside. And the ring is used to attach the hook of the weighing scale.
Step 1 Attach this scale each time you use the toilet esp. for nr.1 and weigh.
Step 2 Detach the scale and store the scale
Step 3 Do your business if the weight is under the limit, which means the maximum safe volume of the jerrycan is not reached yet. Else change with the spare.
www.khojam.com/product/luggage-scale-digital-electronic-weighing-machine/
Another solution would be a peephole (or vertical slot) in the front panel of the box and a light inside the box to monitor the level in the jerrycan, each time before use.
The light could be on a automatic refrigerator style switch, that is activated/deactivated by opening and closing the cover (wooden bench seat).
And it is somewhere at the back of the box, behind the jerrycan, opposite of the position of the peephole, which is in front of the jerrycan.
Hi Shannon and Tim, helpful video thanks! Can you tell me what kind of swivels seats you went with so I know which ones not to buy please? Thanks! Kate
Hi Kate, I'm not sure what make they are (I thought they were Sportscraft, but now I'm not so sure). This is where we got them: www.sprinterstore.com/product/sprinter-swivel-seat-adapters/ They do work and they're about 1/2 the price of Alpine Mechanisms which I've heard are the best and smoothest.
Why not Formica countertops? Tough and waterproof and cheap.
Yep. Formica would work too. We wanted a natural finish.
Formica is GREAT. Extremely durable and CHEAP. You can get retro stuff easily, too.
Love your teeshirt
Sacred Rides FTW!!
Probably didn't use enough tape. Most people wrap 1-2 times. Most manufacturers say you should use at least 4 full wraps. It works well when properly applied.
Thanks for the tip. We did 4-5 wraps as I remember. Maybe road vibration caused leaks? IDK, but it's not leaking now...
you should . use tape 3 x around clockwise and then use pipe dope over that . I am a retire pipe fitter / plumber
Good to know, thanks Arthur!
I get nervous when I see tape. Why not just plumber's putty or something more stable.
I've bypassed houses when I see stuff like that I don't like (b/c you know there's more stupid back there)
What's the food grade oil over the counter top for...you don't eat the counter top !
I'm a furniture maker and there are lots of quality water based products to clear over counter tops these days
Well we do prepare food on the countertop and we wanted something without too many chemicals. But good to know - thanks for the tip.
@@TimAndShannonLTD Suggest a matching cutting board. Cut up that old one you had for this. It'll look bad quickly if you don't and is prone to nasty cooties when they get in the cuts. Maybe use it for a fold down shelf or something. Too.
Thanks for the tips ... re the swivel seats ... which one did you source ... so we can avoid it.
Hi Connie - we got ours from Sportscraft. They work and they're about 1/2 as much as Alpine (which I've heard are wonderful). If we win the lottery, we'll probably swap them out for Alpine, but for now we'll just grin and bear it.
Hi Tim and Sharron, thank you for putting up these informative videos. I just purchased these cedar planks from Home Depot and think of putting them up on the ceiling only, not on walls. Do you still regret putting yours up on your ceiling? Also Did you put glue along with screws? Did you seal them, if so what did you use? I am trying to look for low to no VOC sealant options. Thank you in advance for your and knowledge sharing.
Hi Nena. No regrets for the ceiling portion. We did not glue or seal them. We wanted the natural smell of cedar which was great at first, but has now faded. And you're welcome - thanks for your comment and good luck with your build!
@@TimAndShannonLTD Keep a small sanding block and sand a small area of the cedar when the smell is fading.
i want to hug you soo much ❤️❤️❤️
Cool - we give out free hugs. Just gotta know when and where ;-D
Use revet nuts if you want a blind nut on your power outlet.
>_
Good old food grade Mineral Oil should always be your go to conditioner. Used correctly, your top won't go rancid.
Thanks J!
I know I'm late to the party but you could angle the 4 gang usb outlet away from your work space so the cords aren't so intrusive.
That’s a good idea. Thanks!
Hey guys. Appreciate honest videos like these. I was going to use teflon tape :). Also, I plan to use 1/2 tongue and groove juniper (eastern red cedar) with a slight (water based) white stain to still allow the reds to show through, but brighten and open up the living area. wanted the warm white natural wood texture instead of a white latex paint. Anyways, the slats are 6" x 48" x 1/2". They've been kiln dried and sitting in a crawl space for a year. Do you think the wood would crack? Also to solve the issue of not being able to hang things I've really had to plan out my furring 2x2s and plan to use strong earth magnets fixed to the backs of the planks to attach small, moisture sucking plants on the walls with magnets on the back of the tiny copper pots. Would love your thoughts!
Hi Zip - well we certainly are not experts and can't say for sure, but I imagine that you would have better luck with 1/2" cedar than we did with 1/4", (and really ours is not cracking all that badly - just in a few places that surprised us). And wow - never heard of moisture sucking plants - that sounds like a cool idea. I'm guessing they must not be too large if you're going to hold them up with only magnets. Would love to hear more about that. Thanks for the comments!
@@TimAndShannonLTD I plan to use Tillandsias! www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/plants-that-absorb-humidity.htm
@@TimAndShannonLTD I constructed a simple dehumidifier out of a 3'x3' sky light using an aluminum curb to transfer the ambient cold from the outside to condense the warmest, most humid air on the inside of the van and placed channels along the inside for the new water droplets to trickle into small suspended plant pots on all four corners. Spent a lot of time sealing the skylight from outside moisture and sealing the inside portion from condensed moisture. Appears to be working well!
Keep the videos coming! I'll be making a composting toilet of my own. Never going to spend 1k on a toilet lol
Wow I gotta add that to my reading list. Thanks!
@Zip Fishley We'd like to see a video of your dehumidifer!
Hold your cup with your right hand, and no wet wrists. I'm right-handed and that's what I would normally do anyway. That'll be $50. :-)
Good idea but too late - we already moved it! So I guess we'll keep the $50 but thanks anyway ;-D
Cheap or light wood cracks because it was never dried correctly. There's a whole science used on drum sticks and such so they don't warp.
Can't you just go right through the paneling to the studs?
Thanks for your feedback!
How did you guys wire up the outlets? I'm trying to figure that out for my first build still
That's too involved to go into here. A great resource (and the one we used) is the wiring diagrams at www.explorist.life. Excellent website with lots of plans.
How many of these things have you fixed/replaced/swapped/upgraded?
We repositioned the bolts for the shore power, we moved the faucet and replaced the countertop, we made some hangers for usb cords & phones, we caulked around the bottom of the toilet box to seal it and we put thread sealer on all the plumbing fittings. We did not move the electrical outlets (but moving the faucet really helped with those anyway) and we haven’t installed quick-disconnects on any plumbing fittings. All these upgrades really helped.
you have given me a great idea, do everything wrong and then I can make another video to point out my mistakes. oh by the way have you ever heard of varnish its waterproof where I come from.
Glad we could help giving you ideas. Yes, we know about varnish but we wanted something more food-safe and natural.
@@TimAndShannonLTD Just cut the old counter up for a cutting board. There's very probably several chemicals on it to begin with (bug/rot/mold remediation) Just saying.
You guys are old enough to have eaten and inhaled tons of heavy metals, so you'll probably be fine. Lol. It's an issue with kids (old toys, Pyrex, Tupperware, Corningware...) not with adults much.
The glue keeping to plywood and boards together is also full of chemicals.
None of which would be good to inhale in a fire, so keep your extinguishers handy. Lithium ion batteries on fire don't care to be put out, so just leave.
And smoke detectors/CO2. CO2 on the floor, smoke above. They're on one device, which is why I say that. Get 2 separate ones. Things like tankless water heaters and lack of ventilation has killed people.
#10 Linseed oil several coats
Yeah, if we would have had more time... But good news is we now have a much nicer countertop than the one in this video. Thanks for the comment!
Just for the record, linseed is spontaneously combustible. So is olive oil, btw.
Use rivnuts on your inlet!
Thanks Andrew!
How do all these people know how to build these vans?? - I'm always so impressed and intimidated by it.
Hmmmm I don't know - just some basic woodworking skills and a ton of research on CZcams I guess.
You enroll in the University of CZcams and take away a ton of notes and ideas and know-how from super generous people!
See Eric Enjoys Earth. He's doing minivans but how he did his would work on anything.
Basically, he uses a pointer to feel the walls, and the other side had a pencil that writes on plywood. Level in the middle and some sort of handle. Then cuts it out w a jigsaw. He didn't bolt any if it in for versatility. It's strapped in using pre-existing straps and bolts.
Where the wood meets the car, he used a rubberized tape to prevent scraping.
Don't spend 50k having someone do that for you. That's insane.
Use a grinder to grind off those screw ends, and get some cats.
Thanks Brent -
That water leak issue is exactly why I don't want a tank in my build.
Good to know your boundaries before you build so as to avoid problems you don’t want to deal with!
RE: Swivel seats adapters: which ones WOULD you use, now that you know better?
We’ve heard that Alpine Mechanisms makes the best ones but we’ve had trouble getting ahold of them. Maybe because of the pandemic??
@@TimAndShannonLTD Who knows these days! Thanks for the reply. I'll check them out. Not expecting much company anytime soon, so I feel like I can wait a minute for that particular upgrade/install. I so appreciate your content!
First, your electrical outlet shouldn't be on the same side as your water faucet and your sink. Put it over on the other side where your USB charger is. Or move it up the wall somewhere well away and above any water.
Second, all those USB charging cords would be completely out of your way If you got something to hang on the wall above your charging ports so you can put all those things in something and get them off of your counter. There's no need to move electrical wires or anything like that. And didn't you completely solve the problem by just letting the chords hang down the side of the table instead of putting them on top of the table. Besides, ihat's so much easier than having to been down to look underneath the table to try to plug in a USB cord.
Great ideas - where were you Cheryl when we were designing our build! Thanks for the comments!
Ha ha ha ha ha, your first world worries. Cedar is not strong enough. :))))))))))))))) Cedar is a material for the bedroom and wardrobe, not for a camper!
Yup!
Hi 2 month and no any videos? : (
Yeah I know, I know... We have some in mind that will be coming within the next month -
1:17 :)
XD
Learn to coil your cords with heat. Hang in there.
...
Please be careful asking advice from guys at hardware stores. You're better if looking online, where you can easily find stuff by licensed people.
Tape sounds like an extremely bad idea.
True that - live and learn huh?
True that - live and learn huh?
Screws and bolts are NOT the same thing.
This is true
Are You kidding me??? These are not even problems
0_o