Ultimate Checklist Before Buying a Van

Part III - Warm or Cool & Clean

Follow the butter…

A friend gave me that tip. The theory is if your butter is melting, drive to a cooler part of the country. Or if it is too hard to cut, drive to Arizona, or at least somewhere warmer. Love the simple advice and it is so true! For comfort, just follow your ideal weather trends.

In this section we dive into the key topics of:

  • Water

  • Shower

  • Ventilation

  • Sealing entry points

  • Insulation

  • Heating and AC


Water

When looking at the water setup, keep in mind where the van will be most (or all) of its life. One can mount water under the van, but if you are in freezing conditions, that might cause when the water freezes. While it takes up space, mine are in the garage area (under the bed). I have a 15 gallon tank for freshwater and another 15 gallon tank for gray water. Neither can be fully filled due to fittings. Also look to see how you fill and drain the tanks. You want this to be easy and not introduce major sources of water spilling into the van. It is a little thing, but you will be filling and emptying the water frequently. Think about the ease before you buy.

We also installed a water level sensor. I love it in that I know the level of the water (fresh and grey) by looking at the gauge inside the van. This can be added later if you do not have one initially.

There are a lot of van builds that just use 5-gallon jugs under the sink. I strongly considered this in the beginning and thought it was what I wanted. I’m SO glad I did not go that route! It would not have been a convenient choice for living in my van. If it were just for the weekends, maybe. But the bigger the tank the better. I now wish I had 20-25 gallons for the freshwater since I’m fulltime in my van and boondock a lot.


Count on using about 5 gallons of water a day if you do not have a shower or wash your hair, and much more if you do. But, if you are miserly, you can get by with 15 gallons for 6-8 days (without a shower.)

Shower

I do not have one, but several do. I used that space instead for a closet & storage bins. The big thing to look for here is proper ventilation to minimize the chance for mold and ensure it is sealed up very well to prevent water damage. You also need to look at the grey water tank for the shower and how you will know when it is getting full. You do not want a flood in the van, although with the proper shower pan this should not be an issue. I hope you would start to notice you are standing in a pool of water and stop the shower. Showers also take up space, so make sure you want one installed if that is the van you are looking at. There are also outdoor showers which take up no room in the van and I have a setup where I can set up a temporary shower in the van. I will post separately about that.

Vents

Vents are great. Maxxair is the standard one. I love mine but placement and installation are key. Like the windows, check the installation for leaks. See the Sealing Entry Points section for some details of what to look for to know they have been installed to minimize leaks. With regard to placement, the front part of the van or back part are the more common areas. The middle offers little benefit. The fans are reversible so they can draw air out or push air in. Mine is over my bed and I am happy it is there as it helps a lot at night. I can also open the windows in the front of the van or even at the head of my bed to get a draw throughout the van or across the bed. However, if you have 2 fans, one over the kitchen area and the second over the bed, you get very good ventilation for when it is really hot outside. Make sure there is a screen on the vent to prevent bugs from getting in when open.

Sealing Entry Points

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Cutting holes in a perfectly good van is a nerve-wracking event. It is not difficult, but if it goes wrong, it can be hard to recover from. Even if it goes right, you still have just created a potential area for water to enter. Window kits from CR Laurence do a good job when installed correctly. Anything on the roof requires extra sealing precautions. All entry points from the roof (solar panels, roof vents, wiring, awning attachments, etc.) should have lapping compound over the entry point. This includes covering the bolts and screws that go through the roof. There is no pretty way to put this on, but it is not seen. Just make sure it is there. For any wiring, you need an additional precaution of a grommet that protects the wire from the sharp edge of the hole cutout. You may not be able to see this grommet depending on access to the hole. Each wire that goes from the roof to the inside of the van should be further protected with a waterproof entry gland that covers the able entry point to minimize any chance of water getting in.

Insulation

See if you can find out how well it is insulated. R values of 5 or so before any paneling are put on are good. Good insulation and using a type that is not impacted by water (if there was a leak) is best. Holding water in the insulation can lead to mold, which is not good. Foam board, rock wool or Thinsulate are all good options.

Heat and AC

Do not rely on the van’s air conditioning or heater to heat the entire van. It will not. I used a Webasto heater and love it. It runs off the fuel tank for the van itself. That said it does also consume electricity so check to see if it is pulling electricity from the van or the house batteries. Make sure the van has a source of heat other than the van’s heater and that it works.

If the van has a rooftop AC unit, it will need shore power to operate. The AC units use a lot of energy. Check to make sure it works and if it might require any servicing. So far I haven’t needed AC. Most people don’t have it. Just follow the melting butter…..

With the information in Parts I, II, III and the The Ultimate Checklist for Buying a Van, you should have a fairly complete guideline to use as you evaluate campervans. I hope you find it useful. Happy road tripping! It’s a great new life…