Meet Stella, our 2021 Ram Promaster Van. We bought her brand new and built it out ourselves – everything is customized. We have performed regular maintenance and have had no mechanical issues whatsoever. We built this van to live out of full-time so it has some great amenities. All the features of the van are listed below. Of course, I’m happy to answer any questions you have as well.
Electrical System:
– Three solar panels with a total of 585W of solar mounted on the roof
– 2000W inverter (can basically run anything you need to)
– 400AH of battery
– Multiple 120V plugs
– 30A shore power connection hidden on the back
– The house batteries are tied into the inverter of the van so when the engine runs the batteries charge
– 12V DC can lighting with three switch legs and all dimmable
We lived out of the van full-time for 9 months and electricity was never a problem. The solar panels do a great job and we never once had to plug into shore power. The batteries also charge very quickly just from driving short distances.
Plumbing:
– Hot/Cold water plumbing to the sink with the 3GPM 12V pump
– Cold water garden hose attachment near the tank for use with the hot water heater or to clean equipment, dogs, etc.
– Swiveling sink head with a hose for quick rinses outside of the van
– One-gallon electric hot water heater for the sink that runs continuously for hot water whenever you need it
– 27-gallon customized water tank over the left wheel well
– Propane-fueled hot water heater that provides instant hot water to the shower. This can also be used for an outdoor shower and can be removed for hot showers outside of the van. It also comes with a separate pump to use rivers/lakes/ponds for hot showers when camping.
– Indoor, cedar planked shower. All grey water runs through a drain hole in the bottom of the van and is not collected in a tank. This water can be diverted with a garden hose.
Kitchen:
– 1800W dual burner induction stove with a mirror finish. The 2000W inverter means you can use both burners at the same time.
– 3.2 cubic foot refrigerator (AC powered) with a small freezer
– Butcher block countertop
– Black granite sink
– 7-gallon greywater tank below the sink
– Triple filtered drinking water tap
– Soap dispenser
– Stick on tile backsplash
Bed:
– Elevated bed platform with ample storage beneath
– Full-sized memory foam mattress
– Small “bookshelf” for stowing books, e-readers, tablets, computers, etc.
– 12V reading lights with USB chargers over each person’s area of the bed
– Retractable projector screen at the foot of the bed that stows away
– 1080P native smart projector that runs all standard streaming platforms with excellent sound. This is mounted with a magnet and is easily removable if you want to watch movies outside of the van
– 120V plug with extra USB ports
– 12V Maxxair fan over the bed with a remote. The fan blows both ways and at multiple speed settings.
– The bed platform is entirely removable for easy access to work on plumbing and electrical or to maximize storage space if you want to haul more gear.
Storage Space:
– The “pizza oven”, as it has been dubbed by many vanlifers, is the cubby area above the cab. It offers ample storage.
– The kitchen “vanity” has three medium-depth drawers that are great for cooking/eating utensils and other small items.
– Under the sink is a large area with a sliding door. This is where the greywater is housed but there is enough room to store a small trash bin and cleaning supplies.
– A small cabinet sits about the stove and is great for food/spice and dish storage.
– The large bench seat has a top door on piano hinges that provides ample storage.
– The “garage area” under the bed offers the most storage. Unfortunately, it is not tall enough to allow bikes to fit. We were able to store rock climbing gear, camping equipment, clothes, supplies, and two electric scooters without a problem.
– We found that we didn’t use the shower much, so we turned it into a closet. This can easily be undone but it allows for a great deal of additional storage if you don’t plan on showering inside often.
Van Details:
– 2021 Ram Promaster 2500 139″ wheelbase non-extended
– High roof ( I am 6′ 2″ and I can stand up straight inside)
– 2WD
– Gas powered
– Swivel seats
– Stock tires
– Non-lifted
– Stock stereo with Sirius XM, satellite navigation, backup camera, Bluetooth, aux, and standard radio capabilities.
– Blind spot monitoring on the mirrors
– Wind assistance
– Stock class C trailer hitch
Everything Else:
– 12V gas-powered Espar heater. This heater is hidden under the bench seat. It uses gas from the fuel tank of the van and is very powerful and efficient using only one gallon of gas for every 20 hours of run time (give or take depending on how hard it’s worked.) The digital controls are next to the bed, so you don’t even have to get up to turn it on. It also has a fail-safe so it will never allow your gas tank to drop below 1/4 of a tank. We ran this heater all-day every day in sub-zero conditions and never had issues with fuel – we also didn’t freeze to death which was nice.
– Laveo Dry Flush toilet. This toilet is battery-powered and is not attached to the van. It’s light, so you can take it anywhere. This is nice if you want the comfort of a toilet but the ability to use it outside if your partner is sleeping or cooking. It uses special bags and a mechanism that twists and removes air creating a sort of “vacuum seal” with each flush. When the bag is full, simply throw it out. No dumping, no biohazard. The battery life is amazing, we haven’t even had to charge it yet. The bags are specially made by the company and cost around $12/bag. Each bag has around 12-15 “flushes” depending on how much waste is going into it. After a few “flushes” it begins to smell when it’s flushed again. But when it’s just sitting there, the smell dissipates quickly. When we first bought it, I tested it with solid waste. I “flushed” and didn’t use the toilet again for around a month. No smell until towards the end of that month, and it wasn’t overwhelming. By far one of my favorite things about this van.
– There is a removable swivel table by the passenger seat that allows for eating or working without taking up much space.
– Custom, insulated window covers that block out 100% of light for privacy and good sleep.
– Construction consists mostly of wood and a little bit of metal. The floor is luxury vinyl planking that is scratch and waterproof. The walls are wooden shiplap and can be painted any color. The ceiling is wooden shiplap that is stained and protected. The entire van is insulated with 3M Thinsulate. The “garage area” is covered with a coin-gripped rubber that is waterproof and easily replaceable.
