Built out in 2019 and lived in for a bit, but mostly used for travel/camping. Beautiful cabinets from a local shop. We aimed for a blend between a luxe and function driven build with everything necessary for a comfortable camping/living experience.
Build notes:
- touchscreen radio unit with apple car play and backup camera.
- Passenger swivel seat
- sliding side window
- Maxxfan roof vent
- Locking Rocky Mounts bike racks on rear doors
- Cubic cub mini woodstove with custom heat shield
- Custom cabinets with magnetic latches
- Camp chef propane stove/oven
- Foot pump sink with 20gal wheel well tank and 5gal grey water, very simple and easy to manage in freezing temps
- Dometic chest fridge (wifi enabled for battery monitoring)
- 250W solar panels mounted to roof
- 100aH AGM battery (New in 2025), CTEK charge controller charges from solar and alternator
- All circuits fused + Switches/breakers on power supplies
- 1000W sine wave inverter, usb charging plugs
- 2 zone dimmable led overhead lights
- Custom insulated curtains close and insulate off cab, back windows and side window
- Memory foam 8″ full size mattress with bolted in bed platform (sturdy, no creaking!)
- Beautiful wood slab table fits space perfectly and is removable (stows behind drivers seat)
- Havelock wool insulation, XPE foam floor insulation.
- waterproof laminate flooring
- Cork board panel on sliding door
As you can see this is a thoughtful and functional build. The woodstove is amazing for cold nights providing warmth and keeping things dry inside. The kitchen is both functional and simple and there is little to go wrong with the basic sink and stove systems. There is lots of storage for food, dishes, clothing, etc with the various drawers and cabinets as well as ample counter space with a sink top cutting board, the table, and side counter adjacent to the stove.
The wool insulation is non toxic and not irritating which is critical for a small space. It also handles moisture or condensation well. Being from Wyoming, we packed insulation into every nook and cranny to make sure we didn’t leave gaps or cold spots.
The electrical system is basic, but includes safety redundancies and necessary grounding. All wiring is appropriately (over) sized, and the CTEK charge controller works really well, drawing from both solar and the car battery (only while the car is running). One of the 8 puck lights went out recently and could be replaced, but the remaining 7 provide plenty of warm light. Similarly, one of the 2 usb charging plates isnt working, but the working one still provides two plugs + a 12v socket. The dometic fridge works excellent and the wifi features allow for easy tracking of battery voltage, I removed the built in battery voltage meter as it was obnoxiously bright at night and we rarely stressed about power needs.
The van itself has 150k miles and is in good working order with lots of work done over the years including:
- Oil cooler (112k)
- Full transmission rebuild (120k)
- Hvac control module and actuator replaced (117k)
- AC Compressor (149k)
- Battery (6/2024)
Drivers side headlight and wiring harness was replaced in 2022 after a short/malfunction.
Only current known issue is the rear drivers side door wiring harness is severed. Consequently, rear door must be locked/unlocked manually, otherwise hasn’t caused other issues.
There are a few dents and dings that have been there since we got the van, we are the second owners. With the repairs that have been done, the van ought to be a reliable companion for many years and miles. The Pentastar tick is not present.
