My Home

I would like to take some time formally introduce my van, Javier, to the Steemiverse (Is that a thing?). In the future, I plan to write some more in-depth posts about the build and the day-to-day happenings that occur when you live in a van. For now, here’s a brief overview of what Javi is made of.

(Taken in Alabama Hills, CA)

Javier was given his name because I have always said that I want to run away with a man named Javier. Clearly that hasn’t happened yet, so this works for me all the same! Javier is a 2017 Ford Transit 2500. Why did I buy a brand spankin’ new van, you ask? Well, I got screwed out of quite a bit of money last year when I bought an old, dying Sprinter on Craigslist. This is Jerry. He gave it his all, but sucked real hard. May he rest in peace.

(Taken the day after I bought the Sprinter, before I knew what a nightmare it would be!)

After that experience, I wanted EVERYTHING to be under warranty and I wanted for someone else to take care of my oil and brakes for a while! A lot of people ask if I like the Transit and my answer is a resounding YES! However, I couldn’t tell you if it’s better than a similar, new cargo van (think Dodge Promaster, Nissan NV2500 or Mercedes/Dodge Sprinter). I CAN tell you that I like the Transit because it looks the most like a marshmallow and that my friends who are 6’5” can stand straight up in it and that the headlights look like eyes with fancy winged eyeliner (something I’d never attempt on myself, so it’s nice to have in my home). But really, it just boiled down to price and availability.

(Brand new Javier - why buy a tall van if you're not going to do handstands in it?!)

I’m proud to say that I did most of the build out myself, with the help of a few WONDERFUL friends for the tough stuff like the solar/electric system and cutting big scary holes in my roof for the fans. It was a hugely rewarding experience and I’ve never been so proud of anything I’ve done. Not many 30 year olds can say that they built their own home (at least that’s what I tell myself when I start to question my life choices)!!!

First, the electrical. On the roof, I have two 100 watt solar panels that charge two 12V batteries (I was pretty sad to realize that these panels would take up most of the roof and leave no space for my yoga deck). This system produces enough power to power a light in my kitchen, my refrigerator and two vent fans. However, I’ve noticed a huge decrease now that the days are shorter. For my kitchen, I have a sink with a broken hand pump faucet (I use a Camelbak bladder hanging over my sink for now because I’m so wonderful at procrastinating) that drains into a 5-gallon water tank under my sink. When the tank gets full, I simply dump it and start over. For cooking, all I have is a plain ol’ Coleman propane stove. And then, of course, the fridge. That was a big purchase, but makes all the difference in the world.

(Thanks, Mitch!)

My furniture is fairly simple. Most of my cabinets and my counter top came from IKEA. Putting the cabinets together was, hands down, the most infuriating part of the build. For my bed, I built a platform up high, at the same level as my countertops. I did this so that I’d have storage under my bed but also so that my bed is convertible. During the day, it sits as a futon and at night, I slide out an extra piece of plywood, set it on the countertops and rotate my crash pad/mattress to extend it. The crash pad and 1” memory foam actually make for a pretty comfy mattress!

The other big part of the build was insulating and framing up the walls. I insulated the walls with recycled denim and used pine 1"x4"s to cover the walls and give it that ever-important #vanlife look. I did A LOT of research on insulation and still don’t know the best way to go about it. Everyone seems to have very different opinions on the topic.

That's about all there is to Javi. Building it out, overall, was a lot easier than I expected and I came in not owning a single power tool and not knowing how to use them. Youtube, Instagram, friends and blogs were lifesavers during the build.

It’s pretty comfy and cozy in here - I can't wait to share more with you guys!

*I'm planning on doing an FAQ post soon - let me know if you have any questions!