Having a vehicle you can live out of is usually a luxury that is only had by people who can afford an RV or a fifth wheel. There really has never been an option for young adults, something that is relatively inexpensive, but also functional enough to be able to actually live in for a decent amount of time. Because of the lack of options, many young adults have taken to creating their own adventure vehicles. Vehicles that are perfect for weekend camping trips, or even long road trips. This young man shared his build for his adventure mobile, and I immediately fell in love with it. It has everything you would ever need. Check out how he did it below.
He started out with a 2006 Ford cargo van he purchased on Craigslist. You can find these things for sale almost everywhere.
The floors were rusted out, but all they needed was a little TLC.
First he had to pull up the floor mats.
An angle grinder took care of the rust on the floor without a problem.
He laid down a coat of primer.
Painting came next.
They used liquid nails to secure down runners. They will support the flooring when it is laid down.
Insulation is key when trying to make a vehicle livable. Even with the walls, they can get pretty darn cold at night.
They used OSB plywood to make the floor. Because the van was used for work, the floor was dented. This caused the floor to bend when walked on. So he decided to drill some holes in the OSB and use canned foam to fill in the uneven parts, which took care of the bend.
He used foam insulation to fill the cavities in the body of the van.
He cut a hole in the bottom of one side of the van. This will be used to house a propane tank.
The tank fit great, and he added a hinged door to give him easy access to it at a moments notice.
It was then time to finish the insulation process, which meant the doors and windows were next.
This amount of insulation will ensure this kid is warm no matter where he is at.
He had a custom high top made, which was extremely important. He wouldn’t have been able to stand up in the van without it.
6’5″ feet of clearance on the inside now. I’d say that should be good enough.
He had to cut a hole in his brand new roof to install a fan. He said this was pretty nerve-wracking but much simpler than the propane tank installation.
The flooring is finally in.
The bed frame is installed, and he has paneled all the doors. It’s finally start to come together.
He installed his batteries and other electronics under his bed frame and screwed them all to the floor.
Two solar panels on the roof will allow the batteries powering everything to be recharged in no time.
He wired the ceiling for LED lights.
He built a kitchen complete with a fridge/freezer, a working sink and a stove top!
This bed looks extremely comfortable. Forget using this thing for trips, I’d live in it.
He created a storage area across from his bed, and added a swivel seat for the passenger.
This will do nicely.
The storage is even big enough for a surf board.
This thing turned out amazing. I would have killed to have one of these when I was younger.
The only part of this build this kid didn’t do himself was the high top. Other than that all this hard work was on him. For only having time after work and on the weekends, I’d say he did an incredible job. Life on the open road is definitely something I enjoy, but sleeping in a regular car really stinks. Having a bed in the back with some of the other comforts of an actual home would be all the reason I needed to travel for the rest of my life.
