Van Life for $10,000 (Van Included)

1,200 watts of solar sounds like overkill until you spend a winter in the mountains. In summer, I'm generating 4,000-5,000Wh per day easily. In winter, I might get 1,500-2,000Wh on a decent day. That winter production is what keeps me from being dependent on driving to charge batteries. Check out the solar guide for the full breakdown on panel selection and sizing.

I went with generic Chinese panels — not Renogy, not Rigid Solar, just no-name panels with decent reviews.

I covered this in the inverter guide, but going with 3000W instead of 2000W was one of the best decisions I made. The cost difference was maybe $50, but now I can run my induction cooktop on high, blend smoothies, boil water fast - basically anything I want without thinking about it.

The Vevor is very close in quality to something like a Victron, at a fraction of the cost. It's been working great.

I split the solar across two controllers instead of one big one because: (a) it was cheaper than finding a single 100A controller, and (b) redundancy — if one fails, I still have 600W of solar working.

MPPT was non-negotiable given winter camping plans. These extract 20-30% more power than PWM controllers, which in winter means the difference between keeping up with power usage and slowly draining the battery over a few cloudy days. See the charge controller guide for why MPPT matters.

This charges my house battery from the alternator while driving. In summer I barely use it because solar keeps me topped up. In winter it's essential - I can drive for 2 hours and put 1,000+ Wh back into the battery, which is often more than I'd get from a full winter day of solar.

I did upgrade my alternator to support the 60A charger, but to me it was worth it to be able to charge much more on shorter drives — especially since my alternator was old enough that I wanted to replace it anyway for peace of mind. More on sizing in the DC-DC charger guide.

I found it brand new in box — the seller had bought two by accident and never returned the second one. Retail is $380-400. I drove 15 minutes to pick it up and saved $180-200.

This is the one component I wouldn't skimp on. Most roof fans can't stay open in the rain, which means on hot rainy days you're sealed in a greenhouse. The Maxxfan rain cover means I can have it running 24/7 regardless of weather. More on fan options in the ventilation guide.

Is it reversible? Yes (the Plus model pulls air in or pushes it out). Do I use that feature? Honestly, not much - I usually just run it in exhaust mode. But on really hot nights I'll flip it to intake and blast cool air down on the bed, which is nice.

Chinese diesel heaters are pretty well covered elsewhere online and widely liked in the van community — for good reason. For around $100, you get a heater that keeps you warm well below zero and uses minimal power (1-2 amps while running). I specifically chose a model with automatic altitude adjustment, since I spend a lot of time in the Colorado mountains and altitude can affect combustion. Some newer models can even be controlled via your iPhone, which is a nice bonus.

Installation tip: take your time running the exhaust through the floor and sealing it properly. That's where people mess up. See the heating guide for installation details.

This is one area I didn't cheap out on. I went with actual Thinsulate instead of foam board or cheaper alternatives because:

• •It conforms to all the curves and ribs in the van (no air gaps)
• •It's breathable (moisture can dry out if it gets in)

Insulation is one of those areas where if you ever need to make a change, it's a huge hassle — everything built on top of it has to come out first. For that reason, I went with a tried and true option for peace of mind. Full comparison of options in the insulation guide.

This is a $800+ fridge new. I found it on Craigslist from someone who upgraded their RV. It's a real Dometic (not a knockoff), works perfectly, and I saved $800.

Why Dometic instead of a brand like Iceco or Vevor? I didn't plan this - I just found a good deal and jumped on it. In retrospect, any quality 12V compressor fridge would work fine. Brands like Iceco and Vevor are very close in quality to Dometic at a much lower price point.

More on fridge options, including my preference for larger dual zone fridges which give you a lot of flexibility, in the food storage guide.

I chose to go with an all electric system, including my stove, which is an induction cooktop. No propane tanks to refill, no combustion fumes to vent, and I would argue a higher level of safety without the risk of a gas leak. This uses a decent bit of electricity, but I designed the system to be able to handle it.

The only downside is you need induction-compatible cookware (cast iron or magnetic stainless steel). More on cooking setups in the cooking guide.

I usually tell people to skip 80/20 and use wood because 80/20 is expensive and time-consuming. But budget extruded aluminum from Vevor has made this much more accessible — you can get everything you need for about $500, compared to $2,000-3,000 from name-brand 80/20 suppliers.

Would I do it again? Honestly, probably not. The weight savings were nice but the time cost was significant. If I were building another van I'd use wood and get it done faster. More on framing options in the framing guide.

This covers all the interior build materials:

• •Subfloor (plywood)
• •Vinyl plank flooring
• •Wall panels (thin plywood)
• •Ceiling panels
• •Bed platform materials
• •Hardware (hinges, latches, screws, etc.)
• •Interior lighting (LED strips)

I got the larger construction materials (plywood, flooring, lumber) from Home Depot and Lowes, and most of the smaller stuff — hinges, latches, screws, LED strips, USB outlets — from Amazon, eBay, and Temu, where it's significantly cheaper. $800 sounds like a lot, but this is covering 200+ square feet of interior space plus building a bed platform, so it's actually not bad.