Build Your Dream Van.
Welcome to your new adventure, your way.
Step-by-step instructions on how to build the van of your dreams, and how to live in it with ease.
Written by full time van lifers.
Which van is right for you?
Choosing a van is the first and most important decision you will make. We’re here to help you get it right!
Let’s get building.
Ready to start your van build adventure?
Look no further. Here you will find epic guides on everything from insulation to solar.
Beginners Guide To Adventures on the road.
All ready to hit the black top? Here you’ll find everything you need to find your next adventure.
Which van is right for you?
Choosing a van is the first and most important decision you will make. We’re here to help you get it right!
Let’s get building.
Insulation, windows, wiring, flooring, waterproofing, cabinetry and layout… For a tiny home, the list of things to do when converting your van is massive! Check out our detailed guide on how to build various elements of your van.
Van build inspiration!
Seeing what other van lifrs have done with their van conversions is a good way to research your future build. Whether you want to build out a DIY van yourself – or rent one for a quick road trip – these vans will have you drooling over all of the #vanlife adventures you could have.
Top Articles.
Can you live in a VW Caddy Van? You’d Be Surprised!
A VW Caddy Van Conversion could be your key to unlocking all sorts of awesome adventure escapes. Fro…
Can you live the Vanlife in a Ford Transit Connect Van?
It is natural for newcomers to van life who swap out their homes, packed with consumer objects and c…
10 Awesome Lagun Table Mount Van Conversions
Is A Lagun table Mount Worth it? To put it simply, a table is a necessity for van life. And because …
Honest Review of The MaxxAir MaxxFan Deluxe 7000k
Is the MaxxFan Deluxe good – Our Verdict. Ok, let’s get straight to the point… Is …
12 Incredibly Awesome Van Life Outdoor Shower Ideas
So, you’ve been visualising your dream van. It’s got the dreamy, warm-toned ambient lighting. It’s g…
Do I REALLY Need To Insulate A Van? The Truth About Van Insulation
Here’s What You Need To Know About Van Insulation Insulating a van is hard damn work. No two w…
How To Build A Bench Seat In a Van Explained
In this article I’m (Charlie) going to share the reasons why we put a bench seat with storage …
Honest Review of Lagun Table Mount
When we started our own van build, and were designing the layout, we spent a long time devising the …
What is Thermal Bridging, and How To Stop it Ruining Your Van Insulation efforts.
What is Thermal Bridging? Thermal bridging is the progress of energy (heat) through a material that …
Top 8 Vans for Small Van Conversions
Small campervans share many similarities with tiny houses. They take you back to the basics, are aff…
Top 10 Nissan NV 200 Conversions
The Nissan NV200 is an oddity in the small van world. It is a compact little van whose size rivals t…
Top 10 Citroen Berlingo Van Conversions
The Citroen Berlingo leads in sales in Europe and the UK. Its success is proof that while SUVs now d…
Top 10 Mercedes Metris Conversions
The Mercedes-Benz Metris is a practical van with an impressive people hauling capacity. It is, howev…
Ultimate Van Insulation Mega Guide
Welcome to the wonderful world of RV and van insulation. If there is a topic that divides the #vanli…
Top 7 Ram Promaster City Conversions
The Ram ProMaster City is the smaller and more maneuverable sibling of the monster Ram ProMaster van…
Top 10 Ford Transit Connect Conversions
If you are thinking about the Ford Transit Connect for your epic van conversion project, then hell y…
Top 7 Best VW Caddy Van Conversions
The Volkswagen Caddy is a popular multi-purpose vehicle (MVP). The Caddy Maxi Life is the passenger …
Top 8 Peugeot Partner Conversions
Micro campers are the vanlife alternative of a tiny home. One of their biggest advantages is that th…
Top 5 Renault Trafic Camper Conversions
The Renault Trafic has graced the UK road scape for four decades. It has sold as a Fiat Talento, Nis…
Why We Bought A Compressor Fridge For Our Van
When Rissy and I were building out our new van conversion (read more about our build here), one of t…
Top 10 tips for surviving road trips with kids
Whether you’re a full time van life family, or just love dusting off the RV for a weekend away ̵…
The 10 best ProMaster Van conversions
The ProMaster van conversions do not have followings as large as their Ford Transit or Mercedes Spri…
The best Vanlife Kitchen Inspiration
Food, glorious food. It’s still very much a part of our daily life on the road. And, you, a van dwel…
18 Vanlife Bathroom Inspiration ideas
So, you’ve decided to build a bathroom in your van? What a daunting decision that is. Not only are t…
The 8 Best Mercedes Sprinter Conversions
The Mercedes Sprinter is an expensive vehicle. Buying a Sprinter van will be the most expensive bit …
15 Vanlife Storage and Organisation Hacks
Ok, fellow van lifer (or soon-to-be van dweller), listen up close. We have a secret for you. Your va…
Top vanlife vloggers
Are you itching to get on the road again? Do you dream of living in a converted van? You’re no…
Honest Review of the Vitrifrigo C115L Van Fridge
Our verdict This is a real world review of the Vitrifrigo C115L Fridge/Freezer, and we’re goin…
17 Vanlife Kitchen Storage Ideas
How do I fit it all in? As you look at the space of your campervan, you may wonder how you’re …
Vanlife Under Bed Storage Ideas
What’s the most critical part of your van build? The bed, of course! Although there are many t…
Vanlife Bed and Clothes Storage Ideas
Where do I put my clothes? As a new van dweller, there are so many things to consider in your design…
Vanlife during Covid
So much time at home, remote work, and dreams of a future less dystopian has pushed people to want a…
The 10 Best Ford Transit Conversions
The Ford Transit is a van amongst vans. It is an icon of the van world, renowned for its maximum car…
Vanlife Apps You Need to Have
Looking for the best campsites? Need to know where to park, fuel and use the restroom at 11.00 pm in…
Top Tips for Remote Working on the Road
You can live in a van and make money! We’re here to show you how. Too many people use money as an ex…
10 tips to make your vanbuild kid-friendly
Whenever we went travelling in our converted van tinyhome, people would always be surprised to find …
Sirocco II Fan Review – #1 van fan
Our Verdict We installed the Sirocco II Fan in our van motorhome which we lived in full time. The be…
What Is Vanlife? 15 Things to Know Before Starting life on the road
Instagram is spilling over with pictures of decked out camper vans and bright-eyed vanlifers, living…
Is vanlife safe? Epic safety guide for your trip.
You will need to weather many challenges when starting out your life on the road. One of these hurdl…
Tips for Stealth Camping in a Van
Is it a cargo van, or is someone living in it? If you’re going to be parking your camper…
Our Ford Transit Van Conversion
A detailed walkthrough of our custom Ford Transit Van Conversion, including why we decided to do it,…
9 Tips on surviving vanlife with kids
Pre-covid, vanlife with kids was a pariahs’ practice. Today, many families are selling what th…
The Van-build battle: Transit VS Sprinter
Want to find the perfect van for your lifestyle? We've compared the two top-rated panelled cargo van…
The best 20 vanlife families to inspire you
Vanlife with kids may sound like a crazy idea to most people, and can you blame them? Small spaces, …
Top 20 Vanlife with pets accounts you will love
Welcome to the world of Vanlife with pets. Imagine you waking up your tiny home on wheels, looking o…
Choosing a portable toilet for your van
It’s truly got to be one of the most asked questions we get asked by people when they find out we li…
About us.
Hello! We are Larissa and Charlie, and our two little ones. In 2019-20 we designed, built and travelled in a van full time.
With as much research as we did when planning our adventure, we still encountered plenty of swings and roundabouts (not to mention dead ends) on the road! We decided to put Build Your Dream Van (BYDV) together in order to be able to help others who are about to embark on their own vanlife adventure.
We’re not gonna say it’s easy, but it is most definitely worth it.
