Best Self-Build DIY Camper Van I've Ever Seen Tour
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
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Hey everyone! I’m Nate. I live the van life full time out of a Nissan NV200 self built camper conversion. In this video Lex shows us his incredible Ram Promaster 1500 DIY van build. Please like, subscribe, and feel free to ask any questions below!
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We finally got around to shooting another video with Lex detailing his cross dowel construction method! Here's the link: th-cam.com/video/-x_9xOOZCqw/w-d-xo.html
Element Van Life do more with him!
Element Van Life how did Lex mount stuff to walls & ceiling. Thanks.
I would have liked to see the rest of the van!!!
You read my mind! :D
Hi Nate. Loved this video. I have sent an email too.
This dude needs his own channel...he operates on a whole other level.
yeah, smart guy...has a lot to offer with van build. But cooking in plastic bags and using windex on dishes I don't think so.
@@cpoul I, too, was concerned about cooking in plastic bags.
@@RicardoRoams It's a special kind of plastic bag that's food-safe for high temperatures, also used for sous vide cooking.
StopLossLOL yes indeed you are correct. This is actually done in professional kitchens. Very precise cooking, cooing to perfection. Look it up Sous Vide.
Except then he wouldn’t have time anymore since he’d be too busy making video content.
I'd love to see an in-depth video with him, this guy has so much we could learn for van building and van life.
Same! What a genius that man is!
Same here!
Please ask him to do a series of in-depth videos on hi build and components.
Google " Lee's incredible van build". He is same type of incredible brain van build and you get to see how his brain works. It's a 54:39 video
Yes same here, would like to see it
We've just met an official campervan nerd. Awesomeness!
This builder deserves utmost respect! His process is pure precision and creativity!
first I want to say that this guy is a genius. second, I'm using about 90% of his build for my own.
I may change my design also, we want all the ideas we can squeeze out of him!!! Thanks
I agree but the bunk beds got to go my wife would make me sleep on top. The plastic bag doesn't melt? This guy is cleaver and super organized jealous
I agree with everything that’s been said!
Very nice video find indeed !
@Gabe 731 Hope you have the money. Looks pretty pricey
My thoughts exactly. I will many of his build designs and my own ideas to construct my mobile home van.
People like this wise gentleman should not be taken lightly. Yes I would like a video on his cabinet building or anything he is willing to share please.. 🙏🏽
ikr i couldnt help but think how efficient everything is and how sophisticated he is
Yes please
@@karincorbin2355 but it's not just that duh
I've watched hundreds of van build videos...this is the best one for many reasons... this guy is genius.
Guy definitely needs his own channel, I could would watch every single video he posted. That conversion is incredible!
This guy has the bd a retired engineer. He’s has the classic engineer mindset and eccentricities!
My guess was astronaut. But engineer would be a great guess too. His innovations, planfulness and attention to detail are otherworldly!!!!
What works those be please?
What eccentricities?! Lol I graduated from an engineering school.
He must be a mechanical engineer. The flooring seems like it's flexible enough that it will last much longer than other floor designs which over time can't keep up with the stress of a constantly moving vehicle. This man is an absolute genius.
The Freezer with a couple months supply of food got my attention. The toe-kick storage is a terrific use of space! Very well thought out Van. I like it!
That freezer was amazing
“I found that my local McDonald’s was not amused when i went in with my Thetford Cassette.” This statement had me in tears😂 I can so vividly picture everyone’s dismay.
Yes! You read my mind - I would love to learn about whatever he is willing to share about how he did pretty much everything in there! So impressive. Thanks so much to you both for sharing!
Ditto
Agree!
Ditto! I would love to know dimensions of bunk beds.And how he gets in and out of the top.
Ditto. A parts list would be good too. Hopefully w/ links. I would copy this van exactly.
@@dogbone6315 Was thinking that too.
Now this guy did a great job on his van build. I would quess he was a Engineer at one time
This is the most practical van build I've ever seen too. This is what you want.
I would watch a video on ANYTHING this man cared to share, he could teach most of us so much.
Make any video Lex is willing to share. His knowledge is pure gold. Thank you both.
If possible would also love to see a video by Lex focused just on his kitchen setup, how he preps his meals and cooks in his van using sous vide ... and more on the reasons why he set it up the way he did. Thanks.
Sous Vide on the road sounds amazing doesn't it?!
YES! Build details please! They have their food so dialed in, I have never seen anything like that. They really take it to the next level. And 2 months food for 2 people... wow!!! I'm so impressed. I personally would not want to eat food cooked in plastic, nor use so much plastic. But it's their thought process and organization that has me so impressed. They have found a system that works for them, simplified it down and really dialed it in. So many cool little details, I love how he has done everything for a reason, and told us the reasons.
The last few minutes skipped over what appeared to be the most interesting details, like how the ceiling was attached. He seemed to go into detail about every choice of material. I'd love to watch everything you recorded, please.
Yes! I would love more build details.
I would love a more detailed video on those bunk beds. How wide are they? How much space between them? How did he do those hinges? And that couch mode? Wow. Want to know more.
The frozen plastic bags on the griddle is a good idea however I'd be worried about the plastics chemicals leaking into the food.
Commando602 same. I wonder if there are chemical free or a reusable washable alternative material.
@@alexandriathegoddessmceach9104www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors/plastic
Bpa free
And the extreme amount of plastic waste...
@@Capn_Zach they're old and probably think these waste wont affect them anymore..... Such an inconsiderate choice. He can easily swap those out with parchment papers, thats what my mother do when separating fish fillets even steaks
Love the bunk bed idea. I can't recall ever seeing it in other van build outs.
Nice job indeed. 👍🏾
This is an amazing build. So much in that tiny space and he still has room to walk around. This guy would make a great engineer, if he isn’t one already.
I would like to see more detail of how he build his Van. Thanks 🙏🏼 😊
I watch these so I can blatantly steal ideas for my Harbor Freight trailer into camping trailer project! Love the bunkbed-to-sofa trick; that's just too cool. Thanks.
I would like a detailed video of exactly how Lex did everything. I'm a 75 year old female who just purchased a 2023 Ram ProMaster 1500 Cargo Van with High Roof. Husband is not into camping. Need all the information that Lex can spare so that myself and our little dog will be comfortable. I like Lex's idea about attaching panels via magnets!
Great build with lots of good ideas! The only thing that wouldn't work for me is the food situation. For many people, the sights, sounds, and smells of food being prepared is pleasurable, as is the shopping for fresh ingredients and the ability to give into cravings for different foods or to imbibe in the local flavors. The food situation in this van is remindful of astronauts or soldiers and their MREs. Food for sustenance with all the pleasure wrung out.
Seems like more work this way
No one says he can't go out and enjoy other cuisine. He just has it handy if he doesnt want to go out. I think its genius level.
Lex seemed to engineer the food system to include their favorite foods, but also minimize camping time spent preparing and cleaning up.
What does this guy do for his day job? Build the space shuttle?
I am going for an engineer the very l least.
@@sandy_sd10 I didn't see this before I answered.........agree
🤣🤣🤣
Adam Katz best comment 🙏🏻
Professor of engineering.
I knew a guy like him yet wasn't as anal as he is.
Which I love guys who are into nice and neat living.
Nobody in this comment section knows what a joke is 😂😂😂
He probably didn't literally take his toilet into a restaurant guys, he's exaggerating to be funny and demonstrate that finding dump sites outside a campground is harder than people might expect
Here, the city park and the gas stations have dump sites at the diesel pumps.
..apparently commercial truck drivers diesal rigs have toilets.
I have used the dump site at the national park campground, where I was not a camper.
I ussd it for my kayak Eco-Safe Toilet.
The Park Ranger was all smiles.
This is the best self build I've seen too. Frankly it's better than many company builds.
Bunk Bed/Sofa idea alone is pretty awesome!
That kickplate drawer tho 😮
Keith s 😮
Just another level of genius...
Best ever
I’ve seen hundreds of builds. This is the smartest purpose built I’ve seen
Never never mention cost He is a Craftsman I am a clutz a poor cclutz.but excellent presentation.
Every time he started to introduce his next great idea, I found myself thinking "of course you did". He makes you know that he knows what he's doing!!!
Always interesting to see another swiss-army-knife style van build. Those toe-kick drawers are ingenious!
yes! i was blown away by the toe kick drawers too.
Yes to a build video, no to using Windex to wash dishes. Lol. Cheap vodka or white vinegar is much better for a solution.
freedom dove wow I didn't know people use Windex to wash dishes, lol
@@jenniferh.7219 Neither did I til I started watching nomadic videos. Lol. I've also seen people using Clorox wipes to wash dishes, which I would also avoid.
you can also clean with peroxide
@@allalone1461 Absolutely. I use peroxide in water when washing lettuce greens.
This guy is my new hero. So amazing! I wish I was this organized.
the double beds turning into a sofa is such a great solution - it seems so obvious and that's what makes it brilliant.
YES, do an in depth build vid!
This man is eating gormet' level food in a van. This is the dream.
Yeah, is a good idea. I'm not sure if it would work that well for those that are on the road nonstop. You kind of need a kitchen, or at least some large pans, etc, to make large batches of food like that for freezing. Cool idea though for people like myself who just go on short road trips.
Clearly 'gormet' is widely open to interpretation. Looked like some sort of astronaut food. Soylent green?
@@jbuckley2546 Well, I think Garety was talking more about what they are eating and possibly taste, not how well it plates. Not too many people on the road would be eating these kinds of meals on a regular basis even if they could afford it. Even if you didn't mind all the prep and cleanup, you would still have to do shopping all the time to ensure the meat stayed fresh. Unless you decided to freeze it, then you are talking even more prep time to thaw, etc. With his method you just thaw/heat and eat.
GOURMET, not GORMET. No, this is convenience food in plastic bags. Gourmet food is fresh and cooked daily fresh with no plastic contamination.
@@lass-inangeles7564 Well, technically gourmet just means good food. And he wasn't even really claiming it was "gourmet". He was saying it was "gourmet like". As in, it's good food that he has frozen... so, not necessarily as good as it could be, but still pretty good. Granted, what one person would consider gourmet another might not. But surely we can agree on the gist of what he is saying here.
I saw this video some time back. Have to say that since then I’ve seen many more videos and watching this one again I can say it’s one of the best setups and builds with very unique operations that I didn’t and couldn’t understand since it was early in van life type videos I watched. Half the stuff I forgot about as well. Now I see the genius in the design and build. Hats off to the builder.
This guy deserves all the good comments. He is a genius! The few negative comments are from people who, maybe jealous because they do not have the skills to complete this kind of build. So they will nitpick .....on and on and on.
I am interested in the cross dowling .
looks like it uses the same cams that come with the flat packed furniture you buy and put together.
@@nonyabizness.original No cams, just steel bar stock cross drilled and tapped.
@@rolliebca huh, thanks, i'm going to check that out!
Can be rough on the pelvis.
Same as any IKEA furniture. Waste of time! Use glue and screws.
I would love to know how he did the lithium batteries!
yes! a good, long, detailed video of putting together your own lithium cells to build batteries is something i would also LOVE to see, and i haven't found one yet. i just met a guy on the road who built his own and paid a few hundred dollars for the same amp hours as $2,000 worth of battleborns.
@@nonyabizness.original Exactly!! These companies all buy batteries manufactured in china (you can find them on Alibaba.com) and put their logo's on them. MUCH cheaper. Shipping is one reason they are expensive. But you can buy the cells and hook them together for a fraction of the cost. Someone needs to do a video on this process that isnt sponsored by the battery companies.
Ditto this. The cells are easy enough to get, I'd love to know about the BMS he's using. And how he otherwise built his system from buying the cells direct.
@@nonyabizness.original Will Prowse has videos about how to create a 12 or 24 volt system from individual cells. You have to buy a battery management system (BMS); Prowse has advice about that too.
I don't know a lot about lithium batteries but I think part of the reason he was able to make his so cheap is that the batteries probably don't have built in safety features... or decent warranties. For example, I think Battleborn batteries have electronics in them that prevent charging at the wrong temps and stuff like that. I'm sure you can set up your own safety features though... if you know how.
Thanks for showing his van build.
Every time you watch a video you learn something new.
I don't know whether this is true ... but Lex sounds like a mobile living veteran who has been doing it for a long, long time. His experience and knowledge of practical and efficient vanlife is golden!
This is incredibly nice! Wouldn't mind getting stuck in traffic in that. Everything's right there.
I'd love to see his build details ....
ME TOO!
Me three! Definitely a great resource for building a very livable home on wheels!
me 4! Especially interested in the refrigeration and how he avoided drilling/cutting to install ceiling, wall panels, etc.
Maybe he can help build my van & I will record every step. You can edit.
Me, I'd just throw an old peice of foam in the back if the van with a banket and a pillow, grab some pop tarts and and couple of pepsis then gloat for days about how I now have my own camper. This guy is over the top WOW!
Lex could totally have a career in year round 3 week workshops....design & framing....solar & heating.....COOKING! I LOVE Lex's cooking hack! I'm gonna do it. But for real, if he did a school, I would take it. I don't know how to do all this stuff and would REALLY appreciate a place to go learn it all. I'd rather learn it all myself rather than pay someone since I'd be living in it and not wanting to spend lots of money to someone else if there was a problem. Really really appreciate this video and I watch it often. Thank you Nate!
I’d definitely be interested in seeing a build video. Thanks for sharing.
Imagine your working at McD's and this guy walks in with a funky bucket like that after you just cleaned up the mess of a life time someone left behind an hour ago LOLOLOL!
Would love to see that build. The Sous Vide Steaks and how he set them up is genius!!!!
This guy is pure class. He knows how to do things the right way and he can do them himself. He follows through with his ideas.
Beautifully built. This is by far the best van build I've ever seem. Does not look as fancy as some builds but this beauty is built for life. Great craftsmanship !
I would be interested in the build details, Great video Nate.
Yes, build video please.
Include more detail about the battery system where he addressed the BMS.
Thanks!
Lex is a genius... The foot storage at the bottom that can only come from a mind of not only an engineer but a fellow OCD person... The detail to the build and the storage compartments... It’s really a master build from what you would pay a van life shop to build and a typical no build/ partial build Bob Wells concept. I absolutely love that if needed it’s easy to remove everything if someone wanted to buy it with a clean space to do their own thing. I love how he left that option for later down the road. I would love more videos from Lex and any tips he may have for us future boondockers.
I love this build. Would definitely be interested in seeing a more detailed split out of the process.
Great attention to detail and maximizing the use of a small space.
I like how he did this. Its simple yet complex and innovative. Everything has a purpose and no wasted space.
This guy is Nate a few decades from now.
The food storage and prep were the best ideas here. Massive space savings. Those toe kick drawers are great too.
I’ve been watching van dwelling life videos for years now and this one is so far my FAVORITE!!! Everything is just perfect 👌🏼
Great video. Yes I'd be interested to learn more about cross-dowel construction.
A very inspirational video. So many fantastic and well-thought-out new ideas that I haven’t seen before. I may be borrowing a few of these ideas on my next build.
Thanks for sharing 😁👍
Awesome self-conversion by an experienced builder. He speaks directly on sleep options, toilet options, gray water options, meal time options, vehicle power options and explains how he arrived at his solution for extended van camping. I like the floor set up but it is a weak point because water has many seams to get into and start rotting the plywood....unless a vapor barrier is added. I will probably copy the toe kick storage, the Kerosene for Espar heater, the Triple layered insulation method and the counter top Sno-Master Fridge/Freezer. Thanks Lex!!!
This guys brilliance is beyond belief... things I've never even considered... thanks 🙏🏻 can't wait to see a "DETAILS" video
I love seeing such a well thought out build. Toe kick drawers! Wall panels attached with magnets, two layers of Thinsulate, the entire kitchen and food storage, 800 watts (!) of solar + 540 Ah of lithium... what's not to love? The only change I'd make, is substitute the Promaster with a Nissan NV hightop.
As a woodworker myself, and love for all things well designed & handmade, I'd love to hear more from this gentleman, and possibly see his shop.
Awesome build! Gotta love a man with 45 steaks in his fridge. I'm so glad to see someone in a van using sous vide. I've been wanting to do that, but I thought it might be a little too crazy. Now I'm doing it!
I love this guy and I love this build. I'd never thought to cook premade things out of bags dry like that; that's on a whole other level. Amazing. I have an Anova sous vide thing too, so it's great to see that as well. Really everything about this speaks to me because it's an airy, open concept full of little luxuries and thoughtful touches, rather than endless wooden storage cubbies and bubbling hippie optimism. Give me practicality and appliances!
Yes!! Bunk beds!!! Awesome! It's what I will need in my camper van as it will be for my adult daughter and myself to take off for a summer!! So love the bunk bed idea!! In fact this van would be perfect for us...... Except for the potty, it would need more privacy somehow....maybe even just a shower curtain or something would work.
definately one of the BEST van builds i've ever seen !!! one very smart cookie !!!
Great build. Super innovative. Would love to see a build detailed video, or 2 or more.
*I need to see every detail of this build. Please create your own channel. You are a blessing to humanity to show us how things can be done, with this amazing space. Magnificent.*
this guy is the master splinter of van life
Yes to a construction video.
Superb build.
Eating from heated plastic bags and windex dishes. How did he live this long?
I was thinking the same things!
This video really highlights cross-generational differences in van builds, a very different mindset but just as valid.
Each element fits like a puzzle. Did he plan everything out BEFORE starting?...could be the secret. Now, how many of us have considered sous vibe??? or a Cuisinart panini grille and pre-bagged food??? Damn! 💜 Not enough superlatives for this 'un!
build details video please!
I just LOVE that design, yes I would be interested in having a more detailed video about the build, this is the kind of guy who can take us to another level.
Yes please include a built video on his rig! Amazing attention to detail!
This guy was awesome. I don’t want to much grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning dishes on the road. I don’t want to eat out all the time either. His approach to cooking food on the road is brilliant. I love how the food is packaged and stored. He is 100% correct about the steaks. Sou vie cooking steaks and finishing on the grill IS the best way to cook steaks....if you have the time for it
I also liked his approach about the sink and how he uses it for sou vie cooking.
If he ever builds out a second van I’d love to see that video because I guarantee he will have two dozen more brilliant and new ideas that no one else has ever thought of.
I’d like to see how he built it.
Attn van conversion youtubers! We need more vids like this of practical builds, and less of the "over the top" builds. There is a large market of people that need a dual purpose van. Our company needs a van that can serve as our vendor exhibit van a few times a year that will carry product and also be used for week long stints in the mountains for leisure.
Definitely would love a detailed video series with this guy!!! So much to learn from
BEG that man for a detailed video on how he constructed this amazing van!
Yes, I would be interested in a video on how he did the construction.
Maybe the best van conversion I've seen yet!
Sue Arbour Exactly.
In-depth video...? Yes please!!! I will listen to anything this man has to say about his van.
WOW, this guy REALLY has his shit together! I am super impressed, especially their food setup and bunkbed/couch configuration. (And YES please make another video with him, he has so much to share!)
I'm interested in how he prepares the frozen food
What an awesome build! Absolutely I would be interested in a cross-dowel construction video. I am amazed at the practical build that this person did!
Great creativity & engineering. It's so nice to see a vanner that is not a copycat. I clean the dishes with a similar method. Cooking the food in a microwave with the same dish you will be eating from helps minimize cleanup, also.
I hope some of the travel van companies watch this -- efficient use of space and no unnecessary junk (like a TV and microwave.) Such a great build!
Great video! I would totally be interested in see a detail video of his van. Thanks again!
Yes I’m interested to know more about his battery bank and the parts he used to create the folding bed, the wood work he did on the ceiling
Does he have his own channel or website?
Yaaassss, we want a video showing how this van was built. Most videos show the features but dont list where to buy the systems, what is used specifically for the build. It would be nice to have it mapped out like lego build for us.