Dom & Jesse, nomadic adventurers for the past 3.5 years, have recently completed their dream project: an epic DIY van conversion of a Ford Transit high-roof LWB van into a fully-equipped, off-grid home on wheels. Their unique build boasts an impressive Enerdrive electrical system for endless off-grid power and features a range of home-like touches that elevate full-time travel to a whole new level of comfort and enjoyment. Get the inside scoop on their DIY van build below and discover the key products that brought their van build vision to life.
After 3 years of travelling Australia and living it rough in our little Hiace van with our dog Chop, we decided it was time to upgrade as we wanted to continue living this lifestyle but also wanted a more comfortable and larger space which we could live, work and travel full-time from.
Instead of just buying a new pre-built van we decided it would be a fun challenge to build our own van from scratch, and that way we could custom make it to fit our needs and our life in general, Jesso also wanted to show our audience that you don’t need to have a trade or any experience to be able to ‘do stuff’.
We found the hardest part was sticking to a time schedule (Dom’s family were coming to visit in December 24 so we needed to have the van completed by then for this road trip) as we were learning every step of the way so we were also making mistakes too and then having to learn from our mistakes. Sometimes it felt like we were moving 1 step forward and 2 steps back - every aspect of the build took the same steps which were - research, plan, build, make mistake, fix our mistakes, and move to the next part. But we managed to complete our van build in just 6 months - it took a lot of hard work and team work and a few very late nights too.
That’s a hard question! We each have a different favourite part of the build, Dom’s favourite part is our wooden panel ceiling - it is such a stand out feature in the van and it looks so effective, we put a lot of attention to detail in the ceiling and I’m really proud of our work. It took us about a week from start to finish to cut down our wood, route in grooves, frame the ceiling and then start adding each piece, because we have a curved ceiling we had to be creative and find a way to bend the wood so it wouldn’t snap when we drilled it in, it was then super fun to stain the wood our chosen colour once it was all mounted into place. I remember running to the van the morning after we stained it and couldn’t believe how beautiful it looked! Now when I’m laying in bed at night I look at the ceiling and it makes me so happy.
Jesso’s favourite part of the build (and most rewarding) was the Enerdrive Electrical System - because it was a challenge, there was so much to learn, and it felt almost like delayed gratification, it took a lot of work at the start of the build, to understand the electrical, and install it. We then had to wait until towards the end of the build to start connecting all the appliances and this was when I felt the sense of accomplishment that I’d done it all correctly! Now there’s nothing better that turning on our mood lighting in the evening, having a hot shower and grabbing a cold beer out the fridge.
Insulation and ventilation! We have found that even on the hottest 40-degree day in the middle of summer we can come back to the van and it not be too hot inside! We were actually super surprised with how well our insulation worked. At night we really enjoy the cross flow of ventilation too, we crack open a window, turn on the roof vent and have our sirocco fan blowing and its super nice and cool even on those stinking hot nights! We really appreciate having comfortable nights sleep now because in our previous van the little Hiace, it was like being in an oven sometimes with no insulation and next to no ventilation haha!
Our number one tip would be to try out Vanlife first before buying and building the van! we’d recommend hiring a campervan for a week or so and seeing how you like it! Maybe even test out a few different types/ sizes of vans to see what suits you best, and that way you can decide what van to buy. We spent 3 years in our old van so we knew when we upgraded exactly what we wanted in our ‘dream’ van, also making a list of everything you own / everything you’d want in your dream van can help you envision it even more and make you accommodate space for your needs.
Having completed a whole lap of Australia we can both agree that our favourite state is Western Australia, it’s a place that feels like home for us, Dom’s favourite location is Karijini National Park for the epic hikes, fresh water swimming holes and incredible rock structures and colours, the whole national park has such a magical feel about it and it’s definitely the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited.
Jess’ favourite place is the Margaret River Region, as there’s so much to do there! the epic reef breaks for surfing, beautiful beaches, exploring the stunning coastline for photography spots and of course the friendly people.
