Van Build
Peter Thuli

My Story

During college I decided to take a year off to backpack Southeast Asia. This incredible trip to some of the most beautiful places on the planet shifted many things within me. It changed my perspectives on happiness and purpose. It inspired me to live a life we are passionate about, even if that meant walking down a path of uncertainty. I was in love with the nomadic lifestyle and after discovering the van life community, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to travel and create a self-sustained life on the road, so I took action. I bought our Sprinter and started the conversion process. I worked at my  jobs all day and built out the van from the minute I punched out until we went to bed. After five months, I was ready for full-time van life. I now build vans full-time and offer van conversion services to clients.

Our 2004 Sprinter Van Conversion

170" wheel base with a Mercedes diesel engine. The odometer read 194,000 miles at the time of purchase and we bought it used on Craigslist for $4,500 (steal of a deal). It drives 22 miles per gallon!

$4,500

2004 Sprinter Van

$5,555

Conversion Costs

$10,055

Total Cost

Conversion Features

Spray foam insulation

Laminate wood flooring

Fantastic Fan

Solar and electrical

Built in kitchen

Lots of storage

Bench transforms into bed

Beautiful furnishing

Breakdown Of Our Costs

Product Price
Laminate Flooring $200
Spray Insulation $275
Cedar Panelling + Trim $250
Foam (cusions) $300
Fantastic Fan $180
Sink $50
Faucet $25
Refrigerator $450
Camp Stove $40
Serape Blankets (curtains) $110
Fruit Hammock $10
Pressure Shower $100
Toilet $95
LED Lights $100
Solar Kit $730
Sealed Gel Battery $270
Inverter $270
Total $3,555

An additional $1,500 was spent on these lower cost items:

Hinges

Drill bits

Hole saws

Tape

Varnish

Paint

Painting accessories

Upholstery fabric

Drawer slides

Electrical accessories 

Sandpaper 

Water jugs and tubing

Glass jars

Magnetic strips 

PVC pipe

Weather stripping 

Caulk

Silicone

Jigsaw blades

Storage baskets

Curtain rods and clips 

Polycarbonate 

And More...

More Images Of Peter's Conversion

(click any image to expand it)

Now, let's get to work!

more lessons for this build will be released soon...