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Exterior

The exterior of you van can be incredibly deceptive. Who knows whats inside?

weather you want to keep your van stealthy or cover it in kit we have a guide for you. Windows, fans, solar panels and so much more.

Price Breakdown

TOTAL COST

£1793.70

Window Installation

Solar Panel Installation

Maxxair Fan Installation

Bike Rack Installation

 

£335.27

£653.72

£383.57

£421.14

 

£335.27

£653.72

£383.57

£421.14

 

The first  step when converting a panel van is installing some windows. Windows can truly transform the space inside your van from a metal box to a little home. Your layout will help you determine what windows you need to buy and where you’ll position them.

There are lots of different styles of windows on the market, All of which come at different price points. Do you want your windows to open to allow airflow? Do you want them to have a dark tint to make them stealthy? We opted for 1 tinted window on each side of our van. The window on the sliding door does not open and the window on the opposite side does. 

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

Solar panels are an essential part of your electrical setup, especially if you intend on spending any length of time off-grid. This is particularly true for anyone who is looking to embrace full-time vanlife.

Solar panels come in many shapes and sizes. You need to determine what size will suit your needs best. 

We wanted our van to be totally self-sufficient. Having a good amount of solar means we can save money in the long run as we do not need to rely on campsites as a source of power. We opted for 2 185W monocrystalline panels to help power our 300Ah of lithium batteries.

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

Solar Panels

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

Fan

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

Installing a fan is absolutely essential for good airflow in your campervan. Not only is a fan great for cooling down your van on a hot day it is important for a number of other reasons. It helps get rid of cooking smells and general bad odours. Installing a fan also removes condensation from your van which is a problem many van-lifers face. Condensation causes dampness which can lead to a rusty van with mouldy furnishings. 

We opted for the Maxxair fan Deluxe because it had fantastic reviews online. We chose to position the fan right in the centre of our van between the kitchen and bathroom. This way the steam created by cooking or using the shower will get sucked straight out of the van and not linger around. 

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

When deciding to dive into vanlife we knew we wanted to take our bikes on the road with us. Having bikes with you is great if you love to explore cities where parking can be an issue. Simply park on the city’s outskirts in a safe location and cycle in. Cycling around rural areas is also a great way to immerse yourself in the beautiful scenery.

There are a lot of different styles of bike racks on the market. We opted for a rear door bike rack as this does not block access to the back doors in any way. This means we can use our camper as normal with our bikes safely locked to the back. 

 

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

Bike rack

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

Windows

The first  step when converting a panel van is installing some windows. Windows can truly transform the space inside your van from a metal box to a little home. Your layout will help you determine what windows you need to buy and where you’ll position them.

There are lots of different styles of windows on the market, All of which come at different price points. Do you want your windows to open to allow airflow? Do you want them to have a dark tint to make them stealthy? We opted for 1 tinted window on each side of our van. The window on the sliding door does not open and the window on the opposite side does. 

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are an essential part of your electrical setup, especially if you intend on spending any length of time off-grid. This is particularly true for anyone who is looking to embrace full-time vanlife.

Solar panels come in many shapes and sizes. You need to determine what size will suit your needs best. 

We wanted our van to be totally self-sufficient. Having a good amount of solar means we can save money in the long run as we do not need to rely on campsites as a source of power. We opted for 2 185W monocrystalline panels to help power our 300Ah of lithium batteries.

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

fan

Installing a fan is absolutely essential for good airflow in your campervan. Not only is a fan great for cooling down your van on a hot day it is important for a number of other reasons. It helps get rid of cooking smells and general bad odours. Installing a fan also removes condensation from your van which is a problem many van-lifers face. Condensation causes dampness which can lead to a rusty van with mouldy furnishings. 

We opted for the Maxxair fan Deluxe because it had fantastic reviews online. We chose to position the fan right in the centre of our van between the kitchen and bathroom. This way the steam created by cooking or using the shower will get sucked straight out of the van and not linger around. 

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

Bike Rack

When deciding to dive into vanlife we knew we wanted to take our bikes on the road with us. Having bikes with you is great if you love to explore cities where parking can be an issue. Simply park on the city’s outskirts in a safe location and cycle in. Cycling around rural areas is also a great way to immerse yourself in the beautiful scenery.

There are a lot of different styles of bike racks on the market. We opted for a rear door bike rack as this does not block access to the back doors in any way. This means we can use our camper as normal with our bikes safely locked to the back. 

 

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS

click to purchase

… and much more found on the individual posts.

- All Exterior posts -