Solar power, running water, a hot shower, a toilet and a warm bed. The plan, the wiring diagram, the budget and every part on the list.
One conversion, start to finish: insulated, wired for solar, plumbed for a sink and a hot shower, with a real toilet, a fridge and a diesel heater for freezing nights.
Illustrations drawn to the guide’s layout: galley behind the driver, toilet and shower next to it, bed across the back, power and water inside.
The two systems most first-timers get wrong, as clear diagrams, with the wire sizes, fuse sizes and every part named.
Fifteen lines, lean and typical numbers for each, shower and toilet included. The typical conversion comes to $9,850 in parts. A lean build: about $6,430.
Fall 2026 US prices. The guide shows the lean number for every line too.
Read it all before you cut a hole in your van. The power and water chapters are where most first builds go wrong.
Which vans work, how much standing room you get, and what to check before you hand over money.
The layout, cutaway and floor plan, the payload math nobody does, insurance and registration.
Lean and typical numbers for every part, where to save, where never to, and the add-ons.
Your energy budget, every part and what it does, the wiring diagram, and wire and fuse sizes.
Tanks, pump, water heater, shower pan, drain pump, cassette toilet, gray water and winter.
The roof fan, the diesel heater, carbon monoxide, fire, and why everything gets bolted down.
The rivnut tool, the crimpers and the rest, and what to rent for a weekend.
Eleven phases from gutting the van to the first night out, with a builder’s check for each.
Leaky fans, bad crimps, frozen tanks and the rest, and how to dodge them.
60+ lines with quantities, from butyl tape to the battery.
Van inspection checklist, energy budget, weight budget, and price-it-yourself sheet.
“Install the carbon monoxide alarm before the heater, not after. Then you’ll never run the heater without it.”
Builder’s check, Chapter 6
The 15 mistakes that blow a van build, plus the introduction. No email needed.
The $25K Cabin and The $10K Camper: a cabin for the land, and a van for the road. Two complete plans, budgets and parts lists, 71 pages in all.
A 36-page PDF, US Letter size, that you can read on your phone, tablet or computer, or print out for the job. You download it right after checkout.
No. The $10,000 is the conversion: insulation, power, water, shower, toilet, heat, bed and galley. Chapter 1 shows how to pick a van, and what to check before you buy one.
It’s drawn for a high-roof cargo van with 10 to 12 feet of cargo floor, like a ProMaster, Transit or Sprinter. Older and smaller vans work too; you shrink the furniture and maybe skip the shower.
The guide gives you the diagram, every wire size, every fuse size and the safety rules, and tells you to check every circuit with a multimeter before you connect the battery. If you’re unsure, have a qualified person check your work before you power up.
Yes. A shower pan sits flush in the floor under a wooden grate, a curtain pulls around it, and a small electric heater gives you hot water. A navy-style shower uses 2 to 4 gallons.
Bookmark the download page after you buy. If you lose it, email support@example.com with your receipt and we’ll send a new link.
Email support@example.com within 30 days of buying and you’ll get your money back.
The plan, the diagrams, the budget, the parts list and the worksheets. Yours in two minutes.
Want The $25K Cabin too? Get both guides for $49.