Building While Travelling

Are you planning to live on the road in a van? We were in the same boat as you, and we learned a lot during the process. We made a decision to end our rental contract in Finland by the end of November 2022 and hit the road. But before that, we needed to ensure that our van was equipped with all the basics we needed to live, including enough battery power and heat. Running warm water would have been great, but it was something extra.

We spent December and Christmas in Jyväskylä, near Miro's family, where we were able to fix our frozen grey water tank issues and test how warm our van actually gets with a Chinese diesel heater when there are -25 degrees Celsius outside.

Originally, we planned to buy windows for our van from Germany, where they are much cheaper than in Finland. Unfortunately, we were in Germany between Christmas and New Year's, and all the places that sold camper accessories were closed. So, we changed our plan and decided to buy windows later, maybe from Spain. After arriving in Spain, we realized that being inside the van during the day was already warm, but we felt claustrophobic without windows. After a quick Google search, we found Campernet.es, a retailer in Terrassa, Barcelona.

Since we were already in the northern part of Barcelona in Vilassar de Mar, it was only a 50-km drive to Terrassa. We went to the shop on Thursday after work and had one of the best customer experiences we've ever had. Victor helped us choose the right windows and even showed us how to install them. The next morning, he ordered the windows for us, and we could pick them up later that day.

We designed our electric system to allow us to perform maintenance on the road without needing to rely on external sources of electricity. To achieve this, we installed a 2000W Renogy inverter and a 200Ah lithium battery, providing us with enough power to use electric tools such as a jigsaw and drill. I will go into more detail about our electric system in a future post.

Installing all three windows took us two days because it was our first time ever installing a window. We had to measure everything a hundred times and make sure everything was straight. We did the whole job in front of the beach of Platja De I'Almadrava at Villasar de Mar, and everyone who walked by our van was curious and wanted to know what we were doing. Some really friendly people even stopped to chat with us during our installation process.

After those two days of installation, we are really happy with the outcome of how the windows look, how much air and light they bring in, and how they take away the claustrophobic feeling that we were having inside the van. If you're planning to install windows in your van, we highly recommend Campernet.es in Terrassa!

When Time Crawls By: The Challenge of Repairing Broken Items

I've always been an organized person, but when my partner and I were building our van, my organizational skills were put to the test. With limited savings, we had to time our purchases month by month, and sometimes things we ordered would arrive well in advance, causing delays.

One example was the 105-liter water tank we ordered. It sat in our living room for three weeks before we could install it in the van. It didn't occur to me until that weekend that the lid might not be watertight, despite the manufacturer's claim that it could be installed at a 90-degree angle.

Once we installed the tank and began testing our plumbing system, we noticed a leak coming from the red lid. We tried tightening it as much as we could, but it still leaked, so we had to remove the tank and figure out the issue. We posted a question in a Facebook group asking for help, and got some useful suggestions, like using batten and hammer, or Sikaflex.

Eventually, one person pointed out that they had the same issue and discovered a mistake on the lid. It needed to be amended with a knife and sandpaper to fit the threads properly and become watertight. I spent the whole day sitting with the tank in our bathroom, working on the lid and testing for leaks.

One of the most eye-catching items in our living room was our Sunwind Cuisine 50 gas range. After eagerly awaiting its arrival, I was quick to open the box and give it a quick glance-over. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of not giving it a more thorough check. When we finally went to install it in our van, we noticed a massive dent on the left side and the top was loose. The brackets that held the top in place were also broken. Another delay!

After contacting the seller and explaining the situation, they agreed to take it back, but it still took a whopping 2.5 weeks to receive a replacement. This experience taught me a valuable lesson: always check items more thoroughly before accepting them.

Great news, we were finally able to test our shower! We had ordered a shower mixer from Amazon.de, which we chose for its small and sleek design, as we wanted to maximize space in our shower. However, we soon realized that the mixer was not functioning properly. During our showers, we were puzzled as to why the water was scorching hot at first, and then quickly became cold. At first, we thought that our water heater was not powerful enough to provide warm water for two people to shower, but after testing it, we discovered that the thermostat was actually stuck on hot water. We tried to remove the thermostat but were unsuccessful. We went to a plumbing company for help, but even they were unable to open the mixer. The plumber even admitted that he had never seen this type of mixer before, making it difficult to find a replacement.

We were able to find a solution at Biltema, where we purchased a new shower mixer. This experience taught us a valuable lesson to always thoroughly test our equipment before installing and using it and to do our research when choosing products. Check out the picture below of the faulty mixer.

In conclusion, building a van tested our organizational skills to the max, as we had to time our purchases with limited savings. However, we faced some delays due to the arrival of items well in advance, causing us to realize the importance of thoroughly checking items before accepting them. We faced challenges with the installation of our 105-liter water tank, which took some trial and error to make it watertight. Similarly, our Sunwind Cuisine 50 gas range had a dent and broken brackets, leading to a 2.5-week delay in getting a replacement. Finally, our sleek shower mixer from Amazon.de turned out to be faulty, leaving us with scorching hot water and a stuck thermostat. But we learned our lesson and got a new mixer from Biltema, reinforcing the importance of doing our research and thoroughly testing our equipment. Despite the challenges, we were able to overcome them and are excited to continue our van life journey.

How Do I Balance Work and Leisure

Have you ever wondered how digital nomads balance work and leisure while on the road? Well, you're not alone. When I set out to write this blog, I planned to do it in chronological order. But then I started chatting with random people and fellow nomads and was bombarded with questions about how we manage to juggle our work and still have time for adventure. So, I decided to switch things up and write a short, sweet, and informative post that will give you some tips and insights into how we do it!

Being a digital nomad is a dream come true for me. I have the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, explore new places, and have unforgettable experiences. However, balancing work and leisure can be challenging when I'm constantly moving. Here are a few tips that have helped me maintain a healthy work-life balance while on the road.

1. It's easy to get carried away with work when I'm traveling, but I make sure to set clear boundaries. I establish clear boundaries by working from 9 AM to 6 PM daily to maintain a work-life balance while traveling. Additionally, I ensure a dedicated workspace to stay focused and avoid distractions.

2. I take breaks: Taking breaks is essential for maintaining productivity and avoiding burnout. I take short breaks throughout the day to stretch, go for a walk, or grab a snack. I also make sure I take a longer break each day to explore my surroundings and recharge.
   
   

3. I am flexible: One of the great things about being a digital nomad is the freedom to be flexible. If I have a sudden opportunity to explore a new place or take part in a fun activity, I take advantage of it. I just make sure I plan my work schedule around it and stay focused on my goals.
   
   

4. I set realistic goals: When I'm traveling, it's easy to get caught up in the moment and overestimate what I can accomplish. I make sure I set realistic goals and timelines for my work. This helps me avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed.

Basically, balancing work and leisure while on the road can be challenging, but it's essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. By setting clear boundaries, planning my work schedule in advance, taking breaks, staying organized, being flexible, and setting realistic goals, I can enjoy the freedom and adventure of the nomadic lifestyle while still achieving my work goals.

Building The Interiors

The journey of creating a liveable van is finally coming to fruition. After long nights and weekends of hard work, the walls and roof are now lined with plywood and it's time to start building the interior features. Installing overhead storage cabinets proved challenging, as we didn't have any battens to securely attach them. However, we found a solution by adding full-length 100x30 wood battens to the corners where the wall and roof meet. These cabinets are now securely attached to the battens, and in the rear end, they're directly fastened to the van's chassis. This experience taught us to think things through more and take fewer shortcuts. (And after traveling over 4 000 km on rough roads, the cabinets are still firmly in place!)
 

When searching for a gas cabinet for our van, we struggled to find one in Finland that met our needs. So, we took matters into our own hands and built our own gas cabinet. The goal was simple: to create a cabinet that would keep gas from leaking into the living area in case of a bottle failure. Of course, another safe matter is that if the van gets to fire the gas cabinet should protect the bottle from flames and heat and might not explode. But when have a look at ready-made motorhomes and campers the gas cabinets are done with the same materials as the rest of the vans so how much does it actually protect?

We used standard plywood to construct the cabinet, sealing the corners with a sealant, and drilled a 72mm hole in the floor to allow any gas leaks to escape. With the assistance of Caravan Myllymäki Oy, the gas pipe was professionally installed and the rest of the modifications were handled by us, ensuring that our van was truly customized to our needs.

Building interior structures for our van was challenging due to the lack of battens or laser-straight walls and lines. We had to use a floor line as a guide for constructing cabinets, seats, and counters that were straight and aesthetically pleasing. Though building everything from scratch took more effort than lifting pre-made structures into the van, the custom-building process taught us valuable skills and was a rewarding experience.

Our neighbor, a professional furniture maker, had a good laugh at our conversion process. He told me, 'I couldn't do this kind of work. When I work with wood, everything must be precise to the millimeter, but for this, you need to be more like a construction worker where millimeters don't matter.' A humorous memory I'll always cherish.

The First Challenges - The Battle Begins

After long sleepless nights making research and trying to find out answers to the questions(and hundreds of other questions) below:

• How to insulate the van?
• Should I use plastic to create a vapor barrier?
• Need to build as light as possible, since starting weight was already 2 600 kg.
• Using batten in the walls and roof or not?

I can tell you that we made multiple mistakes that I regret afterward, but what can we do if poop is already in our pants and don't want to start all over again.

Insulation

When it comes to insulation, the goal is to keep the van warm in the winter and cool in the summer. There are several options available, but we chose to use a combination of NMC Insul Roll XT from Amazon DE, Finnfoam plates from a local hardware store, and Ewona wool from some online shop. The NMC Insul Roll XT is a closed-cell foam that's similar to the commonly mentioned Armaflex insulation but more budget-friendly. The Finnfoam plates were added on top of the NMC Insul Roll XT, and Ewona wool was used in areas where the Finnfoam couldn't be applied.

Vapor Barrier

This started making me crazy while reading about a vapor barrier. Many posts and videos I saw were self-learned Bob the builders were talking about how important a vapor barrier is. Well, I'm not professional either, but I'm not going to start adding plastics or aluminum foil to create a vapor barrier. We believe that proper ventilation is essential for ensuring any moisture that does enter the van will be able to escape, thus avoiding the risk of mold or other moisture-related issues.

Weight

Weight is a major consideration when converting a van, especially if you're starting with a heavier van like we did. Our van had a starting weight of 2,600 kg and we wanted to keep things as light as possible. To achieve this, we used 4mm plywood for the interior and walls, and 22mm x 50mm wood for the structure. It may not have been the best choice, but it was a light one.

Battens or Adhesive

Finally, we faced the decision of whether to use battens or an adhesive for the walls and roof. After speaking with someone who had built several vans since the 1960s, we decided to use a 2-component polyurethane adhesive, Kiilto Kestopur PL 240. Unfortunately, this was a mistake. The adhesive was difficult to use and expensive, and we learned that it's always important to consider the advice of others, but also to make informed decisions for your own project.

 In conclusion, converting a van into a livable space requires careful planning and decision-making. By addressing the challenges of insulation, weight, and wall and roof finishing, you can turn your van into a cozy and functional home on wheels. We hope our lessons learned will help you make informed choices for your own van conversion journey.

The Saga Begins

Long story short, me and Tati were talking in the summer of 2021 that it would be amazing to own a camper van and start traveling around Europe. At that time we had Volvo S40 from 1998, it had almost half a million kilometers in a meter. Then things started happening, the clutch broke in October and it was not worth fixing, since we did not have a place to do it by ourselves, and taking it to car repair would cost more than the car's actual value. So we decided this was our sign to buy a van, convert it and start living our dream. On December 2021 we bought Peugeot Boxer X250 and started building it. If you are still reading this, do not worry; this blog is now about how to convert a van since the internet is full of those already. This blog will tell small stories of what happened while building, and more about how is life now living the nomad life.