By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, the team from Cheap RV Living [679K subscribers, 151M views] introduces us to Wilford and his incredible RV van build in his 2021 Nissan NV2500 van.
Prepare to be amazed at what a DIY RV can be! Of course, it helps to have skills like Wilford, who had a lifetime of experience building boats before tackling his RV van build project and giving it the feel of a comfy, homey cabin in the woods.
The uniqueness of Wilford’s RV van build starts at the door. When closed it looks like an ordinary side van door but when opened it reveals a beautiful and multi-functional wooden framed screen door. It even has a small doggy door.
Wilford’s innovative bed slides out from its sofa position with just the touch of a finger to reveal a queen-sized memory foam bed.
He has bench seating and a table that flips up when needed and flips down to create extra space.
Wilford’s kitchen has running water from a 12-gallon fresh water tank that runs into a large deep stainless steel sink and into a gray water tank. He bought his 2-burner propane stove from Amazon and got one of his kitchen cabinets at a thrift store!
Wilford also bought a Nature’s Head composting toilet at Amazon that he absolutely loves. The toilet tucks discreetly away in a bottom cabinet and Wilford’s says it meets their needs perfectly well.
The shower, fueled by a hot water on-demand heater, is outside the back door of the van. However, Wilford constructed a clever curtain that attaches to the van’s back doors for privacy.
Overall, Wilford estimates his DIY RV van build cost about 15K, which includes big-ticket items like the toilet, the air conditioner, the rooftop solar panels, and the Alpicool refrigerator, but not the cost of the van itself, which he bought new.
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Thank you, Cheri! I am keen to see this. 🙂
He’s a real craftsman- doing things with a real retro feel and look to them-right down to the spring on the wooden door.
I love this stuff! This guy is down-to-earth. Some of his accouterments are pure genius. I admire his skills and problem-solving. He solved the toilet problem with his wife by (ahem) not taking her with him. No windows though, unless he leaves the slider open, which I think, is what he does. I was wondering if that tent in the background was where he spent most of his time – ha.
Very nice build! And a nice guy too.