The 8 Most Common First-Time Van-Build Mistakes

Building a van is a huge project, especially for people with little to no experience in carpentry, cabinetry, or other types of handiwork. 

Ask anyone who’s built their own van, and my guess is they’ll have a few major van-build mistakes they wish they could go back and change. The challenge is that adjustments are tough to make AFTER the fact. 

For instance, you can’t redo the insulation without disassembling half of what you’ve built, and the same goes for forgetting to leave access to your most essential systems (electrical/plumbing). 

That’s why you must be meticulous in your research and think through everything before starting. 

These are some of the most common van build mistakes I’ve made and seen other first-time builders make over the years! 

1. Over-Insulating

Insulation is a topic that can lead you down a deep rabbit hole, and I’m not saying you should err on the side of too little insulation. That’s a recipe for a rough night of sleep. 

However, one of the biggest mistakes people make is over-insulating their vehicles, which wastes money and space. Some parts of your van (like the windows and the floor) will get cold no matter what, so there’s no need to put a bunch of extra insulation there.

At the very least, you should insulate ALL of your thermal bridges including the doors, walls and the back doors.

How to Insulate Well Without Over-Insulating

For quality insulation, I always recommend Havelock Wool. 

We currently use it in our Sprinter Van, and it does a great job of keeping the van warm in the winter and cool in the summer. When the sun directly hits our van in the summer, there’s nearly a huge difference between the wool insulation and wood paneling parts. Havelock Wool also does an excellent job at sound-deadening and handling moisture. 

Another great option is 3M Thinsulate. 

No matter what you use, don’t overdo the floor insulation. You’ll lose valuable headspace and add weight with minimal difference in the van’s temperature. 

2. Not Being Precise on Measurements (Square/Plumb)

One of the trickiest parts of building a van is that nothing is level. Every surface seems to have some amount of taper or curve to the surface–even parts of the floor! 

That means it’s extra important to double-check that everything installed is level. 

You can’t just eyeball it, either. Use a level tool!

Otherwise, you risk issues with your cabinetry, bedding, and anything else you install in the van down the road. 

How to Avoid Imprecise Measurements

One way to make sure everything is installed level is to get a laser and mark a centerline down the van before you begin the conversion. Then, measure everything from that line instead of the van’s walls/ceiling. 

You can also purchase a digital level that can reset to run parallel with whatever you want! 

3. Using High-Quality Materials

No matter which part of the van you’re working on for a DIY build, there are always a few different brands or materials to choose from. Like anything, this ultimately boils down to a cheap (but less reliable) product, a mid-range product, and a more expensive (typically high-quality) product. 

For example, I’ve seen people use MDF or particle board as paneling because it’s cheap and paints well, but neither is very durable. They both also hold lots of moisture, and screws don’t seem to stay in them well.

You should also use stainless steel fasteners (rather than nails), marine-grade adhesives like Loctite to withstand vibrations and moisture, and Lithium Batteries over AGM Batteries.

How to Avoid Cheap Materials

Anytime you can afford it, opt for marine-grade and RV-grade components throughout your van, which are built to withstand constant movement and vibration. 

This applies to everything, from the van’s paneling and structure to breakers, fuses, connectors, batteries, and other materials. 

Products with this label have the highest durability and safety ratings, and they pay off in the long run by providing more reliable performance and less maintenance.

4. Inexperienced Electrical Work

If you outsource anything on your DIY van build, it should be the electrical system. 

Electrical problems are the most common issue for DIY van builds, and they’re often the most frustrating to troubleshoot. Unless you’re an electrician, it’s challenging to find the source of the issue.

For example, undersized wires can overheat and fail, and improper wire placement can easily lead to short circuits from rubbing or chafing. 

How to Avoid Electrical Issues

Use high-quality electrical components if you’re set on doing this part of the project yourself.

It’s best to find marine-grade connectors and terminals designed to withstand harsh weather conditions and vibrations. 

Here are some more specific tips that will be helpful. 

• Use the correct wire size. 
• Always use stranded wire instead of solid copper wire, as the stranded wire can handle the constant vibrations and movement better than the latter. 
• Use loom, zip ties, or clamps to keep wires away from metal and protect them from chafing. 
• Ensure all connections are secure and adequately crimped using the right tools. 

5. Not Leaving Access to Electrical Wiring/Pipes/etc. 

This is something many people forget in their van builds: you must leave access points to the most important electrical components, water systems, and other crucial areas. 

Otherwise, repairs turn into extremely difficult and time-consuming ordeals.

How to Leave Access to Important Areas

The simplest way to do this is to make sure you’re using screws or fasteners, as opposed to nails, to secure everything in the van. 

That way, if you need to address any issues, taking apart specific areas of the van will be much less messy. 

However, I’d highly encourage you to consider adding extra hatches near each of the van’s essential components, particularly the plumbing and electrical systems.

6. Plan Your Layout Meticulously

This is more of a tip than a problem/solution, but you should pre-plan the entire van’s layout before starting.

Yes, absolutely everything. 

It’s tempting to start building once you have a rough outline of what you want, but this invites disaster as it will be a major headache if you want to make changes later on. There’s so much going on in such a small space that it leaves almost zero room for error. 

You’re often working with about ⅛ inch of wiggle room. 

So, once you start cutting holes and laying insulation, things become much harder to adjust when (not if) something doesn’t line up the way you expected.

That means you have to account for everything. 

How will a bed lift affect your ventilation system? Do you have enough hinge clearance for your cabinets and drawers to function properly? Is there enough storage space to upgrade to a larger potable water tank or a larger refrigerator?

7. Weigh Your Van Consistently

While planning the layout for your van, another important thing to be aware of is how much everything weighs. Know the payload (maximum legal capacity), and try to do the math for your van ahead of time. 

Then, monitor the weight semi-frequently during your van’s build so that you can make adjustments to avoid going over the limit.

A van’s payload is typically between 3 and 4 tons. 

That seems like a lot, but that includes the weight of the van itself and the people riding inside. 

Once you add insulation, furniture, and appliances to the van build, you’ll already be approaching max capacity. 

We weighed our van at truck stops and the process was simple!

How to Cut Back on Weight

Here are some easy ways to cut back on weight during the van build process: 

• Don’t use a sound-deadening layer on the floor
• Use Lithium batteries
• Use thinner wood (or bamboo) for the framing and flooring.
• Use lighter weight materials such as aluminum

8. Use Primer 

Always use a primer if you decide to paint the inside of your van. 

This might seem obvious if you know a lot about painting or carpentry. Yet, I’ve encountered a surprising number of people and seen videos of van builds where people try painting directly onto the van walls without primer. 

Painting directly onto metal without priming leads to very poor adhesion. The paint will start chipping early and won’t prevent the meter underneath from corroding (rusting).

Similarly, painting on wood without primer not only lacks protection against moisture but also requires more layers of paint as the initial layer seeps into the wood. 

How to Avoid Chipped Paint

Always use at least 1-2 layers of primer before painting the walls or furniture in your van. This will make it last way longer and protect the paint from chipping and losing its vibrancy. 

Primers also help you better represent the color you expect since they’re a neutral tone for the paint to sit on. 

Better Planning Means a Better Build

It’s nearly impossible to get it perfect on your first van-build. There are just so many variables involved, and most people have never lived in a van before, so they don’t even know exactly what kind of layout or material will be best for them! 

But after being a part of the community for years and doing three separate van builds myself, I see some mistakes people make (and regret) over and over. The most important thing is to plan ahead and take extra time to consider every detail when building the van. 

I hope this helps you avoid making some of the most common first-time van build mistakes. For more ideas, here are the best Chevy Express DIY Conversion Kits and my favorite Sprinter Van DIY Conversion Kits!

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