How to Turn a Ram ProMaster into a Campervan
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Turning a van into a campervan
Well, I did a thing. I am joining the Campervan community. No, we are not selling everything and living full time in our campervan, but we will enjoy many trips as we explore the US. When we lived in Iowa, we had a travel trailer, and we have many fond memories of camping. Anytime we smell someone burning firewood we long for the days of the past when life was calm, evenings were peaceful, and life was at our own pace. We didn’t go too far from home in our travel trailer but the campgrounds we did go to have left us with some great memories.
SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER, TO REFERENCE BACK TO AS YOU CONVERT YOUR VAN INTO A CAMPER.
**This is a long post as there is a lot of information to cover on converting this commercial van into a campervan! This van was completed between March - May 2020, prices may have changed since that time*
The idea of a camper van
As I was scrolling Pinterest one day, I started seeing other people turning vans into campers and I became intrigued. I started pinning blogs on my Pinterest board to save for later (follow my Pinterest account to see updated campervan and travel ideas). My research began and I became excited but overwhelmed with all of the options. I began to research for styles of van designs that would be best for my family. I then began my research for a van that we could convert into our own camper.
Here you will find details on turning a commercial van into a camper. I have done a lot of research to find what works best for us. What will be different is there are not as many families who convert a van into a camper for a family of 6, but I was determined to do it. I used other blogs and YouTube as a guide. I have no experience in this sort of thing so had to just wing it as I went. I will break down the cost and materials used for your reference. Please do your own research to determine what materials would work best for you.
CHECK OUT THIS BLOG POST ON HOW TO FIND A VAN TO CONVERT TO A CAMPER
Ram ProMaster
First, let’s start with the van. We purchased a 2017 Ram ProMaster high top 3500. I did lots of research on which type of van to buy. I knew after reading several blogs that I didn’t want a Mercedes Sprinter due to the limited mechanics who work on foreign vehicles and the parts tend to be more expensive. My other option was a Ford Transit. Although I liked this option, I liked the ProMaster more. I wasn’t able to find the Ford with a high top in my price range at that time but found the ProMaster instead. I am happy with the Ram and feel it drives really good. I would definitely buy a ProMaster again if I had a choice.
Van floors
I started with the floors as I transformed the van into a camper. I researched the types of insulation to use on the floors. I would use Pinterest (check out my Pinterest camping board here) to research blogs and then I made a list of the most used floor van insulation materials and picked from that list on what products I wanted in my van. I decided to use 1” thick Foamular for the floors only. I used 1x2 boards in between the Foamular with foil tape in between to help with insulation. I “glued” the 1x2 boards to the floor with Liquid Nails and then I placed plywood on top of the Foamular and screwed it down to the 1x2’s. I then painted the plywood with Kilz primer mold and mildew preventer. I had read in several blogs that the wood could get moldy underneath the flooring. Since it would be hard to see if mold was growing under the flooring, I wanted to do what I could to help prevent that. After the paint dried, I then laid the Smartcore Woodform Oak vinyl planks on top.
I chose not to screw the floor to the base of the van. I wanted less holes in my van to prevent rust or bugs getting in the van. So far, I don’t feel any shifting of the van floor.
Update: after two years the floor planks have separated some and there are small gaps between each plank which does collect dirt. If I had it to do over again, I would glue the planks down or nails them randomly to prevent them from moving.
Van floor cost
Below is the breakdown of the cost for the van floors. I knew I wanted durable and waterproof flooring, so I spent a little more to get a good quality vinyl floor.
Floor supplies shopping list
wood screws 1x6
plywood
1x2 boards
Van walls
Next is the van walls. First, I had read several other blogs that stated they used Kilmat on the walls to reduce road noise as they travelled so I decided to add it to my walls before I put up the insulation. This was an easy process as they were peel and stick. As you can see, I didn’t go crazy with this product, but some people add this product to fill the entire wall. I only did it sporadically. Your choice. The amount you see in the picture is one box which covers 50 square feet. Again, you can order more if you want to cover more of the walls and ceiling. I felt the insulation would also provide a sound barrier and it did.
Van wool insulation
Next, I researched insulation and came up with my favorite being Havelock wool (ordered 1 big bag 200 square foot x1). Because so many people were starting to convert vans into campers they were giving me a delivery date of 6-8 weeks. I knew I only had a couple months to complete the build so I went ahead and ordered some of the Havelock Wool and then ordered some 3M Thinsulate Thermal insulation so I could quickly get the van sides insulated halfway and install the bed so I could have someone complete the electrical work for me which was also a 4 week wait. The electrical people required some of the walls to be up so they would have something to attach the electrical box to. If I didn’t have a deadline for traveling and electrical work, I would have only ordered the Havelock wool.
Vertical wood strips
Before I could add the shiplap walls, I had to put wood strips going vertical and screw them into the metal frame of the van so I would have a place to screw my shiplap walls into. This was very difficult for us to do as we did not have the right tool. We kept pushing through with a simple drill and eventually was able to screw into the metal frame. Once we had the vertical strips up, I could then begin to screw the shiplap walls up and add insulation in between the shiplap and metal frame.
Below is the breakdown of what the van walls cost us.
Van walls and insulation cost
Van walls shopping list
shiplap
1x4 wood, 1x2x8
1 -1/2 inch, 2 inch, 2 1/2 inch
Beds, Benches and Cupboards
Next, I will talk about the beds, benches, and cupboards we built. This is pretty detailed, and I know this blog post is long so feel free to save this and come back after you go to the bathroom and get a drink and pen and paper to take notes :-)
Van bed frame
Below is the frame for the full-sized bed. I knew I wanted the bed to extend the full width of the van and chose full size since we have 6 people that need to fit in this space. If we didn’t need as much space, I would have gone with the queen-sized bed. I ordered the 6-inch foam mattress, and I am very pleased with the product. We have used it for 3 years now and it continues to be comfortable. I also added a way to help prevent mold under our mattress by adding Hypervent modular garden squares. (no pictures of it) I have read stories about people finding mold under their mattress in their campervan due to the moisture being trapped in a small space. I did not want this so I added this extra expense for protection.
Below is a break down of the cost for the bed and benches.
Bed/benches/table cost
Van ceiling
Next is the ceiling in the van. I purchased a grayish toned board for the ceiling, and I love it! I also purchased a Maxx Air fan for the ceiling to provide a breeze at night. I did not purchase the one with a remote for fear of losing the remote with so many of us in the van and to save a little money.
Van ceiling cost
Kitchen cost
Miscellaneous costs
Miscellaneous shopping list
Tools purchased for build
Van decor cost
I hope that this list is helpful to you as you decide on whether a campervan build is right for you. I know that I have really enjoyed all of the trips we have taken in our van. Please feel free to reach out to me with any comments or questions. I am in love with my campervan, so I am happy to help or answer any questions you may have. Follow me on Instagram to see pictures of where our campervan has taken us.
Electrical work
I did pay someone to add the electrical lights and outlets in our van. I didn’t want to risk a fire hazard since I have no experience in electricity, so I chose to have someone else do this. It did cost me around $5,000 which is a lot but so worth it! They also cut the hole and installed the window and installed the MaxxAir fan which was included in that price.
I can’t wait to hear about your journey. Follow me on Instagram for more details and trip details. DM if you follow my Instagram page and I will follow you back
Enjoy the journey,
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