BIGGEST VANLIFE MISTAKES + REGRETS...if we were to do it again...

What did we get wrong with our van build? What are our van build regrets? Do we have any regrets about the way we built our DIY van conversion?
We discuss all the things we regret when we built our van, including things we wish we had built differently in our van, things we wished we never built in the first place and products that we ended up regretting in our van conversion.
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Freedom Strider assumes no liability for damage, loss or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. This video is for educational purposes only. Use this information at your own risk. Freedom Strider recommends safe practices as implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Freedom Strider, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result.
#vanbuild #vanbuildregrets #vanlife

[@mijalic1]

Great story. Thank you for your time and effort to make this video and share your knowledge and experience with us. Greetings from Croatia.

[@FreedomStrider]

Glad you enjoyed it! Our pleasure :)

[@philwilliams23]

You happy with the skylight? Does it let a decent amount of light in? Do you think people could break in through it?

[@FreedomStrider]

Yes, the skylight is great, both for light and ventilation. I think you can break through it, just as easily as through the other windows and the maxxair fan and with enough force you can turn the handles from the outside. However it's very low profile (people may not notice it as an option) and if you don't have a ladder on the outside then there are easier targets on the van lower down. ☺️👍

[@tyronewashington230]

9:19 "Recirculating shower". Each person loses about 350 grams of skin, oils and dirt each month. Recycling gray water in RV's isn't viable, unless you like drinking skin. Also, good hygiene requires HOT water for the same reason washing oily dishes requires hot water. Cold showers don't remove enough skin keratinocytes and it accumulates which is unhygienic. Electricity for water pressure, fuel to heat the water, some way to dispose of the grey water. You don't need soaps, but you do need hot water.

[@terispencer2466]

Try a small toaster over instead of a regular oven. Uses less electricity and can be stowed away when not in use.

[@FreedomStrider]

Toaster ovens are a good option, we are more looking for a bigger oven, so we can exercise our culinary 'talents' 😂... but there are great toaster ovens out there

[@nasseral-momen1463]

Have a look at the travel buddy oven. Takes longer but it is good 👍

[@FreedomStrider]

Thanks for the suggestion, it is great knowing different setups ☺️

[@deriusnorris4463]

I used a 220v fridge with an inverter for a long time. A lot less cash to replace the fridge and I found that there fridge lasted a long time no hassles. Also the extra cash on the inverter resulted in the inverter being more capable... Win win for me.

[@FreedomStrider]

That's great to know ☺️ What fridge and inverter did you use?

[@deriusnorris4463]

@@FreedomStrider a 2000W Chinese brand make sure it's a pure sine invertor and a defy Undercounter(bar fridge)

[@FreedomStrider]

Cheers ☺️

[@kostudiosi]

I’ve seen some change a classic home fridge into a 12v or to some extent. Not sure about the durability of the plastic in those when the home is on wheels tho.

[@FreedomStrider]

The dometic just have flimsy inner doors (the blue ones) - they all open in a way that you can very easily close the fridge door on them... even the tiniest nudge cracks them. To be fair, not every 12v fridge would be the same quality ☺️

[@ana-mariabutura5417]

How much did the van end up weighing at the end of the build?

[@FreedomStrider]

We'll do a detailed vid on this topic, but at the moment we weigh 3430kg

[@FreedomStrider]

Fully loaded, with us in the van

[@philwilliams23]

@@FreedomStrider Wow! that's cutting it fine? That fully fuelled as well?

[@joemorris1763]

Ask yourself why does every manufacturer of Motor Homes/Camper Vans and Caravans install LPG for cooking and heating, because it's the best option by far. Electric in the home for cooking etc is great but not for a motor home unless you are connected to the mains. This is now a bad idea at campsites because most are now installing meters. Good luck with your travels.

[@FreedomStrider]

LPG was the best and only option for campervans in the past, today we have alot more options and the potential to innovate. Also I have not yet see a Campervan manufacturer (bar custom converters) that has speced a van to fit the needs for long-term/fulltime travel that can span continents and extreme temperatures. And LPG is not the best option for the arctic or for accessibility globally. We are now 1 year full-time in our camper and bar our diesel heating and the occasional gas BBQ, we have been fully electric. We recently upgraded our battery capacity to expand our range and get an electric oven... Here is the new video if you are interested further: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p36pqpuvg7F9kK8

[@tyronewashington230]

7:47 "Gas, um, with the things going on in the world...". ROFL environment spiritualism. A microwave using 1000 watts for a few seconds sure, otherwise gas is the smart choice for heating and cooking. OMG! 3kg of fossil fuels we can't do that, we need 270kg of battery to save the planet! lel