Best addition you've done to your climbing van?

I've been slowly building out my van over the last year and have it to the point where I have all the big things done (floor, insulation, walls, headliner, bed, roof A/C, rear passenger bench seat). I'm starting to look at what small add-ons would be worth the investment to add such as swivel seats, side awning, roof rack, etc. For those that have done their own van builds, what would you say are some of the best things you've added that you've really found useful?

The new Sunpentown Kegerator.

Hobo Greg wrote: I love having a fridge rather than a cooler, don’t have to drain it or worry about food getting wet or buying ice.

Second this.

A propane fridge is super cheap and efficient to run, and you already have propane for your stove anyway.  

The Kegerator might be a bit over the top for my van build, although it would undeniably be AWESOME!

What propane fridge did ya'll go with? Do you have the propane tank mounted inside or outside of the van? This is a great one that I hadn't even considered!

#1: Solar. 12V everything, no inverter: Runs electric fridge, water pumps for kitchen sink and shower, lights, stereo, TV screen for movies, laptops, phones etc.

#2 propex heater.

#3 built ins: everything functional inside including full kitchen, except no toilet. You can choose when to be inside vs outside cooking, hanging out etc.

I got nothing as far as suggestions, but I think I've seen your van in person at E-Rock... the finish is super cool looking.  That's all.  

For my part, I have been trying to figure out how to add somethign super simple taht I could rig a hammock on for my vehicle (cause I like sleeping outside and it adds another "berth"), but it feels like a lot work for little return.

Members of the opposite sex are nice additions to the van if you're into that.

mountainhick wrote: #1: Solar. 12V everything, no inverter: Runs electric fridge, water pumps for kitchen sink and shower, lights, stereo, TV screen for movies, laptops, phones etc.

#2 propex heater.

#3 built ins: everything functional inside including full kitchen, except no toilet. You can choose when to be inside vs outside cooking, hanging out etc.

I really like that propex heater! If I add a propane tank to the van, then that will open up that possibility along with the fridge. Good suggestions!

John Reeve wrote: I got nothing as far as suggestions, but I think I've seen your van in person at E-Rock... the finish is super cool looking.  That's all.  

For my part, I have been trying to figure out how to add somethign super simple taht I could rig a hammock on for my vehicle (cause I like sleeping outside and it adds another "berth"), but it feels like a lot work for little return.

Thanks, I frequent E-rock pretty regularly. If you have a roof rack, a set of folding triangles that you can flip up and sling your hammock between might be a way to approach it, plus it would just be cool to have a hammock slung on top of a car....

Your van looks too nice and new for such an addition cause I straight up drilled into the body, but I added a pull-up bar to the outside of mine, and it's really nice to have.  Aside from stretching out and the exercise, it's a great place for hanging things outside, like wetsuits and towels or a hanging shower.

Here it is when it's retracted.  I found that a 2"x 3" was plenty strong enough for my 170lbs, and the dimensions just happened to fit perfectly with the wood being just above my side window.


The slider sections of 2x3 are painted white, with the top one set tight up against the rain channel for the roof.  I connected the two sliders together with framing plates, and added some L brackets to the bottom left for additional support.  I used self tapping sheet metal screws across the length of the slider sections to attach it to the van, with liberal amounts of silicone before final assembly to prevent any rust.


Here's a view from the back.  I thought about painting or at least urethaning the pull-up bar, but the raw wood feels much better on the hands, and the look seems to jive with the wood ladder/ski and snowboard rack I added on the back.  You can see the little piece of sheet steel on the back of the pull-up bar to keep it in place while driving, which spins easily out of the way to slide it out.  

As per the hammock comment above, I also drilled all the way through the thick part of the bend in the body, and added a couple stainless I-bolts (with silicon and neoprene washers).  This was mainly for adding support for my dirtbike rack on the back, but the I-bolts are totally solid for clipping one side of a hammock.  I've got a bolt hanger for the washer on the inside of the van, which is kinda a cool clip in point for hanging things in the back.


Here's a pic of the bar out.  I've got a spare tire and an additional storage box hanging off the back so I had to make the bar extra long so those don't get in the way.  34" past the slider ends is what I felt comfortable with, though some 250 lb fella (or bella!) doing one armers off the very end would make me cringe.  The slider sections are 24", and are plenty strong.

Here's my girl this evening in Cochise, keeping her chin up cause it's chilly and windy with a foul weather report for days to come... while I'm inside messing around on the internet, sipping beers and thinking that the kegorator mentioned above sounds like a nice addition too.

Not interested in a propane fridge. have one in eth westy that never worked all that well. I would be super stoked on solar and an electric fridge. 

In the short time I had a van, the best thing I added was a female who wanted to be there.

ryan albery wrote: Your van looks too nice and new for such an addition cause I straight up drilled into the body, but I added a pull-up bar to the outside of mine, and it's really nice to have.  Aside from stretching out and the exercise, it's a great place for hanging things outside, like wetsuits and towels or a hanging shower.

That's definitely unique! Can't say that I've seen a built in pull up bar on the outside of a van before! That would definitely have come in handy a number of times when trying to dry things out!

Hobo Greg wrote:

How did you get to run laptops on DC?

Laptops run on DC. The AC adapter/chargers convert AC to DC. 

You need an appropriate 12v car charger/power supply. Search amazon, ebay google etc for 12v car charger for whatever your computer brand and model is.

This is an example of what I use for my Acer chromebook: https://www.amazon.com/CHARGER-Acer-Chromebook-Flagship-CB5-132T-Cloudbook/dp/B00GK715LU/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=chromebook+car+charger&qid=1552274176&s=gateway&sr=8-6

and my Dell laptop: https://www.amazon.com/CAR-Charger-Dell-Latitude-Laptop/dp/B008Y5AZL2/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=dell+laptop+car+charger&qid=1552274258&s=gateway&sr=8-6 

Mikkel Simoes-Correia wrote:

I really like that propex heater! If I add a propane tank to the van, then that will open up that possibility along with the fridge. Good suggestions!

Many Sprinter owners also like the Espar heater, runs on diesel. Some sprinters already have the provision for fueling them, some you need to drop and tap the fuel tank.

A proper heater is great! Makes hanging out in the van enjoyable in winter when the sun sets at 5 and your not planning on going to bed till 9 or later. Also, a table and seating for two is really nice.

Carbon monoxide detector

^^^ If you have any gas in the vehicle.

Swivel passenger and possibly swivel drivers seat.  If you travel alone just do one, otherwise do both.  I got both seats on swivels and have a collapsible table between them.

mountainhick wrote: #1: Solar. 12V everything, no inverter: Runs electric fridge, water pumps for kitchen sink and shower, lights, stereo, TV screen for movies, laptops, phones etc.

#2 propex heater.

#3 built ins: everything functional inside including full kitchen, except no toilet. You can choose when to be inside vs outside cooking, hanging out etc.

Ditto on this one. Most van heating systems are a pain at times, but the propex has been pretty awesome overall. I don't have an inverter and I don't think it'd be that useful.

M Jarmland wrote: Bug nets on a couple of windows. 

For sure on my short list now!

Long time lurker

Shower would be the best add. Have one of those camp shower that run off propane so I can get a hot water shower after a day of playing in the dirt. It was a PITA to build but worth it.