This van is small but has a full-size bed and a fully equipped kitchen. Wow.
Element van Life is a name Nate has been using on social media. He’s not unfamiliar with making custom camper vans. In 2016, he started his journey into van life with a Honda Element Camper. He has since upgraded two motorhomes – a Mercedes Sprinter, and a Nissan NV200 – and now Nate and Shannon present their current DIY camper van build – a charming Toyota Hiace van.
Northeast Auto Imports imported the couple’s 1995 Toyota Hiace from Japan. The van is equipped with an all-wheel drivetrain, and a turbodiesel engine. This makes it ready for off-grid adventures.
It arrived in the USA with a camper van built, which was a plus, but the couple felt that it didn’t suit their lifestyle. What did they do? The couple built it from scratch, starting in the early part of this year. The couple is now sharing their DIY camper build with us via the embedded video at the top of this article.
The van is not very large at 15 feet (about 4.6 meters) in length, so the couple has done an amazing job of making the most of the space available for storage and anything else they can think. The couple was able to fit a full kitchen into the van, including a propane-powered stove/oven, refrigerator, and sink. Although the overhead storages are clever, you’ll be surprised at the tiny composting toilet hidden under a small seat. Oh, and there’s even a king-size mattress.
The uniqueness of this motorhome is the ability to move it around so that Shannon and Nate can create three different office spaces. This is a great feature that can be combined with the skylight windows on the roof to give the cabin an airy feel.
This video will take you through the entire DIY build. It’s well worth it.