Looking for ideas for compact van living? Here’s one.
Motorhome adventures, or as Americans refer to it, “vanlife”, has been more popular in the US lately. Although recreational vehicles sales have broken records in 2021, the quality of these RVs is still high.
However, you don’t have to live an adventurous lifestyle and drive a huge motorhome. Ryan from Vaan Design Co. shares his modified 1986 VW Vanagon experience with us in this video, courtesy of Youtube’s YouTube’s Go Small. Live Large! channel.
Ryan’s van isn’t big, but it is spacious. Ryan has made a lot of modifications inside the van to maximize space.
Let’s start with the outside. Ryan’s Vanagon is finished in a bronze-beige metallic paint. It also has modern conveniences like LED lighting and functional tools for offroading. Before, the van had a pop-top roof. For a more comfortable interior, he had to change it to a fixed-top high-top roof.
Ryan decided to power his Vanagon’s powerplant with a 2.5-liter Subaru HTML25 engine, which produces 165 horsepower. Ryan claims it’s much more powerful than the Vanagon’s original motor, and is also more reliable.
The cabin, as with many compact motorhomes is the heart of the experience. Ryan managed to squeeze in a kitchen, sink, hidden tables and two beds into the small space. We must admit that every possible storage space and functional space is cleverly used.
The custom Vanagon’s power comes from a lithium battery. It can be charged in one of three ways: solar via 180-watts of panels, DC-to DC charging while the engine is running, or by plugging it in.
This video tour will give you a better view of Ryan’s motorhome’s interior. It should also give you some ideas if you are interested in the vanlife.