Van Life — Chevy Express

Early 2026–present · self-built camper

I bought a Chevy Express and I am converting it into a camper myself — framing, insulation, electrical, cabinetry, and finish — and taking it out on the road. This page is both the build and the life around it: the work, the tools, and where the van has taken me. I do it to learn more hands-on craft, to meet others who make things, and to build toward making more meaningful things over time.

The bed frame

July 2026

Sketched the frame by hand first — front, side, the whole thing in perspective — then cut the lumber and taped the pieces up against the wall to check the height before driving a single screw. Raised just enough to slide the bins, the cooler, and the camp chairs underneath. The first real piece of furniture, and the moment the van finally had a floor plan.

The walls

April – June 2026

Cutting and fitting the plywood walls — the last big skin over the wool, and where the raw metal box finally disappears.

On the road

May 2026

Out to Joshua Tree mid-build — the reason for all of it. Open desert, a warm glow through the windows at dusk, a chair set up inside. Still a build in progress, already a life on the road.

Wall insulation

March – May 2026

Threaded nylon rope through the ribs — which felt a lot like motion planning — then packed Havelock wool over the ceiling and walls, held with the rope and 3M spray. Every redo was just the search for a better way.

A hole in the roof

March – April 2026

First time cutting into a roof — a little nervous. A frame from leftover wood, pilot holes, a jigsaw, butyl tape to seal, and the fan going in. Not just ventilation: the line where a work truck starts becoming a home.

The floor

January – February 2026

Templated the floor with Amazon boxes and paper bags, cut XPS foam and then a full sheet of plywood with a jigsaw, test-fit until the edges were right, then tidied the van back up. The moment the floor went down, the box suddenly felt like a room.