Wondering if the parts in a DIY van build hold up? We lived in our Promaster full time for 5 years, and almost every part on our build list still works. The one exception: our DC-to-DC charger failed once and we replaced it.
Note: The links provided in this blog post are affiliate links. If you end up purchasing some of these items we get a small portion of the sales. Some of our original parts aren’t sold anymore, so a few links go to the current version.
We built our Ram Promaster 2500 159” ourselves in 2019. We don’t live in it full time anymore, but we still take it out, now with a baby. In Payson, AZ the baby slept in our Tesla Model Y. In Telluride, CO she slept with us in the van bed. Here’s the whole build, system by system. The full list is always on our van build page.
Quick build stats
Van: Ram Promaster 2500 159”
Built by: us, over six months in 2019
Lived in it full time: 5 years
Parts: 35
Still working?: All but one. The DC-to-DC charger failed once, and we replaced it.
Baby trips so far: Payson, AZ and Telluride, CO
Summer essentials
- Magnetic vent cover
- Window shades
- Windshield sunshade
- MoonShade awning
- Maxxair fan (ours has the white lid) - On the ferry out of Bellingham we ran it on high to keep air moving for Penelope (our dog) on the hot car deck.
- Camp table
- Pop-up vent
- RV drawer locks - Once you hit a dirt road, anything that can slide, WILL.
- Gas struts
- Cliq camping chair
- Leveling blocks
- Magzo bug net
Use code OUTOFTHISVAN for $30 off your MoonShade awning
Use code OUTOFTHISVAN10 for 10% off your Magzo bug net
Must-haves
- Dometic CFX3 75L dual-zone fridge - Our bed is raised, so the fridge doubles as a step for us and for Penelope.
- Renogy 200Ah battery - We ran the 170Ah, which Renogy no longer sells. This is the current version.
- weBoost Drive Reach - We ran its cable through the van wall behind the driver’s seat, and later used the same route for our Starlink.
- Toilet: we recommend the Trelino composting toilet. Our original build had the Porta Potti 365, and we switched to the Trelino for ease of use.
Heat and air
Our Webasto gasoline heater setup, part by part:
- Webasto gasoline kit / Webasto STC heater
- ¼ inch fuel line
- Fuel line reducer (McMaster-Carr part 91355K21)
- Fuel line adapter
- Webasto exhaust silencer
- Exhaust hose, 22mm
- Exhaust clamps, 22mm
- Altitude rheostat - The same controller we have installed.
Electrical
Solar lives on the roof and the inverter lives in the back of the van.
- Renogy 400W solar
- Renogy BT-2 Bluetooth module - Plugs into the 40A DC-to-DC charger below so we can check charging from our phones in the Renogy DC Home app.
- Renogy 40A DC-to-DC (B2B) charger - Charges the house battery while we drive. To be honest, ours failed once, so we bought a new one.
- GoWISE 3000W inverter - It’s also where we hooked up our Starlink router.
- Blue Sea fuse block
- Blue Sea 100A busbar
- Solar entry gland
Kitchen and shower
Yes, we put a shower in a Promaster!
Taking the van out with a baby
The van was built for two people and Penelope. Now there’s a baby too, and the build still works for all of us.
With the baby, the parts that mattered most were the fridge and the power system.
What we’d change
Only one part changed: the DC-to-DC charger, after ours failed. The bigger change is space - we need room for a growing family, and that’s our next chapter.
We hope this helps if you’re planning a build of your own. If you have questions about any of these parts, write us.