I’m not sure what size electrical system I need. Back of the napkin, and with my personality, I feel like 200W of solar, a DC-to-DC Charger, and 400Ah of usable battery banks would suit me well but… That also is an extremely expensive solution that I haven’t demonstrated I need.

When I sit down to think about what I’m going to do with the van, and what my demands are it paints a different picture. The things I want to run are:

I wanted, for both me and you, to sit down and write out what the goals in the first build out were. I talked briefly in Buying the Van about how the idea is to be a starter van to find out what I need and don’t need in a build.

The first step in any van build adventure is picking and buying a van. I’ve been waffling for over a year on what the best van to use would be, and I decided on buying a ‘starter van’ if you will.

So, what did I buy? I snagged a used 2019 Grand Caravan GT from Enterprise Car Sales, well equipped, in good condition and at a significant discount from new. This van has some nice features for a small build, including Stow and Go seating to provide a nice flat floor to build on. Also, as a tall person (6'1") the cargo length of 7' means I can still comfortably lay down.