Design on OnShape - Interact with it below

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I’ve always been enamored with the idea of living in a tiny house or van, especially one that I build, or at the very least design, myself.

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My original plan was to build this, live it in full-time, parked in the driveway of a group house in Berkeley, and then take it on outdoor climbing trips with friends to Yosemite and elsewhere.

Unfortunately, this project has been temporarily postponed until after ~AGI

Intended features

• A futon to sleep on that you can slide back to turn it into a couch, and give more counter, walking, and work space
• Swivel driver/passenger seats
• Kitchen sink next to the van door that can turn around and act as an outdoor shower
  • Clean and grey water tanks under the sink
  • Powered by a foot pump
• Standing desk workspace with monitor mount (in the area where the futon slides back)
• Other
  • Mounting on the ceiling points so you can set up a hammock
  • Hangboard, ofc
  • Wall mounts for other climbing gear
  • Climbing rope floor mat
  • Unpainted wood
• Electric
  • Something like this Bluetti power station for power, and roof-mounted solar panels
  • Appliances: Mini fridge and electric two-burner stove

Why do this?

• The exercise of designing the van was pretty fun (its a good excuse to watch lots of tiny house and van build-out videos 😃)
• Cost savings?? (probably not actually)
• I like the minimalist aesthetic
• I genuinely think I don’t need more than a van’s worth of personal space and belongings
• I enjoyed living in a pod for 2 months

Favorite resources

• https://faroutride.com/van-build/
• https://www.vanlifeoutfitters.com/step-by-step-camper-van-building-how-i-sequence-the-projects/
• https://gnomadhome.com/build-your-van/
• https://divineontheroad.com/build-a-van/
• https://www.stinsonvans.com/

https://sketchfab.com/models/f99b2e51d3d94240a0d18b300d0f30c4/embed?autospin=1&autostart=1

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© Jesse Gilbert 2025

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