- 6/14/2025
Van Conversion Reality Check: What They Don't Tell You
Follow our authentic Toyota Hiace 4x4 conversion journey as we reveal the three most common mistakes that can destroy your van build before it even starts. This isn't just another glossy van tour - it's real advice from builders who've done the research.
The 3 Critical Mistakes:
Poor planning and inaccurate measurements
Choosing the wrong materials for durability
Not designing for future modifications
Our Innovative Solutions:
Freight cage office wall system for mobile workers
Strategic access hatches for easy maintenance
Quality material selection over budget shortcuts
Future-proof design philosophy
Episode Highlights:
Why we're avoiding melamine and typical van materials
Precision measuring techniques for perfect fits
Queen bed planning in a compact space
Fuel filter access hatch design considerations
Real conversations with experienced van builders
Investment potential for rental vans
What Makes This Different:
We're building for actual long-term use, not just weekend adventures. Our focus is on creating a reliable mobile office and home that can generate income while providing comfort and functionality.
Video Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to Critical Mistakes
0:17 Build Overview and Philosophy
1:30 Planning for Future Modifications
1:50 Freight Cage Office Innovation
3:47 Access Hatch Strategy
4:28 Interior Removal Process
6:01 Material Selection Deep Dive
7:17 Professional Measuring Techniques
11:00 Community Builder Insights
14:10 Our Unique Approach
15:05 Rental Investment Considerations
Van Specs:
2016 Toyota Hiace Super Long Wheelbase (SLWB) High Top 4x4 Japanese Import
Connect:
Instagram: @lifewithnoanchor
Facebook: Life With No Anchor
Twitter: @LifeWifNoAnchor
Affiliate:
Trusted Housesitters 25% discount: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF582519/?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=refer-a-friend&utm_campaign=refer-a-friend
Tags: van conversion, Toyota Hiace, mobile office, van life, DIY camper, remote work, van build, mobile living, conversion tips, van planning
Follow our authentic Toyota Hiace 4x4 conversion journey as we reveal the three most common mistakes that can destroy your van build before it even starts. This isn't just another glossy van tour - it's real advice from builders who've done the research.
The 3 Critical Mistakes:
Poor planning and inaccurate measurements
Choosing the wrong materials for durability
Not designing for future modifications
Our Innovative Solutions:
Freight cage office wall system for mobile workers
Strategic access hatches for easy maintenance
Quality material selection over budget shortcuts
Future-proof design philosophy
Episode Highlights:
Why we're avoiding melamine and typical van materials
Precision measuring techniques for perfect fits
Queen bed planning in a compact space
Fuel filter access hatch design considerations
Real conversations with experienced van builders
Investment potential for rental vans
What Makes This Different:
We're building for actual long-term use, not just weekend adventures. Our focus is on creating a reliable mobile office and home that can generate income while providing comfort and functionality.
Video Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to Critical Mistakes
0:17 Build Overview and Philosophy
1:30 Planning for Future Modifications
1:50 Freight Cage Office Innovation
3:47 Access Hatch Strategy
4:28 Interior Removal Process
6:01 Material Selection Deep Dive
7:17 Professional Measuring Techniques
11:00 Community Builder Insights
14:10 Our Unique Approach
15:05 Rental Investment Considerations
Van Specs:
2016 Toyota Hiace Super Long Wheelbase (SLWB) High Top 4x4 Japanese Import
Connect:
Instagram: @lifewithnoanchor
Facebook: Life With No Anchor
Twitter: @LifeWifNoAnchor
Affiliate:
Trusted Housesitters 25% discount: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF582519/?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=refer-a-friend&utm_campaign=refer-a-friend
Tags: van conversion, Toyota Hiace, mobile office, van life, DIY camper, remote work, van build, mobile living, conversion tips, van planning
Category
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Off they go, bags in tow, Matt and Chrissie hit the road, maps unfold, stories told, adventures never getting old.
00:10Matt and Chrissie roam so free, through the city, past the sea, finding joy in every mile.
00:18G'day, Matt and Chrissie here again.
00:21Couple of sitters.
00:23We are, we're looking at the next stage of what we're going to do with the van as far as measuring stuff up.
00:28We're ready.
00:28What's going to happen with this piece?
00:31Well, you want to get rid of it, so.
00:33I do.
00:34Yeah.
00:35We want to turn this into a combination of a bedroom slash studio office type area so that we have the ability to continue to work and do what we love doing while we're traveling.
00:49And I think this space in particular, we're talking about maybe.
00:53Probably from about here.
00:55Yeah, about there.
00:56Probably about two and a bit square meters at the front here.
00:59We're not going to get proper utility of this space.
01:03Given that we do a lot of work online, ergonomic positioning is really important.
01:11And I think the chairs themselves, these bench seats, they're not going to serve us in the long run.
01:18We might get a couple of weeks out of it, but then we're going to get to a situation where we don't feel as comfortable as what we should.
01:23So we're thinking about a more purpose-built approach.
01:28It'll also give us the ability that if we decide to change what we're looking at doing, this front footprint, it's still going to be a pretty blank canvas.
01:38So it'll give us the ability to, I suppose, utilize it in different ways.
01:43Yeah, we can change it up if we feel we want to.
01:45We can.
01:46So one of the things that we're going to be doing, the freight cage.
01:50We're going to be picking up a freight cage and reinstalling that because the...
01:54We have got some hooks here, so we don't have to...
01:57It still mounts up the top.
01:59It'll go in nicely.
02:01Maybe reach out to AC Cars and see if they've got a speed one.
02:04They may have one, yeah.
02:05This freight cage is going to give us the ability to utilize this space as a part of an ergonomically designed work area where we'll be able to attach our second monitors to that cage.
02:18And we'll also be able to fashion in an adjustable, almost airline-style fold-away table that we could then change the height of to suit our individual needs.
02:30So it'll be an interesting little project.
02:33You'll see it develop.
02:34Yeah, for sure.
02:35So, what are we doing in the back?
02:38We're going to measure up and get an idea on where our panels are going to go.
02:42So, what we were discussing last night, we did some very rudimentary drawings.
02:50And we're going to look at putting the first piece in this corner here.
02:56Yep.
02:57And the reason for that is because you've got a lot of foot traffic.
03:00And obviously, these pieces of ply are not going to fit in the whole space in one go.
03:06So, we'll put the first one down.
03:09It will probably come to about here, I'm guessing.
03:11Just by the wheel hubs, more or less.
03:14And then two-thirds of the way across.
03:18So, the high-traffic areas are going to be on one solid piece of ply.
03:21Yeah.
03:22No joins.
03:23And then the joins will be underneath the bed and along the side there.
03:29So, should we decide down the track to put in some cabinetry over there, that will be covering the joins.
03:35Yep.
03:36So, something very important, which we mentioned in the previous video, is that we've got the petrol filter right here.
03:47Yeah. So, that's the inspection hatch under there.
03:49So, we need to make sure that this has accessibility.
03:53So, we're going to cut a hole in this fabric that's on the floor here, and this will be our template for when we're cutting the marine ply.
04:02And we'll create a hatch so that it's easy to get to that fuel filter.
04:08Yeah. Making mechanics lives easier.
04:10Yeah, for sure.
04:10And also making it easier for ourselves and future owners of the van, because we really don't want the expense of making our tradies work more hard than it needs to be.
04:23So, the other thing, too, with this seat coming out, we can then, legally, we can get rid of these seatbelt mechanisms.
04:32If we were leaving this seat in, those mechanisms would have to stay there, and we'd have to factor in all of our build around that.
04:40And I'm looking at how far back they are.
04:44I think there's a strong chance that a part of the bed frame for what we're going to be installing will probably come up close to it, if not just over it.
04:53And that might mean that they then don't really have the design usability that they're supposed to have.
05:00And we might find that it becomes non-compliant, so, space, utility.
05:07Yes.
05:08And because it is a small space, you really need to be mindful and spend the time planning it, because the last thing you want to be doing is putting in chunky furniture and heavy stuff, which is going to do two things for you.
05:22It's going to, one, take up a lot of space, and two, it's going to be very heavy.
05:27And this vehicle is designed to drive, so we don't really want the weight weighing down the vehicle, costing more in petrol or diesel than it needs to, so be really mindful of that.
05:42Also potentially being an issue when it comes to your suspension, because this is also a four-by-four.
05:47It is.
05:48So, I really want to be carrying more weight than we really need to, if we're doing off-road driving.
05:53For sure.
05:54Something else to consider is that when you're using, I've noticed a lot of people choosing to use kitchen and bathroom cabinetry.
06:03That may be okay for a time, but I think the lifetime of your fittings and fixtures is somewhat diminished.
06:13With the movement that you've got in your vehicle, I'd say there's a strong chance of that, because we've built kitchens in different places that we've had over the years with the renovations.
06:22And if they're fixed and they're permanent, that's fine, but once they go into something and you've got the rocking and the swaying, I think there's a strong chance that the wrong type of materials could result in screws starting to become too loose.
06:40And they're really just, you know, what, 30mm, 32mm screws going into melamine, like chipboard.
06:48It's a cheap material.
06:49Yeah.
06:50So, those are some of the things that we're taking into consideration.
06:54We're looking at it from the perspective of, well, if this was a boat or a caravan, what type of materials and design features and fittings do they use?
07:04And we're going to be looking at it from the same perspective, because essentially, it's the same thing.
07:10It's just a different build.
07:12So, yeah.
07:14Good.
07:15All right.
07:16We're going to bust out the tape measure and see how this goes.
07:18The other thing we're looking at is 2030 is the length that we have.
07:36Yes, I'm guesstimating it's going to come up to here somewhere.
07:40Okay.
07:41Let's have a look.
07:42Let's see.
07:43Okay.
07:44So, if we have the bed ending, literally ending on this metal trim, that puts you pretty much in line with the entry for the door, doesn't it?
08:02It does.
08:03Yeah.
08:04Yeah.
08:05So, the bed takes up quite a substantial footprint.
08:08So, for those of you who are interested in knowing why we're choosing a queen, other than the fact that it provides a little bit more space and comfort, Matt's about six foot tall.
08:19So, a double bed, the length of a double bed, to give you perspective, is 1.88.
08:28So, what are you in centimetres?
08:30Um, 184.
08:31184.
08:32184.
08:33So, that literally gives him like this much space.
08:36And if he stretches out his feet, they hang over the edge.
08:39So, for comfort, the preference is for us to get a queen.
08:44Yeah.
08:45It's another 20 centimetres.
08:46Yeah.
08:47Yeah.
08:48Um, now, we're probably going to look at just grabbing something off Marketplace.
08:53We've bought off Marketplace before and been very successful and we're very happy with the furniture that we've bought off Marketplace.
09:00Yeah.
09:01And so...
09:02The preference is to have a bed that's permanently made up.
09:05Yes.
09:06At this stage.
09:07And look, we decided to go down the route of having a mattress that's, um, you know, a three-part folding mattress.
09:14A bit like, if anyone's familiar with Koala, shout out to Koala, some amazing furniture.
09:19Yeah, we really do.
09:20The sofa bed.
09:22Love the sofa bed.
09:23So comfortable.
09:24There's no mechanical parts.
09:26It's three high-dense foam mattresses that fold on each other.
09:31Good.
09:32And sort of, the base comes along and there's a joint and it folds over onto the next part that folds up to the head.
09:38Yeah.
09:39If we look at something like that in the future, we just need to think about, I suppose, orientation and setup because it will stack up.
09:46So it'll most likely be the kind of thing that's stacked up towards the back of the van opening up this space.
09:51I don't know if stacking up towards here and opening up the back is really going to help us.
09:56It might from an accessibility and a storage point of view, but there are bridges to cross later.
10:02We're not in a hurry at the moment.
10:04We're only looking at, honestly, I think maybe $300 worth of materials to get the flooring and the insulation done, including the insulation for the roof as an estimate at this point.
10:18We'll call it $500 to allow for a bit of play.
10:22And then maybe another $200 or $300 worth of materials just to get the bed frame and the ply underneath the mattress for where we need it.
10:32So sinking less than $1,000 into the materials and a few hours into the build, I think that's definitely going to help us as far as being able to make sure that we've got what we need at a reasonably good price.
10:45Because if we do decide to go for another fit out later, we haven't over capitalized on this part of the process.
10:51So as I mentioned earlier, many people who are doing these fit outs, they do a phenomenal job.
11:02We had a chat with Marcin from Stag Fit Adventures and he shared some great ideas with us.
11:10And if you wanted to use someone like them, they really do have some beautiful designs and the finishing is top notch.
11:18However, we've decided we want to try and keep the cost slow.
11:23There were certain things about the design which were not quite what we wanted.
11:29So the downside of using someone like Stag Fit is that they have a cookie cutter template and that is all they'll do.
11:39Every van that rolls off is pretty much the same.
11:42They may tweet things from version 1 into version 2 into version 3 based on a conversation we're having about the fuel filter inspection hole or the inspection cover.
11:53They'll be factoring that in with their new design to make sure that it's got some future use support planning built into it.
12:02Yeah, for sure. But I mean, we loved a lot of the stuff about their design.
12:08However, there's a few things that we wanted to do which were different, which means that unfortunately we won't be looking to use their services at this time.
12:18Not at this stage. I think there's too much about it that everyone gets the same thing.
12:23It's the same thing. And I can appreciate that as a business, you need to have a high efficiency output for what you're doing.
12:31Particularly if you want to come into the market with an offering that's reasonably priced and you're still making money as a business, which you need to.
12:38Absolutely.
12:39Otherwise you shut your doors and no one gets a product and your employees are out of work.
12:43But with what we're after, we don't feel that we would utilize the galley kitchen that they had along the front.
12:51And that being the office area that we could use more effectively for our immediate needs, given the ventilation we've got crossing over on the windows there.
13:00I think we may have a slightly different idea in mind as much as what they are offering could be fantastic.
13:10For how we live and work, I don't think it's really going to allow us to continue to work while we're traveling.
13:17Not as effectively as what we're discussing.
13:19Correct.
13:20Now, I may be speaking out of school here, but in my research and understanding, most people who are choosing a build like what Marston is offering,
13:33they are kind of like the grey nomad type people.
13:38It appears that that's the target market.
13:41Yeah, they want more of a done for you sort of product.
13:43Yeah.
13:44Whereas because we work remotely, we want to be able to have the space to be able to work and live and provide us that flexibility.
13:53So that's where the point of difference will come.
13:56And I do like the idea that when we come to the point where we're ready to sell the van, it's going to be more unique.
14:04It's not going to be the same, same as anybody else.
14:07And I think that providing that point of difference, it's like looking at real estate.
14:14If you look at a new estate and all the houses look all the same, everything going to be around the same price point.
14:24And there's nothing necessarily wrong with that.
14:26But as soon as you have come across that property, which has that point of difference, that's something unique,
14:32that's something nice, you can add a few properties, say a few hundred thousand dollars.
14:39In a build like this, we might be looking at 10,000, I don't know, maybe more, maybe less.
14:46Yeah.
14:47But I suppose for us, ultimately, it's not about a financial objective that we're seeking to achieve.
14:51No.
14:52It's how do we continue to travel around Australia and enjoy the life that we've got and still maintain productivity,
14:58because it's important that we can actually continue to contribute value where we need to.
15:03The main reason I share that with you is if you're going into buying a camper van with the intention of maybe putting it on Hipcamp or Airbnb for people to range it,
15:16that point of difference could make a difference in your bottom line for your business model.
15:22But also, if you are buying a van with the intention of having a business where you're putting them out and then selling them,
15:29having that point of difference can also help give that something extra, that's something different that people might be interested in buying.
15:39So, something to consider.
15:41That's not our intention.
15:42We very much want to travel and live a fun life.
15:47So, anyway, that's all from me for now.
15:50Did you have anything to add, Matt?
15:51No, no, no.
15:52We've got our measurements and we've got a very good idea on what we want to achieve.
15:57So, I think from here we're going to start pricing up materials more accurately than what we currently have.
16:04Yeah, sure.
16:05So, I guess we'll keep you posted and update you as we go.
16:11Yeah.
16:12Get ready to see this winner happen.
16:14Alright, guys.
16:15Thanks for tuning in.
16:16See you next time.
16:17Remember to like, share, subscribe and all that fun stuff.
16:20And yeah, we'll check you out the next bit.
16:23See ya.
16:24Bye.
16:41Bye.
16:42Bye.