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Meet the Unicorn, my 2018 159 high top

17K views 117 replies 18 participants last post by  CarKeys 
#1 ·
I'm new to the forum and hope I'm posting this in the correct place. My van builder showed my newly-finished van at Tinyfest in Salem OR in August and Jarrod Tocci asked to film this video tour for his YouTube channel. I'm in the video, but haven't yet watched it!

Disclaimer: I can already see, this forum is heavily populated by DIYers, for whom I have enormous respect. I know myself, and building a van isn't something I felt willing or able to tackle. This was a fully custom build. I'm not wealthy, but yes, it was an expensive way to go, about $120k, including the van.

The builder kept calling it a unicorn due to several unusual features, and the name stuck.

 
#2 ·
... well now, that's pretty special Judy ... 12v A/C too ... you are surely right, Mark put his heart and soul into this one for you... thanks for sharing ~ Steve
 
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#5 ·
Nice combination of natural materials and synthetics. I am a proponent of no propane but there could have been large cost savings to have use it.
 
#12 ·
Absolutely, RD. Looking back to when I started this caper, I had a somewhat unrealistic fear of propane since I had no prior experience with it. The solar setup alone was about $14k of the build and it could have been much lower if I didn't go full solar. It also added some complexities like finding and installing 12v air conditioning.

I also used the highest end materials possible. The solar panels are house quality and can withstand 1 inch hail at 50 mph. 20 yr warranty and a tax write off which brought my actual cost down to about $9,500. BUT really, if I had gone with Renogy or whatever, I could replace them several times over for the same cost. So, I probably wouldn't do it the same way next time.

I say "next time" because in the past 6 months (mid-build) I've had an unexpected life change and may sell this van. My guy friend now has full custody of his 2 yr old daughter and though we dont always travel together, to do so now we need a 3rd seat. Not easy to retrofit with the snug layout and the hydronic radiant heat under the floor. So we'll see. Still thinking about it.

Thank you, I love getting feedback, especially because it helps me think through van 2.0, if I go that route. Right now it's a pretty short list of things I'd change.

I'd keep the same batteries, lithium iron phosphate, which are non combustible and chip driven, so they shut down if the charge gets too low. I appreciated that a few times when I was still learning about power management. (Can't make an espresso, blow dry my hair, run the AC and microwave all in one night without idling the engine.)
 
#14 ·
Marc, the builder, surprised me with that rear "couch." I use it a lot. He said there was a lot of head scratching to figure it out. I don't carry bulky sports equipment and it might not have been possible if I was packing mountain bikes, etc.

Despite this over-the-top build, I live very simply. I travel in it for weeks at a time and may go full time in the spring, and I dont even use all the storage space. I look around my house all the time and never see more things to put in the van. My dogs have more gear than me.
 
#7 ·
Wow. Looks like you picked the right builder and together you made some interesting choices. My van is at the opposite end of the spectrum, i.e. - low-top shorty with minimal insulation covered by unfinished brown hardboard. I do have carpeting however, and a nifty (oversize) cot. ;-)
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#8 ·
My van is at the opposite end of the spectrum,
Hey h1k3rb

But equally impressive to me. Different wants/needs for different folks. I like your “get out into the woods” style your photo depicts. I have thought of installing the same kind of power assisted steps for my slider door ( human power )
 
#15 ·
Judy, we broke two of those plastic stools, but figured we’d add a side step when we were “decrepit enough” to need it. We became decrepit enough when MrNomer fell backwards over a rock and knocked himself out. He’s actually nowhere near decrepit and it could happen to anyone. A forum member’s wife broke her ankle getting out and required a year of hobbling to heal. My foot slipped when another forum member gave me a hand up into his van. Six weeks later, I still have a sore spot on my shin. Bottom line, some kind of secure step is a safety necessity. Without it, sooner or later someone could get hurt.
 
#21 ·
Unfortunately the guy who made the video was less than professional, to say the least! Making a demonstration video in a field full of kids playing rather than in a quiet, scenic location - FAIL! Vans can move on their own (typically) so no excuses for that dumb move. To make things worse all his happy, BS, meaningless banter failed to show off anything actually of value other than view thru the sliding door and the rear seating arrangement with the back doors open, nice but in the real world how often do we get to park our vans in a location that can actually take advantage of the view? Two camping chairs would be much more practical and useful, although lack the visual "punch" and excitement value. How about showing the mechanical systems - water, electrical, etc. rather than simply telling us how fantastic and well performing and expensive they are?
My whole impression of this video (like most videos) is it’s a poorly done, self-serving advertisement for the builder & videographer at the owners expense.
 
#31 ·
Wow,

Wow, he didnt mention that stuff? 3 places, all with on demand hot water: Off the back of the van (my fave), slider side using the pull out sink faucet (I use it to hose off my dogs), and in cold weather I can set up an interior shower behind the passenger seat (havent bothered yet since I have a gym membership).
 
#35 ·
We were discussing propane and it made me think of aux heat in winter when parked all night and the engine off,....and I remembered you saying you had no propane.
How did you guys work around that?
Does the radiant floor heat keep the van comfy for a long time after shutting down the engine?
Have you had a chance to test it out yet, or are you primarily in nice weather?
 
#36 ·
My radiant floor heat stays on independent of running the engine and I love it so far. It sips a little gas from my engine, barely noticeable. The small motor that drives it is undermounted. I smell some faint gas fumes occasionally.

It's hydronic and is laid out the same as electric radiant lines would be, under the entire floor including the garage about 3 inches apart.

It also wraps around a 4 gal water tank for on-demand hot water separate from my main 22 gal water tank which is under my bed so there's nothing undermounted outside that could freeze in winter. My cabinets sit on top of some of the radiant lines but don't harm them.

The whole setup took away about 1.5 inches of headroom and there's more insulation under it, so probably a total of 2 inches headspace is sacrificed. The rest of the van has R16 equivalent insulation, which brought my interior headroom down to 6'2".

Because radiant heat takes a while to, well, radiate, a Wobasto blower (12v I guess?) comes on first to heat the space quickly, then turns off once the floors are up to whatever temp I've set. The radiant heat then clicks on and off to maintain the temp throughout the night.

Both are controlled by one thermostat but there's a separate toggle switch to turn off the Wobasto if it gets too warm too fast.

It was installed by Troy of VanLifeTech in Portland OR where I live. It's his own design and I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

However, I've come across a YouTube video or two of people who created the same thing. I dont recall what fuel source they used, but the end result was identical.

The price to me was around $8-9k. I know, for someone who can DIY, that could make your forehead blow off. This and the solar setup were the two most expensive parts of the build.

Until the cold weather hit, I was thinking the heat system was overkill. But a hot shower and gentle, constant heat while boondocking in 20 degrees are a luxury. I have 30 amp shore power but may never use it.
 
#47 ·
My radiant floor heat stays on independent of running the engine and I love it so far. It sips a little gas from my engine, barely noticeable. The small motor that drives it is undermounted. I smell some faint gas fumes occasionally.

It's hydronic and is laid out the same as electric radiant lines would be, under the entire floor including the garage about 3 inches apart.

It also wraps around a 4 gal water tank for on-demand hot water separate from my main 22 gal water tank which is under my bed so there's nothing undermounted outside that could freeze in winter. My cabinets sit on top of some of the radiant lines but don't harm them.

The whole setup took away about 1.5 inches of headroom and there's more insulation under it, so probably a total of 2 inches headspace is sacrificed. The rest of the van has R16 equivalent insulation, which brought my interior headroom down to 6'2".

Because radiant heat takes a while to, well, radiate, a Wobasto blower (12v I guess?) comes on first to heat the space quickly, then turns off once the floors are up to whatever temp I've set. The radiant heat then clicks on and off to maintain the temp throughout the night.

Both are controlled by one thermostat but there's a separate toggle switch to turn off the Wobasto if it gets too warm too fast.

It was installed by Troy of VanLifeTech in Portland OR where I live. It's his own design and I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

However, I've come across a YouTube video or two of people who created the same thing. I dont recall what fuel source they used, but the end result was identical.

The price to me was around $8-9k. I know, for someone who can DIY, that could make your forehead blow off. This and the solar setup were the two most expensive parts of the build.

Until the cold weather hit, I was thinking the heat system was overkill. But a hot shower and gentle, constant heat while boondocking in 20 degrees are a luxury. I have 30 amp shore power but may never use it.
Hi JudyinPDX

IMO You should be very proud of what you have accomplished (albeit with professional help/work, but that does not diminish your involvement in my eyes as taste, style, aesthetics, the final decision, and cost/benefit really comes down to the client at the end of the day). So Well Done !!

Further, congratulations on your build thread here. It has peaked loads of interest and questions and probably some drooling all around !!



The DIYers of the Van World

In my books Judy, you are one of us in this regard; Although you may not have performed the manual labour, I am going to assume the "Custom" build came from your wants/needs and not only for expresso ?. This is at the heart of all DIYers as it all starts with an idea (if they were around as it was over 100 years ago you could ask the DIYer Brothers "Orville & Wilbur"

There are different "breeds" of us DIYers. Many of us come from this particular breed called "Science Geek" - that is my blood line ? of DIYers. So my breed wanna know stuff thus the barrage of interest and banter. This can seem overwhelming at times with tons of interest wanting the minutia of details. It is because "we want to know".

Everything we do as DIYers comes down to just 2 things - Knowledge & Motor Skills

I for one would not want you to default your non-disclosure agreement with "Troy". So depending upon what that agreement states, what the "Science Geek" & "Gadgetlust" in me wants to know is what is the "factory" mechanical systems you have in your van? I'm not interested in "Troy's" secret magic just the store bought equipment he used;

1) Airheater Webasto Heater - Gas? model?
2) Hydronic Heater Espar or Webasto or Other? model?

If you can't disclose these, we have enough of us here to figure it out

Again Congratulations on a Very Fine Custom Van Build !!
 
#38 ·
So, it's a gasoline heater and can run off the house battery.
Sounds like a nice system.
I don't begrudge anyone for having money to do things, or for paying someone to do the work. That would be quite judgmental and childish, even for me.
I just like knowing how things work.
 
#39 ·
Lol, that really underscores how differently something can be accomplished!

I knew SO little before starting this caper. I had a long wish list but no clue what it might cost and I did have cheaper choices. DIY is the way to go if you have those skills or the time to acquire them.

There's some consolation in knowing that, if I had used one of the well-known conversion companies, they'd have charged well over $200k to replicate my rig. Insane.

I hope to live in it full time starting next spring for at least a few years, if I don't sell it and start over.
 
#52 ·
The three Life P04 batteries also charge off the alternator when I drive or idle the engine.

And I have shore power but havent used it yet. I may do that soon since here in the pacific northwest the sun is no longer very high during the shorter days and we're coming into rainy season.

It's a Cruisin Comfort AC used by truckers and my builder adapted it to 12v. I'm pretty sure it didnt come that way but I can confirm that.

I can run it for about 8 hrs before draining the 3 fully charged batteries. Haven't needed to run it that long yet.
 
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