Woman's First Self-Built Camper Van Features a Snug, Minimal Design With Cement Walls

Meet Beth and her self-converted tiny home on wheels based on a 2019 Ram ProMaster 2500 van with a high roof and a 136" wheelbase. She chose this shorter ProMaster version as a base vehicle because of its handleability and lower fuel consumption.

As usual, I'll start the tour with the exterior. The vehicle rides on standard rims wrapped in BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires and sports a 3-inch lift kit, making it a bit more capable of some light off-roading.

These upgrades are subtle, meaning they don't reveal the rig's "camper identity." That makes the can perfect for stealth camping, especially since it's finished in the run-of-the-mill white paint.

Slide the door open, and you'll reveal a well-crafted interior. Beth opted for, as she shared, a clean, minimalistic boho aesthetic with textured, beige micro cement walls with limewash paint and lightly colored cabinetry for a neutral, calming design.

The look is completed by brown leather upholstery, black hexagonal tile floor imitating marble, and other black accents, like the cabinet handles or the sink.

The interior has a closed layout, meaning a wall separates the driver's cabin from the living space. This setup makes the already compact interior feel even smaller, but it makes up for that with better insulation and more privacy.

However, for more convenience and accessibility, Beth devised a sliding door that she could use to pass through the areas. It also increases safety, as Beth can quickly hop behind the wheel in an emergency, eliminating the need to exit the van.

You'll discover the kitchen dead ahead of the entrance. It features a long and spacious DIY faux-quartz countertop and a deep black sink with a pull-down faucet. Beth uses a portable, single-burner Coleman stove for cooking, while a vent fan integrated into the ceiling draws out all the fumes and smells from cooking.

There's a ton of storage space available in this area. Specifically, you can use six drawers, a lower cabinet, and three sizeable overhead cabinets that run to the rear of the ceiling.

The lower cabinet is right underneath the sink. It houses the sink's simple plumbing system, which consists of two 5-gallon (19-liter) jugs, one for fresh water and the other for grey water. She also stores two more jugs in the garage.

On the opposite side, Bath created a seating area with a bench large enough to seat two people. You can pull out a table from under the bed when you want to eat or work. Moreover, the bench's top panel can be lifted to reveal extra storage space and a Trelino composting toilet.

Underneath the table, you'll find a shoe cabinet and a small door hiding a 65-liter Dometic fridge with a tiny freezer compartment.

Beth preferred having more convenience and didn't want to overcomplicate things, so she opted for a fixed bedroom arranged from side to side.

It boasts a full-size memory foam mattress, a wall-mounted reading light, and a skylight perfectly positioned to stargaze from the comfort of the bed. Including the cut-outs on the sides, the sleeping area has a total length of 6'3" (190 centimeters).

Beth also fitted two windows at the rear for better lighting and ventilation, one on each door. On hotter days, Beth can use a 12 V Dometic RTX A/C - she shared that one of the main reasons why she decided to go for this feature was because she travels with her husky, which gets hot really easily.

Finally, the space under the bed is taken up by a garage. Unlike most van builders, Beth opted to have a closed-concept garage – what I mean by that is that all four compartments that make up the garage have doors.

Two taller compartments are on the sides of the garage, while two sizeable drawers occupy the middle part. The compartment on the left houses the rig's electrical system, which is quite powerful. Its highlights are a 500 Ah battery bank, a Renogy MPPT battery-to-battery charger that juices up the system while driving, and a 2,000 W inverter.

All in all, Beth did a fantastic job with this conversion. Her mobile home is cozy, looks good, and packs most of the essentials you need to live on the road.

What makes this project even more impressive is that Beth had very little prior experience building things. Except for the upper cabinets, cushions, and curtains, Beth made/installed everything herself, even the electrical system, which she described as the hardest part of the build.