If you experience wanderlust and are never quite satisfied staying in one place for very long, then you’re a nomad. You constantly seek new adventures elsewhere. The traditional lifestyle of owning a home or renting an apartment doesn’t quite mix well with nomads. How is someone with wanderlust supposed to satiate their need to travel without emptying their pockets on hotel expenditures? The solution is to make their mode of travel into their new home. A van can be transformed into a mobile home far easier than you might imagine. This article from Jim’s Self Storage in Williamstown, Melbourne will give a brief overview of how to do just that.

Preparation

Once you’ve bought a van, you should find a storage facility that can house all the big items that you own or wish to hold onto even as you travel. In Melbourne, Jim’s is a great choice for that affordable storage unit rental. With the van in your possession, you need to first clear it out. Remove the old furniture and place it in your storage unit. You can either keep the front seats or get new ones. Next, you need to clean the inside of the van. Simple vacuuming and scrubbing should do the job. If the van has rust, then you should grind it off. Then do a final sweeping and cleaning to prepare for painting.

You’ll want to begin with anti-rust spray on everything metal. Then spray paint the entire interior of the van with glossy white paint.

Insulation

This next step is extremely important. Glue Reflectix along the walls of the van. Then glue it to the ceiling. Make sure it is cut to fit both walls and the ceiling perfectly. Next, you should cut rigid foam to fit against the ceiling and any pop-up windows that the van possesses. All other cracks should be sprayed with insulation foam.

Next, you’ll need to attach Reflectix and the rigid panelling to the floor. You should make a template of the floor with some paper to make sure the shape is correct. If your van has windows, then you should use fibreglass insulation on the bottom half of the walls. Without windows, you need to apply fibreglass insulation to the entire wall.

Flooring

Using the template from before, first cut plywood to act as your subfloor. You should attach the subfloor with screws. These screw holes should then be caulked and sealed. The seams need to be caulked as well. Eventually, you should install the vinyl flooring but only after you have finished installing the rest of the walling and the ceiling.

Furniture

To optimise the storage in your mobile home, consider multi-functional furniture that doubles as storage space. A popular choice is a bed frame with built-in drawers, which offers ample space to store clothing and other essentials while saving floor space. Another ingenious solution is to use hanging organisers on doors or walls for items like shoes, utensils, or small personal items. These strategies not only maximize your living area but also help keep your mobile home organized and clutter-free, making your travels more comfortable and enjoyable.

The Details

When it comes to the items like your ceiling, then you need to choose what materials you like to use. You may like panelled wood for the ceiling. You should also include a fan to the top. Your kitchen can be a simple camping stove that rests inside of a closeable dining table. The team at Jim’s Self Storage are only a call away for all your storage needs as well as boxes for moving. So don’t hesitate to reach out and good luck on your mobile home adventures!