Our ECO Van Build

Here are some simple choices that Jack and I made during the build to ensure the making of our tiny home had as low of an impact on the planet as possible. As a conservationist myself, and both of us enthusiasts of the natural world, this was something that was very important to us!

NATURAL MATERIALS

Our insulation is ThermaFleece; a combination of recycled materials and British wool. Not only is this the best option for the environment (especially compared to foam board and expanding foam), but wool is naturally moisture wicking and resistant to mould.

Our beams for the main structure of the build and furniture is made from pine that was sold locally and sourced within the UK. Our kitchen top is also made from pine and has been stained to get a darker colour. We have not used ay laminate throughout the build.

WEIGHT

Choosing the lightest materials possible has not only ensured that our van doesn’t near the 3.5 tonne limit, but means that we use less fuel for each journey we make too! Pine is a brilliantly light, strong and versatile wood that we have used most often. This is also why we have not used cladding and why our cupboard doors are made from the thinnest plywood that is practical.

Image description: The left and middle of the van kitchen. The wall is painted a soft, light mint green and has leaf shaped bunting and LED fairy lights where the wall meets the ceiling. There is an awesome hand painted canvas by Becky's sister of paw and boot prints hanging above the worktop which is made from dark, stained pine furniture board. The thin, dark green plywood cupboard door creates a forest atmosphere and to the right of it is a small, black camping oven with a bee-patterned oven glove.

OFFCUTS & UPCYCLING

We have used wooden offcuts to make our bedside storage area, toilet plinth and other internal structures in the van to save money and the planet. We have also kept aside a pine offcut that we want to make into a table.

We upcycled old sofa cushions, using the foam chips and internal material, to make our bench cushions. Again, this had more than one benefit- it saved money, prevented new foam being made and thus also the harmful fire-retardant spray that soaks new foam. These chemicals are harmful to both the environment and our health so is something we were keen to avoid.

LEFT-OVERS & SECOND-HAND

The paint we used for the inside of the van was left over from painting my childhood bedroom at my parents’ house; we were gifted left-over cement board for the fire and heat proofing of our oven from a friend and we found foil insulation that was not used for a local build on good old Facebook Marketplace.

Our curtains were second hand from a charity shop so we scrolled the internet to find pre-loved matching material for the side thermal screen too. Offcuts from this, plus the second-hand dog seat fabric, plus more scraps from my fabric box were used to make my favourite part of our décor- the leaf bunting! No new fabric there!

Image description: a cosy, van evening. Winnie, a black and white scruffy dog, is in her green and gold jumper while enjoying an enrichment toy on the bed. The bed is half taken up by a beanbag under a pile of mis-matched cushions. The fairy lights are on and just under them hangs leaf-shaped bunting, with 5 different kinds of material in a sequence.

VOCs

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are found in lots of paints and aerosols. We chose low and no VOCs for our paints and other solvents. We also chose not to use aerosols in general (though unfortunately the stretch carpet came with it). The last thing which we have chosen not to do for our build, is to heat up the plastic of the exterior part of the van; something a lot of van builders are doing to make the exterior look newer and fresher, but unfortunately it releases toxic fumes into the air.

If you’re planning a build and have questions, or want to connect in the van life community- come say hello and join us over on Instagram at @rewilding_our_lives!