Welcome to the VanMargrit Promaster build and travel blog
We are two empty-nesters who took the plunge and found a Ram Promaster 3500-ext cargo van ready for a camper conversion. Margrit will be a fully-contained weekend (and longer) travel camper as we explore all of the places we have never been to our Pacific Northwest backyard and beyond.
This site will feature our build process with tutorials and product reviews of items that we have found to be helpful (or not) along the way. Then... it's travel time!
Adding Tern Overland Windows
We decided on Tern Overland windows for our ProMaster’s two sliding doors. We talk about the pros, cons, and a few ‘uh ohs’ getting these windows installed.
Insulating over the cab
We decided to insulate over the cab. To keep it simple we decided to use Havelock Wool. There is not a lot of room for rigid foam, and we wanted to make sure whatever we used would not impair disassembly for future service.
Adding jump seats to our Promaster
With the extra space in this extended van, we thought it would be nice to be able to bring along a couple of extra people safely, and also be able to use these seats for lounging and eating.
Rear Maxx Fan Install
Installing a roof fan is often the “first blood” of cutting into your new precious van. Here is how we took on installing our MaxxFan.
Additional undercoating in rear wheel wells of a Promaster Van
There is already some factory undercoating, but we figured it would not hurt to have a few more layers of protection and quiet.
Installing Arm Rests
We wanted armrests on the front seats of our new Promaster. I have a glitchy back, and I really like being able to support my back a bit on the armrests when driving. The driver seat has a right-side armrest, but the left side “armrest’ is built into the door and about a mile and a half away from my elbow. The passenger seat does not have any armrests at all.
Mounting Sunpower 110 watt Flexible Solar Panels to a Promaster Van
We like the technical specs of the Sunpower panels and their advanced cell design. We figure the brand-name panel should hold up a little better under adverse conditions, plus there is a hint that the SunPower panels have some better partial shade performance.
Propane Remote Fill
Since the propane tank is pretty well tucked under the van, we definitely wanted a remote fill kit. For this part of our build, we used the Nashfuel Propane Remote Fill Kit with Mounting Bracket.
Mounting a propane tank under our Ram3500 van
At this point in our build, we do not have the entire layout perfectly planned and pinned down, but we were pretty sure of how the propane tank was going to end up so that work could be done before the interior layout was settled.
Rear View Camera
It is pretty hard to use the rear-view mirror in a van without windows. We decided to take a shot on a rear-view mirror camera to improve our vision.