Overview

Our Plan and Vision for our DIY Class B RV!

A combination of the 2016 National Park Celebration, our age, our bucket list and a few other factors led us to start something I always wanted to do, tour in a RV “Motorhome". The smaller european inspired “Class B” RV seemed to suit our needs. We looked at a Winnebago Travato 59K and decided we would BUILD OUR OWN!

Our primary goal? Simple, minimal design!

In the spirit of the old VW Westfalia Vans with the look and layout of the Travato 59K layout.

We are outdoor types, do a lot of with scouting, whitewater canoeing, snow skiing and like to travel and tour. We don’t need all the fancy gadgets and we normally camp in a tent or pop up slide in pick up camper.

Our Requirements

Phase 1

• Air Conditioning - We live in TEXAS!
• Floor plan based on Travato 59K with twin bed layout
• Nova Kool Refrigerator
• Galley with sink and gravity fed water supply
• Microwave
• “Canister” Toilet

Phase 2

• Awning
• Solar Panels

Phase 3

• Hitch mounted Yamaha 2400 Invertor “Generator"

Having built my last two homes, and with a shop full of tools, we have the resources to build a DIY Class B RV. And with our simple design we end up with a clean system where I KNOW where all systems are run and how they work! Less to fail and/or break. And, I get to determine the quality of the interior construction.

For those looking at the Winnebage Travato 59K and what are “minimal” design does NOT INCLUDE;

• Froli “Sleep System"
• Truma “Combi” heater (interior and water)
• Energy Management System
• Stereo w/speakers
• TV
• Corian countertop - Ours is Formica
• Roof vents
• Convection Oven - Ours is just a microwave only
• Chassis mount Generator - We plan to add a Yamaha EF2400iSHC
• Built in range top - We use a standalone induction cooktop
• Shower - We never used the shower in our Starcraft pop up pick up camper
• LPG tank - As we have no need for propane!
• Water pump - Our galley sink is gravity feed from back high mounted water tank

Leaving out some of the components with moving parts (like the water pump) and/or SMART electronics (like the Energy Management System) simplifies operation of the sub-systems. And reduces failures points. Not to mention more holes in the roof as potential leaks.