Where Work Meets Play

Whether I’m building out your custom van, or you’ve simply stumbled upon my van-building articles and advice in the great rabbit hole of the internet, I stand by my craftsmanship. It’s easy to throw a piece of plywood in the back of an empty van, toss a mattress in there, call it done, and hit the road. And if that’s your style, all power to you. However, for me at least, being a full-time vanlifer means that I want a few luxuries: gorgeous woodgrain in my ceilings, a dazzling finish on my countertops, soft-close hinges on my cabinets, color-changing lights on my pull-out bar (yeah, I have one of those). I consider myself a bourgeois dirtbag: down to live in a van, but only if it’s fit for a king.

Looking for a Van?

Shoot me an email and I will help bring your dreams to life.

Services

My services run the gamut from full-on custom builds to quicker jobs (say, installing a daunting window or building some sexy-ass cabinets) and even just hopping on the phone for a consultation about materials, design, and more. If videos and articles aren’t cutting it for you and you’re in need of my van-building expertise, this is the place you need to be.

Past projects

 I’m a man of many tools, but not so much a man of many words. I like to let my work speak for itself—check out this photo gallery to get a feel for my building style, attention to detail, and utilitarian design. On a somewhat related note, I’m a man of many hats, and in this photo gallery, you’ll also see me wearing several of my favorites.

about

Before you go trusting Joe Schmo off the internet about building vans, you need to run a little bit of a background check. Are they legit? A nomad and professional builder, I’ve lived in vans for over 6 years, and in my opinion, not to mention the opinion of my mother, I’m quite legit. Get to know me more before you dive into the van-building mayhem.

If you’re building a van, and wondering about anything from insulation and chopping holes in your van to cabinetry and plumbing, then please explore my DIY tips and articles.

Within these articles are my curated product recommendations—building materials, van components, and appliances that I’ve had firsthand experience with. If you have further questions—about how to use a certain tool or what specific size or model appliance to purchase, you can also contact me directly.

POPULAR DIY TOPICS

Explore a few popular DIY topics by clicking on the photos below.

I started Stinson Vans with three goals in mind:

• Help people build their dream van with helpful content and product recommendations.

• Build practical yet luxurious adventure mobiles for rad people who enjoy the finer things i.e. climbing in Utah, skinny-dipping in hot springs, peanut butter & jelly grilled cheeses (Yeah… try it).

• Find a heathy balance of work and play.

Welcome to Stinson Vans, where your van dreams come to fruition

-Josh Phelps, Chief Van Builder

Let's Get in Touch