We were frustrated with the lack of Thetford Cassette toilet reviews where people actually used their toilet! Most folks "don't use it for #2" but we are here to review the Thetford C223 after one year of use as our primary toilet for allllll the things! A blog post version of this video can be found here: https://abroadreachtravel.com/thetford-c223-cassette-toilet/ Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

Don't make our mistakes in your DIY build! Seven regrets we have about our DIY campervan build after 6 months on the road! Check out the blog post we wrote on this subject too!: https://abroadreachtravel.com/six-things-we-regret-about-our-second-van-build/ Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we're normally sailing up and down the East Coast in our sailboat Acadia, we have recently switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry, our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

We started our van build with a $30,000 budget to make a comfortable full time home on wheels. Did we keep to the budget? Of course! We even came in under! *Note all prices from this video and associated blog posts are based on 2024 prices. Final Breakdown of Cost Blog Post: https://abroadreachtravel.com/how-much-did-it-cost-promaster-van-build/ In Depth Galley Gear Blog Post: https://abroadreachtravel.com/our-gourmet-van-kitchen-set-up/ Disclaimer: In the interest of transparency, please be aware that the links above may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you. We appreciate you shopping from these links! Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we're normally sailing up and down the East Coast on our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

How have we set up the plumbing system in our DIY promaster Campervan? We dig into all the details of our fresh, gray, and black water systems! For links to all the items we talked about in this video and a cost breakdown of this part of our van build check out this blog post: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-plumbing-this-time-with-a-toilet/ 00:00 Introduction 00:40 Fresh Water System 02:00 Hot Water 03:10 Shower Set-up 04:37 Sink and Faucet 06:27 Gray Water System 06:40 Black Water System Disclaimer: In the interest of transparency, please be aware that the links above may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you. We appreciate you shopping from these links! Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we normally are sailing up and down the east coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

We didn't like what was on the market for roof racks, or roof mounts so we made our own! Is this the least expensive option for a roof rack? Plus 750 Watts of solar, an A/C unit, a fan, and roof mounted starlink?! How did we fit it all? For links to all the items we talked about in this video and a cost breakdown of this part of our van build check out this blog post: https://abroadreachtravel.com/diy-roof-rack-for-promaster-campervan/ 00:00 Introduction 00:34 Deciding on a Solar Layout 01:37 Designing a "Roof Rack" 03:39 How to Mount Solar Panels 05:56 Installing an A/C Unit Late in Our Build 08:31 Roof Mounted Starlink 10:09 Collapsible Ladder Disclaimer: In the interest of transparency, please be aware that the links above may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you. We appreciate you shopping from these links! Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we normally are sailing up and down the east coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

Part introduction to off-grid electrical and part breakdown of our electrical systems, past and present. In this video, we talk about all the components of an off-grid electrical system for a DIY campervan setup. For links to the products we talked about in this video, and for a breakdown of the costs of this part of the project, check out this blog post: https://abroadreachtravel.com/off-grid-electrical/ 00:00 Introduction 01:11 Intro to Storage 01:25 Figuring Out Your Power Needs 03:06 Battery Types: 12v vs 24v 04:28 Battery Type: Chemistries 07:59 Our Battery Set-Ups (Past and Present) 10:31 Intro to Output 10:57 Output Side: 12v (DC) 12:15 Output Side: 120v (AC) 16:16 Running Wire in Vans 16:54 Intro to Input 17:18 Input Options: Solar 18:12 Input Options: Alternator 19:41 Input Options: Shore Power 20:25 Input Options: Generators 22:25 Our Promaster Electrical System Disclaimer: In the interest of transparency, please be aware that the links above may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you. We appreciate you shopping from these links! Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we normally are sailing up and down the east coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

Cabinets and furniture can be daunting if you've never done it before. We walk through how we built our cabinets and bed frame including tips for finishing! For a list cost breakdown of this part of our project check out this blog post: https://abroadreachtravel.com/building-camper-van-cabinets/ Resources Woodshop Diaries Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WoodshopDiaries Woodshop Diaries Drawer Series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZXlzM3gc_U2VAcejawDXcsSU6pm4PESL&si=kDyISu9rcTTcpiMQ Products We Mentioned Our Van Drawer and Door Closure Designs: https://abroadreachtravel.myshopify.com/collections/van-cabinet-closures Door Magnets: https://amzn.to/4jjLP5s Tools We Couldn't Have Done it Without Kreg Pocket Hole Kit:https://amzn.to/3YGAMuH Disclaimer: In the interest of transparency, please be aware that the links above may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you. We appreciate you shopping from these links! Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:55 Floor to Ceiling Cabinets 04:45 Upper Cabinet Construction 05:41 Kitchen Lower Cabinets 08:05 Underbed Drawers 09:06 Bed Platform 11:16 Door and Drawer Fronts 14:19 Painting Tips 15:37 Cabinet Closures Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we normally are sailing up and down the east coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

After two van builds we are big fans of using Rivet Nuts to provide secure framing for cabinets and bed frames! In this video we do a step by step on how to use rivet nuts! For A Full Tools and Materials List as well as a budget break down check out our blog post: https://abroadreachtravel.com/framing-our-campervan/ Tools Used: Rivet Nut Tool: https://amzn.to/3WcNErc Kreg Rip-Cut Circular Saw Guide: https://amzn.to/4j6gUtB Disclaimer: In the interest of transparency, please be aware that the links above may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you. We appreciate you shopping from these links! Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we normally are sailing up and down the east coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

We installed the Promaster version of the Scopema swivel seats from the swivel shop: https://theswivelshop.com/collections/promaster/products/promaster-scopema-seat-swivels-1 Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we normally are sailing up and down the east coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

We deep dive on planning for and installing insulation in our promaster campervan. Installing a combination of expanded polystyrene foam, spray foam, and Thinsulate. For a full list of materials and tools, plus a budget breakdown check out the blog post: https://abroadreachtravel.com/campervan-insulation/ 00:00 Intro 01:40 Planning for Electrical and Plumbing 06:40 What We are Using for Insulation 08:57 Tips for Using Spray Foam Insulation 10:37 Installing Expanded Polystyrene Panels 11:36 More Spray Foam Tips 12:10 Trimming Spray Foam 13:31 Tips for Working with Thinsulate 14:39 Wrap Up Disclaimer: In the interest of transparency, please be aware that the links above may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you. We appreciate you shopping from these links! Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we normally are sailing up and down the east coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

We are finally starting to BUILD our van! And first up, is to install the subfloor and insulation! We cover how we cut the subfloor to fit around all those pesky corners the wheel wells create, and how we secured the floor in place! 00:00 Intro 04:05 Cutting First and Second Floor Panels 07:25 Using a Tick Stick to Make Complex Cuts 11:31 Lining Up Bolt Holes 12:28 A Small Change in Plans 13:21 Final Install 14:05 Wrap-Up For a full breakdown of tools and materials, as well as a cost breakdown of this step, check out this blog post: https://abroadreachtravel.com/putting-in-van-subflooring-the-van-life-diaries-5/ Tools Used: Jigsaw: https://amzn.to/3ZrYRpX Circular Saw (Newer Version of Ours): https://amzn.to/4ifL7WP Clamps: https://amzn.to/3VeolVa Materials: Marine Adhesive: https://amzn.to/3CMuqSC Disclaimer: In the interest of transparency, please be aware that the links above may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you. We appreciate you shopping from these links! Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we normally sail up and down the East Coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry—our boat isn't going anywhere! We are excited to continue to share our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

Cutting holes in your van can be super intimidating but it wasn't nearly as hard with our second van! We installed our Maxxair roof vent fan and our Van Windows Direct bunk window, in just a few hours, over the course of two days. Before cutting any holes in your van, we HIGHLY recommend checking out the Promaster Body Builders Guide as it will tell you what you can and cannot modify: https://tinyurl.com/bdnadecs 00:00 Introduction 01:04 Prepping for Bunk Window 05:09 Cutting Bunk Window Hole 05:54 Prepping for Roof Fan 07:58 Cutting Roof Fan Hole 08:53 Installing Bunk Widow 11:07 Installing Roof Fan 14:52 Wrap-up Materials: Maxxair Deluxe 7000K Roof Vent Fan (with free shims): https://www.vanlifeoutfitters.com/store/maxxfan-deluxe-white-7000k/ Van Windows Direct Bunk Window: https://goaff.pro/wakmbl Tools Used: Jib Saw: https://amzn.to/4f18txp Drill: https://amzn.to/4edPPku For cost breakdown of this episode check out: https://abroadreachtravel.com/cutting-holes-in-our-van-the-van-life-diaries-4/ Disclaimer: In the interest of transparency, please be aware the links above may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you. We appreciate you shopping from these links! Did you find this helpful in your own build? Send us a tip: https://abroadreachtravel.myshopify.com/products/send-a-tip?variant=47855893184794 Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we normally are sailing up and down the east coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

Every good DIY project has one thing in common, a good plan! We highly recommend Vanspace 3D for planning your build: https://abroadreachtravel--vanspace3d.thrivecart.com/vanspace3d/ Check out our blog post about planning this build: https://abroadreachtravel.com/planning-and-prepping-the-van-life-diaries-3/ Disclaimer: In the interest of transparency, please be aware that the links above may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you. We appreciate you shopping from these links! Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we are normally sailing up and down the east coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

Are we crazy for buying a van without a working transmission? We explain why we purchased a Promaster High Top van to convert and why we ended up with this van in particular. We talk van build budget and the differences between this van and our first van build. Looking for more details about our transmission rebuild? Check out this blog post: https://abroadreachtravel.com/we-bought-a-broken-van-the-van-life-diaries-2/ Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩🚐https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Van DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/van-diy/ While we normally sail up and down the east coast in our sailboat Acadia, we recently have switched to #vanlife to deal with some medical issues! Don't worry, our boat isn't going anywhere we are excited to continue to share both our land and sea adventures and DIY with you! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/

It's been a while but we are excited to be back! In addition to chronically our van build here on YouTube, I've also been writing blog posts that takes a deeper dive into our decision-making and the projects! Chapter One of the Van Life Diaries: https://abroadreachtravel.com/a-new-plan-the-van-life-diaries-1/ Don't worry, we aren't done with boat life and cruising yet, just taking a pause! We hope you'll stick around on this new adventure with us!

Hi Everyone! We just wanted to give y'all an update on why we haven't been posting as often! Here on Youtube, moving forward, we will focusing on DIY, How-To, and Tips and Tricks videos. If you are looking for videos or posts that are more about our day to day life and also pretty much in real time please check us out on Instagram or TikTok! We hope you'll stick around for our future videos as we are commited to providing you with useful and informative content moving forward! Thank you for watching! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@abroadreachtravel

We set out to make a smaller 12-volt watermaker for less than $1000, did we manage it? For a Full Parts List check out this Blog Post: Https://abroadreachtravel.com/diy-watermaker Have you found this video helpful? Consider sending us a tip! https://abroadreachtravel.myshopify.com/products/send-a-tip Check out our Instagram to see our projects happening in real-time 🛠🔩⛵️ https://www.instagram.com/abroadreachtravel/ For All Our Boat DIY Posts Check Out the Blog: https://abroadreachtravel.com/boat-diy/ We have been full-time liveaboards since May 2020. We spent the first year and a half aboard a 1965 Alberg 30 that we have owned since 2010. We recently upgraded to a 1980 Tartan 37 named Acadia and we are so excited to continue our cruising journey! Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to see our journey! Questions, comments, or want to work with us? Contact us at info@abroadreachtravel.com All Music From Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/bxowjw/