It’s August 2nd, 2024, and I’m back in the van. Not just to sit in it and go, “ooh, look at my nice floor,” but to actually get on with building it again. Feels weird to say that. This thing has sat still for longer than I care to admit—partly because life got messy, partly because of the whole heart attack thing (which, let me tell you, is a hell of a way to get out of lifting ply sheets).
Today’s the start of the next push. 336 days to go.
Picking Up the Pieces
I opened the back doors, had a quick look at the battery box, stared at it like it owed me money, and then got on with wiring the switchboard. Again.
I say “again” because this was my second go at it. The first time I wired it all up, I must have had my head on backwards. Nothing worked. I had switches that didn’t switch, and lights that wouldn’t light. So I ripped it all out and started from scratch.
I had one of those little moments too—where you’re sat there in the van, wire in hand, wondering if you’ve completely lost the plot or just temporarily misplaced it.
The Joys of Progress
And then—something beautiful happened. I pressed a switch, and a light turned on. A little LED on a DC distribution panel flicked to life. You’d think I’d won the World Cup the way I reacted. Simple things, innit?
Still loads more to do—two more circuits to run, then I’ll start laying conduit and tidying the wires so it doesn’t look like an explosion in a spaghetti factory.
I’ll admit I’m knackered. Two hours in the van and I felt like I’d done a full day’s graft. But I needed this. I needed a win. A little sign that I haven’t forgotten how to do things. A reminder that the van isn’t just this project that haunts my dreams—it’s still mine. Still doable.
The Bigger Picture
There’s something mad about sitting in the van after all this time, knowing there’s 336 days left until I hit the road full time. It’s both terrifying and exciting.
I’ve got to remind myself that I’m not aiming for perfection here. I’m aiming for functional, safe, and mine. It doesn’t have to win awards—it just has to work, and it has to feel like home.
Quick Recap Checklist:
- ✅ Ripped out old switchboard wiring
- ✅ Rewired DC distribution panel
- ✅ Confirmed lighting circuits now work (hallelujah)
- ⏳ Still to do: final two runs of cable
- ⏳ Tidy up conduit and cable routing
- 🧠 Mental state: cautiously optimistic with a dash of “what now?”
Final Thoughts
If today taught me anything, it’s this: progress doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful. Sometimes it’s just flicking a switch and seeing a light come on.
More van build updates coming soon—next stop: more wiring, more tea, and hopefully fewer swear words.
