Blue View - What’d It Cost to Upfit Blanche?
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When I read what other bloggers write about upfitting their vans, I frequently wonder what the costs for their van conversions amounted to. Sometimes they provide this information, but more often they overlook it. In my mind, it’s rather important to know, and I thought I’d tally up the costs of Blanche’s upfit so far including sales tax and shipping.
Fridge
We installed a Whynter 48-liter chest fridge that runs on either 12dc or 120vac. Cost: $511
Solar Controller
I upgraded the original PWM solar controller to a much more efficient Renogy MPPT controller that also allows the house batteries to be charged from the engine alternator. In addition, I added a Blue Tooth adapter so the battery status can be monitored with a smartphone. Cost: $287
Toilet
We installed a small Thetford cassette toilet that has been just fine so far and much less expensive than the composting toilet we installed in Blue. Cost: $150
Batteries
The batteries that came with the van were dead, so I replaced them with two sealed lead-acid, 105ah batteries. Cost: $302
Misc Electrical
I added several usb jacks, an ac outlet, and many feet of wiring. Cost: $48
Misc Gadgets
We bought cup holders, an armrest, a grab handle, two bike mounts and a few other essential gadgets. Cost: $122
Lumber, Hardware and Paint
Plywood: 1 sheet of 3/4”, 1/2 sheet of 1/2”, 2 sheets of 1/4”; a few 2x4’s, 2x3’s, and 1x2’s; plus an assortment of screws and wood glue and a quart of paint. Cost: $287
Bandaids
No job is worth doing if a little blood isn’t shed in the process. I managed several scrapes on my pate, two dozen wood slivers, and six or eight small cuts of unknown origin… but I still have all my fingers. Cost: $3
Total
The grand total of Blanche’s initial upfit: $1710.
There’s more to be done, but we’ve made a pretty good dent in the upfit costs. Much of Blanche’s upfit was already completed when we bought her, of course.
Ever wonder what the total cost would be for a complete upfit? $5,000? $25,000? You might be surprised. I’ve started putting together an estimate and I should have it completed in time for my next Blue View. Stay tuned…