Congratulations on deciding to take on your own van build! Based on our own experiences I can promise you that it will be both the most rewarding, and also the most difficult project you will ever take on. You will soon learn the joys of staring at an empty van, and trying to wrap your head around the thousand and one jobs that have to be completed. Even once you figure out what needs to be done, you then have to figure out how to do it.
You may very well find yourself with your hands clasped around your head, as if physically trying to cram the last facts into your head before an exam, muttering to yourself, and shouting what, how, no that makes no sense. The good news about van building is that although it may feel like the most difficult exam ever, it is completely open book, and there are a lot of online resources that will help you.
Essential Campervan Tool List: Tools Needed for a Van Conversion
To help you a little bit along the way, we have created the following guide on tools that we consider essential when working on the wood working portion of your van conversion. At first it may seem like you have to spend a fortune on tools, but the good news is that there is a lot of competition between the brands, and hardware stores, so you can very often pick up a good deal on a set around the big holidays, or smaller ones like fathers day.
Having the right tools on hand will make your life easier, help you finish your camper van conversion before the next ice age comes along, and ensure that your conversion looks professional. The good news is that you do not have to, and unless you are turning it into a business, should not spend a fortune on tools for your van build.
My advice is to invest in a decent starter tool kit, or borrow from friends, and family when possible. Although it is very tempting to jump right into using your new tools, if you can muster internal fortitude, I would recommend watching a few YouTube videos to learn how to use each tool, and understand the best application for it.
- Power Tool Combo Kit: Ryobi 18V Cordless 9 Tool Combo Kit
- Drill & Impact Driver: Milwaukee 12V Drill / Driver Combo
- Track Saw: Makita Track Saw with Guide Rail
- Circular Saw: Ryobi Cordless Circular Saw
- Track: Kreg Circular Saw Guide
- Cordless Jigsaw: Ryobi Cordless Jigsaw
- Affordable Corded Jigsaw: Skil Corded Jigsaw
- Orbital Sander: Skil Orbital Sander
- Pocket Hole Jig: Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
- Laser Measure: Bosch 100ft Laser Measure
- Measuring Tape: Stanley 8m/26′ Measuring Tape
- Carpenter Square: Swanson Speed Square
- Utility Knife: Milwaukee Flip Utility Knife
- Carpenter Pencil: Mechanical Carpenter Pencil
- Short Clamps: Irwin Quick-Grip Clamps
- Long Clamps: Clutch Style Woodworking Clamps
- Track Saw Blade: Freud (6-1/2 60) Track Saw Blade
- Circular Saw Blade: DeWalt (5-3/8 80) Circular Saw Blade
- Jig Saw Blades: Freud Wood & Metal Jigsaw Blades
- Drill Bits: Milwaukee Titanium Drill Bits
- Screw Bits: Freud Torx Impact Driver Bits
- Hearing Protection: 3M Over-the-Head Hearing Protection
- Breathing Protection: 3M Particulate N95 Respirator
The Easiest Way to Start
If you are starting off with a blank slate, and have no tools except the plastic Fisher Price hammer from your 5th Birthday, then the easiest way to get started is by buying a big combo kit that includes the majority of tools you will need, as it will be cheaper than buying them individually. All the big tool manufacturers such as Milwaukee, Dewalt, Ryobi, and Makita make these kits, but if you are just starting out and do not plan on doing any heavy duty projects such as deck or fence building, then a kit from Ryobi will be the best bang for your buck.
If you think your future will involve a lot of van building, trust me it is oddly addictive, then I would seriously consider investing in the Milwaukee 12v system. The compact size, combined with powerful specifications is the perfect combination for the multitude of projects you will face on a camper build.
Must Have Power Tools for a Camper Van Conversion:
Plunge / Track Saw: The #1 Essential Tool for a Van Build
In essence a track saw is a circular saw that runs on a track, and allows you to adjust the depth of the cut. If you plan on using any plywood in your van build, then this tool is an absolute necessity. Because the saw runs on a track, and plunges, you get perfectly straight cuts without having to take the plywood sheet of your work table. Another benefit of a track saw, is that you can make plunge cuts with it, this enables you to start your cut anywhere on your sheet of plywood.
We bought a corded Makita plunge saw when we started converting our Mercedes 711D van, and it was a humongous improvement over trying to use a portable table saw to cut 4×8’ sheets of plywood. Even if you are on a tight budget, I would strongly recommend that you purchase a good plunge saw as it will not only make your life easier, but also make your van conversion look a lot more professional.
Straight Cuts on a Budget
If your budget simply does not stretch to buying a plunge saw, then you can use a Kreg Rip Cut jig in conjunction with a regular circular saw. This combination will enable you to make the long straight cuts you need for building your cabinets. The big limitation with a circular saw is that it cannot make plunge cuts, so you always have to cut from the edge of the material. This may make it harder to optimise your cuts as much as you would like, and therefore cost you more in plywood.
Replacement Blades for Your Circular and Plunge Saw
Regardless of whether you buy a plunge saw, or a circular saw, you will need to change the blade that came with it as it can quickly become dull, leaving you with messy edges. Since most of your cutting is likely to be in plywood, I would recommend buying a blade with a high tooth count, as that will leave you with clean professional looking edges. Before buying a new blade, make sure to look at the one that came with your saw, and make a note of the diameter, and also the arbor (the hole in the middle). For the Makita plunge saw you will need a 6 1/2″ blade. If you buy a Ryobi starter kit that comes with a circular saw, you will need to buy a 5 1/2″ or 5 3/8″ blade.
Jig Saw: A Key Tool for a Camper Van Conversion
This is a pretty cheap, and cheerful tool that you will find yourself reaching for whenever you need to make small notch outs, or cut a hole in your countertop to fit a sink. When we were converting our Mercedes Sprinter, we used a jig saw to cut the holes in the roof for our Maxx Air fans, we also used our jig saw to cut out the holes for the Arctic Tern windows we installed.
If you are already invested in a battery system, for example Milwaukee, or Ryobi then I would recommend sticking with a saw from those brands. Alternatively, if you are trying to keep tool costs to a minimum, you can usually find affordable corded options from the big tool brands.
Replacement Jigsaw Blades
When using a jig saw your cut is only as good as the blade you are using. For example, if you plan on using your jig saw to cut a hole in the roof of your van in order to add a fan, you will need to buy blades that are designed for cutting sheet metal, as the regular wood blades will struggle to cut through sheet metal, and leave a mess behind. You will also need a different blade for cutting plywood, or for making rounded cuts. Luckily you can easily buy blades in multi packs, so the cost is not prohibitive, and even if you are on a tight budget I do not recommend skimping on the blades, as they will make a big difference in how nice your cuts turn out.
Drill / Driver: Do Not Attempt to Build a DIY Camper Van Without this Tool
A drill is going to be the backbone of your tool kit, and is an absolute must have for any van build. The difference between a drill and an impact driver is the amount of torque available to drive in your screws, and the fact that an impact driver cannot be used to drill holes. Since you are unlikely to be driving large screws into thick pieces of wood inside your van, then a drill is going to be the most useful tool of the two. However, if you buy a tool set it is very likely to include both a drill and a driver, and sometimes it can be cheaper to buy a drill/driver combo kit than just the drill.
For this tool, even if you are on a budget, I would recommend getting a battery version as you will need to use it inside lots of tight spaces where a cord will quickly get annoying. Furthermore, this is one area where buying into a 12v battery system really pays off, as the drill or impact driver is typically much smaller, and more compact than the 18v battery equivalents. This matters a lot as a van is a small space, and there are times when an 18v drill simply will not fit.
Orbital Sander: Make Your Van Conversion Look Professional
Unless you are lucky enough to be able to find HPL or melamine coated plywood in your area, then there is a very good chance that you will spend a good portion of your camper van conversion sanding. Every single piece of wood you place in your van will need to be sanded before you can apply a finish to it. Sometimes they even have to be sanded twice, depending on how smooth you want the finish to look.
This is another tool where I would recommend you opt for a battery version, since you will find yourself sanding down plywood even after it has been installed, you do not want a cord getting in your way, or stopping you from getting into the corners.
Drill Bits: A Necessary Tool to Add to Your Van Conversion Tool Kit
When building out your camper van chances are you will be working with plywood or soft woods, all of these materials require you to pre-drill to avoid splitting the wood. If you need to screw into the metal of your van, you will also need to pre-drill, there are self tapping screws on the market, but I find you get a cleaner hole by pre-drilling.
I would recommend buying a kit that has drill bits that are designed for drilling into both metal and wood, I generally find the kits they have at the big box stores to be perfectly adequate. Although if you are going to do a lot of drilling into metal, then it is worth investing in a higher quality thin metal drill bit.
Screw Bits: A Must Have Tool for Your DIY Camper Van Conversion
Before you throw your wallet at me for suggesting more bits, hear me out. These are different bits than what we talked about before, I promise. These specific bits are what you need to fasten your screws. I generally always try to look for impact bits, even if you are not using an impact driver, simply because the metal tends to be a bit harder which means they last longer, and will not strip your screws.
Getting into the nitty gritty details, I would recommend purchasing a small pack of long stemmed bits you plan on using most often. In our van build we found that the most common bit size for our fasteners was T20, so we bought a pack of high quality long stem T20 bits. If you find that your screws are beginning to strip, or the bit keeps jumping out of the hole, then you know that it is time to switch to a new one.
Essential Hand Tools for a Van Conversion:
Kreg Pocket Screw Jig: A Very Useful Tool for Building a DIY Camper Van
Unless you are an extremely skilled carpenter, or want to spend several months, and years learning to become one, then I would highly recommend investing in a Kreg Jig. This nifty little tool will allow you to build a multitude of furniture pieces for your van with very little effort, and if you put on your thinking cap in the planning stages, no visible fasteners.
The Kreg Pocket Screw Jig is a tool that aids you in making pocket screw joints. A pocket screw joint is a mechanical joint, since it relies on a screw, that connects two pieces of wood together. They work great in both plywood, and dimensional lumber.
We used our Kreg Jig to build all the furniture pieces in our van, from the kitchen cabinets to the couch. Although I have not personally driven a car over any of these furniture pieces to test their strength, I have flopped my svelte derriere down on the couch with definite gusto.
Measuring Tape: A Foundation Tool for Converting a Van
I probably do not have to explain what a measuring tape is, but just in case, this magical device with lots of numbers written on it, can tell you exactly how long an item is. It does not however guarantee that you will be pleased with the number.
I recently discovered that there are different classes of measuring tapes, and the vast majority that you will find in the hardware store are going to be Class II. Unless you are extremely precise in every other aspect of your van build, it is unlikely that you will notice a significant difference between a Class I and Class II measuring tape. However, if you can find a Class I, then I would definitely spring for it, as it never hurts to be as accurate as possible. Actually I take that back, it definitely hurts when you really want to get a move on, but someone insists on measuring three times, and cutting once.
If you want to be hyper accurate, a term that means you measure eight times before cutting once, for reference it only becomes OCD when you measure ten times. To assist with your desire for perfection, or as a way to make sure you did not accidentally measure wrong with the tape measure seven times, you can invest in a laser measure. You do not need the fancy cross laser that sits on a tripod, although if you plan on installing tile in your van, that might not be a bad idea, instead I would buy a simple but good laser distance measure. You can typically buy them for around $40-60 if you hunt around. I purchased a Bosch laser measure many years ago, and have used it for building several fences, and now also for checking interior dimensions in our vans.
Carpenter Square: A Tool That Will Make Your Van Conversion Easier
Unless you are blessed with an extremely level driveway, or a workshop with a level floor, then you will quickly discover that nothing in a van is level, which logically makes using a level in your van pointless. Very few things in your van are square either, but that is no excuse for your cabinets being wonky. Instead I recommend using a carpenter square, as that will help you make sure that your walls, and cabinets are all squared up. We also used our carpenter square for marking out cut lines, and as an aid to making straight cuts with our jigsaw. I recommend buying a metal carpenter square, as I’m not entirely convinced on the accuracy of the plastic ones.
Utility Knife
A good utility knife is a tool that you will find yourself reaching for surprisingly often. Not only is it great for opening the countless packages you will be ordering for your van build, but it also great for cutting away excess dried glue, and a myriad of other small tasks.
I personally prefer using a flip style knife, as it is quicker to open and close, and because the blade is supported, they are usually stronger as well.
Carpenter Pencil: A Surprisingly Important Tool for Your Camper Van Conversion
If you have huge ears, like myself, and can fit it behind your ears, then you can opt for the traditional carpenter’s pencil and enjoy watching your partner cringe as you deftly swipe your utility knife again, and again to sharpen the tip. Although there is great joy, and pride to be had in that, it rarely produces a very accurate tip.
Luckily they now make a mechanical construction pencil, which usually has a brightly coloured holder with a built in pencil sharpener. This allows you to get a much more accurate, and consistent line. Of course if you refuse to place the pencil back in the brightly coloured holder, then the OCD Gods will definitely punish you.
In all seriousness this is probably the most important tool in your van building arsenal. There is no point in spending ages getting the perfect measurement if the pencil you use to make the line is a ¼” thick. Especially when using a track saw, you are going to rely on your pencil mark to line up the track. If your mark is wrong, wobbly or too thick, then you will have an extremely hard time creating consistent, and straight cuts.
Clamps: A Useful Addition to Your Van Building Toolbox
Ideally you want a mix of short and long clamps, so that you can use them to glue furring strips to your ceiling, but also glue your kitchen cabinets together. Even if you plan on using pocket screws, clamps will help you keep your pieces from shifting when you drill.
If you are on a budget the twist style clamps were good enough for your grandfather, and will be perfectly sufficient for most van building needs as well. If you have the cash to spare, then a ratcheting clamp with a quick release will definitely save you some time in the long run.
It can be hard to tell online, but if you are buying in person then make sure you look for clamps where the metal connector feels thick, and strong. You should also clamp some items in the store with a bit of force, to make sure that the plastic handles are not brittle.
Hearing and Respiratory Protection: A Necessary Part of Your Van Build Tool Kit
Hearing Protection
I personally think that constantly saying, pardon, what, and come again? Is a most attractive proposition for an individual, but there is a very strong chance that the people around you will grow weary of it.
To avoid this calamity, make sure you purchase, and use hearing protection. This advice goes for all parties involved. It is surprising how loud a mitre saw can be, and a jig saw might not be all that loud when you are standing upright, but as soon as you are at eye level, to ensure you are cutting as straight as possible, it becomes a hazard to your ears.
In Sweden they have a particular fondness for over ear hearing protection with bluetooth built in so that you can continue to listen to music or take calls. They are also very easy to have around your neck, for the times you would rather not yell at the people around you.
Dust Mask
Unless you have a full workshop set up with a dust extraction system, then you should wear a mask to keep harmful dust out of your lungs. I confess to being extremely lax about it myself, but you will quickly become convinced after you have cut a piece of laminate, and discovered a layer of black dust lying around you. No one wants that in their lungs, so mask up when cutting wood, and then remove it afterwards to breathe in the fresh smell of cut wood.
Simplify Building Your Camper Van Conversion by Having the Right Tools
Do not fall into the trap of thinking that you have to spend thousands of dollars on tools. If you have a family member or friend that has a stack of old tools lying around that they are happy to lend you, then I would grab that opportunity with both hands. You may find that one or two of the tools are too cumbersome, or not powerful enough, and those you can always replace.
If you are starting out, and do not have any huge plans for becoming a woodworking ninja, then I would suggest trying to look for a starter kit that has all the must-have power tools we mentioned above.
Do be warned though that van building has a nasty habit of becoming addictive, and as soon as you have completed one van conversion, and the stress, and trauma has worn off, you may very well find yourself contemplating what you could do better on the next build. With that in mind, I would caution against buying the absolute cheapest of tools, because if you have to replace them every time you do a camper van conversion, then those tools are no longer cheap.
If you are thinking about building a DIY camper van, then take a look at our post on 5 Top Tips for a Sustainable Non Toxic Camper Van Conversion, to help guide you through creating a healthy indoor climate using natural materials in your camper home. Once you have completed your van build, make sure to fill your camper with safe non-toxic camping gear. Learn about 12 dangerous products found in most RVs and camper vans and what to replace them with.
Tips for Buying a Van for Van Life
Get helpful tips for buying the best van for van life or a DIY camper van conversion. Find out the pros and cons of popular van models and discover which van is right one for you:
- Sprinter vs Transit vs ProMaster Ranking Guide: Best Van for Van Life is…
- How to Choose the Ultimate Van for Van Life: Sprinter, Transit or ProMaster
- Is the Mercedes Sprinter the Ultimate Van for Van Life?
- Is the Ford Transit the Ultimate Van for Van Life?
- Is the Ram ProMaster the Ultimate Van for Van Life?
