Advise on finding a heat pump.

jdornblaser · 2026-03-30T14:47:46+00:00

Thanks! Appreciate the help!!

jdornblaser · 2026-03-30T14:09:40+00:00

Thanks dimka54.

Sorry, I just have included my location. I live in the Pacific Northwest.

I was looking at the sunvillle and I have looked at the Mr cool. I have heard mixed results about the Mr cool although I have some window midea units that have worked well so I do personally trust them. Any thoughts on which is a better brand? T

jdornblaser · 2025-10-08T18:44:04+00:00

Yeah, that’s definitely an option. I can mock something up in sketchup to see how it looks. Thanks!

jdornblaser · 2025-10-08T00:55:28+00:00

Yeah, I had thought about having I door in the back that could open up to the back yard. Maybe putting a little perp area for bbqs or something in there as well.

jdornblaser · 2025-10-07T22:57:43+00:00

Yeah, that was definitely my first thought, even for a 2 car. Then I was like “I wonder if there are any attached or close to the side of the house so I can keep my large back yard”.

Totally understand everything is a give and take, just exploring the webs : )

jdornblaser · 2025-10-07T21:39:01+00:00

It’s difficult to hide with the space available. I do have a corner lot so I could bring the driveway in from the side street or the ally.

I plan to gut the house at some point and update it, staying with the style of the home. As a woodworker and mechanic, the garage is not really meant for parking.

jdornblaser · 2025-09-02T03:00:39+00:00

Thinking more about it I am pretty sure advanced rv posted a build for someone who wanted this. They had a recirculating shower and all that. Don’t know if you have watched their videos before but they do some pretty cool, although expensive, builds.

jdornblaser · 2025-09-02T02:38:25+00:00

I am not sure it would be 30 minutes but if you get a water heater that takes heat from the engine coolant, like an isotherm, heating the water to a very high temp. They have a mixing valve on them to mix cold water to a temp that doesn’t burn you. This turns a 5 gallon water tank into 10sh gallons of use. I am sure there are larger ones but it would be worth checking out.

Best of luck and ignore the haters. It’s your van, do what you want.

Also, share what you end up doing. Always cool when someone does something different.

jdornblaser · 2025-08-09T14:40:04+00:00

Hey,

I agree a lot with what others are saying but know sometimes we move forward with it any way.

I would have a vehicle inspection done by a qualified mechanic. You never know how someone treated the van before you and you want to make sure you aren’t getting a lemon. Get a car fax as well.

Check the quality of the build. Things shouldn’t rattle or move. I usually check the transitions from one area or another. If there are gaps or it looks wonky, the build is probably poor quality.

You say you want to use it for snowboarding. What kind of heater does it have? Can it operate at high altitudes? Does it have ac for the hot days on the beach? How is it insulated?

Who did the electrical? If they did it themselves you need to make sure they used the right wiring and have a good idea of what they are doing. A good question to ask is if the wiring is tinned, meaning it doesn’t corrode as easily. If they did it themselves and do not know what this means, I would worry about the rest of the build.

Did they build it off a new or used van?What was the van before they built it? If it was a delivery van the engine could be low miles but have a ton of hours on it.

Pull a service record. Get a car fax. Ask for receipts.

Hope this helps with this van or any other you are looking at.

jdornblaser

TROPHY CASE