
The Goobsmobile
About the Project
No other place to start this project than the beginning!
I bought this van in February, 2021 after scouring Facebook Marketplace for weeks on end. On my way to buy a van that looked just "pretty good", I saw this van parked on the side of the road with a "For Sale" sign. Seeing that sign immediately made me forget about the original van I was going to buy. That was the best decision I could have ever made.
This van that I have dubbed The Goobsmobile is a 1992 Dodge Ram Van. Although the van was already converted to be a livable space by the company Roadtrek, I had my own vision for how I wanted this van to be.
Through many lessons learned, roadside misadventures, quiet contemplative nights, and bottles of wood glue - I brought my vision of a cabin on wheels to life!
Over the course of three years, I worked on and off to fulfill my vision! I started by stripping the van of its original interior, except for the cab because I had to keep that original. After demolition, I installed installation and framing into the van to serve as the bones for the van’s structure. Next was hooking up the electrical system for the van’s “home” appliances - this includes dimmable lights, a fan that can blow air in and out, a 12v fridge, an inverter for 120v power, multiple charging ports, and a water pump to push water from tank to sink! Once the electrical work was done, I could go about completing the van’s interior with the finished layout plan including a bed, a living room, a dining room, a kitchenette, and a foyer.
All of this was completed without any prior knowledge! I took on a backwards “measure once, cut twice” sort of approach, which while not the most efficient, taught me a lot about what it takes to build a home! If you ignore how bad some of the work is in the van, then it doesn’t look half bad.
As of August 2024, the van was finally completed!
I finally finished my van! A tour of the Goobsmobile
Enjoy a tour of my van the Goobsmobile! See firsthand the passion, love, and energy that was put into the van.
The Goobsmobile Image Gallery
This complete conversion would not have been possible without the "help" of my lovely assistants :3
The day I bought the van!
The van in its original glory
A blowout of epic proportions on the Jersey Turnpike
The Dream Team assessing the damage, I didn't have to lift a finger
Post "Getting all 4 tires changed" selfie!
Demolition begins
Foreman Romi making sure I get 'er done
One fully insulated van coming right up
Sleepy guy
Hide n' Seek
Installing the roof rack
Installing the solar panel
Solar power feeds into this charge controller, which turns the sun into usable electric energy!
Lights, camera, action!
The bed situation for a road trip to Houston, TX
Just saying hi :3
An unfortunate event...
Yowza
Oh dear
Good heavens
All good now! Van came out of this with Z-E-R-O damage
Sunset appreciation after a crazy day
Cabinets!
More cabinets!
Going to the shop
Party mode
Lil guy taking a break
Hand carving a cabinet knob
All done :)
He's a big fan of the foam mattress
My plumbing expert making sure everything is up to snuff
The completed foyer!
Structure of the kitchenette
Unfinished kitchen counter
What a beaut
Running water :0
Two cats for the price of one
Charging pad pt. 1
Charging pad pt. 2
Two ties because I'm twice as professional as you
Van party!
Chilaquiles in the van :)
First fill up of my great road trip
The end!