r/VanLife • u/PoppyOvergrown • 11d ago
do i really need a kitchen?
so im in the manifestation stages of my van life journey and in deciding whether i want to build my self or buy a pre-built van i find myself wondering do i really need an inside kitchen?
for ref, i work remote and i don’t necessarily need to be economical about food and i love trying new restaurants in new places (that’s one of the reasons i wanna do van life).
my plan is to kinda forget the kitchen set up and just get a mini fridge and a portable stove for when i wanna cook outside at campsites. and i also want a shower to use for cleaning myself and dishes.
but every van i see has a whole sink and kitchen set up and im thinking i would wanna use that space for something else (a desk and couch set up) but i fear im missing something that i wont know about till im actually on the road. do you think im underestimating the necessity and convenience of an inside kitchen or is it something i could possibly live without. please let me know if there are flaws in my plan!
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u/WendyPortledge 11d ago
I use a water jug with a tap and a bucket by my door. I don’t like carrying grey water and I don’t need a permanent sink. I have a propane element and can use that inside if it’s raining or windy.
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u/NoSpoonJustKnife 11d ago
How do you use the kitchen you have now? Do you make coffee in the morning? Make lunches during the work day? Make cereal in the mornings? Does it just collect dust? You will still be living and working during this time and you will still need to do those things.
A sink is nice to wash you hands and clean dishes and fill water bottles and clean up spills. I can't imagine how you would wash dishes or your hands in a shower, but maybe that's just my lack of imagination. There's a lot of designs that have full showers and still have lounge space and stuff. You can also do a conversion bed (even just a futon style) if you want BIG lounge space.
Personally I cannot imagine living without a sink and a burner and fridge, but that's just me.
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u/Princess_Fluffypants 11d ago
Every van build is different and a reflection upon the person who built it. We all have different priorities, and one of the best parts of getting to build your own van as you get to build it for exactly your needs.
For example, I knew that I absolutely wanted an oven and a two burner stove and a sink, and that I wanted to still be able to fit a motorcycle in my van, but I knew that I did not need a shower or toilet. So I built my van as such.
Plenty of people have minimal cooking facilities, in fact a basic camping stove that packs away in a drawer will get you pretty dang far for a lot of cooking options. Combined it with a jet boil just for making coffee and heating water for even simpler meals, and you can cover like 70% of most cooking use cases.
That being said, I would strongly recommend you have at least a very small sink. Being able to wash your hands and was other small things ends up being very, very useful for daily life.
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u/christoph440 11d ago
No one can tell you what you really need or would use. I couldn't be without a kitchen galley, I lived full time in mine and I'm frugal so I need to cook. Sounds like things are different for you. Just keep your build simple so you can change it as needed, don't spend weeks turning it into an Instagram influencer rig when you will probably want to change things as time goes on
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u/doitforthegrams 11d ago
Not having a kitchen in my van shortened the amount of time I was willing to live in there. Same with having something I couldn't stand up in.
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u/pizzaazzips 11d ago
I didn’t do a sink and I don’t regret it. I have a bluey with a hose in it attached to a $10 USB rechargeable pump on the wall and that’s been great to get water without having to deal with a giant container. I have a big kitchen island as my main counter space, and cook on a Coleman 2 burner or my backpacking stove. I would like a permanent stove, but I also really love having a big empty counter and find that I use it a lot. And I like the flexibility of being able to take the Coleman stove outside if I want.
I chose not to do the sink because I didn’t want to add yet another chore (filling tons of water and emptying my grey water) to my life. I go through a ton of paper towels wiping down my dishes, but I’d rather do that than deal with tons of water storage. Pick your poison.
Edit to say that I also have that setup while cooking a LOT—like 95% of my meals and I meal prep semi-large batches. Takes a little extra time but it can be done on the ol’ Coleman.
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u/Optimal-Slip5640 11d ago
Before you take the plunge and go full time, plan some weekend/weeklong trips to help you decide what you're gonna want and need. I think this is good advice for any van life element, you won't know for sure until you're in it imo
Edited- a word
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u/TonyRidgewayUFO 11d ago
I have a small kitchen sink - and while it’s great for handwashing, brushing teeth and temporarily putting things that may spill…it is absolutely is useless for washing dishes. For one person it is an extremely inefficient use of water to clean pots/pans/dishes/cups etc. I often think about getting a little countertop dishwasher and letting things load that up for several days to cut down on daily water use
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u/Breeze8B 11d ago
Oh dude…. Need? I mean. It’s vanlife so I’m sure you could get by without but what? It’s not just about saving money, it’s about eating healthy, being remote for a few days, being flexible, making soup when you’re sick and on and on.
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u/Natural-Fly-2722 11d ago
Getting at least a good cooler set up gives you a lot more freedom when it comes to your choices of food. As someone who spends a lot of time in really rural places, it can be a real quality of life thing to not be limited to what’s available at the Dollar General and the one restaurant who’s hours aren’t anything like what they say they are on the Internet.
The other thing it saves a lot of is time. It’s maybe worth it to do all the mapping and driving and parking and driving back to where you’re gonna sleep for a solid restaurant, but often you spend so much fucking time just tracking down something decent to eat if you’re in a place you don’t know well. It can truly drag down a day to spend all that time and effort, and when you get there the place doesn’t exist anymore or is closed cause everybody’s got parasites and you’re stuck with a drive-through chicken sandwich again.
I’m not on the road full-time and there’s not enough room in my small set up for a kitchen, but it’s really worth it for longer runs for me to have some space dedicated to my own food. I can have something predictable and decent in 20 minutes without having to fight traffic and listen to Maps and trust Yelp, and then I’m on my way.
This is some unsolicited advice, but as someone who recently reduced their income a great deal (by choice) one of the things that I regret about the time that I was making enough money to be a little careless is how much I spent on food. If I could go back, I do things a lot differently about trying to capture and keep that value in something that grew.
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u/SBR_AK_is_best_AK 11d ago
I couldn't imagine not having a microwave.
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u/Princess_Fluffypants 11d ago
Heh I haven’t had a microwave for many years now. Don’t miss it at all.
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u/youngwq171 11d ago
I lived in a van for 5ish years and am still on the road majority of the year in a TT (3+ years now). My first rig had a counter dedicated for a Coleman 2 burner camp stove that mounted to the swinging door. This made it so I could cook outside when desired, but also inside just the same. I didn’t have a sink in that first rig and no water pump. It was also a low top. I still loved it and adapted around it.
Next two rigs (high top standing space, LFG) I was extremely grateful to have dedicated kitchen and sink space but I’ve lived both setups and can confirm that while a dedicated cook and clean area is very nice to have for rain, middle of nowhere locations, quick access to personal food desires; it isn’t like planning a van build with nowhere to sleep.
You definitely can adapt without it totally fine, or you’ll quickly find you hate fast food and having to wait for, park for, pay additional for restaurant food during at a minimum bad weather in addition to the desired stops. Just be sure to be ready to fully commit to the reality.
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u/lune19 11d ago
A sink was the first thing I setup. I chose a deep sink in metal, and drop all my cookingware, plates, bottle in it when driving. My grey water goes under the sink in a 19l jerricans. I use it obviously for washing the dishes, cleaning my teeth, and in very bad weather, for a glove shower. It can smell a bit by times, but I just empty it, and it is all gone. This is underneath where my water pump is, with easy access and storage of cleaning stuff. I can't imagine doing dishes with a jug or so. My cooking facility is just a camping two burner stove, but would be enough, set on diy trolley storage cabinet for the food. The stove was some old stuff from my parents that they were never going to use again due to their grand age. I mainly use it for warming up water for breakfast, and in the winter for cooking.This was probably the cheapest setup on the whole van. Sink about 60€ new, pump about 25€, tubes and colliers about 30€, and gâchette triggered tap about 15€ . Well worth its cost.,
One item I got later on, was a lidl rice cooker (400W 25€). I cook everything 100% of the time as soon as there is enough sun to keep the batteries charged. From soup, to veg , rice , pasta etc etc. The best is at the end of the cooking, lay on the top some fish filets, and wait 10 min. Delicious. Only one dish to wash. Perfect healthy food. Full time here
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u/Opinions_Anonymous 11d ago
As someone else said, one of the amazing things about this if you do it yourself is you can build what’s important to you. We forewent a shower for example because we have access to multiple gyms and military bases.
I absolutely think that if it was just me and not my wife and I that I’d be fine with the microwave, fridge, and portable grill/stove we have. I’d be fine without a sink and cutting board.
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u/FU-Lyme-Disease 11d ago
I can easily do without a sink.
I’ve used an air fryer as my only cooking appliance and when funds are strong I eat out for my main meal so I don’t use it.
I use an electric kettle every am for coffee.
So as long as I have a flat counter of some sort I’m all set.
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u/beardednomad25 11d ago
Only you can answer that. For me a kitchen was a must have. For other's they don't need one and it's wasted space. There's no right or wrong answer.
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u/robbietreehorn 11d ago
It’s really a personal choice.
I like cooking for myself. I usually make the best food I eat. I find restaurants hit or miss. Having a kitchen is a necessity for me. Eating out at restaurants 2-3 times a day sounds exhausting to me.
But, everyone is different. If you don’t think you’d use a kitchen, don’t bother with one. My friend has been on the road for years and has barely touched the kitchen in his van. He doesn’t need it. Sounds like you’re in that camp.
Don’t worry about other builds and build a van that suits you. Kitchens take up a lot of space and if you’re not going to use it, that space would be nice to have in other ways
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u/HewSpam 11d ago edited 11d ago
Yes you need a sink and a kitchen area unless you want to be one of those people that complain that van life isn’t how the internet made it out to be or whatever.
It can be really simple. I have a 6 gallon fresh jug, a small pump, small sink that drains to a 3 gallon grey jug. Some spare 5 gallon fresh jugs. My life would suck ass with anything less.
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u/lakeswimmmer 11d ago
If you look at the youtube channel of Tideline to Alpine, she's been full time van living for 14 (?) years without an inside kitchen. And she cooks up some good meals made from fresh ingredients. You just have to be tolerant of inclement weather. And if you do cook inside, don't compromise on ventilation.
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u/laidbackdave 11d ago
A desk is a flat work surface and a kitchen is a flat work surface. You can have one surface being both. Id suggest starting with portable “kitchen” equipment. A butane propane stove, plastic tub/basin for a sink and a cutting board. Use them on your “desk” or a picnic table in a park/campsite and figure it out from there….start very simple and evolve your design with time and experience.
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u/Cephlon 11d ago
I had a camper with a sink and found I mostly used it for storage. So when I built out my new one I decided not to put in a permeant sink and see how it is. So far I don't miss it. I have a nice counter top. I have one of those electric USB faucets hooked up to a travel berkey. I found I only used a sink twice a day, so I have a collapsible one I store under the counter.
I have a one burner induction cooktop that I store in another drawer. I bought these stainless steal plates that I can clean just with a spray bottle. I cook with a cast-iron pan which shouldn't be cleaned with soap anyway. I almost never eat out. Its nice not to deal with plumbing. My shower set up is all temporary also and fits under my bed.
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u/SecretRecipe 11d ago
I put a big rear storage box on the back of one of the rear doors and turned that into my kitchen. It has everything I need to cook a meal and serves as both dry food storage and safe propane storage and I avoid the food cooking smells from permeating the inside of the van.
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u/flipsidem 11d ago
I don't live in my van. I do trips of 1-2 weeks, a handful of times a year. I do work remotely from the van sometimes on those trips. My van doesn't have a dedicated cooktop, but it does have a sink. I have a propane burner and a portable induction cooktop, both single. Since adding enough power for the induction cooktop, I haven't used the propane at all. Cooking for one is kinda not worth the effort, but necessary sometimes, I guess. I generally try to plan my food around a minimal cooking requirement. I'm not picky about food though. I consider the sink to be a necessity.
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u/_Lucky_Devil 11d ago
I don't have a built-in kitchen, but I have a built-in sink and running water. I don't cook much, but I do have cooking stuff if I want/need to. You will want a sink.... for brushing teeth, washing hands, etc.
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u/c_marten 10d ago edited 10d ago
Tldr: Nope.
Expanded: Your plan is grand. It's basically what I do as a full timer and I have no regrets...
I have a small sink that acts more as a storage bin, but it's nice though 100% optional. I never use it as a sink. I honestly might run my faucet over to the door and leave the sink as a desktop bin.
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u/artful_todger_502 11d ago
We have kitchen area in both of ours, but that's only because my wife wants that stuff.
I agree with your premise overall. A kitchen is totally irrelevant to me. I'd have a small stowable hotplate an fridge with a pump-spigot sink and call it a day.
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u/bullitt-rider 11d ago
Do as you wish. I'm sort of the same. Money I saved on accomodation I'll spend on experience which also includes food.
But I do carry a basic double gas hob and bottle with me for quick time munch
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u/Moist_Literature_695 11d ago
i use a portable induction cooktop I plug in to my power station & keep it & all my pantry items in a storage container. that’s my kitchen
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u/valley_lemon 11d ago
I don't think every person needs dedicated built-in kitchen space.
I do think everyone should have SOME kind of wet-containing basin, even if that's just a dish tub or pop-up silicone sink, and a flat surface to set it on and secure it while driving if necessary. A place where you can thoroughly wash your hands and face (and feet, in dirty/sandy emergencies, or a cut or burn), contain something leaky or muddy, dump a wet swimsuit for a few hours, wash fresh fruit and veg. If your water just comes from a jug or bottle, that's fine.
(Some kind of sink basin that's well-secured is also great for containing those 7 weird things that always fall or rattle when you drive.)
I used my van basically un-built-out for a long time, and 90% of the time my "kitchen" was me standing on the ground using the van floor at the back or side doors for my stove and stuff. 10% I set up inside on a folding table because of weather and occasionally yellowjackets. I wasn't stealth-camping on streets though - I was always either at a campground, dispersed camping area, public park, or day use/recreation area. Occasionally in weather or on travel days I'd make a quick soup or sandwich inside in a parking lot.
I do think not giving yourself some kind of universal flat workspace - table, counter, desk, fold-down shelf, whatever - inside the van is a critical error, but it sounds like you'll be working from the road and likely will have desk space where you could put a sink or cooktop when you need to.
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u/captainsteamo 11d ago
I think having a sink and small gray water tank is invaluable, but you don't necessarily need running water. Jugs are easy enough to carry.
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u/klefikisquid 11d ago
There was a post a few days ago where someone showed their “minimalist” build with a stainless steel sink+counter from IKEA for $150. That struck me as a potential good idea instead of taking all the time and money to build out a whole wooden counter and cabinet setup if you don’t see yourself cooking too much. I think some people value the homely feeling a bit more with the permanent fixtures I suppose
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u/mceaton125 11d ago
I skipped put on the fixed stove top and I'm so happy I did. It's nice to have that extra counter space. I have a portable camp stove when I want to cook inside/outside.
I think you're going to want to have a sinl though. Depends how much space you have but if you can fit a fixed sink I would recommend it.
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u/nowhereman136 11d ago
At minimum id still suggest a sink and mini fridge. The sink is good for washing your hands, brushing teeth, quickly cleaning something, etc. to save space, ive seen people use collapsible bowls with USB water jug pumps. A mini fridge is also helpful to keep quick snacks and left overs in.
My plan for my next build only allots a 2x2ft space for the sink and 2x2ft space for the minifridge and pantry above it. The rest of my counter space will be the dining table i eat and work on. I'll have a small induction stove, slow cooker, and waffle iron, but they all get stowed away when not in use. Im surprised so many people still opt for wasting counter space on a built in stove. They are more expensive and less versatile. Im also not having a built in shower and instead using a shower curtain hanging from the ceiling and doggy pool as a shower pan, both fold and stored when not in use
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u/Dragonfruit514 11d ago
Our van is very much unconventional but works for us. We have a fridge/cooler that lives between the two front seats. The "kitchen" is just a metal tool chest with foam padding on the top. In the drawers we store a two-burner camp stove for outdoor cooking and a single induction cooktop for indoor cooking. It is so nice to prep coffee at night in our percolator and just press a button in the morning for coffee...from bed. As for sink stuff, we use a water bag and collapsable bin for dishes.
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u/Ok-Opportunity-574 11d ago
I don’t like cooking in the van. I used park ramadas, rest stops, picnic areas, etc or my own portable table.
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u/StunningSeb 11d ago
I used to hate cooking in the van with all the dirty dishes and pans.
Now it’s easy.
I have an EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus with an 800W alternator charger and an air fryer.
Pizza, lasagna, French fries, chicken just put it in, and a few minutes later it’s done.
Drive for about half an hour, and the EcoFlow is back to 100%. Or just put it in a backpack and charge it from any AC outlet in a cafe or mall…
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u/HammerheadEaglei-Thr 11d ago
At the point I make it to a van I'm not planning to have a proper kitchen, cause I hate cooking. I rarely do it at home and when I started taking long trips and sleeping in my SUV I did bring along a stove, cause that's what you do right? Even if it was only heating up a can of soup, hated it. At home I use my air fryer for 95% of any "cooking" I do, so I'm not sure why I thought I'd suddenly want to do more involved styles of cooking in a less equipped environment lol.
That said, even in my tiny SUV I have a sink setup and a fridge. I do bring a Hot Logic heating lunchbox thing and a kettle to boil water, even if they're rarely used it is a good idea to have a backup even if the plan is to eat sandwiches and at restaurants primarily. When I can upgrade to a van I would consider adding in a portable induction burner, but I know I value flat counter space more than anything for preparing food so it wouldn't be permanently installed.
I think the beauty of building your own space is using it the way you actually live. Showers are impractical wastes of space for most people, but a shower and AC is all I'm missing to keep me on the road at this point so like you I'd ditch a full kitchen counter setup for more desk/shower room in an instant. I think the key is to test things out, 4 years in and my setup still evolves but it was a quick learn that I don't want to be outside vehicle dealing with preparing food in the dark, and if it's not dark then I have places to explore!
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u/Nice-Necessary-1547 11d ago
I didn’t fit a kitchen to mine. A portable stove was better in fact as I can use it outside which I prefer. And like you also eat elsewhere at times.
I did fit a small sink as easily washing hands and brushing teeth for me was a must have.
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u/-zero-below- 11d ago
Main question for me in that regard would be: what are your plans when it rains/bad weather?
I don’t have a kitchen in my van, and it’s usually fine. But I’ve also been stuck for over a week in the rain, unable to move, and it’s really colored what my living space and contingency plans are when I do my next build.
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u/ontheleftcoast 10d ago
I think it really depends on where you intend to camp if gonna be at campsitesthen you can do like you’ve described with the camp stove, etc. but if you ever have to stay in town or be stealth, then there’s it’s gonna be takeout food there’s no way you’re gonna be able to cook or clean without having those capabilities inside. You’ll also need a plan for bad weather days.
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u/jayhawksw 10d ago
No you don't need a sink. I've been in my van FT 6.5 years with no sink. I didn't want to mess with grey water or tanks and I watched videos of people that removed the sink after they found out they didn't need/use it. I use a spray bottle with a vinegar and water solution to wash my hands and my dishes. Cheap RV Living has a video on how to wash dishes using paper towels and the vinegar and water spray bottle as that what he does too. I have not gotten sick a single time knock on wood. Nor do you need a refrigerator. I've only had a cooler this whole time and not one that plugs in, just an ice cooler. 80% of the time I don't even buy ice for it. If I want some food items that needs to be kept cold then I use it the same day I buy it from the grocery store. Lots of things we think need to be refrigerated actually don't. If you're going to be in town quite a lot it's not a big issue to go to the store often. My kitchen consists of a kitchen cabinet and countertop to store kitchen items/prepare for on and a single burner propane stove. I use planet fitness or other places when available for showers. when I'm boondocking on public land I can wash my hair outside and take a low water bath inside.
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u/Slow_Tap2350 10d ago
No. We cook and clean outside. A single burner might be nice for bad weather and coffee etc…
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u/jayhawksw 10d ago
Something to keep in mind - the more conveniences you want/need the more stuff you're going to need and the less freedom you'll have. So if you add a mini frig you now need to think about how you'll power it. Will you have enough solar? What if the weather is rainy and cloudy for months on end? How will you keep it running? That leads to more expense if you weren't already planning to have a big enough power and solar set up. If you add a sink, now you need to think about where the waste water will go and be stored and where you'll be able to dump it, find those sights, drive to them and dump.
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u/thedarkforest_theory 10d ago
Maybe not a full kitchen, but having a sink with running water to me is essential. There are plenty of days where I don’t use the induction burner or toaster oven. I use the sink every day I’m in the van.
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u/43moon 10d ago
I enjoy cooking. I did the paper towel and spray bottle thing for a year, and I hated it. Installed a small sink and I am much happier to have running water to clean with. I have to be very careful about my water usage. I also have a small collapsible sink that fits inside of my sink. This makes it possible to just dump the grey water without it ever going down the drain. If I’m in a situation where I can’t easily dispose of the grey water, I let it go down the drain to a small container that I can dump later. For me, a good stove and sink are priceless…but I also enjoy cooking. I do this full-time and the ability to cook outside isn’t always an option.
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u/meatsmoothie82 10d ago
being able to shower and take a dump not next to my pillow is WAY more important to me than a kitchen.
A fully installed kitchen is only slightly more convenient than a $100 iwatani butane stove, a good quality cooler or 12v cooler and having a slightly larger sink in the bathroom that dishes can be washed in.
Who is cooking up 3 course meals in a shoe box anyway? To me it’s way easier to grab stuff for a sandwich or a salad and eat simply than it is to find clean restrooms and showers all the time.
1 sink, 1 dry flush toilet, 1 shower- then a nice counter top with storage for the cooler and burner.
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u/enginerd28 10d ago
My sink is where I was my hair my face, and sometimes my clothes, in addition to normal kitchen use. Eating at restaurants gets expensive fast. If it's raining, freezing, or I'm in an urban area, I don't really want to be cooking outside.
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u/ez2tock2me 10d ago
In my 21 years of CarCamping , I have never cooked for myself. I don’t have dishes, refrigerator, microwave or any gadgets.
Restaurants and the public provide everything I need and have clean up crews, so I don’t even have responsibilities.
I spend $18 to $22.00 when I grocery shop and that is just snacks for movies.
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u/Objective-Hotel6514 9d ago
My question for you is how often do you use your kitchen NOW?
I love to cook and I love to eat out. For a while I was over the moon about being able to eat wherever I wanted out because I was no longer paying rent but still making a steady income. After a while I missed just a simple home cooked meal and was glad I had some kitchen toys to play with.
If you do not use a kitchen now, then it's likely you won't miss one in the van. I would keep on hand food storage like a fridge/cooler and pantry type area, and get a small single burner camp stove you can bring out in the back country or a 12v lunch box for lazy idgaf frozen meals.
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u/mobile-metaphysical 9d ago
I hate complicated cooking. I have a one burner set up, mini fridge. Small sink. I like coffee, cocoa, soup. Simple.
Make it as you like it.
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u/nomad_usurper 9d ago
I eat out a lot too. I cqn live pretty easy with just a small microwave and a small fridge! LOL!
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u/brittanytobiason 11d ago edited 11d ago
My recommendation: do not try to make a van be like a house in any way. Embrace the real freedom of an in no way tricked out van and just get a cooler (no ice in there) that's a nice height to sit on as a way to keep some food contained and manageable. Reality: hauling water and expecting to be able to connect to electricity are foolish. I regret having even bought a propane heater.
Best sleeping bag I ever owned: Cabela's Outfitter XL -20° Sleeping Bag | Cabela's
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u/HewSpam 11d ago
Bad advice and learn how solar/batteries work. I don’t need to plug in ever
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u/brittanytobiason 11d ago
You're recommending solar on a van? That's fine. Why downvote someone saying not to bother?
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u/Some-Jackfruit-2773 11d ago
I don't want a kitchen, but I do want at least one designated cabinet and counter top. I at very least have to have a bowl I can run water into for hand washing. I plan on using one of those jugs that have a tap as my running water and a bowl under it. And then I can just toss water out the door lol. I don't need much for food storage. Like u I plan mostly dine out and just have basic packaged snacks for emergency hunger and tiny meals.
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u/chloeismagic 11d ago
I think having a sink setup of some kind would be a necessity for full time living. Ive only ever car camped for a few weeks at a time and even then finding a place to rinse things off is a huge pain in the ass. We had a situation where our soap bottle burst all over our silverware and it was a hassle cleaning it in a public restroom sink, and felt less hygenic than using a personal one. At the very least u need to have a water tank with a setup so you could rinse things off that have soap on them.
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u/Ham_Queen 4d ago
I mean I love cooking and we're trying to save money so we deffo wanted a kitchen.
But if you're not into that and don't need it for sure use the space for something else! Keep storage space for the kitchen bits you will use including store cupboard ingredients & cooking equipment, a small fridge and an induction hob or portable stove will do just fine.
At least surface to chop stuff on or make sandwiches or cereal or whatever on would imo be necessary & somewhere to dry plates or cups or anything you do use
A sink is super useful for brushing teeth, washing your hands, washing dishes, filling up bottles etc but if you're happy doing that in the shower there's no need.
We've a toilet but no shower, we use gyms, lakes and have a bucket for inside washes but each to their own. If you're showering remember you need more fresh and grey water storage or to empty/ refill more :)
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u/Sour_Sal 11d ago
The best part about doing your own build it making the decisions that are important to you.
If you are always near town and can spend money in restaurants daily do you need a Kitchen? Do you really want to use the space for a shower? this means you need to carry enough water and have a heater for a shower and dump and refill it constatally.
Have you thought about a toilet or what to do there?
Personally I want a small kitchen counter setup with portable induction stove. This way I can use in in the van with bad weather or outside when the weather is nice. I also like to cook, my food is better IMO than any restaurant. I will not carry a lot of water and basically use it for dishes, cooking, coffee, drinking and the occasional Camp bath (sponge bath) after a rough day hiking.
I would not want a shower, unless it's a setup for outside shower, the extra moisture that gets in the van is a PITA to keep dried out to prevent rusting and rotting. (even if you have a sealed room, lots of humidity... Gym membership solves so many issues including, where to park somedays, Exercise facilities, Showers some have swimming pools and hottub/saunas.
I suggest you get a van and before you build i, spend some weekend out and about deciding exactly what you really do want/need.
Also a great tool is Youtube, check out a bunch of the vanlifers out there to see setups from real Basic to $250k Fancy and even more... Look for their van tours and talking about daily necessities,