How to Build Lightweight DIY Van Cabinets + Air Fryer Test for Vanlife

Finishing Touches to My Van Conversion | VAN CONVERSION EP 1

After four long months of waiting, my van is finally home! I genuinely forgot how much I missed it — the little creaks, the familiar smell of wood and tools, and that feeling of ah yes, this is my wee space. While the engine needed some serious TLC (thanks to me being slightly clueless on maintenance… oops!), it’s running beautifully now. So, with a few months to go before I head off for full-time solo female van life around Ireland, it’s time to get cracking on the finishing touches

🎥 Prefer to watch instead? Click play below to see this week’s video on finishing the last pieces of my van conversion — magnets, cupboards, air fryer tests and all.

🚐 Task 1: Driving My Van Home

It had been sitting with my mechanic for four months, so taking the van out for that first drive again was a mix of nerves and full-on excitement. It’s always weird how quickly the van starts to feel like home again. I stuck some music on, rolled the windows down, and tried to remember that it might be wise to keep an eye on the coolant this time around.

🧲 Task 2: New Magnets from My Travels

Even though I didn’t have the van for a while, I still managed a few little adventures:

• Derry (local classic)
• Montreal, while working with One Young World for my clothing brand Compassion Threads
• Cuenca — honestly one of my favourite places in Spain. If you’re ever road-tripping, train tripping through Spain, or in a city near it, go. It’s beautiful.

So of course, I had to add a few new magnets to the collection on my hob. They’re tiny, but they each hold a memory, and I love how they turn my bland hob into into something more personal and pretty.

🛠️ Task 3: Creating the Cupboard Doors

Let’s talk about those upper cupboards! I wanted them to look warm and have a bit of character — something that matched the rest of the van’s cottagecore vibes.

I made all my cupboards using tongue and groove timber. It’s a bit more expensive than MDF, but it’s way lighter — so long-term, it made more sense weight-wise.

For the upper cabinets in this video:

• I used a 3mm MDF back panel from the B&Q offcuts section (£2!)
• Layered on some rattan and a piece of thin calico fabric behind it for that beige-and-brown, natural look I’m going for throughout the van
• Cut the tongue and groove in half with my table saw
• Trimmed the corners to 45 degrees to frame out the cabinet nicely
• Glued it all together with wood glue, reinforced with brad nails and reinforced strength tape for the rattan and fabric
• Drilled a small hole and added a rounded handle at the bottom (the hinges are at the top)

I didn’t bother adding struts to hold the doors open. Instead, they sit at the perfect height where I can just hold them open with my head while I rummage for what I need. Not fancy — but functional!

🍟 Task 4: Testing My Airfryer in the Van

Yes, I finally tested my Cosori 900w mini air fryer and I’m so pleasantly surprised. It worked like a dream on my 2000w inverter, wedges were done in 10 minutes flat, and it didn’t chew through my batteries too much. Absolute win!

Now — I don’t plan to use it all the time. My gas hob is still my go-to. But it’s brilliant to have the air fryer as a backup:

• For quick meals if I’m out of gas
• When I’m craving something crispy without a takeaway

➡️ Here’s the link if you want to grab one for your van (affiliate link)

Final Thoughts

Getting the van back after so long felt like the universe handed me a big, grubby, slightly wonky key to freedom again. There’s still a to-do list a mile long, but this was the week where the dream started feeling real again.

If you want to see the whole build from the beginning or catch up on my short van trips, head over to the YouTube channel or follow along on Instagram and TikTok.

And if you want to read more about the van conversion process, check out my full Van Conversion blog series.

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Thanks so much for being here,

Lauren xx