Grove

Grove was built for two people and two Boston Terriers who wanted to actually live in it, not just get out on weekends.

The Build

Most vans this size make you pick. You can have a real bathroom, or you can have a real kitchen. The 170 Extended is the reason nobody had to choose here, and that extra length is what the whole layout got built around.

The galley sits in the middle and splits across the aisle so two people can cook without climbing over each other. Bamboo counters, a stainless sink under an opening window on the driver side, and a fold down extension for when there isn’t enough room. Induction cooktop, fridge and microwave on the other side. Both cab seats spin around to meet a pair of swivel tables, and that turns the front of the van into an office for two.

The whole back of the van is a tiled wet bath. We waterproofed it the way we’d do a bathroom in a house, with a full Emser HydroBlok system, travertine look walls and a penny round mosaic floor. It closes off with a curtain, and the rear doors open right into it, so you can rinse off outside and step straight in. The dry flush toilet means there’s no black tank to empty, which is one less chore on the road.

Then there’s the electrical, and this is the part we thought hardest about. 600Ah of lithium and 600W of solar is a lot for a van this size. It’s there because the dogs stay in the van while their people are out, and the air conditioner has to run for hours on its own without anybody having to think about it. Every number in that system got worked backwards from that one requirement.

The cabinets are powder coated aluminum in Sandstone. They’re lighter than plywood, they wipe clean, and in five years they can be recoated in a new color instead of torn out and rebuilt. Bamboo counters and olive green against white walls and a pine slat ceiling. Warm without being dark, which matters a lot in something this long.

Why This Build Works

None of this is sized to look good in a photo. The tanks and lines are heated so the water still works when it’s cold, the bath is tiled and sealed like a real one, and the battery bank is big enough to keep two dogs comfortable on a hot afternoon in a parking lot.

That’s the whole idea. Build it well enough that they can quit thinking about it and just go.