Planning a conversion soon but do not have a garage or space to work on the van as I am living in an apartment. Did a search online for industrial rental space and garages in southern California but seems everything is 1yr+ lease and I will only need it for a couple months. Wondering how other former apartment dwellers tackled the no garage or driveway issue to work on their conversions.
Rental space for a conversion
- Thread starter ldesp
- Start date
marklg
Well-known member
One thing to consider, projects always take longer than expected. I've just been doing upgrades and repairs on my Sprinter and it has taken more than a couple months. I'm retired, but life happens. There are always parts that are needed you didn't expect that can't be obtained locally. That introduces delays. Things go wrong. I may run up against a problem and take a couple days to think of several solutions till I settle on the best one.
We did a remodel on our house that I expected would take a few months and it was actually a year from start to finish.
I don't know the extent of your conversion or your time availability, but a couple months seems pretty optimistic to me. If you can do it, you are better than I am!
I do my work outside under a covered parking area and that has worked out fine here in AZ. I would think you could work that way in Southern CA too.
Best of luck,
Mark
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sprint2freedom
2008 NCV3 170ext
I did my whole conversion in a crowded apartment parking lot on the east coast, working year-round through rain and snow and slush and summer humidity. All cutting was done outdoors on two Home Depot sawhorses. Cuts were planned several days in advance to be made at non-rainy times, but sometimes that wasn't possible and I had to postpone the cuts and switch to another task.
I carried tools and materials back and forth hundreds of times as I was also using the van as my daily driver. Supplies were purchased "just in time" to minimize storage requirements in the house, though admittedly there was some unavoidable encroachment of van parts, plywood scraps, etc. into lesser-used rooms.
It took me over two years to complete my build and doing it without a driveway or shop was a hassle but it is certainly possible. You will spend a lot of time setting up and breaking down your work area, but some of this is offset by not having to drive back and forth to a rented workspace.
One thing that helped- I got the electrical system built early on so I could run power tools as there was no outlet nearby. Another was having a cordless jigsaw and drill. You do get to meet a lot of your neighbors who will come by to ask if you're building a food truck or ??
At least in a weather sense, an outdoor conversion in SoCal sounds like a breeze in comparison..
I carried tools and materials back and forth hundreds of times as I was also using the van as my daily driver. Supplies were purchased "just in time" to minimize storage requirements in the house, though admittedly there was some unavoidable encroachment of van parts, plywood scraps, etc. into lesser-used rooms.
It took me over two years to complete my build and doing it without a driveway or shop was a hassle but it is certainly possible. You will spend a lot of time setting up and breaking down your work area, but some of this is offset by not having to drive back and forth to a rented workspace.
One thing that helped- I got the electrical system built early on so I could run power tools as there was no outlet nearby. Another was having a cordless jigsaw and drill. You do get to meet a lot of your neighbors who will come by to ask if you're building a food truck or ??
At least in a weather sense, an outdoor conversion in SoCal sounds like a breeze in comparison..
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markxengineering
Active member
I have not heard of this being done, but one idea that comes to mind is to see if there are any local DIY/makerspace type places. If you find one with an owner willing to make a deal on a parking space, you might end up with a shop full of tools you can use in addition.
GSWatson
2013 144
That’s the holy grail setup; most maker spaces are super tight on any kind of storage space, either inside or in the parking lot. I welded up a nice set of work/display tables for a gallery in SF and used the now-defunct Techshop; the only problem was I had to load everything back onto the station wagon and drive it back home, wrapped in plastic to guard against the dew... for three weeks.
But worth checking out, for sure. Perhaps you’ll get lucky! The tools sure are nice to have....
Cheers,
Greg
DSchmidt7of7
Member
Idesp -
Try searching on craigslist for "garage for rent" and see if you can find a spot with access to water and electricity. I'm located in Anaheim and depending on the circumstances I'm thinking it might be fun to watch... especially if I can pick up a few tricks or ideas.
Good luck.
Try searching on craigslist for "garage for rent" and see if you can find a spot with access to water and electricity. I'm located in Anaheim and depending on the circumstances I'm thinking it might be fun to watch... especially if I can pick up a few tricks or ideas.
Good luck.
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You’ll likely need it more than a couple months...here are some options that didn’t have major commitments. You didn’t specify where in Southern California....so I just went ? county-ish.
A phone call with a description of your use (not welding or rebuilding engines...very light use ) and planned time required is usually enough to get a property manager to consider it....they aren’t making anything off it vacant. Worse neighborhood, better chance. A signed month to month lease....but you are willing to pay in cash....
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/off/d/laguna-beach-shared-workspace-rental/6864987525.html
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/off/d/montclair-750-sf-warehouse-industrial/6887128681.html
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/off/d/costa-mesa-workshop-space/6840784279.html Probably have to explain what a van conversion entails....
https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/off/d/yucaipa-garage-bay-for-lease-in-yucaipa/6888738187.html
blackrockseco
New member
Bay Area as well, and have been building it slowly (mostly at a storage facility at night) while living out of it for 1.5 years. The organization, setup and takedown is super taxing though.
I’m about to leave my job, and do a little SW US search for a makerspace that can also let me park it. I’d like to get an apartment for the first time in 6 years, and just spend my days building the van full time (thinking about 9-12 months). It’s a bit of an art project.
I’ve been trying to remotely identify my intended workspace for like 4 months now in preparation to my exit, but no dice. I’d like to have sophisticated tooling on site to play with. But... like you... searching
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I’m about to leave my job, and do a little SW US search for a makerspace that can also let me park it. I’d like to get an apartment for the first time in 6 years, and just spend my days building the van full time (thinking about 9-12 months). It’s a bit of an art project.
I’ve been trying to remotely identify my intended workspace for like 4 months now in preparation to my exit, but no dice. I’d like to have sophisticated tooling on site to play with. But... like you... searching
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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We are looking to move into a larger space in the Dublin / Livermore area. (SF Bay area)
The spaces available are somewhat larger than my current needs.
In theory at least, I could sub rent some of this out to a van builder with compatible operating methods.
I am very picky about things being kept organized and clean looking at the end of each day. Obviously during the day, things are more chaotic.
Usually the land lords also have their own restrictions but if people want to make things work, usually they can.
In case it isn't obvious, we build electrical systems for conversion vans and disaster relief.
The spaces available are somewhat larger than my current needs.
In theory at least, I could sub rent some of this out to a van builder with compatible operating methods.
I am very picky about things being kept organized and clean looking at the end of each day. Obviously during the day, things are more chaotic.
Usually the land lords also have their own restrictions but if people want to make things work, usually they can.
In case it isn't obvious, we build electrical systems for conversion vans and disaster relief.
Hi Jostalli - I think that I recently saw your instagram postings !
Hey Harry!
Great info, Monclair is near I am going to look into CL more.
marcrunner
Member
I too was trying to figure out a way to build up my van, while trying to stay warm and out of the rain. I had the chance to rent out a portion of a friend's shop, or try to manage everything with the van sitting outside(I did have room to work inside, just not enough to fit the van). At the end, even though it took longer to complete, the money that I saved, made the build much less expensive, especially considering there were a ton on times where individual aspects were put on hold, from work to family to time that was needed to research the next decision. Because of this, I would find ways adjust my work schedule around the weather, as well as plan the next project a few nights before hand, so I could tackle that project with the best resources possible, while being at another's house. I ended up making a master plan/timeline of each individual facet, then worked on each project up next, sometimes having to wait for the rest of life to let up. This too ended up working out ok, as I may not have had a bunch of downtime at certain moments, but may have had a few hours that night to research and develop. Thinking helped develop, but drawing helped out the most.
Mickyfin
Member
This is exactly what I'm having to do with my conversion. I rented a storage locker to store all my parts for the conversion, and invested in mostly cordless power tools, and recently purchased a generator so I can use some other tools I have. It certainly slows down the process, and when you have a day job, only evenings and weekends is possible to work.
russinthecascades
Active member
Same. Rental a large storage unit this winter to install rails and solar panels, etc. It had overhead lights and a single electric outlet. I bought a Big Buddy heater after the first day's work, but otherwise it worked out perfectly for getting out of the snow.
Sumfuncomet
Member
I have a huge barn to store stuff and a lit work area with tablesaw etc. what I never could do was have the van inside. I work on it mostly in the warmer months which is about half the year here. I have an Espar which makes things easier, I’m doing final cabinetry work, doors and drawer fronts. Almost done! Love this van!