My Fiat Ducato Campervan Setup for Full-Time Van Life
This is the complete overview of my Fiat Ducato campervan setup, built for full-time van life around Australia.
I live, travel and work from a self-built 2016 Fiat Ducato campervan conversion L3H3. The goal of the build was not to create a weekend camper or a simple holiday van. I wanted a proper tiny home on wheels that could handle long-term travel, remote Australia, everyday cooking, content creation, bad weather days, fishing, hiking, fitness and the general reality of living in a van full-time.
That changed the entire way I approached the setup.
A campervan that works for a two-week holiday does not automatically work when it becomes your home. When you live in a van full-time, comfort matters. Storage matters. Power matters. Water matters. The ability to sit somewhere during four days of rain matters a lot more than you expect.
This page is the full overview of my Fiat Ducato campervan setup and links through to the detailed guides I have written about each part of the build, including the van itself, build cost, electrical system, plumbing, kitchen, bed, storage, gear and the mistakes I made along the way.
The van is not perfect. No campervan ever is.
But after travelling and living in it full-time, I am extremely happy with how it works for my lifestyle.
My Fiat Ducato Campervan
My base vehicle is a 2016 Fiat Ducato L3H3 with the 2.3L MultiJet engine and 6-speed automatic gearbox.
I bought the van in Western Australia for $32,500 with around 68,000km on the clock. Since converting it, I have travelled more than 30,000km around Australia.
The biggest reason I chose the Fiat Ducato was interior width.
The Ducato is one of the widest vans available in Australia, and that gave me the option to sleep east-west without adding flares or side pods. That one decision influenced the entire layout.
By sleeping across the van, I could keep more room for the kitchen, seating, storage and open living space. In a full-time campervan setup, those extra centimetres matter.
I also liked the Ducato because it has relatively square walls, good internal height in the L3H3 model, decent fuel economy and a lower upfront cost than some of the alternatives I considered.
I looked at vans like the Mercedes Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Ford Transit and Peugeot Boxer. The Ford Transit was probably the strongest alternative, especially with a better engine and gearbox, but it was also more expensive. The Sprinter was narrower, which made the east-west bed harder without flares, and the Crafter was significantly more expensive at the time.
The Ducato is not perfect. The 2.3L engine and automatic gearbox can feel underpowered in hills, and I often use manual mode to stop the gearbox shifting too early.
But as a full-time base, the Fiat Ducato campervan setup has worked extremely well.
For the full breakdown, including the pros, cons and why I chose it over other vans, read my full Fiat Ducato campervan review.
My Overall Campervan Layout
The layout has changed a lot since the original build.
My first version had a permanent queen bed with a large rear garage. On paper, it looked like the perfect setup. In real life, it failed quickly.
After a trip to the Grampians where I was stuck inside for four days of torrential rain, I realised the layout did not work for full-time living. There was nowhere comfortable to sit, eat, work, read or relax. The van felt more like a bed with a kitchen attached than a proper home.
So I ripped the bed and storage out and rebuilt the rear section.
The current setup is much better.
At the front, I have swivel seats that open up the living space and create extra seating. The kitchen runs along both sides of the van, with the main cooking and sink area on one side and a narrower 400mm bench and cabinet section on the other.
At the rear, I have a fixed single bed that converts into a queen. Under and around the bed is clothing storage, a built-in laundry chute, seating, a table and access to the rear garage.
Outside, I have an awning, outdoor shower, roof solar, Starlink Mini, external lighting and a rear garage designed around water, fishing gear, tools, the freezer and outdoor equipment.
The layout is built around how I actually live:
I cook proper meals. I work from the van. I film YouTube videos. I fish. I hike. I exercise. I spend bad weather days inside. I need storage for clean clothes, dirty clothes, camera gear, food, water, outdoor equipment and tools.
That is what makes it feel like a home rather than just a camper.
Campervan Build Cost
The completed campervan cost me $86,677.83, including the base vehicle.
The conversion-only cost was $50,673.58.
That figure does not include labour, and the true cost is now higher because I have made upgrades since finishing the original build, including a new battery, extra solar, exterior lights and other refinements.
It is not a cheap build.
But it is also a full-time campervan designed for long-term travel, not a minimal weekend setup. It includes a high-quality electrical system, full kitchen, hot water, large water storage, fridge, freezer, custom cabinetry, EuroVision windows, awning, storage systems and a lot of small details that make daily life easier.
Could I have built it cheaper?
Absolutely.
There are areas where I could have saved a lot of money, especially in the electrical system, kitchen appliances, custom cabinetry and finish quality.
But my goal was not to build the cheapest van possible. I wanted something comfortable, reliable and enjoyable to live in every day.
For a full cost breakdown, including every category and what I would change, read my campervan build cost article.
Campervan Electrical Setup
The electrical system is one of the most important parts of my van.
When you live full-time on the road, power is not just for lights and phone charging. It runs the fridge, freezer, Starlink Mini, laptop, camera gear, fans, TV, water pump, induction cooktop, diesel heater and all the small daily items that keep the van functioning.
My current setup includes 600W of solar, a PowerPaul 345Ah lithium battery and a Victron-based electrical system.
The solar setup started as 360W, which turned out to be one of my biggest campervan build mistakes. It worked in good conditions, but once I added the Bushman drawer freezer, TV, Starlink, laptop work and winter travel, it was not enough.
I eventually upgraded to 600W, and the difference has been massive. Even on poor winter days, the system can often break even, and when the sun comes out, it can push serious power back into the battery.
The only reason that upgrade was fairly easy is because I had run large enough cable from the start.
That is one of my biggest pieces of advice for anyone building a campervan electrical system: maximise your solar early and oversize your cabling where practical. It is much easier to plan for future upgrades during the build than to pull everything apart later.
The electrical system I built is more advanced than many people need, but for my lifestyle it makes sense. I work from the van, rely heavily on Starlink, carry a separate freezer and spend long periods off-grid.
For the full setup, including solar, battery, Victron gear, loads, mistakes and what I would change, read my campervan electrical setup guide.
Plumbing and Water Setup
My campervan plumbing setup is designed for remote travel and full-time living.
I carry two 84L fresh water tanks, giving me 168L of fresh water capacity. In real-world use, that gives me around 145L usable. I also have a 43L grey water tank.
As a solo traveller, that water setup usually lasts around 12–14 days, and I can stretch it longer if needed. Most of the time, food becomes the limiting factor before water does.
The van has an outdoor shower at the rear, a cold foot-wash shower near the sliding door, an instantaneous gas hot water system, a sink, water filter, pressure pump, grey water diverter and a portable Shurflo pump for collecting or transferring water from external sources.
I do not have an indoor shower.
For my style of travel, I prefer the extra living space. An indoor shower would take up a lot of room for something I would only use for a few minutes a day. The outdoor shower suits me because I generally chase warm weather, beach camps and remote places where showering outside is part of the lifestyle.
The hot water system, however, is something I now love.
After a swim, hike, cold morning or long day outside, having a warm shower makes the van feel much more like a home.
For all the details on tanks, pumps, hot water, grey water, filters, outdoor shower and what I would change, read my campervan plumbing setup guide.
Campervan Kitchen Setup
The kitchen is one of the most important parts of my van because I cook proper meals every day.
I am vegetarian, so fresh produce, pantry storage, fridge space and cooking options matter a lot. I did not want a setup where I was living on basic camping meals or constantly needing to eat out.
The kitchen includes a Bushman 130L fridge/freezer, Bushman 30L drawer freezer, Thetford gas oven and cooktop, sink, pull-out tap, air fryer, SodaStream, Jetboil, moka pot, large pantry storage, custom can storage, custom spice rack and plenty of bench space.
The main kitchen bench is built around cooking flow. I learnt early on that the original oven and fridge position did not work well, so I changed the layout before the final install.
Now I can prep food in the middle, keep dirty dishes near the sink, move food to the cooktop and use the opposite bench for extra space when needed.
The 400mm cabinet section on the opposite side of the van has become one of the best layout decisions. It keeps the walkway open, gives the van more breathing room and provides extra bench space without making the living area feel cramped.
The kitchen is full-size for a campervan, but it does not dominate the entire van.
That balance is what makes it work.
For the full breakdown of the fridge, freezer, oven, cabinets, storage, cooking setup and what I would change, read my campervan kitchen setup article.
Bed and Seating Setup
The bed and seating setup is probably the biggest reason the van now feels like a home.
My original fixed queen bed was one of the biggest mistakes in the build. It gave me a huge garage, but it did not give me a comfortable living space.
The current setup is much better.
Most of the time, I sleep on a fixed single bed running east-west across the van. When needed, the bed converts into a queen using pull-out slats, a removable support beam and the seat cushions.
The conversion only takes a few minutes. This gives me the best of both worlds: a permanent bed for daily use, proper seating during the day and the option of a queen bed when needed.
The seating area makes an enormous difference. I can sit properly to eat, work, read, relax or have someone else inside the van. Combined with the swivel seats at the front, the van can comfortably seat more people than you would expect. The change also made the van feel larger.
Instead of the kitchen stopping abruptly at the bed, the floor now continues into the seating and sleeping area, making the interior feel open and connected.
For full-time van life, this matters more than people realise.
A bed is easy to design.
A comfortable living space is harder.
For the full story of the fixed bed mistake, current layout, mattress design, seating, table and queen conversion, read my campervan bed and seating setup article.
Campervan Storage Setup
Storage is one of the biggest challenges in any full-time campervan.
My goal was to give around 90% of my belongings a permanent home.
Getting to 100% is probably unrealistic, especially when you live in the van and carry gear for content creation, fishing, hiking, fitness, cooking, work, cleaning and travel.
But the closer you can get, the easier day-to-day life becomes.
Some of my favourite storage features include the under-bed clothing storage, built-in laundry chute, shoe storage, rear garage layout, custom kitchen storage, canvas bags, pantry containers and dedicated hubs for hobbies.
The under-bed storage is one of the best things I built. The mattress is split into sections, and gas struts allow me to lift part of the bed without unmaking everything. Underneath, I store T-shirts, socks, underwear and activewear in shallow compartments where everything is easy to see.
The laundry chute drops dirty clothing directly into a custom-made basket in the rear garage. Every 10–14 days, I can pull the basket out, close the drawstring and take it straight to a laundromat.
The rear garage stores outdoor gear, water equipment, fishing gear, tools, the freezer and laundry. It is functional rather than pretty, but it works.
The one area I still want to improve is fishing storage. Eventually, I would love an external aluminium box for rods, reels, dirty fishing clothes, a cutting board and possibly a fold-down table.
Good storage is not about filling every empty gap.
It is about making sure the items you use most often are easy to access.
For the full storage tour, including my sticker rule for decluttering gear, read my campervan storage ideas article.
Essential Campervan Gear
There is a lot of gear in this van, but not everything is equally important.
The items I would replace quickly if they disappeared are the things that genuinely improve full-time life on the road.
That includes Starlink Mini, Bushman fridge and freezer, magnetic blockout blinds, EuroVision windows, diesel heater, MaxxAir fan, Sirocco fans, swivel seats, hot water system, Fiamma awning, Jetboil, air fryer, water hoses, safety gear and the small items that make daily life easier.
Starlink has become essential because I work from the van and travel remotely. The Bushman fridge and freezer keep food reliable in Australian conditions. Blockout blinds and EuroVision windows make the van more private, cooler and more comfortable. The diesel heater completely changes cold mornings and wet-weather days.
Some gear is expensive but worth it.
Some is cheap and surprisingly useful.
Baby wipes, cork lining, produce pods, removable-handle cookware, airtight containers and a simple drying rack all make a difference.
The main lesson is that essential gear is personal.
A weekend camper does not need the same setup as someone living in a van full-time. What matters is whether the item solves a real problem, earns its space and suits the way you travel.
For the full breakdown, read my essential campervan gear article or view my complete campervan gear page.
Campervan Build Mistakes I Made
Even though I am happy with the van, I made plenty of mistakes.
The biggest mistake was designing the original layout around a fixed queen bed instead of full-time liveability.
The most practical mistake was not maximising solar from day one.
The most frustrating product mistakes were the failed Renogy batteries and the Safiery sensors that could not be trusted.
I also learnt a lot from the kitchen workflow, fishing storage, outdoor table situation, buying household items too early, carrying too much “just in case” gear and not leaving enough flexibility for future upgrades.
The van got much better because I used it during the build.
I went away on test trips, noticed what felt awkward and changed things before everything was completely finished. That process saved me from even bigger mistakes later.
The biggest lesson is that you cannot learn everything while standing in a shed.
You need to use the van.
Cook in it. Sleep in it. Work in it. Sit in it during rain. Pack it for a real trip. Try to access things when you are tired. Notice what annoys you.
That is where the best design lessons come from.
For the complete breakdown, read my article on the 10 campervan build mistakes I made.
Who This DIY Campervan Setup Is Best For
This DIY campervan setup is best suited to someone who wants to spend a lot of time on the road.
It is ideal for solo full-time travel, long Australian road trips, remote or semi-remote camping, content creation, proper cooking, fishing, hiking and living comfortably in both good and bad weather.
It would also work well for a couple, although some storage compromises would need to be made depending on how much gear the second person wanted to bring.
This is not the cheapest way to build a campervan.
It is also not designed for people who want a tiny weekend setup, a full indoor bathroom, a 4WD tourer or a van that prioritises outdoor living above all else.
My van is designed around a balance.
It gives me enough indoor comfort to work, cook and relax, while still allowing me to live outdoors as much as possible.
That balance suits my lifestyle.
Someone else might build a completely different van, and that is the point.
The best DIY campervan setup is not the one that looks best online.
It is the one that supports the way you actually want to live.
What I Would Change If I Built Another Van
If I built another campervan, I would prioritise outdoor living a little more.
I do not need a huge outdoor kitchen or complicated camp setup, but I would love a better permanent outdoor table and a dedicated external box for fishing gear.
I would also maximise solar from day one, think even harder about future upgrades, and possibly reconsider whether an L4 or Maxi van would be worth the extra length.
I would still want a proper kitchen, hot water, good fridge, separate freezer, swivel seats, strong electrical system, outdoor shower, large water capacity and a comfortable bed/seating setup.
The biggest change would not be making the van more complicated.
It would be refining the things I know matter most after living in it.
Outdoor workflow.
Fishing storage.
Solar.
Future access.
More breathing room in the systems.
Overall though, the van works extremely well.
The mistakes were part of the process, and most of them helped me build something better.
Final Thoughts on My Fiat Ducato Campervan Setup
My Fiat Ducato campervan setup is not perfect, but it suits the way I live.
It allows me to travel Australia full-time, stay off-grid, cook proper meals, work from the road, film YouTube videos, carry fishing and hiking gear, exercise, shower, sleep comfortably and stay remote for longer.
That is what I wanted from the build.
Not the cheapest van.
Not the flashiest van.
Not a layout copied from Instagram.
A practical home on wheels built around freedom, travel, creativity and the reality of living on the road every day.
The longer I live in the van, the more I realise that a good full-time campervan setup is not about having every feature possible.
It is about choosing the features that support your lifestyle.
For me, that means a comfortable indoor living space, enough power, enough water, a proper kitchen, smart storage, reliable gear and the flexibility to keep improving the van as I travel.
If you are planning your own DIY campervan setup build, my biggest advice is to use the van before it is completely finished.
Go away in it.
Cook in it.
Work in it.
Get stuck in bad weather.
Pack it badly.
Notice what annoys you.
Then build around the life you actually live, not the one you imagined while scrolling through van builds online.
That is where the best DIY campervan setup really comes from.
