A van build, one clear decision at a time
Your AI co-builder for DIY van conversions
Turn your van ideas into a plan you can build from. Vansembly guides you through each decision, keeps the tradeoffs visible, and helps you understand what comes next—so a big build can feel possible.
You do not have to hold the whole build in your head
A DIY van conversion starts with exciting ideas. Then come hundreds of connected choices: where the bed goes, what fits beside it, which products meet your needs, what each choice costs, and what has to happen first.
That is where many builders get stuck—not because they cannot do the work, but because the decisions are scattered across tabs, notes, videos, and forum threads.
Vansembly gives those decisions an order. It helps you focus on the next useful choice, see what that choice affects, and carry what you learn forward. You stay in charge of the build. You just get a clearer path through it.
Your build, guided from idea to action
Start with your story
Share your van, travel style, priorities, constraints, skills, and budget goals. Turn ideas into requirements before making product choices.
Shape the layout
Work through sleeping, cooking, storage, seating, and utilities as one connected space. See tradeoffs before they become expensive surprises.
Choose with context
Compare components against your requirements. Understand conflicts, see the build sequence, and keep budget and next steps together.
Walk away with artifacts you can build from
Generated live from the example plan — a wiring schematic with cited ABYC-based sizing, your floor plan, weight vs. payload, and a printable garage checklist.
The wiring diagram
Every run sized by the same rules the pros use — gauge, fuse, and the reasoning on hover.
Preliminary 12V DC schematic generated from versioned sizing rules (3% voltage drop on critical runs, fuses at 125% of load, wire ampacity ≥ fuse) — see the per-run notes for reasoning. Verify against your components' manuals before building; this is a planning aid, not a certified electrical design.
The spatial plan
Drag real-size components, inspect clearances, and see exactly which dimensions still need field verification.
Fit claims use the active vehicle profile, installed finish build-up, component dimensions, operating envelopes, and their recorded tolerances. Open the planner for issue evidence and explicit fixes.
Weight that won't blow your axles
2019–2026 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo 2500 170 High Roof — 3,814 lb payload
-736 lb–1,158 lb remaining
OEM profile + estimated curb weight · likely payload 3,414 lb–4,064 lb · planning weight band 2,906 lb–4,150 lb
To improve confidence
- Enter GVWR, front GAWR, and rear GAWR from this van’s certification label.
- Weigh the empty van by axle before relying on axle margins.
- Place 10 weighted line items (797 lb total) before relying on axle margins.
- Replace estimated component, materials, occupant, and gear weights with measured values; the displayed planning band applies ±20% to estimated lines.
Where the weight sits (from placed spatial nodes)
797 lb is not spatially placed: Victron MultiPlus 12/2000 Inverter/Charger, 3× Renogy 200W Rigid Panels (600W array), MaxxAir MaxxFan Deluxe 7500K, Espar Airtronic S2 D2L Diesel Heater, Shurflo 4008 Revolution Water Pump, Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/50, Victron Orion XS 50A DC-DC Charger, Duxtop 9600LS Induction Cooktop, Camplux 12V 2.6 gal Water Heater, Gear & supplies (2 × 300 lb). This weight is excluded from directional and axle claims, not silently assigned to a guessed zone.
- GVWR is manufacturer-sourced, but curb weight is a planning estimate that varies by options. Confirm the door placard and weigh the empty van before final sign-off. Use the individual door-jamb certification/tire labels as the final GVWR/GAWR authority. Published drawing dimensions are subject to OEM tolerance and do not include conversion finishes.
- Payload margin is not established: the current planning range runs from -736 to 1,158 lb remaining. Verify weights before committing.
- The buildout alone uses ~64% of payload — that leaves under ~1,000 lb for people, water, and gear (experienced builders' floor).
Full weight breakdown (18 lines)
| 2× Battle Born 100Ah LiFePO4 (200Ah bank) | 62 lb | from product specs |
| Victron MultiPlus 12/2000 Inverter/Charger | 25 lb | from product specs |
| 3× Renogy 200W Rigid Panels (600W array) | 86 lb | from product specs |
| Dometic CFX3 55IM Fridge/Freezer | 47 lb | from product specs |
| MaxxAir MaxxFan Deluxe 7500K | 16 lb | from product specs |
| Espar Airtronic S2 D2L Diesel Heaterest | 18 lb | unit + kit + ducting |
| Shurflo 4008 Revolution Water Pump | 4 lb | from product specs |
| Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/50 | 3 lb | from product specs |
| Victron Orion XS 50A DC-DC Chargerest | 15 lb | weight unavailable; 15 lb planning allowance |
| Duxtop 9600LS Induction Cooktopest | 15 lb | weight unavailable; 15 lb planning allowance |
| 30 gal Fresh + 22 gal Grey Poly Tanksest | 15 lb | weight unavailable; 15 lb planning allowance |
| Camplux 12V 2.6 gal Water Heaterest | 15 lb | weight unavailable; 15 lb planning allowance |
| Fixed Queen Platform (rear, over garage)est | 15 lb | weight unavailable; 15 lb planning allowance |
| Fresh water, full (21 gal) | 176 lb | 8.34 lb/gal — RVIA counts fresh full |
| Water tanks (empty shells)est | 26 lb | ~0.7 lb per gal capacity, fresh + grey |
| Build materials (full-featured preset)est | 2,090 lb | insulation, floor, paneling, framing, cabinetry, bed — measured-build anchors; includes 1 selected structural item(s), not counted again |
| People (2 × 150 lb)est | 300 lb | FMVSS designated-seat assumption |
| Gear & supplies (2 × 300 lb)est | 600 lb | full-time allowance (measured builds carry more) |
A guided path
Not a blank chat box. A structured journey through requirements, layout, products, and tradeoffs.
Decisions that connect
Requirements and prior choices carry forward. One decision informs the next instead of starting over.
Tradeoffs visible
When a choice affects space, power, weight, cost, or access, you see it before committing.
Context for products
Compare components against your build, not generic lists. See what needs checking before you buy.
Ready to start your van build?
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