A trip to the west coast including a climb with a friend who has a camper van and suddenly we realize that our design uses all the floor space and leaves little room for storage. So, it's back to the drawing board (using ArcSite on my iPad) to start again What's different:
What we gave up:
Of course, there's a version 3 that removes the sink idea because it just takes up too much space. Time to really do some design specifics
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In order to get the bed to fit into the van, we needed to cut a hole in the back. First we removed the wheel covering to reveal the steel and minimize the size of the cut. An old box was used to create a template for the cut Jigsaw in hand, we began cuts in both the back of the stationary bed as well as the back of the rolling bed. Oops, a challenge. The brace that supports the mattress interferes with the cut. So, we'll need to raise the beds by 1/2".
Now, it only remains to figure out how to secure things to the floor. Because we chose a passenger van, there are only two ways to attach things
We plan to use the bolt to attach the top of the bed as well as the D-ring to attach the front. Oops, using the D-rings would require cord that runs along the back of the bed and so we lose another inch. It's not looking good Why DIY? Upfitters want to create a home away from home and that certainly doesn't give you space for track ramps, climbing gear, dogs or other camping necessities. Oh, and they are really, really, expensive Keep it simple was our goal. Let's find a bed and some cabinets that are cheap and fit what we need. I know....let's go to IKEA. So, off we tramped to the IKEA in New Haven to see what was available. 1. A trundle bed. What a great idea! We can push it in during the day and walk through to the back whenever we want. There are two drawers for storage underneath. We'll be able to use it as a sofa to read at night. It will go on the driver's side near the rear 2. Storage cabinets. We found some with fold down fronts that could stack on top of one another over the passenger side wheel. 3. Sink and sink cabinet. Located behind the driver's seat, this would give us a place to put white water and grey water supplies, install a sink with a pump and thus have running water. We came home and drew up a small plan of how things would look. We even added a set up storage shelves in the back behind the bed. We were so pleased with ourselves. The next week we took a trip to the Jersey shore and stopped at IKEA in Paramus on the way. We should have taken as a sign the fact that the storage cabinets were being discontinued and thus we had to drive to Elizabeth to pick up the second cabinet. Oh, and we decided to wait on the sink and cabinet until the bed and shelves were stored. All we needed to do was make a few minor adjustments and install the furniture... |
AuthorWe're a Connecticut couple that retired early so we can see our kids, grandkids and the world. We purchased a 2015 144" High Roof Sprinter Passenger Van and we're converting it ourselves into a camper. Archives
June 2016
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