Hello Everyone,
Long time lurker but first time post. Just wanted to share my van with you guys/gals and to say thanks for all the help that's provided on the forum (especially to Bob)! This is a full-time rig and although I've only been living in it for a month now I'm pretty comfortable with vehicle dwelling from my past experiences with camping and "cheap" traveling.
Like most here I'm doing this for the freedom and simplicity. I think this quote sums up best: “Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.” - Ellen Goodman
I'm not normal
Van details:
Looking towards the rear barn doors. I'm 5'7" so I can sleep sideways comfortably. Since I will be mainly chasing the snow in the winters the van is insulated with 2" of Polyiso on the sides and anywhere from 2-6" on the roof due the curvature. So far I haven't had to use my heater but it hasn't been incredibly cold. The wood paneling that you see throughout the van is only 1/4" thick so it's not as heavy as it looks.
Here's the view looking into the front of the van. That's my shower with the folding door open. The walls have been waterproofed with an epoxy-acetone mixture and have been covered with linoleum with seams caulked and taped. Hopefully it's waterproof. I've tried to go as simple and non-electric as possible so the shower is your standard modified weed sprayer with kitchen spray head. Works quite well for me! Also, you might notice that I don't have a passenger seat. That's because my fridge is there. Had to make a big decision to remove the seat but the extra room is worth it. It's also where I have my 2 batteries stored.
This pooper goes in the shower as well. Had some leftover wood and decided to make a simple sawdust toilet. Once again it's simple and works for me. Plus it was fun to make!
The cooking area. 2-Burner stove with sealed propane compartment underneath. The manual foot-operated sink pump helps me conserve water and batteries. Also added a little diy porthole medicine cabinet for toiletries.
Long time lurker but first time post. Just wanted to share my van with you guys/gals and to say thanks for all the help that's provided on the forum (especially to Bob)! This is a full-time rig and although I've only been living in it for a month now I'm pretty comfortable with vehicle dwelling from my past experiences with camping and "cheap" traveling.
Like most here I'm doing this for the freedom and simplicity. I think this quote sums up best: “Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.” - Ellen Goodman
I'm not normal
Van details:
- 2000 Chevy Express (extended w/ hightop already install) with 73,000 miles
- Ex-border patrol van used by the state of Arizona
- 200 Watts of solar
- 225 amp-hours
Looking towards the rear barn doors. I'm 5'7" so I can sleep sideways comfortably. Since I will be mainly chasing the snow in the winters the van is insulated with 2" of Polyiso on the sides and anywhere from 2-6" on the roof due the curvature. So far I haven't had to use my heater but it hasn't been incredibly cold. The wood paneling that you see throughout the van is only 1/4" thick so it's not as heavy as it looks.
Here's the view looking into the front of the van. That's my shower with the folding door open. The walls have been waterproofed with an epoxy-acetone mixture and have been covered with linoleum with seams caulked and taped. Hopefully it's waterproof. I've tried to go as simple and non-electric as possible so the shower is your standard modified weed sprayer with kitchen spray head. Works quite well for me! Also, you might notice that I don't have a passenger seat. That's because my fridge is there. Had to make a big decision to remove the seat but the extra room is worth it. It's also where I have my 2 batteries stored.
This pooper goes in the shower as well. Had some leftover wood and decided to make a simple sawdust toilet. Once again it's simple and works for me. Plus it was fun to make!
The cooking area. 2-Burner stove with sealed propane compartment underneath. The manual foot-operated sink pump helps me conserve water and batteries. Also added a little diy porthole medicine cabinet for toiletries.
