Bare Minimum Level of Work Needed to Make a Van Liveable

[becida]

Ok yes that is precisely what I want to do. With the house battery and everything
A bit nervous though as I’m not that handy and don’t have tools.

Time to find a scrap yard with a kind owner to help me remove them.

I want to take out the passenger seat as well but again, not sure about it.

This ought to help a bit http://observations-on-the-road.blogspot.com/2016/09/solar-on-mini-van.html


I did try putting the front pass seat in backwards but that didn't work, blocked the mirror as I recall. Then I took out the front pass seat and built a table to fit there. Later I took the table out & went to a junk yard & bought a front pass seat to replace the one I tossed.

Having a place for a friend to ride along was a way better use of that space & I could still keep part of my stuff (too much stuff!) on the front floor AND be able to get into the glove box.

 

[becida]

1. A place to sleep - getting a twin size mattress and a cheap bed frame so I can have storage underneath. I can't do an air mattress. They are too cold and too uncomfortable. I need a real bed. Even if it ends up taking all of my space. 

So that is my bare minimum. I think it will cost me between $500-$750 depending on how nice of a mattress I end up getting.

My air mattress was on my built in bed frame & it only had to last until I could afford a better mattress.  It was $20, it was comfortable & it worked well. I had blankets between it & the wood bed. The space was basically the same. Having a ready to go bed was important to me.

 

[slynne]

Yup. you gotta do what works best for you personally. Always.

 

[_KJ_]

I’m on the road now and... it wasn’t until I took the plunge and hit the road with my stuff that I started to know what I’d need and or use.

I’m starting with an average mini van with no build so I’m flying by the seat of my pants.

Takes a bit to figure out what’s useful and what to do. I bought a camp cot and a few bins and a set of plastic drawers. I’m making window inserts from foam board, dollar store auto reflective sheets and duct tape.

Today I decided to remove all the sto n go and seatbelts etc. This 07 Caravan will never have any resale value so it’s silly trying to save the interior. I’m going to do the cheapest build possible. Happy with that decision. Removing the rear seat belts made such a difference to the small space! But haven’t got the seats out yet!

And now I’m sitting by a roaring river under the stars. Earlier I went swimming and watched the sea lions feast on salmon.


Life is good

 

[RoamerRV428]

Yep.. I spent one NORCAL winter in a van with zero insulation, not even wall paneling. Just two throw rugs on the bare metal floor with an Ikea brand futon mattress ontop. It was utterly miserable. I woke up just abut every morning damp from condensation, mold was a constant problem, and I had a small room heater I could use when I had access to shore power, but whenever I used it, it just made the condensation problems worse.

All I had in that van was: My clothes, a room heater I barely ever got to use, a 0-degree sleeping bag, a battery box with inverter for my coffee machine, an MSR camping cooking pot, a stainless steel coffee mug and a gasoline fueled 1 burner cooking stove. That was it... Not even a port-a-potty..... The conversion van windows leaked like crazy, and what broke the camels back was waking up one night during a rain storm choking on water I inhaled in my sleep from a SOAKED pillow from that leaky window. Then discovering that mold had started to grow ON MY DOG's HEAD.... That was it.. I couldn't take it anymore.
The next morning, I bought a used class-b RV. Best cash I've ever spent.. I'm in the lap of luxury now compared to that winter.

But, I learned ALOT from that experience. I know whats possible, and I can do it all again if I had too with one important thing... A dehumidifier.... If I had one during that winter... I'd probably still be living in that van..



Holy cow on that experience!  I have no doubt that class B ya got now is just fab compared to that nightmare story.  Mold on your dog's head! WOWza on that one!

 

[Jack]

I'm enjoying this thread and the different viewpoints. It's helping me to see through various eyes and experiences. I'm now torn between living van life very simply and having a van decked out with comforts like a shower and A/C. Both sides appeal to me. I'm beginning to see the wisdom in starting out with the basics, making nothing permanent, and building as I go.

 

[Smitty716]

As a class c owner , you van guys got me about ready to switch. Not for the minimal living but the build . Do it how you want it , the better gas mileage is a big deal haha I could go everywhere

 

[travelaround]

steamjam1 Wrote:
A dehumidifier.... If I had one during that winter... I'd probably still be living in that van..

I just put a dehumidifier in my Amazon travel wish list. I'm so glad I read that post...

 

[steamjam1]

I just put a dehumidifier in my Amazon travel wish list. I'm so glad I read that post...

Yes. I bought mine for $40 from Walmart as an experiment to see if it would work. Just perfect for a van or small class-b. I won't go van dwelling/class-B living in the winter without one now. I haven't had a single mold problem in the 4 years I've been using one, and I've been through a few very wet/snowy winters with it. Its efficient enough to use with an inverter and battery.

 

[becida]

Yes. I bought mine for $40 from Walmart as an experiment to see if it would work. Just perfect for a van or small class-b. I won't go van dwelling/class-B living in the winter without one now. I haven't had a single mold problem in the 4 years I've been using one, and I've been through a few very wet/snowy winters with it. Its efficient enough to use with an inverter and battery.

With the thought of duplicating something that works...

Is it possible to get details on which specific humidifier? Your battery & inverter details?  How long did you run it using the battery/inverter?

 

[dragonstar85]

For me when I moved into my car I had few days to get ready. I took 3 pillows I already had, two sheets, and bunch of blankets, a backpack of clothing, a small bag for my work uniform, a laundry bag, a toiletries bag, laundry soap (once I got through that bottle I switched to the pods. Didn’t have to worry about leaks), a milk crate to hold odds and ends like shoes (gym shoes, Work shoes, flip flops, and street shoes, my water bottle, couple books, etc.), a small cooler to hold canned goods, can opener, oranges, and the like. Following paycheck I picked up a winter sleeping bag so I could store of all of the extra blankets and only have to deal with the sheets, pillows, and sleeping bag. It was end of summer and fall where some nights the sleeping bag was too much but the next night it was cold enough I needed it. So you could start out very very basic and add on as you go. Look around your place and you most likely have a lot of things already you can use to make do until you can get what you really want. I already had the milk crate and bedding. I just had to go get a small container for food related items. I went with a small cooler cause I could keep it closed, fit perfectly behind my driver’s seat, and had a handle to make it easy for me to reach around and grab it. And of course I added the sleeping bag soon after moving in. When winter started showing up I added winter socks, a hat, and those hot hands to my sleeping back and slept in thermals. It worked for me for the 3 months I lived in my car before winter went into full effect and my heater kicked the bucket. This past spring I did it again.
For condensation I kept my windows cracked which seemed to help.