Big plans, zero experience

[Jhon_carp]

Hi all!
I'm John a 23 yr old game developer and amateur carpenter! I'm currently looking into doing a van conversion and have been trawling through millions of youtube videos... 

The task looks daunting and I'm most nervous about buying the right van as well as power setup and consumption. Being a developer means that I need a powerful PC with me, and I struggle to work without two screens. Alongside this, I'm also hoping to have a shower and bed big enough for two so I'm either going to have to be very clever with space or choose one of the above to loose...

With so many options it certainly seems confusing, yet I'm excited to start building!
Thanks for reading
John

 

[maki2]

Create a desk/worktop area and mount the screens on the ceiling using fold down brackets or just mount them on the wall with adjustable brackets. That way they will be out of the way while you are doing other chores such as some food prep. You can also install a pull out keyboard under the desk top and use a folding chair or a storage/box stool that slides under the desk. But give that stool some ability to have a slide-up back rest so you don't get too tired from long hours of work. A few removable cushions that velco on can be used to fix things such as an adjustable lumbar support. Most of your cables, extra drives, cameras, remotes, etc can get stored inside the stool. Your box stool that pulls out could even double as the box for an 12v portable fridge but be sure to add ventilation slots in the sides of the box. The top of the box can of course hinge open for access.

I do not recommend cooking underneath the monitors as steam can rise up and grease can splatter. So set up your cooktop in a different location.

There is lots of information about how to get a lot of solar. However as your income is dependent on your ability to have power for work you should also have a good generator that can power your computer and charge batteries as well. I have a small Honda EU1000i generator, it is enough to power my computer and monitors with some power left over.

From the sound of it you won't always be needing a wide bed so design one that can be pulled out to extend the width when needed. The bed platform could be raised up so that it can be pulled out over the desk area when in double bed mode since you won't be working when you are sleeping. Maybe even a couple of inches higher than the desktop if you want to leave stuff on the desk instead of cleaning it all off at the end of the work day.

Being organized and having dual functional surfaces is the key to fitting everything in. You should also shop for a high top van if you are going to extend a bed over a desk top, not absolutely essential but a big improvement in functionality.

 

[Jhon_carp]

Thankyou I really appreciate the reply, already a huge help! Amazing ideas with the mounted monitors and the bed pulling over the desk, I didn't consider doing it that way! I've been looking mainly at Mercedes Sprinter vans (I'm from the Uk).

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome John to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

highdesertranger

 

[eDJ_]

Just some thoughts here.

Have you considered a Step Van that is all Aluminum ?  Something like this:

[img=500x300]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f6/db/75/f6db75cd8f0434ff2cbaa62f8585bf01.jpg[/img]

It would have the headroom, be rectangular for a build out (which as a carpenter I'm sure you can appreciate)
have plenty of room for the initial build and some room left over. 

It's truck nature would make it durable for some years of use.  It may be easier to work on if necessary as well. 

If you wanted solar panels on the roof there would be plenty of room.

Room inside for a bank of batteries and sizable inverter. 

You could literally build a studio apartment in this rig. (with a small refrigerator, kitchenette, water tank with 12 volt dc 2 gpm pump),  even a chemical toilet and popup privacy tent to put it in if you are in camp. 

But this way you could get out and have no distractions from your work while you design.

 

[maki2]

big wide step vans are not compatible with European side roads and parking spaces. Also there is the issue of the cost of gas in the Europe.  Sprinters and other narrow vans work best for their narrow, twisty old roadways and narrow roads through old towns and cities.

 

[HighwayPirates]

Hello and welcome! My wife and I have a couple of computers we use in our '97 CR-V. Nothing out of this world; a desktop, a laptop and a tablet. I am fairly small (5' 1") though my wife is 5' 11" we still have tons of room in our Honda. There are solar kits on this site (I think it's under the 'store' section, I could be wrong so please anyone correct me on this lol) so powering all your gear won't be much of a problem.

My wife has been living in vehicles since she was three years old (26 now) and has lived in almost every major class of vehicle. She has a couple of suggestions (all based on your price range, fuel economy etc)...

- 2010-2019 Ford Transit
- 2010-2019 Renault Master (caution on this one, they are essentially Nissan NV400 which is known to have some frequent mechanical bugs)
- 2007-2016 Citroen Jumpy
- 2004-2019 Toyota HiAce
- 2006-2017 VW Crafter

Or if the superior size isn't a requirement...

[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]- [/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]1996-2005 D[/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]odge Caravan with roof extension[/font][/size]
[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]- 1990-1999 Toyota Previa (often called the formula-one of mini-vans)[/font][/size]
[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]- 1999-2018 Mazda Bongo[/font][/size]
[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]- 1995-2019 VW Caddy[/font][/size]
[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]- 2003-2019 VW Transporter (T5)[/font][/size]

[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Just to name a few. Although do check out all types of vehicles. It took us a few years to realize a 'Compact Recreational Vehicle' (what CR-V stands for) was our most ideal vehicle, despite the fact we had owned a '98 Kenworth before. And as always, ask questions if you got them! We're all in this together [/font][/size]

[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]- Karen[/font][/size]