Build Ideas-Input appreciated

[Wabbit]

Attach the stove cabinet to the door (assuming the door swings out vs. sliding back to open). Door hinge becomes way of using stove indoors or out by opening or closing the door.

 On 1st drawing I thought you put the sink by the door so it could double as shower outside (as well as inside (w/ curtain)) by using spray handle as sink spigot & shower nozzle. 

Personally I can't   decide which advantage I like most; bathing outside or cooking outside. Anyone have response to which is better or how to have the advantage of both without adding outdoor shower compartment? 

The attaching the stove\oven module to the door is genius. Will have to find out if the door could handle the torque on the hinges. That idea seems so KISS that reenforcing the hinges would definitely be an option. As for the shower, we have one of those quick popup shower enclosures. Doesn't help out inside the van, but if we have the room, there was an article on this site for a shower that was pretty ingenious. Thanks!

 

[MikeRuth]

I hate to burst the bubble and then again maybe I'm not gonna and you will do as you wish, but your seriously going to put 4 T-105's inside the van? I know I would love to have 4 but on my Ford E-150 that's just not gonna happen. How will you ventilate them to the outside? 

I wrestled with this for quite some time and I managed to get 2 T-105's mounted to the frame outside behind the drivers seat. Still a work in progress. 

I know I need to get pictures up but for now just had to say something. 

Mike R

 

[Wabbit]

I hate to burst the bubble and then again maybe I'm not gonna and you will do as you wish, but your seriously going to put 4 T-105's inside the van? I know I would love to have 4 but on my Ford E-150 that's just not gonna happen. How will you ventilate them to the outside? 

I wrestled with this for quite some time and I managed to get 2 T-105's mounted to the frame outside behind the drivers seat. Still a work in progress. 

I know I need to get pictures up but for now just had to say something. 

Mike R

No worries Mike, since I haven't done this before and am going on experience in a minivan with tent camping, a lil "get real" is what I am looking for. All I can say for the batteries, is that the specs say they will fit. As for venting them, totally forgot about that. Thinking about it, will prob use a 80mm computer fan setup near the top of the box attached to a hose venting out the bottom of the van. Not sure of the specifics, but something like that. Any suggestions? There is 3 inches on top of the batteries for the hvy cables needed. I was worried about the weight a lil bit, but not so much any more. Many of the vans I looked at seem to have 2k+ cargo load weight. That is, if I am reading the numbers right. The other issue I am not sure of with splitting them into 2 sections, is the charging them equally. All the cables will be exact same length, and I am hoping that is all that is needed(for the most part) to keep them all equalized(or whatever it's called). Thnx for pointing out the venting issue, that's a biggie.

Here's Revision 3

 

[akrvbob]

I have 4 flooded golf carts in my van right now and none of them are vented. I've never vented any batteries in any of my vehicles.

It is a risk no doubt about it. But I think they risk is so low I don't hesitate to take it.

My concern is that most of your stuff is going under the bed, and it looks to me like getting it out from there will be difficult.
Bob

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Batteries produce hydrogen gas, which is explosive - think Hindenburg - and which wants to rise.  I'm not sure a fan can force it down to go out the floor.  More importantly, a cheap computer fan and explosive gas sounds like a VERY bad combo to me.

If you were going to use a fan, it would have to be something like a marine bilge blower, certified safe around explosive gases.

Regards
John

 

[Matt71]

If the bases of the beds are hinged it should be pretty easy to just lift it to access anything underneath and just prop it open with a piece of wood. Obviously the heavier the mattress the more difficult that will be, but shouldn't be too bad with 2 small beds as opposed to 1 large bed.

That's how I plan to do mine. I might try a pulley system to make it a little easier. Gonna go with a futon mattress since they are designed to fold.

I will also have 4 T-105s in my van and plan to put a vent in the side of the van with a 6" dryer hose running from the battery compartment to the vent. Wasn't planning to use a fan though.

As far as the weight goes, 4 batteries will be 244lbs. That's the equivalent to 1 person. When you consider that even the smallest van is intended to hold 6 to 7 people and you'll only have seating for 2, that's not much weight.

 

[Matt71]

What's the point of the 25 fallow water storage right in the middle of the van? Wouldn't it make more sense to have it closer to the sink?
If you put all 4 of your batteries on the passenger side you can put the water on the drivers side and the weight will balance (at least when the tank is full). Then you can run fresh water to the sink from the tank rather than the jug underneath.

And why is the propane on the opposite side of the van from the stove? Seams inconvenient.

 

[Wabbit]

What's the point of the 25 fallow water storage right in the middle of the van?

And why is the propane on the opposite side of the van from the stove? Seams inconvenient.

The water is there ATM because it fits, the back is walled off and it is even with the 5 gal bucket storage, so it won't look like it's sticking out. Leaving the rest of the walkway clear so that when getting out of bunks, feet can land on floor and not have to crawl out. Want to be able to stay out for approx 2 weeks at a time between town visits, and 30 gallons will get us close. Going to be trying a different way of doing dishes this spring(spray bottles-Bob's idea I think), so 30 gallons should work, even in hot dry conditions.

Propane is there because it fits, will have to use a longer hose, but need some slack in the hose area if the door swing works. Hose will also be run along the floor under a lid of some sort.

The bunk tops will also be in two 3 foot sections on hinges. That way we won't have to lift whole top. Mattresses will be 6 inch futon with half going up wall and other half for bunk. Will work as a "couch" kinda during day.

 

[surfer]

The attaching the stove\oven module to the door is genius. Will have to find out if the door could handle the torque on the hinges. That idea seems so KISS that reenforcing the hinges would definitely be an option. As for the shower, we have one of those quick popup shower enclosures. Doesn't help out inside the van, but if we have the room, there was an article on this site for a shower that was pretty ingenious. Thanks!

Glad you like the stove/door idea! As for the shower, I was thinking of a homemade  version of the porta    shower on http://wwww.sportsmobile.com/1_baths.html so it could be used in or outside. If a tarp is something you will be taking, I have a double duty for it. It can be hung as a shower curtain with 2 sticks & 4 screws. It'll work with the lightweight  backpacking type tarps (or sheet of plastic) better than  those stiff crackley ones  because you'll  probably have to fold it in 1/2 when  you use it inside because of  the van interior height.  It's  setup can be seen on

 

[GrantRobertson]

I was thinking of a homemade  version of the porta    shower...

Those are both great links. Normally, I wouldn't be interested in watching a man take a shower. But it was good to see just how easy it can be to take a full shower using only a gallon of water.

 

[surfer]

Bob, I totally agree w/ you on it getting very old fast digging stuff out! Please elaborate on your suggestion on how you avoid this.

 

[Almost There]

Bob, I  totally agree w/ you on it getting very old fast digging stuff out! Please elaborate on your suggestion on how you avoid this.

Not Bob, but....

Organize, organize, organize.

Also, pull out drawers of various heights make for easier 'stuff' locating than do totes with tops on them.

If you're building in your furniture as opposed to using plastic store bought units, think about using drawer slides for being able to pull out shelves/wire baskets etc rather than having fixed shelves where what you want always seems to be at the back.

Look at the upscale kitchens for ideas...you don't need to spend a fortune to mimic the concept.

 

[Wabbit]

Thanks for those shower ideas, that one gallon jug is a pretty good idea. If it was just a guy using it, I would prob save a couple bucks and go that route. However, I doubt that just the one gallon would be enough to rinse out long hair. I am going with a pump up type shower that is 2.5 gallons. I'll leave the link at the bottom. We also use a portable popup shelter as stealth has not been needed. When its not being used as shower, it is the lol area. Will leave that link also. Planning on storing the pump shower in the 5 gallon bucket when not in use, and the popup shower collapses to just a flat bag very quickly. Will be easy enough to find a spot to store that.

Pump shower
http://www.duckworksbbs.com/gear/shower/

Shower enclosure
http://www.amazon.com/Matter-Time-I...nkCode=w13&linkID=&ref_=assoc_res_sw_result_1

 

[Almost There]

Thanks for those shower ideas, that one gallon jug is a pretty good idea. If it was just a guy using it, I would prob save a couple bucks and go that route. However, I doubt that just the one gallon would be enough to rinse out long hair.

I have long curly hair that absolutely must have conditioner on it after a shampoo and I'm not a guy.

1 gallon is cutting it too close for shower, shampoo, conditioner and rinse but I managed to get it to a gallon and a half all the time.

I'd prepare 2 gallons but always had some left over in the jug.

 

[Wabbit]

...I have long curly hair that absolutely must have conditioner on it after a shampoo and I'm not a guy...

...1 gallon is cutting it too close for shower, shampoo, conditioner and rinse but I managed to get it to a gallon and a half all the time...

Good to hear real world experience, now if someone on my end says she can't rinse her hair with only 2.5 gal, I am going to tell her, "Well Almost There says she does it with just 1.5 gals alllll the time!" Lol...thnx!

 

[Almost There]

Good to hear real world experience, now if someone on my end says she can't rinse her hair with only 2.5 gal, I am going to tell her, "Well Almost There says she does it with just 1.5 gals alllll the time!" Lol...thnx!

Hey now, I get blamed for things all the time and I'm still standing but I may not be the perfect example to use on her.

I've had a lifetime of experience in both the outdoors and being frugal with everything around me. I learned to shower with that much water because it was the dead of the winter in Indiana and I had to carry water jugs a half mile from where I was staying, heat it on the stove AND capture the grey water in a wash basin because I also had to haul it back the half mile for disposal. When it's below freezing you learn to stretch the days between showers to the limit and limit the amount of hard work you had to do outside.

All I'm saying is it CAN be done, you might want to cut her some slack....

 

[akrvbob]

Drawers are the key! I'm a big fan of Sterilite 4-drawer units. I have one in my van but for a couple in a van two are better. We used two in Judy's when we drove to Alaska in her van. You're most commonly used things go in the drawers for instant access and the less used items go under the bed.

See the whole post on how we converted her van here: http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/using-sterilite-4-drawer-units-storage/

 

[Wabbit]

Those Sterilite drawers are nice and the reviews on them are great. If the room is available, the drawers would sure be convenient. Prob try and fit at least one of them into the vehicle.

 

[akrvbob]

That's just one example. Here is a friends set-up in his high-top. It's all furniture he re-purposed from home, but you can see that he can reach every bit of it very easily. Very nice set-up. This is a preview of a post on his van I'm doing tomorrow.

 

[MikeRuth]

Bob how are you keeping those drawers closed?>