VanKitten said:
i cannot seem to get an answer to this......
As I look through listings of conversion vans (tops already on). How do I discover which ones will allow me to stand up straight? I am 5'7". How do I get the wheel base? The interior width?
Is this just something everyone "knows" and I am just too green to be in the know?
Thank you for any info or guide
Those 'conversion vans' that you mostly see have what is called a 'tv top'. It's meant to give additional head room for passengers seated in the luxury seating in the rear of the van and to provide a place for the tv to be placed for viewing while going on down the road!
They will not give you sufficient headroom to stand upright in the vehicle even at my height of 5'.
The conversion vans like Roadtrek increase the headroom to standing height in the middle corridor of the van by dropping the floor pan and by adding the low top. There is no standing height down both side of the van which is where the manufacturer puts all the RV components.
The only high tops that will give you standing height in a regular van are the 24" or better high tops like the one I have - it's in my avatar. Some of the handicap vans have a 36" high top added to them when they are equipped with the big doors and the wheelchair lifts.
My 24" high top gives me a 6'2" standing height after I took up about 3" total for flooring and interior ceiling.
Wheel base is something that you don't need to be unnecessarily concerned about. Most vans are a standard 135" wheelbase I believe. The only time it comes in to serious play is if you're looking at an extended body van. Then the concern is whether the wheelbase is extended as well or if the van has a large overhang at the back.
Van dimensions: we've got a sticky for that....
Here is the thread that should have a whole lot of the information you need:
https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Van-Dimensions-Sticky
