Good morning

[travelaround]

Everything okay in your neighborhood, Maki? I'm glad I'm not in a big city right now.

Spent the day making frequent trips to my yard to either mow or weed or prune. So much to do - there's no end to it. Spent part of the afternoon in the shade on the hammock. It has been years since I ever experienced anything so peaceful. Maybe this is the first time ever.

 

[maki2]

My neighborhood is 7 miles northwest of the demonstrations in downtown Seattle. The small, non essential businesses in this neighborhood boarded up their stores in mid March. Even some of the essential ones put boards over their windows at that time. Burglaries had already begun to rise just before the stay at home order was announced.

 

[maki2]

Spent the morning cutting snowflakes to send to Australia for an order from my Etsy shop.
Very useful to have this boost in income during the "off season" for Christmas villages. It will help buy supplies for my build. I need to get them packaged up now so I can take them to the post office this afternoon. For packages going out of the country I have to hand them to a postal worker, I can't just drop them into the big blue box at the street.

Some people south of the Equator like to celebrate Christmas in July as that is their winter season.

 

[travelaround]

Beautiful little house, Maki...

Sofisintown - I was thinking - Home Depot has plenty of boards, to board up their windows!

Today I'm not doing much yard work. I'm taking a day away from that to create more videos.

 

[desert_sailing]

One whole week now sleeping in the rig. I am still learning many things. Fortunately the air seems to be less toxic. We have had quite a bit of heat the past 2 days and so hopefully things are baking out a bit. I still do plan to follow up on other avenues Dr. Friday, plants and maybe purifier as well.

I am stewing about the whole bed situation. It was really a poor choice for me. I can't tell you how tired I am of having to crawl to the foot of the bed just to get out. Certainly not interested in doing it in a rush to use the bathroom. I found it also a joy just to be able to step out of bed.That is now impossible. Crawling out like a bear exiting hibernation is not ideal.

One disaster after another it seems with this layout. I hope I am not about to embark on yet another. I've got the jig saw warming up and am looking at moving the bed, shrinking it if needed and moving to a wall side, taking the cabinets that are there and stacking it ontop of the other, longer cabinets.. giving me a whole wall. I would still have storage under the bed/couch and still be the same length. I would possibly lose a little width on the bed. It is currently 4 feet wide. 6ft long. I could nearly gain 2 feet of aisle? If i hack 6 inches off the width. 3 and half feet sufficient?.. I think it would be ok.

I would love to have a little aisle to be able to spring out of bed and into the day instead of "worming" my way from underneath.

Wish me luck. LOL... if there are any words of caution before I go too hammer happy.

 

[crofter]

Yesterday was 114 degrees here, a pretty day out and about in the van. Spent the day on appointments and mechanical stuff. 
-crofter

 

[maki2]

I would love to have a little aisle to be able to spring out of bed and into the day instead of "worming" my way from underneath.

Wish me luck. LOL... if there are any words of caution before I go too hammer happy.

Exiting the bed from the center of it lengthwise is certainly much easier than having to crawl down and off the foot end of the bed. You don't want to exit from the head end of the bed as you need some type of head board to keep the pillow from sliding out under your head and onto the floor.  Of course over the years I had absorbed that understanding through experience and internalized it to the point that whatever I design usually incorporates that type of layout if at all possible. My travel trailer bed allows me to stand up from the lengthwise edge. But my Honda Element will have a full platform in the rear to store all the extra gear underneath. Sometimes I will take it camping and leave the trailer behind and then it will require a much more difficult exit from bed out the side door of the car. Things are not always perfect.

 

[maki2]

We did go out after a visit to the post office to our favorite local BBQ sandwich place. Takeout of course as the current status in the city does not allow for indoor seating. But the sandwiches taste the same sitting in the car or eating inside. The owner said his business has been doing pretty good, better than he expected with the stay at home order.

My treat for my workshop partner since I did have that big order from Australia come in this morning. He had been hankering for one of those BBQ sandwiches for the last month. He needed a treat, he has been feeling down and frustrated this last week. Some weeks are like that and a break from the tedium with a low risk treat excursion is a good way to relieve the blues.

 

[desert_sailing]

Exiting the bed from the center of it lengthwise is certainly much easier than having to crawl down and off the foot end of the bed. You don't want to exit from the head end of the bed as you need some type of head board to keep the pillow from sliding out under your head and onto the floor.  Of course over the years I had absorbed that understanding through experience and internalized it to the point that whatever I design usually incorporates that type of layout if at all possible. My travel trailer bed allows me to stand up from the lengthwise edge. But my Honda Element will have a full platform in the rear to store all the extra gear underneath. Sometimes I will take it camping and leave the trailer behind and then it will require a much more difficult exit from bed out the side door of the car. Things are not always perfect.

 All of the little things we take for granted. Simple pleasures. 
I am not sure if I am going to be able to make this rework work. The small counter stacked on the large needs to be cut back to sit properly and I lose nearly all my counter top by stacking but not so bad.. I guess..

I decided to wait before cutting and drilling to consult  with my buddy who has done most of the construction. I dont know if I will even have enough support by cutting away at the base of the bed to go over the wheel well.

Besides the bed the biggest fix needs to be rubbish control. Amazing how a couple beverage cans and twinkie wrappers add up. You really notice the waste you generate in a small space over that in a house. I will need to figure out a way to eliminate the waste and use reusable containers for things, food/snacks etc. I can not see how eating food from cans will be at all practical. Time to look at all the dehydrated/ backpacker food stuffs. I am not interested in driving around with bags of trash inside or strapped to the roof. Moldering cans of spaghettios..eww

Tonight would have been night 8. At this point there is not much more to discovering things that need adjustment. I have a pretty good list.  The fumes are diminishing but until I tweek everything a bit, I have decided to go back into the S&B until I get those items corrected. No reason to continue gassin' myself.

I have woke up soo haggard looking.. dark circles starting to form..LOL...I am definitely fortunate to be allowed the luxury of being able to have a comfortable and spacious alternative in which to rest while I refocus on an efficient and comfortable nest.

It is a terrible thought knowing that there are families (and many others) that have been thrown into a living space that is barely more than a roof over their heads and with little more than the clothes on their backs. I feel petty complaining about my bed.

So important to be thankful for all the little things that matter to basic human function. Clean air and water a safe place to rest, nutritious food, a healthy body and mind.  What more is possibly needed?? I hope I live to see the day when the "least" of us are "granted" the rudiments of life.

Pardon the preach.. I am just so utterly grateful.

 

[maki2]

Buy or make a aluminum soda can crusher for your nomadic life. That will help reduce the volume of garbage. Also get one of the can openers that cuts the rims off of tinned cans. That way you have separated the top and bottom and you can then easily flatten the center of the can. Rinse or wash out the cans first and they won't get stinky then you can store them in a paper bag to put into metal recycling or do come metal can hacks, crafts or art projects with them.

But for some tin can fun (if you have the bandwidth. 5 and a half minutes long) check out this short film made by a friend Phil and his partner Liz.
"The Big Race" https://vimeopro.com/metalingo/doc-style-shooting-by-phil/video/28536527

Short documentary shot in Antsirabe, Madagascar
What do two small boys in Madagascar do with a free day? Tulch and Noel, best friends with a day off from school, successfully illustrate that you don't need fancy toys or the latest technology to have some fun on a beautiful summer afternoon. Maybe all you need is a tin can and a little imagination.

The Big Race has played in film festivals around the world, and is included in the Family Media Collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Smithsonian Museum of African Art in Washington, DC, and numerous other library and film collections.

Phil and Liz are a great team and they are professional film makers having done a lot of work for companies such as Food Network, for the fashion industry including Vogue, BMW (cars), work for various TV series etc. They are also nomadic dwellers who have restored a Burro (fiberglass) travel trailer and a (aluminum) Spartan. This week I have been consulting with them on their project to buy a property and put up, or renovate, a facility on some land to house the trailers and a home base studio. I got volunteered to help them by Phil's dad because I am familiar with acting as my own general contractor on projects including a workshop/studio building and have done code research for permits and such. Phil's dad is my workshop partner who lives on a sailboat but also owns 2 cargo trailers, one set up as a workshop, the other for travel adventures with dual sport motorcycle and a van that can haul the trailers. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for my friends' home base search.

 

[travelaround]

@Maki - Wonderful Video !!

@desert_sailing - I am amazed your van is already so built out and you're not living in it but . . . well, by contrast, I have only a floor and some insulation, and that's all for the permanent part of the build. I'm using a double-decker cot (I sleep on the top bunk) and have a bedroom dresser in there instead of a counter/cabinets/kitchen. I had help with the floor but I did the insulation and nobody is helping me at this point. My cot is length-wise... 30" wide. I haven't had any trouble sleeping on that, and never fell out of the top bunk. I have a stool to stand on to get into the bed and out of it.

 

[maki2]

It when you have been designing small spaces for a while to "see" the posibilities.
Build in a fold down shelf/counter that closes up against that upper stack of shelves. That will be the door to keep things secured on those shelves while you are driving. When down it is a significant increase in your counter space. The items inside that cabinet space can be things you would only use when that door is turned into a counter or long term storage items.

A very simple solution that is not expensive to do. Be sure you think about how you will be moving within the space while doing activities. that will determine where your bed goes. If at all possible when designing that fold down section have it also function as a desk/worktable while sitting on the bed.

Perhaps you should start a build thread instead of posting these problems in this thread. You will get a lot more responses related to your build in that section of the forum. There are a lot of experienced builders who read those threads but don't click on this one.

 

[desert_sailing]

@Maki - Wonderful Video !!

@desert_sailing - I am amazed your van is already so built out and you're not living in it but . . . well, by contrast, I have only a floor and some insulation, and that's all for the permanent part of the build. I'm using a double-decker cot (I sleep on the top bunk) and have a bedroom dresser in there instead of a counter/cabinets/kitchen. I had help with the floor but I did the insulation and nobody is helping me at this point. My cot is length-wise... 30" wide. I haven't had any trouble sleeping on that, and never fell out of the top bunk. I have a stool to stand on to get into the bed and out of it.

I was really hoping to be able to be full time in the rig at this point. I did do the 7 days in the driveway. I hope to get the final kinks worked out and be living in it fulltime..even if it is in the driveway til things are opened and a bit more travel security is established.

I am packing and selling/giving things away. Cleaning and painting walls.. need that deposit back.

I had hoped to be on the road by July but I have no immediate need to rush and I really want to be prepared. As long as I can get down to Az or such for the fall/winter I will be happy. But I really don't want to miss out on the summer and all the great places to go and see.

I have to say.. the ladies I have spoken to on here and in reading your various posts, you ALL are some tough cookies.. super resilient and resourceful. I am inspired by your get it done attitudes and your knack at making it work.

How I would love to have a cot over this monstrosity of a bed I currently have.

 

[maki2]

No shame in reworking some aspects of your build. From what I have seen that is very typical.

 

[desert_sailing]

reworking some aspects

I would honestly rework the ENTIRE build if able.
If anyone wants to buy what I have inside now..LOL.

I spent a year looking at various builds online. I drew it out and taped it out on the floor.

Theory still requires the practicality test. I wish I had been on the forum during my planning stages to have had pros and cons about certain aspects.

Ultimately I will be happy no matter what I end up with..it will be my home.

There is a lot of beauty in the imperfect.

My humble thanks to all those that have taken time to help clear my path and gave support.

 

[maki2]

A van build is not that complicated. Women of all ages are doing this and living solo on the road, it does not take being "tough" to do it. Efficient space use and work flow planning is something that many people acquire over the years as a normal part of both work and household life.

If you can't visualize how to make your layout work then make a scale 3D cardboard model including a cutout of yourself.

 

[desert_sailing]

A van build is not that complicated. Women of all ages are doing this and living solo on the road, it does not take being "tough" to do it. Efficient space use and work flow planning is something that many  people acquire over the years as a normal part of both work and household life.

If you can't visualize how to make your layout work then make a scale 3D cardboard model including a cutout of yourself.

And yet there are literally millions if not billions of posts online asking questions on how to do it.

I disagree that it doesn't take being tough. There is a mental toughness that Is required to do this successfully. The weak need not apply.  I am certain there are many folks that need the "spirit" just to be able to get out of their van beds at times. Folks dealing with physical limitations have to be tough.. there is not the same degree of comfort one finds in s S&B in a van.
I promise there is more than one person crying themselves to sleep because of the physical and emotional pains they are enduring. Many of them are living this lifestyle not because of choice.

Toughen up buttercup comes to mind. You may not find it to require a certain toughness.. not everyone is superman/woman.

Have you not seen Bobs video where he talks about why he interviews soo many  females on his channel???

He speaks about their toughness and resilience. Their facing certain threats and how they  push through it all.

There is even an entire section here devoted to women. Don't tell me they don't face certain issues unique to them that requires a certain toughness to navigate.

They inspire me...because despite what society tells them is their path.. "sisters are doing it for themselves" >>> 5 minute tune that may clear it up.

 

[travelaround]

I disagree that it doesn't take being tough. There is a mental toughness that Is required to do this successfully.

I'm agreeing with you.

Maki, you have toughness built in. I know you feel comfortable with all aspects of conversion because you were trained - at an airplane factory - am I right? I have so much respect for you and your skills and job history and what you're doing with your trailer ... but I'm not at that level. Not at all.

For me it is a big push to gain one little skill at a time to be able to make any progress at all on my build. You may remember I tried to do my floor myself and got so frustrated with doing everything wrong I finally let a retired pastor at my church install that floor for me - a master carpenter who did such a great and precise job - as I watched - I know that everything about the process is a huge learning curve for me.

I need that toughness! It was a huge thing for me just to cut my thinsulate and glue it to the roof and sides of the van. I feel so incompetent and unskilled for putting up paneling. I don't have any of those skills. It is such a big learning curve for me I feel totally blocked for months at a time. Not being able to go to Medford for the wood and other materials is the least of my problems. The biggest problem I have is my mental attitude at doing something complicated that I've never done before.

I see Bob interviewing women on video and so often their vans are a mess, with no build and some even with a lot of clutter. Then there are a very few who got woodwork training and managed to make their vans beautiful. I have nobody to be here to train me... nobody to show me what to do and exactly "hands on" how to do it and videos don't seem to show me the skills in a specific enough manner, enough to make me feel confident that I know how to do the work.

I can't even watch videos with beautiful builds anymore because I get so upset that I dont' have the skills to fix mine up and nobody to help do it.

So yes, toughness is what I need. Getting through the winter in that van required huge toughness... I was so cold... but also, fixing the inside of it is another kind of toughness and I haven't given up but I really need to develop the courage to try to do these things I'm not used to doing, and honestly, don't even know how to do.

 

[maki2]

What it really takes is self discipline. Getting up in the morning and getting busy on the list of things that need to get done.

I have never been very good at self discipline, and I am getting worse at it every year

I will happily use fear and anxiety to avoid doing stuff. It is such a socially acceptable excuse and an easy habit to drop into.
I fully realize I do that.

 

[maki2]

Travelaround. Start with the biggest pieces of insulation first. If you cut them wrong you can then use them later on smaller areas. You are mostly afraid of wasting materials and money rather than afraid of the physical work. So if you do the big ones first you give yourself a safety net when it comes to having enough material to finish the job. Plus of course you can always put in a splice joint if need be.

Trying to do everything perfectly on the first attempt is everyone's biggest hold back. I face it every time I pick up a tool and quite often the frustration of having made a mess of something has me stopped for the day or an hour or two. It is part of why my build goes so slowly.