Just use. 1\8" plywood. Cost both sides with a mold resistant primer and the interior side with a good quality bathroom acrylic semigloss enamel paint. That is what I did and it has held up great going on year four full time. No problems with mold and it is easy to clean. Plus it weighs and cost a lot less than FRP.
Hello! Any advice and help appreciated!
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islanderxx
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My only suggestion is to consider the weight you add to your van. The lighter, the better gas mileage and less wear and tear.
There is something else to consider in the choice of FRP or PVC. When you cut and drill FRP it releases small particles of fiberglass. That means you should use a particulate respirator, wear those disposable tyvek overalls and wear gloves. Also you will need a HEPA filter vacuum for work site cleanup. PVC is a better choice given that situation.
Also check the ratings for temperature for use long term and for the temperature range required at installation time. Too cold as well as too hot is not ideal for installation. But 70s are just right for installation for you and the materials.
Also check the ratings for temperature for use long term and for the temperature range required at installation time. Too cold as well as too hot is not ideal for installation. But 70s are just right for installation for you and the materials.
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Taj
Traveler, always looking for home.
For your kitchen, ikea has a sink/ counter/ rack set up, it’s great in my pro master 136, big enough to work with but compact and anchors to the D rings against the walls, took all of 30 minutes to put together.
Frood
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Seriously though, a picture of this would be awesome mainly because IKEA has something like 200,000 different items.Just go to the IKEA website and enter “mini kitchen”’into the search field. It is a metal rack with a sink installed. There is an option for with or without a faucet. There are also a lot of different bins and containers made that attach to that metal structure. It is not a regular type of enclosed cabinet with doors and drawers. Although Ikea does have a few small cabinets with sink set into them of that version. But as to the longevity of a particle board laminated cabinetsurviving for long in a mobile situation forget about buying one. It will soon begin to fracture at all the fastener locations.
You could buy Corrugated plastic panels and zip tie them onto that metal mini kitchen rack. They will keep things light in weight and even add some fun colors too. It is strong enough and durable enough for the purpose and perfect for a no-build-build option.
You could buy Corrugated plastic panels and zip tie them onto that metal mini kitchen rack. They will keep things light in weight and even add some fun colors too. It is strong enough and durable enough for the purpose and perfect for a no-build-build option.
vanbrat
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I have seen lots of good advice here that I am thinking about too. One of the things we do is a tiny microwave. It takes just a tiny bit of power. It does a lot of cooking, egg sandwiches and morning coffee/tea. heats water for whatever dishes I need to do. If I do need to do them. I like paper too but still hard to really cook on paper. I have an electric induction burner but don't use it as much. I have a bunch of other appliances but I'm weird that way. The microwave is a big deal for me. Anytime I want hot water it is there. It heats up my rice pack to warm up my cold bed. I like my hot sleepy time tea at night. I am known as the zap queen in my family. Not much I can't do with my microwave.
As for a toilet I have a bucket with a potty seat and plastic bag and saw dust kitty litter or ? and a curtain, in the daytime or where there is a public potty it is covered and is a seat for getting my shoes on. I could never get hubby to be in one place for long, so we have no trouble finding showers if not here tonight then tomorrow night.... I saw something about a crock pot heating a van, but I don't know if I believe that or not... it must not have been to much of a cold night. We have a small electric heater/fan but don't use it as it does draw a lot of power. mostly just to warm up the van before we fall asleep then it is off until time to get up and dressed. Last spring, I bought an electric blanket but have not used it yet.
We have 1000 Jackery and keep it charged mostly from the van driving but also if we are someplace with power we charge it, we have solar panels but..... It is not strong enough for the induction burner but works good for everything else. We have a tiny fridge thing that we use for a freezer as long as what we put in is already frozen, we have a tiny ice chest and I made a thick wool cover for it, but it is just so-so, it keeps small bits cold as long as we don't try to do anything even remotely warm into it. I carry icy things and if I have leftovers, I love leftovers, I cool them all the way off before putting them in the cooler. And as soon as they are totally cool the icy's go back in the freezer. Still, we end up buying a lot of ice.
But this is just what works for me and I don't live in my van it is just for road trips and visiting the kido's
As for a toilet I have a bucket with a potty seat and plastic bag and saw dust kitty litter or ? and a curtain, in the daytime or where there is a public potty it is covered and is a seat for getting my shoes on. I could never get hubby to be in one place for long, so we have no trouble finding showers if not here tonight then tomorrow night.... I saw something about a crock pot heating a van, but I don't know if I believe that or not... it must not have been to much of a cold night. We have a small electric heater/fan but don't use it as it does draw a lot of power. mostly just to warm up the van before we fall asleep then it is off until time to get up and dressed. Last spring, I bought an electric blanket but have not used it yet.
We have 1000 Jackery and keep it charged mostly from the van driving but also if we are someplace with power we charge it, we have solar panels but..... It is not strong enough for the induction burner but works good for everything else. We have a tiny fridge thing that we use for a freezer as long as what we put in is already frozen, we have a tiny ice chest and I made a thick wool cover for it, but it is just so-so, it keeps small bits cold as long as we don't try to do anything even remotely warm into it. I carry icy things and if I have leftovers, I love leftovers, I cool them all the way off before putting them in the cooler. And as soon as they are totally cool the icy's go back in the freezer. Still, we end up buying a lot of ice.
But this is just what works for me and I don't live in my van it is just for road trips and visiting the kido's
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Home Depot sells mini kitchens by Summit and Avanti, but I only see electric burners so far. Also found a vintage one on FB Marketplace here: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/637711401818127/
It says: "Vintage Norcold Frig/stove/sink unit in fantastic condition"
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SleepySkies
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Did you frame out the van for that or did you directly screw the panels to the van? This is a decent idea tbh. Did you use a template for the cuts or how did you go about it?
SleepySkies
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Ziptied Corrugated Plastic Panels is also a good idea.
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We have a metal bed frame with wire "slats" tied down to old seat mounts. Lightweight, inexpensive, and great ventilation.
A Dolphin hand pump that screws onto a 3 or 5 gallon water container has worked well for us. Dependable; no power; no noise. The water jug sits in a Sterlite box with a hole cut in the lid. A small sink bowl is mounted on the lid also, with a second hold in the lid to allow attachment to a Camco RV drain. The drain hose goes into a cat litter jug to collect gray water. There is space in the box for a separate gallon of water, my solar shower, and a hot water bottle. The compromise is that the sink is at knee level, but I have very limited space.
I have seen the Ikea kitchen in use in a Promaster, and I really liked it! Since then, I've seen it featured in a number of videos.
We have a large cooler with a drain hose running out a back door. It works amazingly well! Again, no power; no noise. Sometimes I think about a 12 volt fridge, but for the way we travel, it just doesn''t make sense yet.
A Dolphin hand pump that screws onto a 3 or 5 gallon water container has worked well for us. Dependable; no power; no noise. The water jug sits in a Sterlite box with a hole cut in the lid. A small sink bowl is mounted on the lid also, with a second hold in the lid to allow attachment to a Camco RV drain. The drain hose goes into a cat litter jug to collect gray water. There is space in the box for a separate gallon of water, my solar shower, and a hot water bottle. The compromise is that the sink is at knee level, but I have very limited space.
I have seen the Ikea kitchen in use in a Promaster, and I really liked it! Since then, I've seen it featured in a number of videos.
We have a large cooler with a drain hose running out a back door. It works amazingly well! Again, no power; no noise. Sometimes I think about a 12 volt fridge, but for the way we travel, it just doesn''t make sense yet.
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I'll use this opportunity to suggest the following water filter.
ZeroWater: https://amzn.to/3yPXTmF
MUCH cheaper and in many ways better than a Berkey, as reviewed here:
ZeroWater: https://amzn.to/3yPXTmF
MUCH cheaper and in many ways better than a Berkey, as reviewed here:
afblangley
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ELECTRICAL
The price of a Delta 2 + its auxiliary battery is about the same as the Delta 2 Max, which has the same capacity in a smaller footprint and a more powerful inverter. It sounds like the electrical system you're planning is on the larger side and will cost a significant amount of money, so here's some things to consider.
When in comes to power station vs permanently installed electrical system, I am firmly in the power station camp. But there were a couple of shortcomings/pain points that developed as my electrical needs grew.
First is the limited number of ports. For example diesel heaters and fridges both require 10A, and there's typically only one port (cigarette) with that capacity. Its also an issue if you want an appliances permanently connected, like a fan or lights. It doesn't take a super complex build to run out of ports. One solution is to run wiring then route it to a distribution box connected to a power station that has a 25A or 30A port. The only model in the EcoFlow range that has this is the Delta Pro. All of the large power stations in the Bluetti lineup have a high output port. Ditto with Goal Zero, but it has inferior battery chemistry. These power stations also have a 30A 120V port if hard wired AC appliances or outlets are desired.
The other issue is recharge rate. If a power station is small and there's nothing in the build that demands electricity, its a simple matter to grab it and take it in to a building to charge it. But once you start talking about larger power stations or additional batteries or always on devices (like internet equipment) removing the power station from the vehicle can become a nuisance. With a limit of 8A, a vehicle's cigarette port isn't practical to recharge a large power station. There are ways to connect a power station to the starter battery so that it can charge via the alternator. From (costly) experience, I can tell you the safest (though not fastest) way to do this with the EcoFlows is use a DC-DC charger. One more thing, the Delta Pro can be charged at EV charging stations. I've found this to be a surprisingly convenient way to recharge on several occasions: drive into a spot, open the sliding door, drag the charging cable into the van, and 30 minutes later, my deeply discharged Delta Pro is full.
HEAT
In the Mid Atlantic region, you will need a heater if you are going to be living in the van during the winter. If you have access to shore power, an electric space heater is simple, cheap, safe, effective, and silent. I needed something that worked without hookups. I started with a Mr Heater Buddy heater. It gets dangerously hot, consumes a lot of propane and creates unwanted moisture. I don't want to start an argument about safety, so I'll just say it made me uncomfortable.
In my opinion, the best DIY friendly solution is a diesel/petrol air heater. I have zero mechanical skill so I bought a Chinese all in one diesel heater, plugged it into the cigarette port and routed the exhaust pipe out the window. The setup and take down was a hassle and the slightly opened window let in a lot of cold air. In hindsight, a better option would have been to drill a hole in the van floor and route the exhaust out it. I could then remove the unit to put fuel in it outside of the van, and would have the option of leaving it at home during the months when heating wasn't needed. I ended up getting someone to install it traditionally (under the passenger seat and plumbed to the vehicle's tank). If you have a diesel Promaster, a cheap Chinese diesel heater is a no brainer. Espar is the only company that I'm aware of that makes a petrol heater. Plumbing these heaters to the vehicle's fuel tank makes it safe, clean, odor free and convenient.
If money and complexity are not a deterrent, hydronic heating seems really neat. I am looking into the Elwell Timberline system for my next build. Having hot air and continuous hot water powered by the vehicle's fuel tank may be the most elegant solution.
PLUMBING
In many situations (and most urban/suburban areas) it is poor etiquette to dump grey water (or urine) on the ground. There are numerous times throughout the day when its nice to have running water to wash hands or rinse off a piece of fruit or clean the dishes in a convenient, easy way. In a full size van, its hard to make a compelling case against having a fully functioning kitchenette. It takes very little skill, money, or time to create.
Home Depot and Lowes sell inexpensive, fully assembled kitchen cabinets (and bathroom vanities that can be repurposed as such) with countertops. My initial kitchenette consisted of of this ($200) and two Aquatainers ($40): one with a hose connected ($3) to a battery powered water dispenser faucet ($20), the other connected to a rv drain hose ($20) and a pvc connector ($5). Total cost $250 and a couple of hours.
Living in a vehicle is hard. Especially if constant mobility is a required. Finding places to park, shopping for food, cooking meals, doing laundry, bathing, toileting, consciously monitoring water and power consumption... Everything takes more time and thought to execute.
A van has roughly the same square footage as a standard bathroom. Now imagine living in that space without hot running water, fridge, shower, HVAC, 55" tv, recliner, unlimited high speed internet... Make sure your build has the elements that make living in a vehicle enjoyable and doesn't make you feel like you're homeless.
The price of a Delta 2 + its auxiliary battery is about the same as the Delta 2 Max, which has the same capacity in a smaller footprint and a more powerful inverter. It sounds like the electrical system you're planning is on the larger side and will cost a significant amount of money, so here's some things to consider.
When in comes to power station vs permanently installed electrical system, I am firmly in the power station camp. But there were a couple of shortcomings/pain points that developed as my electrical needs grew.
First is the limited number of ports. For example diesel heaters and fridges both require 10A, and there's typically only one port (cigarette) with that capacity. Its also an issue if you want an appliances permanently connected, like a fan or lights. It doesn't take a super complex build to run out of ports. One solution is to run wiring then route it to a distribution box connected to a power station that has a 25A or 30A port. The only model in the EcoFlow range that has this is the Delta Pro. All of the large power stations in the Bluetti lineup have a high output port. Ditto with Goal Zero, but it has inferior battery chemistry. These power stations also have a 30A 120V port if hard wired AC appliances or outlets are desired.
The other issue is recharge rate. If a power station is small and there's nothing in the build that demands electricity, its a simple matter to grab it and take it in to a building to charge it. But once you start talking about larger power stations or additional batteries or always on devices (like internet equipment) removing the power station from the vehicle can become a nuisance. With a limit of 8A, a vehicle's cigarette port isn't practical to recharge a large power station. There are ways to connect a power station to the starter battery so that it can charge via the alternator. From (costly) experience, I can tell you the safest (though not fastest) way to do this with the EcoFlows is use a DC-DC charger. One more thing, the Delta Pro can be charged at EV charging stations. I've found this to be a surprisingly convenient way to recharge on several occasions: drive into a spot, open the sliding door, drag the charging cable into the van, and 30 minutes later, my deeply discharged Delta Pro is full.
HEAT
In the Mid Atlantic region, you will need a heater if you are going to be living in the van during the winter. If you have access to shore power, an electric space heater is simple, cheap, safe, effective, and silent. I needed something that worked without hookups. I started with a Mr Heater Buddy heater. It gets dangerously hot, consumes a lot of propane and creates unwanted moisture. I don't want to start an argument about safety, so I'll just say it made me uncomfortable.
In my opinion, the best DIY friendly solution is a diesel/petrol air heater. I have zero mechanical skill so I bought a Chinese all in one diesel heater, plugged it into the cigarette port and routed the exhaust pipe out the window. The setup and take down was a hassle and the slightly opened window let in a lot of cold air. In hindsight, a better option would have been to drill a hole in the van floor and route the exhaust out it. I could then remove the unit to put fuel in it outside of the van, and would have the option of leaving it at home during the months when heating wasn't needed. I ended up getting someone to install it traditionally (under the passenger seat and plumbed to the vehicle's tank). If you have a diesel Promaster, a cheap Chinese diesel heater is a no brainer. Espar is the only company that I'm aware of that makes a petrol heater. Plumbing these heaters to the vehicle's fuel tank makes it safe, clean, odor free and convenient.
If money and complexity are not a deterrent, hydronic heating seems really neat. I am looking into the Elwell Timberline system for my next build. Having hot air and continuous hot water powered by the vehicle's fuel tank may be the most elegant solution.
PLUMBING
In many situations (and most urban/suburban areas) it is poor etiquette to dump grey water (or urine) on the ground. There are numerous times throughout the day when its nice to have running water to wash hands or rinse off a piece of fruit or clean the dishes in a convenient, easy way. In a full size van, its hard to make a compelling case against having a fully functioning kitchenette. It takes very little skill, money, or time to create.
Home Depot and Lowes sell inexpensive, fully assembled kitchen cabinets (and bathroom vanities that can be repurposed as such) with countertops. My initial kitchenette consisted of of this ($200) and two Aquatainers ($40): one with a hose connected ($3) to a battery powered water dispenser faucet ($20), the other connected to a rv drain hose ($20) and a pvc connector ($5). Total cost $250 and a couple of hours.
Living in a vehicle is hard. Especially if constant mobility is a required. Finding places to park, shopping for food, cooking meals, doing laundry, bathing, toileting, consciously monitoring water and power consumption... Everything takes more time and thought to execute.
A van has roughly the same square footage as a standard bathroom. Now imagine living in that space without hot running water, fridge, shower, HVAC, 55" tv, recliner, unlimited high speed internet... Make sure your build has the elements that make living in a vehicle enjoyable and doesn't make you feel like you're homeless.
SleepySkies
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Living within that space won't be an issue; I'm mostly at work and all my jobsites are fine with me sleeping where I work. I already don't have any of those things and shower at PF's lol.
Thanks for all the input. One question about your cabinet suggestion; did you go for any reduced depth cabinets? I'm under the impression most cabinets/vanities you could purchase through big box stores would simply be too large where in a van or RV you would probably want a countertop/vanity around 12"-18". A Promaster is hardly 6' wide so anything 2' or more in depth on both sides might be tight sizing wise and unnescceary since cabinet packing isn't as much an aspect of life on the road as it is at home.
The only consistently running thing I'm currently planning for at the moment is a MaxxAir fan.
afblangley
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My Sprinter is narrower than your Promaster. I have a standard depth kitchen base cabinet (Hampton Bay 30 W x 24 D x 34.5 H). In my layout, it sits across from my toilet ottoman (22 W x 22 D x 22 H), thus leaving an aisle of about 18, which is sufficient for walking straight forward. It feels open and uncramped, probably aided by my lack of upper cabinets.
Bathroom cabinets are not as deep as kitchen cabinets. They would serve just as well, since the extra depth isn't needed. And many of them have drawers, which is useful storage organization.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Glacier...Cabinet-without-Top-in-White-HWH24D/202696858
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Design-...-in-White-Semi-Gloss-597161/313590880#overlay
I'm a 20-year RV veteran, and I have some thoughts you might find helpful. 1) cooktop. Start simple with a camp stove connected to a 5-gallon
bottle of propane. Electric may be doable, it is just a matter of knowing how much electricity it requires and how much additional your
batteries have to give. BTW, when talking about a QUANTITY electricity, use the term "amp hours" (like GALLONS of something). Typical RV
"house batteries" will have the rating printed on the top. My deep cycle battery was rated at 225 amp-hours (pretty typical). Just about any
appliance will have the power it uses on a label. If it gives watts instead of amps, convert this way: amps =watts/volts. Household devices
are 120 volts. If your EcoFlow has a lithium battery, it is probably 100AH, which is actually far superior to the old lead acid deep-cycle
batteries. You can use almost all of the 100AH without damaging the battery, AND lithium charges 3x faster than lead-acid. 2) Toilet: a simple
composting toilet. Easy to use, maintain.... a friend bought a C Head brand for about $600. For guys and gals, the urine is kept separate, so the challenge is to take the gallon jug out side to empty it (or to someone's toilet) You can easily do your research. 3)shower: You don't need one.
But for those days when a shower isn't handy, just heat 3 cups of water and add 2 caps of Apple Cider Vinegar + washcloth. No soap, no rinsing, no smell. 4) Fridge: Ice chest works great, especially when you arrange food in various plastic bins..tupperware. Do your research on
a chest-size Electric fridge. They are fairly common with van dwellers. If you are fairly young, you may see the day when fossil fuels will be a thing of the past, and you'll be prepared somewhat. Good luck to you
Anyone know of any local Anderson connector plugs? Need asap
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LOCAL to where ?...........................and what SIZE Anderson
Quartzsite desert and I think 30 gauge wire / small size connector to fit goal zero/the black one
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Jim the Quartzsite expert suggests the tent across from the Post Office....................
