I'm thinking of re-doing my build

[waldenbound]

So, I'm sitting here thinking, I know a dangerous undertaking (I love self-depracating humor.) My bed as it is now, is very uncomfortable. This is after three trips out in the van. The bed is a problem, definitely.

The way I have it now, the bed is lengthwise behind the driver's side. it is 24 inches wide and six feet long. It's really narrow, and I am not six feet tall. I'm thinking of making a new bed, my third. (Are you seeing this newbies, I have to make my THIRD bed.) What I can do is fit it along the rear doors, like I see so many other builds, this time make it a luxurious 30 inches wide! I hope I can make it wider, I did some rough measurements just now. I can just build it so the legs fit on the plywood floor so it can be screwed down, then the head and feet part can overhang to give me 5 feet, 3 inches, my exact height. Storage space underneath, of course.

So, bed along the rear doors. Then, cedar clothes chest behind the driver's seat, lengthwise. Along the passenger seat, the Yeti, and next to it, my kitchen cabinet. I'm hoping to squeeze a few more inches, so there is no danger of not being able to get into my cabinets.

I'm hoping the geometry will work out. Right now, the entire floor space of the van is used, and I need six more inches for my bed. But, I see so many builds of beds along the back doors, and they have an aisle way, and enough room for someone in a bikini to leisurely cook breakfast on the built-in kitchenette.

So, I would just think about plunking down another piece of plywood for a subfloor, then get some nice hickory hardwood for a floor. I love the cork, but I don't know about it's long term durability, since it is really cork over a laminate. Build the bed. Get my neighbor to help me remove all the furniture, put in the new floor, the bed, the rest of the furniture, and viola! I have a new build.

God, I think I must be crazy...In fact, I think I need a stinkin' badge.

 

[dr_nelson]

I think a desire of re-doing the build is absolutely legitimate. After all, you have been "living" with it and know exactly what you don't like.

I recommend this online studio where you can layout your build: Click here and then click New Floorplans. It offers quite a few floorplans (Chevy, Ford, Transit Connect, Sprinter, etc.).


I actually took a screenshot of my e350 extended layout and used Excel to put "shapes" over it.
This is my current plan (which of course is purely theoretical):
[img=700x278]http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g.../Screen Shot 2017-07-15 at 23.43.32.png[/img]
If the dinette is transformed into a bed, the bed is 47 inches (almost 4 ft) wide.

Looking forward to your transformation

 

[bullfrog]

I've found that a bed my exact height doesn't work for me. I need at least 5 or 6 more inches to stretch my feet or lay my arm above my head. With 30 inches wide I can lay diagonally and get some extra room but when I roll over I wake up because I have hit the wall. I would try sleeping in a space that size before redoing and consider an expanding bed or use totes with plywood that could be nested during the day.

 

[Gideon33w]

I was originally planning on a 30-36" wide bed but ultimately upped that to 42". Lay down on the floor in a few positions and see what works for you dimensionally. 42" is probably overkill but I wanted the ability to have a guest sleeper. Mandatory cuddling isn't a bad thing I guess, lol.

Also, my rear bed idea got killed when I realized my rear AC unit just ate up too much width (I'm about 5'10"). Check out my build thread for a layout which puts the bed right behind the seats and gets you more usable space. A little harder to switch from bed to couch mode (plus I overbuilt so my pieces are a bit heavy) but you get a good amount of added usable space.

 

[Weight]

Every time I travel in The Van, some new idea takes control and it's a rebuild. I recently added solar. That required a complete over do of my 12 volt house system.

 

[speedhighway46]

My conversion, which was first done eight years ago, will never "be done."

It's a work in process; as my needs change it also changes; both from my personal experience and from what I learn here on CRVL (which is ALOT!).

Just my opinion . . .

 

[gargoyle]

Walden,
How about a fold out panel/extension on a hinge to give you more bed space, but keep daytime space at a max?
No need for total rebuild.

 

[Almost There]

I don't remember what it is that you're living in WB so I may be completely off base here!

If it's one of the newer vans be careful of putting the bed exactly at the rear of the van. The newer vans' back doors slope inward at the top and any time they are open they will allow rain to drip/flow directly on to the bed. The older vans had doors that were more straight up and down and this didn't happen except in a driving rain. That's one reason I put my bed directly over the wheel wells rather than at the rear of the van. it's also handy to have full height storage back there for lawn chairs, tables, etc. etc. that can be easily accessed from the back doors but out of the way when you're living in the van.

Also, I played with the length of the bed while I was still in a S&B by blocking off the foot of the bed with a board and testing it to see what was comfortable. I found that I needed at least 8" more than I was tall - enough room to allow for headroom at the top - your head when laying on a pillow doesn't reach all the way to the top edge of the pillow. I also needed a bit of room to stretch out my feet. Think ballet pointe not 90' walking position. In retrospect another couple of inches wouldn't have hurt but it would have meant a different layout.

I opted for a full size twin bed (38") rather than something narrower. I knew I didn't  need a full double..heck I never had to make the 'other' side of the bed in the apartment. If you can, try blocking something off with wood/boxes/anything to the size that you're thinking of rebuilding the bed to and try sleeping in that area for a couple of nights to make sure it works before you go to the trouble of your 3rd rebuild!

 

[MrNoodly]

You didn't mention anything about a mattress. What do you plan on using? A good mattress can contribute a LOT to comfort. A standard twin mattress is 38 x 75.

 

[waldenbound]

Update,
Did some power building today and got a new bed built. It's still my standard slat bed made of 2x4 cedar. The geometry is still going to be tight on the passenger side. I could only go 63 inches across the rear doors, and 32 inches wide. It still gives me 8 inches of extra space for the cat. I have a 4x8 plywood that all of my furniture fits on. In back gives me nook and cranny space to store things. There is a little room to hang my toesies room to hang off. It would be kind of nice to just open the doors and hop into bed.

Almost There, I actually did cordon off a smaller section of my bed to practice sleeping on. It wasn't bad, needed to slightly bend my knees a little. I can go little on the diagonal also. I do have some space so the bed isn't totally along the doors, plus I got a cargo platform carrier for extra gear.

With two narrower pieces of furniture lengthwise, it will give me more of an aisle in between. Don't plan on any bikini cooking, (don't want to scare anybody off!) but I would still love an small aisle to walk a few steps down.

I see lots of vans with the bed built along the rear doors, I thought it was the norm. Building a bed along the long wall, you're looking at a really narrow bed unless you can hinge it or have a way to fold it upward. I'm not that advanced yet.

So I just loosened all of the furniture. Tomorrow my neighbor will help me move furniture and make a dump run to dispose of the old bed.
Then it's a new floor. I have to get over my fetish for hardwood. It is beautiful, but I think I'm going with vinyl this time. Simpler, less headache. The last problem I will have to solve is my mattress. I had a Thermarest 3 inch sleeping pad, that was so comfortable, but now it's too long. I'm really tempted to just take a carving knife to my Tempur-Pedic mattress topper. Doubled over on itself, it would be six inches of pure heaven.

 

[Gideon33w]

I was going to do the sideways rear bed. Standard dimensions for a seat bottom is 18" deep. Even with just an 18" tall back that gives you a 36" deep bed when it lays back. Just have the whole thing forward of the rear doors 18" and keep your bedding back there when in couch mode. Everything is a compromise when designing a van layout. Don't feel bad that you can't have the best of every world. Nobody can build THAT, haha.

 

[waldenbound]

Absolutely Gideon,
You compromise when you build out a van. You try to tweak something if its really just not working, and some things you learn to live with.

 

[waldenbound]

My re-build is done, Tilikum the big white van has a new look!

It actually came together pretty fast, since I'm posting this. Only thing left to to screw down my cedar chest.

The bed is built and is about 3/4 across the wheel well covers. I still have space immediately inside the rear doors for water, trash can, bear canister, the stuff I planned to put back there. The storage under the bed is enormous! I cut the legs 1 inch higher, and that was all the space I needed. I can use my plastic drawers now!

The cedar chest which is my dresser, is immediately behind my driver's side bulkhead. The space in-between the bed and dresser is enough for a 5 gallon bucket. Now, I have better restroom access from the bulkhead doorway and the bed. There also a space to put the milk crate with my 11 gallon propane cylinder. I wanted a safe, secure place for the propane, and now I've got it.

Kitchen is immediately forward of the bed, I can open both doors completely. Yeti 65 qt cooler goes in front of that and comes up close the the passenger side bulkhead.

So, the only challenge is having to step over the Yeti to get to the rest of the van. A 65 qt cooler is an elephant and is going to make its presence known. Thankfully a Yeti is strong and can be used as seating also. Plus it can come outside at camp. I didn't put the chock set back in. It's not going anywhere.

So, there's only one challenge, and there's always a challenge with a van build, but I got many improvements.

1. A new, wider bed, albeit shorter.
2. improved access to under the bed storage.
3. improved restroom access.
4. secure spot for a milk crate containing a propane cylinder.

Over all, much, much, MUCH improved access to everything, and it was worth it to take on this project. Oh, and I think I like vinyl flooring too. It will be a lot easier to take care of, and it is a dark, stony look, irregular pieces. I don't think it will look like a Brady Bunch nightmare in another year. In fact, with my dark walls, I got The Godfather look going on. (Im gonna make you an offer you can't refuse.)

And alas, since Photobucket rained on our parade, I don't have a backup plan yet, so no picture.

 

[AbuelaLoca]

I think it's HDR that always says if there's no picture it didn't happen ;-)

You can upload straight from your pc with the add attachment option under "New Reply".

Congrats on the rebuild and WOW... didn't take you long at all!

 

[waldenbound]

i can't use the add attachment because my iPhone takes too large of an image. I got to figure out a plan B for pictures.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Screenshot Access
Apple iPhones can take screenshots. These screenshots are stored in the phone's screen resolution, which is much smaller than the photo resolution. You can convert a photo to a screenshot using a simple shortcut. Take a photo using the default camera app and load a full screen preview of the photo after you take it. While holding down the "Home" button, press the "On/Off" button briefly until the screen flashes white, indicating a screenshot was taken. The converted picture is now stored in the Camera Roll album. Repeat this for other pictures to reduce the resolution and then delete the original files.

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Someone also recommended http://imgur.com/

 

[waldenbound]

Let me try a test...
Hey it worked! It's the reverse though, you press the on/off button and briefly hit the home button, and the screen flashes white.
Huh, learn something new everyday.
I'll take the best picture I can of the van.

 

[waldenbound]

Ok, here's my new look van. I have dark walnut stain on the walls, and a dark stone looking vinyl flooring. It reminds me of the dark interiors Francis Ford Coppola used in The Godfather.
And, look at all that storage under the bed! I"ll have to take the cat out for another camping trip soon to see how the new bed works out. The rest of the van is a lot more efficient use of space.

"Leave the gun, take the cannoli."

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Yes! That looks fantastic! Love that floor for sure!