I've slept in my van for two nights now (and improvements)

[lterry]

But I'm sort of bummed. I snoozing so good that I slept until 11 this morning - I don't like sleeping such a huge chunk of the day away. Good news is that I'm evidently super comfortable sleeping in my van. That's just saying that my bed is good. I've been in my driveway. Jury is still out on how soundly I'll sleep in the road. But I truly think I'll be fine. I'm not new to camping solo.

I still haven't fixed the leak in my toilet. I'm stumped. I still don't know if my propane system works, nor my furnace. I've been busy with work. That shouldn't be a problem next week since they only gave me 13 hours. Wasn't that nice of them? But I still have to do some editing. Oh, yeah. I don't think I've mentioned that. I'm a writer. I have four books out so far. On a side note: I have my first book signing next Saturday week. Exciting, right?

My battery charger came in this week as well as my Pure Sine inverter, though it won't run my little space heater...maybe it uses too many watts? I didn't even check on that. That was dumb.

Oh, and I took pictures of my bed setup. My van is such that it should have couch type seating on each side at the back of my van. That should have given me four long, hard-backed cushions. However, one of the cushions was missing. I was just going to toss all of them and put a mattress permanently at the back...but that would be a hindrance to get to the generator door, furnace door, and storage compartments (even though I could make additional storage for under a permanent bed, alas even more hindrance to get to the aforementioned compartments). Anyway, arranging the cushions I figured out a way to make a bed work with only three cushions. And one couch too. Hey, one less cushion means less weight anyway. 
Here are pictures of my bed/couch set up in both ways.

 

[BradKW]

Looks comfy!

I only don't like sleeping that late in theory, and after I've already done it.

In practice, I love it

 

[lterry]

Looks comfy!

I only don't like sleeping that late in theory, and after I've already done it.

In practice, I love it  

While doing the sleeping, lazing, I wasn't complaining about it either. But once I got up and saw the time...

 

[speedhighway46]

Iterry:

Best of luck with your vandwelling.

Like you, I consider sleeping late a squandering of time, so now I call it "vehicle design time." I do my best engineering and design laying in bed and thinking things through slowly and completely. Then, its time to construct!

Keep those pics coming!

 

[lterry]

Iterry:

Best of luck with your vandwelling.

Like you, I consider sleeping late a squandering of time, so now I call it "vehicle design time." I do my best engineering and design laying in bed and thinking things through slowly and completely. Then, its time to construct!

Keep those pics coming!

I actually did think of a solution that was causing a problem. It was one of those obvious answer things that won't come to you during normal brain activity...you just have to empty your brain...hence lazing about. So, that works.

I was looking at the picture of my bed. It looks really narrow, but I'm 5'4" and I can totally stretch straight out without touching unless I stretch my toes. I guess pictures are deceiving.

 

[lterry]

A friend fixed my tub cover. It was originally made of particle board. It had become swollen over time because of the moisture of a tub (duh) and was beginning to "shed" around the edges. My friend does woodwork, and he did a great job of making me a new cover.

 

[BradKW]

I don't think I've seen that design before...could you post some more pics of it please?

Thank goodness I'm not rushing into this like I often do...the constant give/take that every layout change requires has me not only changing it constantly, but has me feeling gun-shy about actually starting, afraid I'll change my mind again.

I guess I have commitment issues

 

[lterry]

I don't think I've seen that design before...could you post some more pics of it please?

Thank goodness I'm not rushing into this like I often do...the constant give/take that every layout change requires has me not only changing it constantly, but has me feeling gun-shy about actually starting, afraid I'll change my mind again.

I guess I have commitment issues  

This is my closet, shower, tub, and bathroom.
 You slide down the cover (it's on piano hinges) from the tub and it rest against the edge. You open the door over the tub, and there's a wooden arm with a metal clothes hanging thing. You swing that arm away, and there's the shower. The shower curtain is stored behind the other door. On the left side, the other door, is my toilet. Both of these doors have additional, thinner, fold-out doors that will interlock with the kitchen countertop. This lets you have privacy in case someone was in the van with you. However, I can't forsee me having "company" over while using either of the facilities, so the little foldouts are useless for me.

 

[accrete]

Your build is looking good!

Excellent design on your bath/shower closet.

Ours is behind the two-door closet on the street side just behind the driver's seat in our RB/RW chevy high top van.

: ) Thom

 

[lterry]

Your build is looking good!

Excellent design on your bath/shower closet.

Ours is behind the two-door closed on the street side just behind the driver's seat in our RB/RW chevy high top van.

Yeah, I've looked your pictures before. Those are excellent designs. I admire your creativity.  I'd love to take credit for my van's layout, but I have to acknowledge Roadtrek's forethought here. Though I did look at all kinds of campervan layouts and choose this one for it multi-functionality in the bathroom area. Yup, I chose it, then looked for it. And I got discouraged. Nobody was selling any used Roadtreks, much less the layout I wanted (they'd stopped making the Roadtrek Independents a long time ago). So I was thrilled when I actually came across this one.

 

[highdesertranger]

wow cool. that is literally a water closet. highdesertranger

 

[lterry]

wow cool.  that is literally a water closet.  highdesertranger

Yes, it is

 

[SoulRaven]

I don't think I've seen that design before...could you post some more pics of it please?

Thank goodness I'm not rushing into this like I often do...the constant give/take that every layout change requires has me not only changing it constantly, but has me feeling gun-shy about actually starting, afraid I'll change my mind again.

I guess I have commitment issues  

That's why I keep everything portable, so I can rearrange at will without the need to actually remodel.

 

[BradKW]

Thanks Iterry!

I like how your shower serves as a closet too...multitasking is important! 

And you're quite right...I can't really see using wither facility when company is in the van  :s

Which has me leaning more toward not going with a full vertical enclosure, and being able to make use of the wall space up higher. But, that may change... :blush:

 

[TMG51]

I like that shower layout also. If the day comes that I build a van from scratch, I might do something similar. Thanks for sharing. Don't get discouraged so soon about your systems. It sounds like you just need a firsthand introduction to them.

 

[BC Guy]

On the left side, the other door, is my toilet. Both of these doors have additional, thinner, fold-out doors that will interlock with the kitchen countertop. This lets you have privacy in case someone was in the van with you. However, I can't forsee me having "company" over while using either of the facilities, so the little foldouts are useless for me.

If you ever need to stop on the side of a busy highway to use the toilet, you will find a use for the doors.

It is a lot quicker to use them than to close curtains.

 

[lterry]

Thanks Iterry!

I like how your shower serves as a closet too...multitasking is important! 

And you're quite right...I can't really see using wither facility when company is in the van  :s

Which has me leaning more toward not going with a full vertical enclosure, and being able to make use of the wall space up higher. But, that may change... :blush:

There is shelving over my toilet, and shelving over the shower as well.


[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=medium]TMG51: Oh, I'm not discouraged. I knew this wasn't going to be a walk in the park, and if these are the only things that need to be fixed, I call this new chapter in my life the easiest one so far. I'm just sitting back and thinking. I did the spray thing (as seen on t.v. stuff) on my skylight windows today. I had stopped the leak to a very slow drip, but didn't know what else to do, so I went a little more drastic. I started to go very drastic and spray over the entire window...I'm going to have to stick reflectix in it anyway for stealth...but decided I might want to see the stars sometime. Plus, it would just look like I spray painted white over them. BTW, if this stuff doesn't work then I don't know what will. This stuff sprays on like a miracle.[/font][/size]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=medium]I also reinstalled my passenger seat sans swivel mechanism. My van looks real homey with it turned around backward - like it's a recliner. I actually have a padded wicker storage stool that I could bring along as an ottoman...maybe not.[/font][/size]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=medium][size=x-small][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=small]BC Guy: I hadn't thought about it like that. Those little extended doors would be a definite plus at that time [/font][/size][/font][/size][/size]

 

[B and C]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=medium]I also reinstalled my passenger seat sans swivel mechanism. My van looks real homey with it turned around backward - like it's a recliner. I actually have a padded wicker storage stool that I could bring along as an ottoman...maybe not.[/font][/size]

We keep a mesh bag for our dirty clothes behind the passenger front seat (facing rearward)  when camped.  We store it on top of the commode while underway.  YMMV

 

[accrete]

Yeah, I've looked your pictures before. Those are excellent designs. I admire your creativity.  I'd love to take credit for my van's layout, but I have to acknowledge Roadtrek's forethought here...

Hey THX for the VanKudos.
 
And for the record : ) I'd love to take credit for my van's layout too...
but most of that rightly goes to my wonderful MacGirlver of a bride!

Thom

 

[lterry]

We keep a mesh bag for our dirty clothes behind the passenger front seat (facing rearward)  when camped.  We store it on top of the commode while underway.  YMMV

That's a great idea. Since I'm not on the road yet, I'll be collecting little space-saving ideas like this until the time comes.