Lessons learned—1st trip in a half converted van

[VanFan]

I understood this in theory before, but practice is a whole other animal.

2. Packing for travel, safety, and accessibility are not the same skills. I packed for the first two, as if I were moving house and my furnishings were all potential lethal weapons, both of which were true. But getting to a cereal bowl was a real process.

It sounds to me like you are pretty far along the road to having a workable set-up.  One of my favorite lines is "In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is."  So true!

Very glad to hear you are packing for safety!  One advantage to having everything basically crammed in* is that there is little movement when underway.  I have nothing stored above the base of the rear windows/front seat back height.  (My husband had to shut our van down at urban highway speed, and was amazed that nothing moved.  All bets are off in a rollover, though.)

I have found it helpful to think differently about what things belong together in favor of having them easily accessible at the point of first use to avoid "cereal bowl syndrome".  For example, an electric kettle goes with the "kitchen" things, right?  Not in cold weather, when having it strapped under the toe space at the foot of the bed frame means I can plug it into the extension cord run for the heater if I have shore power and have a hot drink inside.

*An exception to the "crammed in" concept is the wisdom in leaving a space for the unforeseen. An example is having a place to stash a box of unwashed dishes when the rain starts sooner than you'd anticipated. Muddy shoes also come to mind. Or extra groceries... My unclaimed spot is under the bed, just inside the front side barn door.

More than you probably want to read later...

 

[VanFan]

4. Both the pee jug and the poop bucket filled up much faster than I’d expected... I may be over-doing the dry matter in the poop bucket from paranoia; on the other hand, the poop pyramid is a thing, friends, and it needs to be covered. Advice is welcome.

Since we have not been using public restrooms/vaults, I am amazed at how much pee the two of us produce in short order!  I used to just carry a GoGirl and use my husband's bottle during those rare times of need.  Now, we carry not one, but two nearly gallon-sized laundry detergent bottles with the inner spout removed.  These store pretty well in the side door when necessary, and are convenient to carry for empyting.  A little laundry soap or fabric softener in the bottom is helpful.  Personally, I use a plastic Folger's coffee "can" with the handle and snap on lid at the point of use, then empty it into the soap jug outside for safer interim storage.

In the olden days (LOL), I used the Poo Powder already mentioned in bags with a Luggable Loo.  The Loo took up too much space and was rarely used, so I replaced it with this:  https://www.rei.com/product/662980/cleanwaste-go-anywhere-portable-toilet-seat.  It fits very nicely between my bed and the driver's side wall and can be set up between the front seats and the cab curtains closed for privacy.  Actually, it has never been used for the intended purpose.  It has, however, come in very handy as a sturdy small table, both inside the van and out.  It can be used with any bags, but I have a few of the Cleanwaste bags on hand (too expensive, IMO).  The bags are huge (no worries Tex) and very tough, but seem a little light on powder.  A downside to this unit is that it is hard to close up without pinching your fingers.  I keep a pair of pliers handy to deal with that.

So now you know...

 

[LargeMarge]

I’m sharing this in case it’s of use to others as they work on their rigs, or gives the experienced a chuckle. I recently took my van on a 2 1/2 week round trip from Albuquerque to Denver, with stops to see various family members on the way. I only stayed in the van for a few days, but that gave me the test run I wanted. I had a sturdy cot, bucket toilet in a spiffy wooden box, 5-day cooler, TV tray, and some shelving, all held down with ratchet straps, as well as insulation, luan paneling, and window coverings. On the way home, I also had a kitchenette. Most of the experience was positive. The floor plan felt good, driving was comfortable, camping was easy to find and delightful. The van worked the way I had hoped. Still, some lessons learned:

1) A surprising number of things I was determined on having did not survive two days of actual experience. E.g., I wanted to have a “real” bed with linens and layered blankets, partly for the layering and partly for the familiarity. The layering worked well for temperature, but I had no place at the end of the bed to dangle the unused covers that were so neatly tucked in. Either my feet were too hot (a rarity), or if I moved the covers to the side, the 30” cot became cramped and uncomfortable. And those neatly tucked covers? What a pain. Making the bed when 3 sides are closed in just made me grumpy. Going forward, I will be using a cushy, rectangular sleeping bag with a liner so that I never have to tuck anything in again.

Moral: when your resources change (space, water, etc.), your priorities for making the best use of them change. Your *emotional* priorities may stay the same (e.g., for tidiness, etc.), but the way you act on them depends on circumstances. I understood this in theory before, but practice is a whole other animal.

2. Packing for travel, safety, and accessibility are not the same skills. I packed for the first two, as if I were moving house and my furnishings were all potential lethal weapons, both of which were true. But getting to a cereal bowl was a real process. Some of this will improve when I have the rest of my shelving and can spread things out a bit. But I suspect I have a new skill to learn.

3. I never got claustrophobic in the van during the day (and haven’t in the 6 months I’ve owned it). Nighttime, when everything was closed and buttoned up, was a different matter. In part, I need better lighting. I’d planned on a couple of portable task lights (a Luci light and a USB rechargeable piano light), and they worked fine for that. But in such a small space, instead of creating cozy, inviting puddles of light, they just created dim, depressing ambient light. The overall lumens at most were 40 per square foot, a far cry from the 100-200 recommended by household lighting pros. Something like strip lighting might be better.

4. Both the pee jug and the poop bucket filled up much faster than I’d expected... I may be over-doing the dry matter in the poop bucket from paranoia; on the other hand, the poop pyramid is a thing, friends, and it needs to be covered. Advice is welcome.

5. Large work surfaces are great, but I also need smaller places to put things temporarily—reading glasses, pen and notepad, tea mug, all the things I have to move out of the way to get to the cereal bowl... It’s minor, but not having small “end table” type surfaces gave me that little itch of subconscious irritation that I know will grow if I don’t head it off at the pass. Things that would help: small, open spaces on the shelves, small flip-up shelves, little cubbies, or pocket storage.

6. I don’t know whether this is typical, but the insulation in my van only made a 10-12*F difference to the outdoor temperature by morning. At 40*F outdoors, this wasn’t a problem, but at colder temperatures? I dunno. I can sleep safely with the proper gear, but living pleasantly is a different matter. Using my stove for heat in the morning, e.g., while boiling water for tea and oatmeal, didn’t make even 1* difference. I either need an additional heat source or to spend more of the winter in AZ than I’d planned.

7. I rely on the internet more than I realized.

8. Discouragement and delight were on a toggle switch. From “This isn’t working” to “This is my dream!!” and back was a very short step. The guaranteed way to switch to delight: opening the doors or windows to let in fresh air and birdsong. Most of the discouragement came from inexperience and having the van just partway done, so that basic things—like getting out a cereal bowl—were major productions. The feeling of being hemmed in at night was another big part, though. Better light is the first step to address that.

I hope this is helpful to someone. Mods, if it’s too long, let me know, and I will break it into different posts. Cheers, everyone.

Beside the bed, I bolted a pair of shower soap-n-shampoo holders.
I used my standard 3/8" bolts, yuge worshers, and nylocks on the exterior.
Bronze, complementing our DieselPunk theme.
.
I usually use those bolt extensions outside the walls for a second purpose, but their placement eludes another use... so far.
.

The rounded hooks (below) are ideal for head-phones.

 

[LargeMarge]

re -- air-tight van discussed in Post 21
.
jonyjoe303,
We are the opposite.
We abhor humidity and wet bedding, so we open two windows on opposing walls 24/7/360°.
We enjoy drafts, a gentle breeze across the face as we sleep.
.
I have no issue with running the Wave 3 catalytic heater.
With the open windows a half-inch or so, escaping heat carries humidity and odors... a 'plus' in a tiny home.

 

[Tony's Dream]

I first posted to this thread in 2020. Now, nearly 2 years later, I have done and redone my van several times. I don't have a full converted van either. When I think of a converted van I think about the ones that have custom counters, built in desks, sinks and water pumps, gray tanks, bathrooms, ect. Instead I built my van one area/thing at a time. Like you, I want everything easily accessible without having to constantly move things to get to other things. I must admit that I don't live in my van full time, I only use it for trips lasting 10-14 days at a time. Everything can be easily removed except the mounted cabinet.

I started with a bed and had several versions before I finally found the one I want. A rope bed with a full mattress. I then added a drawer under it for quick easy storage. I have sheets, a light blanket, and a comforter on cool nights. I have two sleeping bags, one light weight and one heavy weight that I use as the temps change. I check the weather forecasts for the area I am going to and determine what I want to take.

Next came the gally. I installed a cabinet, they kind you would find above a microwave or fridge in a normal kitchen. I added shelves to hold my silverware, plates, and cups on one side. The other side holds my cooking pots, bowels, storage containers, and zip lock bags. Everything I need to cook with in one easy access location.

Then came cold storage. I started out with a regular cooler and finally ended up with a yeti. It holds beverages, condiments, and a limited amount of perishable foods. I replace the perishable foods as I exhaust them. I first tried to store a weeks worth of perishable foods but found it easier to replace them every couple of days instead.

Tool box. Under the other half of my bed, I store my tool box and other items I may need but not on a daily basis . This includes batteries, spare tarps, tent poles, shovel, electrical cords, and extra storage bags. I also store my jackery under the bed when not in use.

Dry goods. I prepare my dry good meals in individual serving sizes. For example, I will store a cup of elbow macaroni in a small zip lock bag. When I want to use it, I can pull one bag and then dispose of the zip lock when I am done. These prevents me from storing half full plastic storage containers which take up space. I premix cool-aide and sugar, enough to make one container at a time. Canned goods, crackers, and single serving meals. These items are all stored in my passenger seat area, on the floor in milk crates.

Water storage is in a 5 gallon container topped with a rechargeable water pump. My stove is a small single burner butane cook stove. I have a toilet seat that holds a bag under it, but I have rarely used it because I always am around public restrooms. My lighting consists of LED lights that are mobile and mount to the top/sides using magnets I glued on them.

I seek simplicity and enjoy my van. It suits me and I find that I grow more used to it each time I travel.

 

[JDub]

Sounds like you've got it under control there Bud!

Best of luck in your travels.

Cheers!