GotSmart said:
So in a 6X12, you have 3 beds, a toilet, shower, sink, stove, fridge, nightstand, counter cabinet, generator, and a full size recliner without using any carpentry skills, and have been living in it for 12 years?
Pictures PLEASE!
Greetings GotSmart!
That is correct. I've had this van for 12 years now, but I've been a Mobile Homesteader since 1962 when I bought my first VW Van, and moved into it to be closer to both school and work.
I would love to send you pictures, but alas, I don't have a camera, so I will attempt to draw you a picture with words...
First, it is a 1982 Dodge 15 passenger window van, with a high top. No extra insulation or anything, it had just had the seats removed when I purchased it. The windows are also non-tinted. The vehicle remains totally stock, I have not drilled a single hole in her. If I moved out today and took my belongings with me, it would be in the identical state that I purchased it in. My personal "Leave No Trace" philosophy extends to my vehicles as well.
Okay, so we'll start behind the drivers seat... First is the plastic battery box which houses one deep cycle RV battery, with four cigarette lighter outlets mounted into the box facing the aisle way. Behind that is my kitchen counter with drawers and cupboards. Next is my handicap style toilet sitting in a metal oil drain pan as a catch basin for my shower. Attached to the legs of the toilet are 2 pvc pipes which go up to support a hula hoop which is my shower/privacy curtain rod. This hula hoop is hung from these pipes via a hook, so when not in use it can be lowered to rest on the toilet so I have an unobstructed 360 degree view.
Behind my bathroom is my kerosene powered fridge, scavenged from an abandoned boat in the middle of the desert. It is an under the counter size fridge/freezer in a beautiful teak cabinet. If I decide to watch TV or movies, I will set it up on top of this, and either aim it towards my recliner or towards the bed.
Across the back is a futon style bunk bed with a metal frame, it is one of those with a twin bed above a double bed, and the double bed can be folded into a sofa. I had to shorten it about 6 inches to make it fit width wise, and I raised it about 6 inches so that the main bed is at the same height as the side windows. This gives me just enough room that at 5'8" I can stretch out flat including my pillow. After raising it, I then added another full size foam mattress on the floor to make bed #3. There is just enough room on the very bottom bed that I can sit upright comfortably.
Heading back towards the front, now on the passenger side, is my night stand with a single drawer over a cupboard. Next is my 2x 7 gallon water containers, followed by the double side doors. Directly inside the side doors, taking up both the passenger side and part of the center aisle is my swivel rocker recliner, which gives me just barely enough room to swivel it completely around to any direction and still have foot room.
Directly behind the passenger seat are my 2x 7 gallon kerosene jugs which hold a tv tray up against the back of the passenger seat. This tv tray is both my dining table and my desk/laptop stand. The front passenger seat can be swiveled to face the back, and the tv tray placed between my recliner and the front seat to accommodate dining for two should I have company.
Half way between my recliner and the bed resides my 23k btu round kerosene heater in the center aisle. My kerosene cookstove stores on the floor just inside the rear most passenger side door, just in front of my water jugs.
The top bunk bed is used mainly for storage, and also the back half of both bottom beds. It is very rare that I convert it into a sofa, since I am usually living alone.
My home made 12v generator, my air conditioner/self contained swamp cooler, fire coils, tools, etc. reside on the back half of the bottom most bed just inside the rear doors.
Above my kitchen counter, attached via metal conduit to it, is a matching upper unit kitchen cupboard. Above the drivers and passenger seats is another matching upper kitchen cabinet running almost the width of the van, also supported by metal conduit and held in place to keep if from falling backwards by a tension shower rod which can also double as a curtain rod if need be.
I have blackout curtains for all of the windows, but hardly ever use them. When I do use them, I simply use suction cup hooks attached to the windows to hang them by.
My 12v marine air conditioner was salvaged from the same boat that my cookstove and fridge came out of, then I modified it and improved upon it for my use. At 120f outside I can keep my interior between 70-72f for about 2 days on the house battery between charges, while still using my laptop etc. Normally I can get almost a week between charges. (this is if I'm not driving during that time...)
One of my two water jugs is painted black for solar hot water, if I am parked in the sun, in the winter, I can place it either on top of my nightstand or my fridge, inside. If I'm parked in the shade, I can take it outside to place it into the sun. Failing that or at night, I can either heat water on the stove in a tea kettle or use one of my fire coils to heat all of the water in the one jug if needed. The Fire Coils can be used either with my stove, with my kerosene heater, or even in a campfire. Although I have been lugging it around for years, and never used it, I do still have the kerosene fired water heater that I salvaged from that same boat years ago. But 99% of the time I just use either solar hot water or a tea kettle.
While I have devised a presurized water system by pumping air into the water containers, and having a hand held hose and showerhead with an on/off valve on it, I rarely ever use it. Normally I have 3 el cheapo spray bottles that I use for everything including my showers. One is clear cold water, one is clear hot water (also heated via sitting it in the sun), and one either hot or cold bottle with a little dish soap added.
I typically only use the kerosene heater or AC in EXTREME conditions. My usual form of heat consists of a clay flower pot on one of the kerosene cookstove burners set to an almost non existant flame. While my heater is either on or off, the stove allows for total flame adjustment.
Then to complete my total personal comfort goal, I have two 12v electric blankets which each have thermostats, and are available on Amazon or at truck stops. One for my bed, and one to snuggle in my recliner. I don't like disturbing my bed by stealing it's blankets... I always want my bed ready to crawl into without any extra prep work. For the hot weather, I have two cooling blankets, one queen sized for my bed, and one twin sized for use in my recliner. These are also available via Amazon or at truck stops. They require no power, and while I may not know how they work, BOY DO THEY WORK!!! The one I use on my bed, I use in sleeping bag style, wrapped around so you have one layer over you and one layer under you. Believe it or not, one HOT, HUMID, BREEZELESS night, 95f+, I woke up shivering, and needed to toss if off to warm myself up! I wound up with one of the worst summertime colds I've ever had. I quickly learned to dress warmer when using it. I think I paid about $60 for the pair at a truck stop near Albuquerque, NM.
My apologies for the long message everybody, but I wanted to demonstrate to everyone how you can not only survive, but THRIVE and be totally COMFORTABLE in a very low cost, low budget, camper van, and how you can do it nearly without the use of any tools.
If anyone needs better descriptions, explanations, or help with anything, please respond and I will be more than happy to help in any way I can.
Cheers!
The CamperVan_Man
