Minivan Project - '04 Sienna

[WriterMs]

The fabric is Duvytene. The ceiling accepts velcro very well, which was super handy. The opening between the two curtains is secured with magnets, which works well. The curtains were designed to come down entirely as needed so I could have a clear view out the back window. That part isn't working so well. I could get into further details in another thread, but if you're learning from my mistake note that velcro sticks well, magnets work well for the opening, but if you need to have a view out the back there will be complications.

Just got around to reading this thread, Bitty, and I compliment you as others have on your good storage implementation.

I have big windows all around on my van and I ALSO like to be able to see out my back windows (and the passenger side windows) when driving. I have black moving quilts hung from an extendable shower curtain rod to separate my cab section. Since I'm not in cities, I don't worry about the sliver of light that can show above the rod.

My solution to be able to see out the windows is to simply take a length of cord and tie each curtain panel in the middle. Based on things you wrote in another thread, I don't want to make you envious (LOL), but I have very sturdy upright poles on either side behind the driver's seat (there for passengers to grab on to since my rig is a former wheelchair lift transit van). I gather the fabric at the pole and tie the cord around it.

I think it would work just fine without the poles, however. AND you could tie one cord high and then another further down to keep the fabric in a tight column. Does that description make sense?

 

[pnwgypsy]

Thanks for the tour of your home Bitty! Very impressive.

 

[myke]

Great job! I just spent 3 nights in my Sienna; it was interesting to say the least. I only had a week to set everything up, but now I know what I need to reconfigure...

How wide is your bed? Also, what is the fridge running off, is there solar?

It looks like your floor is relatively flat? Mine is a newer Sienna and the floor is really uneven, I think I'll need to build a flat floor and deal with losing the 1-2" of headspace...

 

[SoulRaven]

Great job! I just spent 3 nights in my Sienna; it was interesting to say the least. I only had a week to set everything up, but now I know what I need to reconfigure...

How wide is your bed? Also, what is the fridge running off, is there solar?

It looks like your floor is relatively flat? Mine is a newer Sienna and the floor is really uneven, I think I'll need to build a flat floor and deal with losing the 1-2" of headspace...

The floor isn't completely flat, but I don't know how it compares to yours. I do know that any bed I've tried to put in there generally has one or two legs not making contact with the floor. Most "furniture" in there I end up sticking things under it to help keep it level. I've also started using sheets of plexiglass to make a flatter surface, e.g. for underneath those two stacked bins. For walking space the foam evens things out pretty nicely.

The bed is 24" wide by 67" long, and with the mattress topper and everything is 22.5" from the ceiling at most. One of the rear legs is "implanted" in the dip of the seat bolt farthest back on the passenger side before the "basement", which handily prevents it from sliding around. I have to have the passenger seat pushed forward a bit to accommodate the bed, and provides a barrier on the opposite end so the bed stays put. Of course, you could build over the "basement" and place the bed further back if you wanted the passenger seat to be free to move around.

The width is somewhat comfy for me sleeping alone, but with my bf joining me it's a little crowded. We're both pretty tiny, under 100 pounds. Some nights it works, other nights I kick him out to the floor, where we've begun setting up a Thermorest mattress pad. Not being able to sit up anywhere near completely is somewhat uncomfortable, so the bed is used pretty much only for sleeping, resting, cuddling, sexy times, and occasionally I'll lay on my stomach with my laptop in front of me. Otherwise the "living space" is really the floor area beside the bed, where I can sit on bins or kneel on the soft floor surface.

One advantage of the minivan is I can lay in bed and still reach something that's all the way on the other side of my van. I recall this convenience from when I was living in the vintage Corrolla, where literally the entire car was within reach. Living in the Chevy G20 definitely had more space, but lost this advantage, I had to get up to get to anything. Of the three setups I've lived in this is my favorite so far, despite the inconveniences. The safety and social advantages of flying under the radar, the good mileage, the ability to parallel park in tight spaces, and the relative ease of organizing has made this work a lot better for me. that's hooked up to charge whenever my vehicle's running.

The fridge! Right. I do not have solar, I have a "12v 200 AH deep cycle sealed AGM battery" that's hooked up to charge whenever my vehicle's running. The technical info for how that actually works tends to fall out of my brain so you should ask elsewhere for the details, but bottom line is so long as I drive often enough I've got juice in my second battery to run things like my fridge, a 12V fan, or recharge small electronics. I have to keep an eye on things and if I'm driving less I have to temporarily let my fridge run warmer and/or avoid plugging my laptop in, that sort of a thing. Someday I hope to add solar to supplement this arrangement but it's enough to get by. Also the fridge is pretty old; if you get a newer one it will be more efficient than my setup.

 

[rvwandering]

Thanks for taking the time to post the tour and all of the information about your build. You've done a great job!
The packing cubes are just the thing I've been looking for but until your post I didn't even know they were available.

 

[myke]

Cool...

So, does your '12v 200 AH deep cycle sealed AGM battery' charge from just the cigarette lighter socket?

 

[SoulRaven]

Cool...

So, does your '12v 200 AH deep cycle sealed AGM battery' charge from just the cigarette lighter socket?

No, it's more complicated than that.

In order for it to charge efficiently it had to be hardwired to the starter battery with a dual battery isolator separating the two (so the starter battery doesn't get drained), and then it still wasn't charging enough so we needed to get a 12v to 12v charger and hardwire in that too. Thick wires run from the AGM battery to the 12v to 12v charger then down underneath my van all the way to the starter battery in the front, and also from the AGM battery over to that electrical panel pictured. The fusebox on that electrical panel is now my access to the battery, rather than the battery terminals themselves. When on shore power I connect the charger to the fusebox terminals. There are also heavy duty fuses installed along the wires between the two batteries. I'll try to snap a shot of them when I next get he opportunity.

When I started out I was just using the bare AGM battery, an inverter that came with both clamps and a socket plug, and a grid charger. In theory, I could have plugged the inverter to the cigarette lighter and charged the AGM battery via the grid charger when the van was running, but my grid charger said in huge letters on it to use only when plugged into the actual grid (I forgot the exact wording) so I didn't want to risk it. Instead, when first starting out I'd charge up the AGM battery from the grid wherever I could and used the inverter to draw power from it for charging my phone, minimal laptop use, and an LED light. Running my fridge was out of the question back then so I just used it as a cooler with ice. This setup definitely works a lot better!

 

[Silver]

Where can I buy these Storage Bins ? They'r good @ reducing Foot Print !

 Mayb I should take off my Pasenger Arm Rest .
They really get in the way ! How did U do it ?  

  My 98 Siena doesnt hav a Center Consol , but my Scion tC does . .

 I'v been lookin for 1 gallon ish water containers ,
with out BPE . Those lids dont look too water tight tho . .

Thanks !

 

[SoulRaven]

Where can I buy these Storage Bins ? They'r good @ reducing Foot Print !

 Mayb I should take off my Pasenger Arm Rest .
They really get in the way ! How did U do it ?  

  My 98 Siena doesnt hav a Center Consol , but my Scion tC does . .

 I'v been lookin for 1 gallon ish water containers ,
with out BPE . Those lids dont look too water tight tho . .

Thanks !

They are!! I bought mine at Storables, here's a link on the site, they're only showing the larger ones (e.g. under my bed) on the site, but the store had ones half the width too, which are the stacked ones pictured. The smaller ones side by side stack perfectly with the larger ones, so it's a modular system with lots of m=possibilities. I kept the labels so I can find them again if this store no longer carries them, I know there's another size larger but storables didn't have it and I didn't bother to research further since I don't need larger anyway. I LOVE the fact that i can use the surface above them while still accessing the inside of the bin!

They're pricey at $20/bin. My bf helped me buy some of them and used his student discount, I protested but I was going absolutely bonkers from the mess so he convinced me to trust him that spending a few bucks on me was well worth it not just for my sake but for his as well.

To remove the arm rest, you start by using a flat screwdriver to gently pop off the plastic circle on the outside. This will expose the bolt. You'll need a socket wrench, and from memory I think it was a 10mm socket but I'm not absolutely certain. Then you just loosen the bolt and pull everything apart. Make sure to label them when you put the away so you know which parts go where!

Thank you for mentioning the water containers. The lids leak if stored on their side. If upright, no problem. The spigot does not leak unless something is continually touching it, e.g. placed directly on carpet, or the top lid is left very loose while driving. They are BPA free.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

thanks for showing us inside your home, I think by seeing the interior on someone's home we get a sense of who they are. I had a very different image of your dwellings based on your posts of your struggles with your health, I thought you were struggling to keep everything else together as well, I see you are not, in fact it looks very nice, tidy, clean and very livable. Great job!!

 

[masterplumber]

Yes Bitty, thank you very much for sharing. I'm sure you still have some days that are a struggle, as we all do, but it does seem like life has taken a small turn for the better and that makes me happy for you. Congrats on getting a vehicle that works for you. It seems like the other van never did.

 

[SoulRaven]

thanks for showing us inside your home, I think by seeing the interior on someone's home we get a sense of who they are. I had a very different image of your dwellings based on your posts of your struggles with your health, I thought you were struggling to keep everything else together as well, I see you are not, in fact it looks very nice, tidy, clean and very livable. Great job!!

Thanks! Aggressively getting rid of stuff the past few weeks has helped a lot, then a housesitting opportunity came up where I managed to spend a couple days doing nothing but organizing. Small breaks like that can make all the difference.

Something to keep in mind too is that when someone is struggling with a disabling level of medical issues, "who they are" might not be well reflected in their home or personal care simply due to a lack of capacity. E.g. today I managed to brush *most* of my hair, after not having brushed it in a week. Before that, it hadn't been brushed in 3 weeks. My energy is on a very tight budget similar to my finances--if I want to spend it organizing my living environment, I have to make sacrifices elsewhere. Someone could look at my unkempt hair and decide that's a reflection of "who I am", but I personally feel it isn't....who I am would never let myself go like that! But who I am is also determined to survive and thrive with the cards I've been dealt, and sometime that simply means there's insufficient capacity for personal care, or cleaning up the van, or whatever. So some people see/hear of my struggles and decide I'm 'that sort of person' who just doesn't care enough to make those things a priority. When instead, well, it's why I was officially approved as requiring a caregiver. 

Yes Bitty, thank you very much for sharing. I'm sure you still have some days that are a struggle, as we all do, but it does seem like life has taken a small turn for the better and that makes me happy for you. Congrats on getting a vehicle that works for you. It seems like the other van never did.

Thank you! Definitely, with the other van I never got the chance to move beyond continuous emergency repairs, so I couldn't even focus on setting it up as all the money when towards that. Now, not only do I have a reliable vehicle, but the past couple weeks the longer days and warmer weather is making a HUGE difference. Last fall, as soon as the cold weather hit, I had several sessions where I told my therapist "I need a strategy to survive winter. Winter is the hardest. The immediate goal is to get through winter." Having longer days means more sunlight to get things done when my severe insomnia keeps me up to 5am (it's far more complicated than self-discipline can fix) and not having to fight the cold all the time means so much more capacity for other things and fewer PTSD triggers so I'm just that much more functional. It's kinda novel! Gas is cheap right now too, so that's helping, and for the first time in a long time it's actually looking feasible that I'll be able yo do some boondocking outside of the city! Especially having my boyfriend with me, and potentially his vehicle as well, that compensates for a lot of the safety concerns with my medical stuff and general safety prep. I'm SO freakin' excited.

 

[SoulRaven]

I recently had to pull apart most of my setup to get the rear shocks replaced, and I managed to snap more shots while putting it back together.

Here's how my electrical panel is mounted to my van. Thus far these four screw holes and the carpet cut out of the back "basement" carpet are the only permanent modifications made to the van thus far. The back sidewall has cupholders with a small compartment next to them. The lid of this compartment was removed, and a sheet of plexiglass inserted in the sidewall to reinforce it:

Interior shot after panel is mounted:

Electrical panel without battery charger, showing where it attaches. There are two layers of plexiglass where it attaches, for added strength. The white hook nearthe top of the panel is where I hang my multimeter.

The following shot is after my battery charger is mounted (black thing on the bottom), also the cover on the fusebox is removed and the clamps are attached to the terminals. This is how it looks when I'm charging my battery from the grid:

Someone asked how flat my floor is. Here's what it looks like on a 2nd generation Sienna, with and without vinyl and floor coverings:

As you can see, the vinyl covering doesn't even it out much, but the foam makes a larger difference. That thin layer inbetween that you see t is the remainder of the center mat from between the two seats coming back. My bed is over the vinyl part so I don't notice it there, and the carpet mat and foam both smooth out the uneveness enough for me to not notice it much. One leg of my bed only barely makes contact with the floor just behind the passenger door side; I keep intending to prop that up. That's the only real way the uneven floor affects me, but since all three other legs are solid the bed does not wobble.

With the bed put in:

Bottom left of that picture is where my fridge goes. The middle "box" is where the AGM battery is.

You might notice how close my bed is to falling into the "basement". I sink one leg up against one of the floor bolts to prevent this:

It remains there securely and does not shift around.

I store my Thermarest sleeping pad partially deflated between the bed and the sliding door. When placed on the floor it makes a reasonably comfortable "guest bed".

More to come...

 

[SoulRaven]

Lots of storage under the bed:

In the last shot you can see my toolbox and one med kit on top of the far large bin. I removed the fronts of the large bins because i managed to lower the bed by another 1.5", but then the lids wouldn't open fully so I just removed them. It's an improvement, as the lip seems to be preventing items from spilling out quite well.

On the left is the "foundation" for the fridge, which is just 2X4s and vibration isolation pads to fill space in order to raise the height of the fridge for slightly improved ventilation, as it is flush against the van (which isn't good and inefficient). If you look just above the boards that's where the wires from the AGM battery pass through the floor of the van, through one of the "drain holes" already there.

Here 's where it comes out underneath, running all the way to the front:

Hope that's helpful!

 

[B and C]

Dang Bitty!  Nice work!

 

[masterplumber]

Looks like a good set up. Your bed looks like a folding massage table. I've always thought one of those would make a easy to install bed and be fairly comfortable.

 

[SoulRaven]

Dang Bitty!  Nice work!

Thanks! I wish I could say I did it all myself, but I had a little help.

Looks like a good set up. Your bed looks like a folding massage table. I've always thought one of those would make a easy to install bed and be fairly comfortable.

Thanks! Yup, that's exactly what it is. I already had one on hand so it seemed worth a try. The advantages are of course how it's pretty simple to set up and use, and when I needed work done on the van requiring access to the rear interior side panels I simply pulled it out and folded it up.

Disadvantages, listed for anyone else considering it:

• Those diagonal side-beams significantly interfere with access to underbed storage. I can get around them kinda, sorta, but cannot utilize the space fully like I could if all support beams were vertical.
• It doesn't go low enough. These are built for a standing adult to have comfortable standing countertop-like access to whatever/whomever is on the table. While adjustable, the loest mine goes is about 21" from top of bed to floor, and that's with removing the adjustment piece entirely. I'm looking to get mine about 4" lower than that.
• It's cold! Mine has a standard vinyl covering and some sort of stiff foam padding. Without an additional layer of insulation I will be cold no matter how many sleeping bags I use or put under me. Not even having a second person makes it warm enough--my bf and i were both freezing. The floor is warmer by far. So, insulating layer a must!
• It's slippery. : Everything I put on top slides right off. I've tried many different kinds of anti-slip grip pads and so far nothing has worked. All bedding and padding is constantly falling onto the floor, sometimes with me in it! If I wasn't trying to preserve the value of the table I'd probably glue on large velcro strips and that would likely work, but at the moment I'm more focused on building a bed that's more suitable in general. In the meantime I just try not to move around much when on it and keep tossing everything back onto the bed when I need floor space.

But yes, it works well for the desperate "I need a bed NOW what do I do???" solution. Not my first choice long term, though.

 

[Gigi]

Thank you for all your photos and narrative, Bitty! I have decided to go with a minivan for starting out. You have certainly inspired this decision!



Gigi