My humble, 60¢ (so far) conversion in progress.

[VanLyfe]

<p>So I have been living out of vehicles part time (7-9 months per year) for about 6 years now and I decided it was time to take the plunge and acquire myself a van and go full time. After months of research and test drives I found a fantastic deal on an '86 E-150. 79K miles, purchased from the original owner. All said and done I paid $1100 and I am very pleased with my purchase. Here is how she looked the day I bought her.</p><p>

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</p><p>I decided I wanted to go with a custom set-up for the interior. Since I have a very limited income I wanted to complete the interior using as little funds as possible. Luckily, my mother is a high-school art teacher and has a ton of various parts and pieces lying around her house for her unrelenting amount of projects.</p><p>First I got to work removing everything.</p><p>

</p><p>Then I needed to figure out how I wanted the bed. I decided to use the frame and base seat from the original fold-out bed. The length is only 5' 5" but seeing as I am shorter than the average man (5' 7") and rarely sleep with my legs fully extended, this was not a huge issue for me. I took out the 'closet' area that was in the rear right corner to fit the bed in.</p><p>

</p><p>I then popped over to the Craigslist free section and found a nice little entertainment center that would work perfectly for some storage space. I cut a hole in the bottom shelf, inside the cabinet, to fit over the base for the middle seats. I also moved the closet to by the head of the bed and also widened it a bit for more storage space and added a shelf at the bottom for shoes.&nbsp;</p><p>

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</p><p>This is still very much a work in progress, I want to clean every thing up, make things flush with the walls, build up the padding on the bed, beef up the closet a bit and make some lips for the shelves to prevent things from moving around while driving. I will update this post as I get things done so stay tuned for photos and updates. All comments, questions and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Not bad for only spending 60 cents so far...</p>

 

[Scoundrel]

Very cool!&nbsp; How long and wide is it inside?&nbsp; Do you have any problems with that <span id="post_message_1277277206">entertainment center tipping over while driving?<br></span>

 

[VanLyfe]

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Thanks guys! Yeah, I'm pretty proud of what I was able to get done with such a paltry budget. I actually found another shelf/cabinet type thing on the side of the road that I'm considering putting next to the entertainment center. My dimensions are 10' long from the rear of the drivers seat back and 5.5' wide but keep in mind that I have a good 8'' of insulation on each side. I anchored the entertainment center pretty well at all four corners then again at the top in the middle and she's as solid as a rock, even on the bumpiest of Louisville back roads.</p>

 

[VanFan]

Nice van!&nbsp; Nice work!&nbsp; Enjoy!<br>Vickie

 

[yesican]

Congrats on the find of your vehicle.&nbsp; Building your way is what its all about.&nbsp; I'm very impressed.&nbsp; A little ingenuity goes a long way in life.&nbsp; Keep us posted on your progress.&nbsp; Great Job!!!<br><br>Rae

 

[Seraphim]

Nice job. There's some rubber shelving net that, if glued to the shelves, will keep items from sliding around. We use it extensively for different things. Even on the bottom of cutting boards which double as lap tables and sink covers.



Untitled by jglennhart, on Flickr

 

[VanLyfe]

<p>Thanks Seraphim! I will definitely be utilizing that tip.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Found this shelf on the side of the road last night, nothing wrong with it other than a few scratches and little dust. Removed the top piece in favor of being able to put a plastic trunk on top that I am planning on storing bedding and other light stuff in. I'm not sure if I'll end up keeping the shelf in there but I just can't pass up a good bit of trash treasure.</p><p>

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[Seraphim]

You've had some great ideas...

 

[VanLyfe]

<div style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; margin: 8px;"><p>So I woke up this morning and decided to completely change the layout of the van. I am pretty happy with the results but I'm sure I will undergo many more changes before things are official...</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>

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[Wild_E]

I love the Flag ! Pro Patria ..<br><br><br>Nice little outfit there, congratulations. Don't worry that your changing things up, soon it will be change up number #3 for me as well.&nbsp;<br>Cheers

 

[VanLyfe]

<p>Thanks for the love guys!&nbsp;</p><p>OpenMinds: I cannot recommend a full size enough. I part timed for years in a '00 Subaru Forester so upgrading to this for full time is pure luxury for me.</p>

 

[wagoneer]

Next thing you will want is a bubble top, you guys are never satisfied..

 

[VanHalen]

VanLyfe: Can you explain why you recommend full-size? <br><br>I plan to start living out of a van in about a year, and I'm debating whether to go with a big camper like this one, a standard pedo--er, uh--cargo van, or a lame soccer-mom mini. I had started leaning towards a minivan with the back seats removed, thinking it'd be less conspicuous in parking lots or residential areas, and probably get slightly more mpg if I end up moving a long way.<br><br>Since you have experience with this, what are the factors that make you prefer the full size? Is is just the luxury aspect, or did you find yourself really uncomfortable or inconvenienced in the Forester?<br><br><br>Your setup looks sweet by the way, nice job! I'm feeling little prickles of van-envy over here.<br><br>

 

[Wild_E]

This vehicle will get the virtually the same Gas Millage as an Astro/Safari mini van, plus more room.&nbsp;<br>If you think this is big, don't look at what I live in! After a while, you do like to be able to sit up and move around. I live in my Box truck, but it is mostly permanently parked as a trade, I stay there and provide security. My Dodge Caravan, was setup with a bed as I was travelling long distances for work. Yes, I lived in it not as much, but surely missed the headroom and moving around, so did my dog.<br><br>Gotta pick what is right for you!&nbsp;

 

[VanLyfe]

<div style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; margin: 8px;"><p>K80: The Forester was great for shorter trips and was honestly a great vehicle but it was just plain too small. I am fairly short (5'5") and I couldn't even lay out fully in the back and just found it easier to sleep in the front passenger seat, this would have been awful long term (6 months was long enough). I tend to have many projects going at once and the full size gives me plenty of workspace and living space without things getting too cluttered. &nbsp;Also I love the idea of be able to change my layout to suit any change in lifestyle (Pets, romantic interests, travel buddies, etc..)</p><p>I could easily see myself living just as well in a mini-van, but this van was cheap, in great condition and I just have always loved retro style vans so buying this a was a pretty easy call for me.&nbsp;</p></div>

 

[VanHalen]

Ha! I could understand the height thing being an issue. I'm 5-nothing, though, and have almost shamefully low comfort standards, so I might have an easier time of it. Honestly, future pet potential is the only thing pushing me towards a slightly larger vehicle... otherwise I'd settle for a crappy station wagon or something.<br><br>Of course, with my budget I can't be picky. I'll end up living the first affordable vehicle that comes along anyway. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br><br><br>Thanks for the input, and good luck with the rest of your van set up!

 

[VanLyfe]

<p>A little update of the days progress.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>

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[HappyCamper66]

Congrats! I laugh at myself when I see something on the side of the road and wonder what I can use it for in my van. Lol. Good to know I'm not alone. Awesome Job <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif">

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Very nice.&nbsp; I like how modular it is, since you used self contained shelving you can move or remove all the pieces.&nbsp;

 

[travel]

Looks great! Very cozy and well organized and a terrific price for a clean conversion van. Does it have a 302 5.0 V8? Carbed or fuel injection? 3 or 4 speed automatic? (the 3 speed auto will give worse fuel economy but is more durable than a 4 speed A40D automatic that &nbsp;I used to have). I like the space in a full size van too. I used to have a 1991 Ford E250 cargo van that I needed for work at the time. It was just the standard height roof, but otherwise pretty generous on space. A raised roof would have been great. I didn't do any van dwelling in it, but on occasion would lay down for a nap in the back. Currently I have a Chevy Astro. I bought it two years ago because it suited my needs at the time. But now my needs have changed. Since I'd never get my money out of the van to sell it, and I know it's in pretty good mechanical condition, I'm going to use what I've got. Currently I'm in the process of building a bedframe and cabinets for the twin size mattress and 12V fridge I have. Although Astros are considered large for a mini van (some would even call it a mid-size van), I can't see any way to adapt full size household furniture like you did in a full size Econoline.<br><br>Having previously owned an Econoline of similar vintage to yours, I have to agree that the fuel consumption is pretty similar to an Astro, but you have a good amount more space. I'd estimate at least 25% more space. Even more if you had an extended version. I'd gladly pay a bit more for gas to have that much more space. The Astro is wide for a mini van, but shorter than most minivans. I can tell you for sure that a Dodge Grand Caravan or a Ford Windsar is longer than an Astro, but only slightly narrower. None are without their flaws... but at least the Astro has a good payload and towing rating.&nbsp;<br><br>As a former Econoline owner, I will suggest you keep up on maintenance. Mine was a 1991, so just a few years newer, but still the same in many ways. That body style dates back to the 1970s as does much of the technology. I had to remind myself of that, even though mine was a 1991 model. Yours looks like it was well&nbsp;maintained, and so did mine. But every once in a while, something would break and take me by surprise. I only got stranded once. Remember that this is older technology. Back then, vehicles weren't expected to last as long as today's vehicles and the quality control wasn't as good. But I found that by keeping up on maintenance and repairing anything as soon as I could tell there was something wrong kept it running well and it was fairly reliable. Your van looks very clean! Love the TV, lol, but I see you got rid of it. And is that dusty rose carpeting I see? And a Canadian flag? Where you from? Since the van appears to be rust free, I'm going to say somewhere in BC, maybe Vancouver or Vancouver Island. Good luck! Keep us posted on the van! I'm sure it will be much more&nbsp;comfortable&nbsp;than your Subie was. I can't imagine living in one for 6 months at a time, though I know many people live long term in station wagons and hatchbacks or other cars.