Noob

[VagabondsPhoto]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Me and my wife have been traveling around the United States since April 2016 in a 1999 Volkswagen Jetta. 46 States and 40k miles in a very tiny vehicle. We decided it was time for an upgrade so here we are, the happy new owners of a 2003 Dodge Cargo Van which we have dubbed "Clifford the Big Red Van" [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]We have so many ideas for our new home but no concrete plans yet. We don't have a solid income so we never really know when our next upgrades will be, so for the time being we are just going to load up all of our stuff into it and hit the road again. Heading to the Florida Keys to finish out the winter [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]If anyone has any suggestions, tips or advice for owning/living in a van we are here with open ears and minds[/font]

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome VagabondsPhoto to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. highdesertranger

 

[Wabbit]

Hi VagabondsPhoto! There's a ton of info here already, go through the subforums and marvel at these ingenious people(not me lol). Congrats on "Clifford the Big Red Van", best of luck to youse both!

 

[ArtW]

Welcome! living in a van should be easy for you, it's just like a car but bigger!

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the CRVL Forums    

I have a couple websites below that were created for folks just like yourself who are looking to get into the Van & Traveling Life.   This can be a very low end set up (cost & time wise) using 3/8" to 1/2" plywood flooring grade to cover the metal floor and then whatever carpet you can find to cover the floor with.  

The rest can be done with a lot of recycled materials.    Even a used kitchen floor cabinet can be converted to a  kitchenette with a cooking top and sink.  

If you can find a used kitchen floor cabinet about like this one which is about 40+ inches wide that's 18 to 24 inches deep you could modify it easily and simply.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/...8DRtwoowf4LiqFc36qXvsVM9O1PVCD7PoB_vxPIiKqPmw

With a Bed, kitchenette, and ice chest you can join any of the national Gym's where you would have use of showers & restrooms, and a Lounge with TV, WIFI, and electric power to recharge a Cell phone as you travel.

The bottom link will help you plan trips and navigate your way once out on the road.

Good luck !

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard !
Kitchen base cabinets are almost all 24" deep (except custom) so a sink will fit
Vanity sink cabinets are less deep and a little shorter too.

That was the first post I could read without my glasses !

 

[eDJ_]

Yeah,  24 inches deep would give you all kinds of room.   Used Restaurant supply places would probably have some well used 16 X 12 X 6 (or deeper) stainless rectangular pans. (like for a hot foods table at a buffet)  to use as a sink.   The top for the cabinet could be made of used 3/4 inch plywood and covered with thin aluminum sheet bonded to it with contact cement.  The hole for the sink cut with a saber saw first before the sheet metal is fixed to it and then the Aluminum sheet cut using the hole in the plywood as a template.   A portable 2 burner  propane stove could be used for cooking. 

On the front of the cabinet door  in front of the cook top a hinged piece of plywood could be mounted for the folding table.  So the cabinet is a kitchenette with a dining table all in one.  A couple of folding chairs (which can be used around a camp fire later in the evening) could serve as seating for meals.

If this module doesn't weigh a whole lot...it could be sit outside the Van under an awning if in hot weather for outdoor cooking.

I would also save that piece of plywood cut out to make the hole for the sink pan to sit in.  A slightly larger heavier piece of sheet metal could be cut about an inch wider than the hole so that this could be placed on the  surface (and the stainless pan set elsewhere) to make a larger food prep area.   This would expand useful space on the counter top.

But in my experience,  the kitchenette as I designed mine was a huge part of the usefulness of the Van.  Being able to produce one's own foods is so much cheaper than eating at restaurants,  and sleeping in the Van saves the better part of $100 a night.  Even keeping beverages in the ice chest can be a huge savings over
vending machines.  That can translate to a lot of gasoline for traveling, motor oil, and replacement of tires.

 

[VagabondsPhoto]

Wonderful information so far. Thanks for the warm welcome