Office/chair in van

[GoingMobile]

I'm just getting started converting a 148" WB Medium roof Transit into a mobile live/work unit to use on my journeys next year when I take a sabbatical from my teaching job. My work is creating drawings, paintings, and other visual projects. I'm bringing a laptop computer and probably a larger monitor, keyboard, mouse for editing photos and videos. I may also record some music to accompany the videos. (guitar through digital editing software) Also an area to draw and paint. Certainly some of the latter can happen with an outdoor setup, but I'd like to create a setup that can accommodate all of those activities. (although not all at once)

One setup I'm considering would involve a murphy bed just behind the driver's seat. When the bed was folded against the wall, I would have a desk-top the length of the bed that would fold out as a work space. I could place a drawing board at an angle on top of that for the drawing and painting part.

In this scenario I would need a chair that was comfortable and also ergonomic such as a well made office chair. But that sort of chair would be a real PITA to store when not in use. Is anyone aware of a chair that would have the support for working for several hours but also be easier to stow away than a typical office chair?

 

[barleyguy]

In my fifth wheel I'm using an office chair with the arms removed. Removing the arms allows it to fit under the footwell of the desk better, or I can throw it in top of the bed during travel. (My specific chair is a Serta Hensley. Excellent chair.)

A van is a lot smaller space though. You could consider just a cushion on a folding chair. I used to use a metal hotel chair with a cushion and it made a big difference in comfort.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AE9V3WQ/

Oh, another option is to install a swivel on your passenger seat, or just flip it around, and sit there. Automobile seats are actually pretty comfortable.

 

[vgilbert]

I use an 8ft folding utility table in my bus as a desk, my office chair slides right underneath, tucks in nice and clean. Secure it with a bungee cord while in motion. Works great!

 

[MrNoodly]

Hmmmm, a folding office chair. I've never seen such a thing. I have a folding chair that's very comfortable, folds flat to about 4" thick, but it doesn't swivel or roll.

Similar to this one:
<a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/VJTkhwC/chair.jpg" alt="chair" border="0" /></a>

 

[Psyckosama]

Could always design it so you can mount your driver's seat on a swivel. Upgrade to a captain's chair of some form, put it on a swivel and you can be sitting in luxury at all times.

 

[Reducto]

If you get an office chair without arms they actually stow pretty well. If the bottom of your murphy bed sits just above the bottom of the seat you only need to account for the back of the chair sticking up next to the bed.

I had a very small van so I needed to go a bit more extreme - I needed it to be lower than a typical office chair so my head didn't hit the ceiling and the 5 legs at the bottom took up a bit too much floor space. I wound up buying a rolling seat I found at a hardware store because it had a compact, round base and a shorter cylinder. The cylinder fit right into an Ikea chair.

If the legs are a problem but you don't need reduced height, you could build your own base out of plywood. Build it up so it's a few inches thick in the middle with a hole the size of the cylinder.

Another concept I looked into but never tried was using a boat chair or taking the hinges off one and adapting them for use with an office chair. Boat chairs are reasonably light an compact and the back folds forward.

 

[maki2]

There is in my opinion only on way to buy a chair and that is go to a store and sit in them to see how it fits your body. A few years ago I found a good fitting for supporting my bad back at Walmart. Just because someone says they find a chair to be vomfortable does not mean it is going to feel that way to you. You would have to be that person's identical twin for that to be a certainty. So just go shopping and quit googling to find the perfect one. It could be in most any store that sells chair but you won't know if it works for your body until you sit in it.

 

[Sofisintown]

This is my desk/office chair. It is not even an office chair, it is very old, and I bought it at Restore for $5.00.
Fits my rear like a glove (or the related garment.) Is is very comfortable FOR ME.
I re-upholstered it with new foam and fabric that I had.

Like Maki said, you have to sit on the chair for a bit, to see if it fits you. It would probably be uncomfortable for someone taller, or wider. A bad chair can hurt your back, your neck, give you sciatica and all kinds of trouble.