Plan C – Cube Van Planning

[CarCampire]

Been downsizing and sorting things from 'wants vs 'needs' and I realize I have a lot less than I thought I would be taking with me.
Yes- I've kept some comfort items, but most of it is just stuff I've had so long, I don't know why I've kept it.
It's easier to get rid of things when you sort out things you use on a daily basis vs things you just keep for the sake of keeping them..

More on Layouts:

I taped the trailer and a standard box van dimensions on the floor and then started outlining large pieces of furniture I would have in both.
It looks something like this:

Trailer:

And the cube van... that will also work for the regular 4' high cargo van dimensions for an E350 extended version:

 

[CarCampire]

And- based off the real-scale blue tape layout above- here's the standard height, Ford e350 extended van model...

So many layouts, yet with each one I gain a new perspective of how to better utilize the space.

 

[Matlock]

The battery placed up front gives you good weight balance if you choose a Van or Cube. If you choose a trailer it might be fine on the tongue as well keeping it out of the living area.
I start to feel confined when sitting at a desk looking at a wall behind it. I need a window to see the world outside. Or maybe just a back-lit picture. Dunno....

I've always been spatially challenged and downsizing will be even more of an adventure for me. Your visuals are excellent.

 

[Canine]

My goodness, 7 pages and it's still being planned. Guess there's the planners of the world then there's me. "Toss it in, see if it fits. If not, toss some out. Then go on with life".

 

[CarCampire]

My goodness, 7 pages and it's still being planned.  Guess there's the planners of the world then there's me.  "Toss it in, see if it fits.  If not, toss some out.  Then go on with life".

My 'problem' is im in no rush. Im playing around with ideas to fit the max amount of comfort (of home) into the smallest space.

Each time I scale out a plan- I see room for improvements.

When I finally put this together I want very little I haven't already thought of and several back-ups in-case one version or another doesn't work.

In this latest version I realized being able to see out of a back window is important to me so I'm putting emphasis on keeping the center clean and counter-balancing the sides (weight).

In this version- Box/Cube Van, everything is on the wall and the larger items like the bed and desk fold up nicely while im driving- so I can install a back window and have a clear view back to it with a rear-view mirror.

 

[CarCampire]

Forgot to mention; the battery box is still riding passenger in the cabin. At 40lbs a battery (AGM-type) and 3 batteries, my weight just about equals it out in the front while im driving.

The furniture and appliances (everything drawn above) weighs aprox. 800 LBS- which will be a bit hefty on gas mileage but a 350 Cube can take it and it's only 40LBS off counterbalancing each side while driving. That's pretty good in my humble opinion.

When all is said and done the outside should look like this:

With a door in back and an odd window at the bottom. I'll pull the black out shade during the day and none-will be the wiser.

 

[CarCampire]

Product review for 'drawers': Coroplast Bins. SUPER LIGHT WEIGHT, water resistant, durable and cheap. These will likely be any 'drawers' and their face material will make easy installation for cubbie doors and such. + They have a tiny,tiny bit of R-value so I may use them to frame the black out shade-window-frames in winter. We shall see.

You can make your own by picking up coroplast sheets at a home-depot or Lowes and melting the edges together with a low-heat blow torch OR go here: http://corrugatedplastics.net/CorrugatedPlasticSheets.html

Lot's of colors, shapes, and sizes. + Custom orders.

 

[Ballenxj]

With a door in back and an odd window at the bottom. I'll pull the black out shade during the day and none-will be the wiser.

Except maybe another van dweller?  
I tend to spot other vehicles that are set up to live in, but that's just me. For the most part your secret will be safe.
It's also good that you are thinking about your vehicles balance.

 

[accrete]

Greetings,

The tittle got my attention as  lived in a chevy hi-cube van for ~18 months and they were some of the best times of my life pre-meeting my wife (of 33 yrs).

I enjoyed the read through the thread and hope you are enjoying the process. For myself, the dreaming and scheming have in most cases been just as fun/enjoyable as the finished project.

On van/trailer body... I agree with several posters that the spray foam is not the best route! My wife and I insulated out chevy van with a multiple-layered sandwich of mylar/bubble wrap/reflectix and it is still doing its job in the van's 5th season.

Go fiberglass on the body if available. In the long run you will recoup many times over the difference in investment due to ease of upkeep and longevity of the typical fiberglass shell build quality over steel or even aluminum.

Our current rig  ( < image link)... We do live full time in an RV ( a 40ft toy hauler)  but the one behind the image link is our "Adventure rig" we take out once a month, is a combination of van+TT. But then there are two of us and even though we are rarely a hug apart, there are times when having two areas has been beneficial. One area is to sleep in (the van with a bed/bathroom) and the other to cook and lounge in (trailer with bed/bath/kitchen).

On windows... or "backlit pictures" : ) my wife actually said she would be fine without windows!! I'd been sharing some windowless builds over the years and the benefit to not having them (easier stealth, insulation). She said a nice monitor with several exterior cameras would be fine. and the option to run a slideshow of places we've been on the monitor too : )

IF there is a Van version 2.0 it might very well be a hi-cube van again...this time : ) wife approved. Right now our current top pic is by http://www.unicell.com > the one pictured is based on a long wheelbase Ford Transit and is available with a 7h X 7w X 16L box, all fiberglass construction with many build-options available (windows/doors/etc). That would give us more than ample room to live our simple lifestyle. Time will tell if we go that route. For now our adventure rig is a good fit.

: ) Thom

 

[ViaVacavi]

Really good thread! Any updates on progress?

Within the next couple of years, I plan on doing something similar with a few differences:
- I'm going to make my own cutaway from a 3/4 ton, and shop for a Express 2500 with a 5.3 (for gas mileage)
- I'm going to make my own utility-style box for it, using a foam-sandwich technique used in aircraft and boating industries. This would result in a very light-weight yet strong box, with the main structural member actually being the foam it's self (which is also the insulation).
-I'm currently working out some ideas to make the box collapsible to the roof height of the van for best fuel economy while driving, and excellent head room when extended while parked.
- I will not have outside utility boxes, though I will give the outward appearance of them using aluminum trim (for stealth reasons)

Your layout ideas here are excellent!

 

[KristinaKarina]

I kno, right?!
I love, love, love the little dia-rama's, and the layout with the blue painter's tape!
I would like to know how your build is coming too.
~KK

 

[Mobilesport]

I lived in a box-van for 6 years and loved it! Mine had a 8x12 box so it was huge inside and it had perfect stealth as long as I didn't park in residential areas. The only real drawback is the MPG, it sucked! But it was just the price you have to pay to get all that room.

No welding required! The box will have ribs and I put styrofoam between the ribs for insulation and used sheet metal screws to attach plywood to the ribs on top of it.  Then everything I built in was screwed into the plywood. Worked perfectly!
Bob

Bob  ,  how are the box vans on bumps?   I ask because I considered one a couple of years ago and decided against because of a experience  I had when renting a single rear wheel uhaul ,  It had a 10ft box .  And to say it had a rough ride would be a understatement. 
I dont remember if it was chevy or ford , I can check next time I go to uhaul to get propane. 
Anyways I know where to get a 10ft box van gmc but dual rear wheels but I feared the one with dual rear wheels would be even worse . IDK.
Maybe I just got a bad one or mayby uhaul welds metal bars in place of shocks when the shocks go bad to save money. 
If they all have that rough of ride I cant see em used as a daily driver but would make a better house in a mostly stationary position. 

 

[ahh_me2]

I've got a 1987 GMC dually 1 ton cube van, I find the ride quite smooth with no load, and even better with a load.
Mine is 12 feet long (the box), and while at the rear you get the full effect of bumps, I have had half ton trucks that were worse!

 

[Mobilesport]

ahh_me2
Nice to know ,   
I heard the dual wheels make it feel really stable   I like the looks of the dual wheels too.
Imo I think a really quiet exhaust adds a affect that makes it seem like it has a smoother ride.
I also heard that you can let a little air out of tires to get a little more smoothness but at the cost of wearing out tires faster.
Good luck with the build looks like its gonna be a good one.

 

[Ballenxj]

I've got a 1987 GMC dually 1 ton cube van, I find the ride quite smooth with no load, and even better with a  load.
Mine is 12 feet long (the box), and while at the rear you get the full effect of bumps, I have had half ton trucks that were worse!

I think the ride got better as the years progressed. I had a 1997 Chevy box truck (I think it was a 14' box) and the ride while empty wasn't bad at all.
Unfortunately I never got to build it out due to circumstances beyond my control.

 

[akrvbob]

Ride quality wasn't a problem for me at all. The bad ride usually comes from an empty van or a fully loaded van. Somewhere inbetween is generally the sweet spot.

Most vandwellers will be in the sweet spot.

The only time you need maximum air pressure is when you are fully loaded. Your tires will last longer when its only half loaded if you reduce the pressure--and you'll gt a better ride.

Bob

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

The only time you need maximum air pressure is when you are fully loaded. Your tires will last longer when its only half loaded if you reduce the pressure--and you'll gt a better ride.

Bob

Ideally, you want just enough air in your tires so they wear evenly across the tread.

Get your self a piece of sidewalk chalk and go to a mall early some morning before they open.

Put a broad stripe of chalk across the tire tread and then drive 100 yards or so.  If the chalk is worn off the center, but not the outer edges, you've got too much air in the tire.  If the chalk wears off the outer edges, but not the center, you've got too little air in the tire.  Adjust your air and repeat until it all wears off evenly.  Do all four tires, pressure will almost certainly be different front and rear.

This assumes you've got no worn front end parts or wheel alignment problems, either of which will cause weird wear on the chalk.

But remember, too much air is better than too little.  Too little causes the tire to overheat and can cause blowouts.  Too much just causes the center tread to wear out sooner.

Regards
John

 

[Ballenxj]

Get your self a piece of sidewalk chalk and go to a mall early some morning before they open.

Put a broad stripe of chalk across the tire tread and then drive 100 yards or so.  If the chalk is worn off the center, but not the outer edges, you've got too much air in the tire.  If the chalk wears off the outer edges, but not the center, you've got too little air in the tire.  Adjust your air and repeat until it all wears off evenly.  Do all four tires, pressure will almost certainly be different front and rear.

This assumes you've got no worn front end parts or wheel alignment problems, either of which will cause weird wear on the chalk.

Now that's a really good idea!