Share Photos of Astro Van and Minivan Dwellings

[Gigi]

Hi everyone!

  I am pretty sure I will begin my dwelling in either a Minivan (Sierra or Grand Caravan) or a Chevy Astro Van.  I'm trying to get some ideas in my mind's eye on how that is going to work.   I would LOVE LOVE LOVE and deeply appreciate those of you living in Minivans to share your dwelling photos.  I know it's gotta take some organization skills and creativity!  Thank you for any of you willing to share those personal photos!!

Warmly,

Gigi

 

[TequilaSunSet]

I just picked up a Safari for the very same thing.

If you can afford AWD then do it when it comes to the Astro/Safari. There are also some Astro/Safari specific forums that can answer the many questions... GOOGLE is your friend, this is where I began my search and continue to loiter

 

[Gigi]

Congrats on getting your Safari! I tell you that is what I am leaning towards the most. I will checkout the forums on that. Thanks a lot Tequila S.S.!

Gigi

 

[TequilaSunSet]

Have fun... PM sent

 

[SoulRaven]

I'm in a Sienna, and I'm going to try to get some pics for you.

I'm posting this to increase the likelihood of actually dong it! Too cloudy today for adequate lighting. I'm also pretty self-conscious about my setup, because it is not something I have had the chance to make it the way I want it. I initially set up and moved into my van very quickly (in less than two days), and ever since then it's been only the very occasional ability to spend half a day improving it, but I darn well better work fast because I need to be able to sleep in that bed tonight. It gets more and more comfortable in bits and pieces, but it's really nowhere near what a well-planned build would be.

Still, I definitely see how it could be helpful to have a look, so I'm going to work at gathering the gumption to do so and hope we get a sunny day at a time I'm able to take the shots.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

do a search on this site for minivans there are plenty of pics

 

[minimotos95]

Mine is very much a work in progress still and I've lived in it 21 months at this point, I'll try to get some pics up when my van is somewhat presentable(it's a mess at the moment). I'm finally rebounding back in to a productive groove.


Best I can describe my current setup is 4x8 with the engine firewall acting as a 1/3rd height bulkhead, on that "bulkhead" I have my TV mounted with an articulating mount to a 2x4 running floor to ceiling. At the top of the 2x4 is my charge controller at the bottom my inverter and right below that my battery(single starting battery at the moment, will be upgraded soon), towards the center of van up against the "bulkhead" is a coleman 3 day 28 quart cooler, next to that running down the driver's side is the factory 50/50 slept bench in a sitting position with storage under and behind it, to the rear of that is a thetford toilet that acts as part of the bed when stretched fully out. Along the back is a metal desk, maybe 20" deep and 30some odd inches tall with square cat litter buckets on both sides for storage, on the wall opposite of the Porta potti is a portable buddy heater and on the floor between them is one of my safes.
On the steel roof rack I now have my snowboard, bike, 100w renogy mono panel and a decent size storage box that u need to move more stuff into. Also a TV antenna on a short PVC mast. At the moment and likely well into the future I am making no attempts at being "stealthy" without all that on the roof my van sticks out like a sore thumb anywhere in the continental United States.
If you can even make any sense of that description.

In a perfect world I wouldn't be using the factory bench seat but they are rare, my van in general is very rare so I would rather mess it up and lose a little space then throw it away and never be able to replace it. If I had a place I could store it indefinitely I would build a custom bed optimizing my space usage further.

When I first moved in it was just me sleeping on the floor with the basics, then my S&B storage situation ended so everything I owned moved in and for a month or two with 1ftx1ft of open floor space I didn't have room to do much, over time I refined my setup, got rid of stuff, got smaller more efficient stuff and so on. Now I am happy to say that if I wanted I could have 2ftx4ft of open floor space if I wanted without having to think about where I will fit the stuff.

 

[Gigi]

do a search on this site for minivans there are plenty of pics

I've been trying to do searches and not finding a whole lot of pics.  t Maybe I need to be more specific than just minivan?!   :huh:

Thank you for your reply
Gigi

 

[SaltySeaWitch]

Try typing in the type of van like "Astro". Also search Google images. Someone on here has a great mini van setup but I can't remember who! I'll try to find it for you Gigi.

 

[BigT]

I'm reluctant to post any photos because I'm in the process of making several changes to my setup.  
I'm not full-timing yet, so there's very little in there.  That photo was taken on my last multi-day trip to Mendocino.  
I am planning to go the "minimalist" route, so in the end I hope not to have too much more than what you see.  Maybe a few plastic tubs under the bed for supplies and a curtain rod for hanging cloths I need right away.  

Right now I'm in the process of building a drinking water storage system that I'll mount to the roof, which will allow me to remove that large, plastic water bottle just visible in the lower-left corner of the photo.  I'm planning to use that space for a 1 gallon propane tank. 
I'm also planning to replace that big, flushable toilet with the more versatile bucket/bag/sawdust design.  I love that potty, but it takes up too much room and can only be used as a potty and maybe a nightstand. 

I already have a fold-down table mounted to the left wall (just out of photo) that I'm keeping, and I'm adding a pair of fold-down tables to the rear doors.  

The roof of the van is equipped with a solar shower, 200W solar panel, soon-to-be fresh water system, and kayak rack.
I have curtains and window coverings for all the windows.  

A second AGM house-battery connected to a power inverter and fridge, is a definite possibility in the future.  

 

[Gigi]

Thank you Big T for this photo. It gives me a good estimate on the floor space when a bed is there. I will look forward to your updated posts--I really appreciate the sneak peek.

 

[BigT]

Thank you Big T for this photo.  It gives me a good estimate on the floor space when a bed is there.   I will look forward to your updated posts--I really appreciate the sneak peek.

That's not a Astro van, it's a 2010 Ford Transit Connect, so disregard the dimensions.    

 

[Gigi]

That's not a Astro van, it's a 2010 Ford Transit Connect, so disregard the dimensions.    

Oh okay--duh!  LOL  It's still is a great look!

 

[LeeRevell]

I have camped several times in my 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan.  I am a big guy (6'4" & 350lbs+) so it is a bit tight.  I have basically an 8ft long, 4ft wide and 4ft high space.  Mine has the "Sto&Go" seating so the middle and rear seats stow beneath the floor.  One of these days, I am going to remove those seats, and have three quite sizeable underfloor stowage compartments.  The rear one is huge.  Perfect for things you don't need immediate access to - off-season clothes, extra bedding, camping gear, tarps, etc.  Maybe canned and dry packaged food.  I am thinking too of a 12V Marine battery in one middle compartment.  The floor is currently covered with an 8ft X 4ft black rubber PU Truck bed liner.  The floor is uneven, having a pronounced 'hump' in the middle - really felt if you sleep on just a thin pad.  I use an inflatable airbed.  This pic shows the narrow air mattress.  My twin-size air mattress goes almost side to side and leaves less room for gear.  But it is amazingly comfy.  My 12V air pump runs via the ciggy plug located behind the driver's seat.  Lots of ciggy plugs in a GC! 
The spare tire (a mini-donut) is hidden in a round pan underneath, between the front seats.  The screw jack point is between the seats in front of the console.  Really inconvenient.  I need to pull it out and stow it elsewhere.
Wit some of these newer minivans, an annoying feature is one of the so-called "child safety" features - opening the side doors makes the turn signals flash brightly.  Not good for those bathroom runs at zero-dark-thirty in a family campground......     It can be disabled via the overhead computer.
The GC (some years) can be found wit AWD, but then you don't get the Sto&Go seats.  The AWD vans are very difficult to find.  I think the added complexity would just be something else to have trouble with later.

With such a tight space, I set up my 'kitchen' on my motorcycle trailer.

Here's the basic layout:

 

[SoulRaven]

I've got pictures for you! There were so many I had to split them into 4 huge posts and I didn't want to do that to your thread.  Check them out here!

I'm sure I left some things out, I realize I don't have a good shot of my bed surface, for one. It's dark now and I don't know when I'll have the next opportunity. I hope this helps; let me know if you have any questions!

 

[billybob200138]

I have a 95 Astro van. Definitely a small living area but hey,,I live out of it ,not in it. Ha e my bed sideways so I do sleep at a a slant. I have three plastic totes u Der the front of the bed and three totes across the back, so I have plenty of storage. Presently in My near Mammoth Cave. YA'lo come...HoboJoe

 

[Thunder Dan]

We went to Mammoth Cave last spring. Amazing place. There is a National Parks campground just a few hundred feet from the visitor center (can't remember the cost), no hookups, but there is potable water and bathrooms. You can pick up the free wifi near the guard shack (slow), and shower tokens at the general store, $3 for 10 minutes. There's also a small laundromat and a post office. There are lots of hiking trails and historical things to see. We went in May and saw deer or turkeys literally every 2 minutes. That is not an exaggeration. We went the week before Memorial Day, and during the week the campground was sparsely populated, but filled up completely on Friday. Oh my gosh that place is awesome.

 

[Gigi]

I have a 95 Astro van. Definitely a small living area but hey,,I live out of it ,not in it. Ha e my bed sideways so I do sleep at a a slant. I have three plastic totes u Der the front of the bed and three totes across the back, so I have plenty of storage. Presently in My near Mammoth Cave. YA'lo come...HoboJoe

That is what I am kinda going for...is to sleep sideways (width of van not length)  I'm short enough.  (5'1")      I honestly think even if I had a smaller minivan like a Dodge Caravan or something like that I could sleep width but at a slant.  First time in my life I'm feeling blessed for being short! ha!  I'm going to checkout an Astro Van later this week.  

Gigi

 

[Gigi]

The GC (some years) can be found wit AWD, but then you don't get the Sto&Go seats.  The AWD vans are very difficult to find.  I think the added complexity would just be something else to have trouble with later.

Thank you for the photos LeeRevell.  They helped me to "see" it.  LOVE your idea about storing in stow and go spaces---brilliant idea!

Gigi

 

[minimotos95]

Well since I described my setup the other day I already changed it....... It's still messy and a work in progress but this will give you an idea what I'm working with 4x8x4 but with straighter walls than your average minivan. You will notice a lot of stuff stacked on top of the desk, definitely not safe to go down the road but, that is mostly for sale on ebay, there's some motorcycle parts and some water storage(wine box sadly is not full of wine but just water) the cab is mostly full of motorcycle parts and eBay merchandise as well as packing material at the moment.

I found out I was able to fit the cooler behind the cassette toilet and I moved some junk up to my roof top storage allowing me to put my 20lb propane tank and the quick access safe under the desk.

Something else you will notice is I try to use as much of my hanging space as I can. It makes organization much easier. The S-biner is where I hang my garbage in a shopping bag
Next step is to get serious about building a battery box integrating the TV mount and some storage along the firewall. But first I have to decide on and purchase batteries.