Signe the Mobile Astral Sanctuary (2012 Toyota Sienna)

[SoulRaven]

Here are the steps I took to convert Signe (pronounced "seein' ya") the minivan into something livable while on the road.

PART 1

Toyota engineers, in their infinite wisdom, decided to have the chair rails above the floor so they are not only a tripping hazard but constantly in the way of being able to slide things around in the space.

So I had all of the hardware removed.  I also had the rear seats removed which created a whole bunch of cargo space now known as The Garage. BTW, this is not something that you can do yourself unless you are prepared to disassemble the gas tank and put it back together again.

Removing the hardware left some holes in the floor, so those were plugged with dum-dum and then covered with silicone.  A rubber mat was put over those holes to reduce fumes.  (If I ever choose to put a sink in the van I might be able to drain through one of these holes, so bonus.)

The floor of the van is not level, so I built a floor that fixed that problem.  I got some nice 1/2 "plywood because I didn't want the mess of composite.  The plywood was cut at 5' so that the back part could be lifted up for access to the garage.  I added some stick- on vinyl floor tiles for easy cleaning.

The pitch matched the 4" measurement of the 2 x 4 used to level the floor. Sweet!

[img=600x450]https://eetemple.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/IMG_2807.jpg[/img]

Another 2 x 4 was ripped down to about 2.5 " to support the middle of the floor.  Here is the entire floor installed.

Here's what The Garage looks like open.

[img=450x600]https://eetemple.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/IMG_2934-e1511987951164.jpg[/img]

 

[SoulRaven]

PART 2

So the next step was raising the bed and making some storage space.  I found some wood crates at Home Depot and took off the slats of one side of the boxes farthest right and from both sides of the boxes toward the middle of the van. They were screwed to the floor because otherwise, the bed would shift while driving. I added some nice 1/4 plywood to the top.  The width is 27" which is the same size as the camp mattress.  The length of this part is 5' which is the same as where the cut was made for the garage.

The part of the bed that sits above the garage is supported by two removable crates.

Here is the finished bed with the final storage bins.  One of the bins has a secret!

THE POTTY (AKA La Duchamp)

After researching a whole bunch of different bathroom solutions, I decided to go with the bucket and litter. However, the bucket took up too much space, so I cut it down to fit inside of one of the storage bins so it could be tucked under the bed. NOTE TO SELF: Put the cat litter in before replacing the Luggable Loo lid.  There is a rubber gasket (not pictured) that is placed between the lid and the seat when the bucket is not in use to keep the kitty litter perfume from permeating the van.

Also, check out the storage under the floor!

KITCHEN STORAGE AND FOOD COOLING

I didn't want to install a permanent kitchen and also wanted the rest of the van stuff to be modular.  Most of the time I use a backpacking stove and the little canisters of propane with the freezer bag method of meal making.  Or I am just lazy and go get something at a restaurant.  I've found that I can stretch a Denny's purchase to two meals.  I haven't yet done a cost comparison of eating out vs propane + groceries + water.  Could be interesting.

I have a Koolatron but I generally don't use it except for storing drinking water.  If I did want to use it, I would plug it into the inverter with this power adapter.

OFFICE SPACE

Here's a picture of Signe in work mode.  Because I do digital work, I need a second monitor.  I use a PicoPro and project the second monitor onto the storage lid. Of course, I have to have the windows covered in order for that to work as well as it should.  Most of the time though, I work at the public library.  It's quiet and the WiFi is fast enough for what I do for a living.

WATER STORAGE AND BATHING

At the moment, I buy gallon jugs of water and store them in a big bin that sits next to the bed.  I also have a battery operated Zodi shower pump which I use with a small waste basket that is stored inside the bin.  Since I don't usually boondock, I shower at Anytime Fitness after I have done some healthy exercising.

AUX POWER

I have a no permanent mods rule for the van.  So I decided to go with an Acopower folding 100 watt panel and a 55 ah AGM battery.  I also have a 450 watt inverter.  This allows me to move a lightweight panel around when I am camped. (I've seen people drag around the hard body panels all over their camp and that didn't look like fun.) I don't have huge power requirements either so this setup is sufficient for now.

When driving, I plug the inverter into the 12v outlet, then plug a battery charger into the inverter and then connect the battery charger to the AGM battery.  Many thanks to the person who suggested this solution on the solar challenge thread (which I have to go find now so I can give proper credit.)  

Here is a video of the solution.

INTERNET

I used my phone to connect to the internet when I am not at Starbucks or the library.  I use a WeBoost to get more bars when I'm at more remote locations or even when I am in town and not getting enough love from Verizon.

CLOTHING STORAGE

When you go ultra-lightweight backpacking you learn to make the things you carry with you do double and triple duty.  I gutted a couple of pillows, added some velcro and stuffed them with clothes. (I'll have to add that video to the next post because it is getting late as I am writing this...)

Also, minimalism suggests capsule dressing and layering.  The challenge is breaking up with the things you have collected and are emotionally attached to...like shoes...more on that later.

ART TEACHES CRITICAL THINKING SO DON'T CUT IT FROM YOUR SCHOOL CURRICULUM

I am an artist, among other things.  I make art, teach Art, people have made art for me, and I also collect art (but that is put on hold for a while.)  Here is a video of the Mobile Art Gallery solution I came up with so I could see the art I have on a daily basis.

That's it for now. 

 

[Minivanmotoman]

Nice job, looks good.

 

[Cammalu]

You did a great job.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[highdesertranger]

nice, highdesertranger

 

[tx2sturgis]

When driving, I plug the inverter into the 12v outlet, then plug a battery charger into the inverter and then connect the battery charger to the AGM battery.  Many thanks to the person who suggested this solution on the solar challenge thread (which I have to go find now so I can give proper credit.)  

I had made this same recommendation to someone here recently...so if it was me, you're welcome!

 

[SoulRaven]

I had made this same recommendation to someone here recently...so if it was me, you're welcome!

I think it probably was you.    It really is a great solution.

 

[rm.w/aview]

Very nice, I definitely like your creative solutions.

 

[SoulRaven]

I had to make new videos because the ones I had listed above contained copyrighted music and I am attempting to get Partner status on YouTube.  Ooops.  So here are the links to the new videos with royalty free music.

Charging the Auxiliary Battery
Mobile Art Gallery

 

[akrvbob]

Brilliant work!! You're going to have a great home!

 

[SoulRaven]

Brilliant work!! You're going to have a great home!

Thanks Bob!

 

[SoulRaven]

EXTRA CLOTHING STORAGE

I gutted a couple of pillows and stuffed them with clothes.  Click here for the video:

 

[kllcbosmetris]

AUX POWER

I have a no permanent mods rule for the van.  So I decided to go with an Acopower folding 100 watt panel and a 55 ah AGM battery.  I also have a 450 watt inverter.  This allows me to move a lightweight panel around when I am camped. (I've seen people drag around the hard body panels all over their camp and that didn't look like fun.) I don't have huge power requirements either so this setup is sufficient for now.

When driving, I plug the inverter into the 12v outlet, then plug a battery charger into the inverter and then connect the battery charger to the AGM battery.  Many thanks to the person who suggested this solution on the solar challenge thread (which I have to go find now so I can give proper credit.)  

Doesn't your 450w inverter blow out the car charger fuse? I heard that these car-DC-outlets are capped at 120w-150w.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Doesn't your 450w inverter blow out the car charger fuse? I heard that these car-DC-outlets are capped at 120w-150w.

It probably would if she maxed out the power demand on the inverter, but a small charger plugged in won't pull much power.

It's probably idling along at less than 25 watts most of the time, and maybe 150 watts or so with a laptop charger plugged in.

 

[SoulRaven]

Doesn't your 450w inverter blow out the car charger fuse? I heard that these car-DC-outlets are capped at 120w-150w.

Nope.  I could probably get a smaller inverter for that though.  It's kind of inconvenient to switch everything around when I am charging from solar or want to use the inverter from the aux battery to my laptop.

 

[John61CT]

Standard ciggie sockets are a dangerous abortion,  avoid like the plague!

Blue Sea has a nice socket design that twist-locks with the matching plug, but will also accept standard ciggie plugs for smaller (<10A) loads.

Also the BMW/ Hella/ Merit/ Powerlet "Euro-style DIN" (ISO 4165) style is very robust.

Anderson plugs for higher amps.

If you standardize on one of the last two types, there are adapters for devices with ciggie plugs, but anything you own and use for extended periods should chop off and replace with your chosen standard.

 

[tx2sturgis]

For low power temporary use, she will be fine with that setup.

I can't see her changing all the sockets to some other standard in a vehicle that she has stated she did not want to modify. 

Plus, millions of vehicles and owners use them everyday for light duty use (laptops, smartphones, GPS units, etc) and they work fine. 

Gold standard? Nope. Super long lasting? Not that either. High current? Forget about it. 

But probably good enough here. 

 

[tx2sturgis]

Wow...deleted account...well I guess we will never know...

:huh:

 

[John61CT]

Anywhere near 6-8A only for short periods and watched.

They very often are intermittently disconnected, even at low amps can melt plastic and then ignite.

Running a proper distribution/fuse panel from a built-in circuit, just as easily removed, is not IMO a permanent mod.