Thinking of making some changes.

[One Awesome Inch]

I remember about 8 months ago I was putting together detailed layout plans of my van interior. Some of you said you really need to live in it to see what works for you, and boy, they were right.

I am finding my bed being 30" wide just is not ideal. I mean, I can just suck it up and deal with it, but in an effort to maximize comfort I am going to make some changes. Recently I took the chunks of foam I cut off my bed and stuck them back in the slip cover making my bed once again a full 39 inch twin. Much better. I am a bigger guy at 220LB and 6ft tall. With the smaller bed I felt like I was going to roll off or I was squished against the wall. Problem is a full twin leaves me about 9 inches of space between the bed and counter/shelving area. After having almost 20 inches previously I find want that space back. Basically, I want my cake and to eat it too!

After some thought, I am going to make some changes and put my bed across the back and make it a full twin. Since I have 2 inches of rigid foamboard in all my walls, I am going to have to remove that insulation. I'll remove it to a width of my mattress and about 18 inches in height at both the foot of the bed and where my head goes. Hopefully, that will give me enough room to lie in comfortably. I do plan to add a 1/2 inch of insulation back into those spots, but my van is very well insulated and I am hoping that taking out 1.5 inches in these two key areas will not make much of an impact. Having the bed along the back is going to give me way more room in front of the bed. In order to make it work, I am going to have to remove my counter area and place it along the side of the van. That will give me about 3.5 feet of width by 5 or 6 feet in depth. It should make a big difference in the "perceived" space that I have. Really, its the same space but configured differently I think it will work better.

While I am at it, I am going to make a few other changes. First, I am going to change my gravity water container system to have my 27 litres of water on the floor. I have seen a simple usb charged pump on amazon that will effectively allow me to have running water. Another change I will make is to buy a larger cooler and make it easier to access than what I have. Also, I am going to change my flooring and lay down some stick on vinyl tiles that are dark or hide dirt. I find it hard to keep the floor of the van clean. Sure I can sweep it no problem, but actually washing it clean would take a daily effort... that I am not willing to do.

Any ideas for other improvements while I'm at it?

With a bit of work and expense I am sure I can make things better.

 

[Canine]

It's definitely a process. Trying new things can be fun. I have a shower, but, man, is it small. Like child-sized small. If I wasn't built like an 8th grader, there would be no way for me to keep from rubbing against the walls. The shower stall area will be increased from 20 X 30 to 24 X 36. Going from 20 inches wide to 24 inches wide might not seem like much, but it makes all the difference in the world. 24 is still small, but it is within comfort levels. I define comfort as being able to turn 90 degrees without smacking my elbows.

 

[Patrick46]

OAI,
I'm basically the same size as you are, and I've tried the bed across the back, and frankly, there just wasn't enough room to stretch out comfortably for me.
I'd wake up in the morning very cramped up, and my knees would hurt until well after breakfast, when they could warm up and relax.

I'd say try sleeping on your mattress across the back first, before you build anything permanent.

(this is just my own experience and opinions)

 

[B and C]

A life time ago  , I had a '77 Dodge van that we traveled in extensively (put over 250k miles on it).  I am 6 ft.  I used a 48" wide sheet of plywood across the back.  I cut it U shaped and used the cutout piece as a tabletop and the U part used as a couch.  Think of lifting the tabletop straight up on a post.  When lowered, it made the bed platform.  When I didn't want the tabletop, I just put it on the floor in the same U cut out space.  It made the area due triple duty as a bed, couch and table with seating.  I slept diagonally across it and had plenty of room.  Underneath storage was accessed from the rear doors.  The cushions were sewn together and would open like a book.  YMMV

Brian

 

[WriterMs]

I have to echo Patrick's caution on the bed across the back. Especially since so much work will be involved for you to do it. I am only 5'6" tall and my bed is across the back of my former wheel-chair-lift public transit van. I cannot remember the exact width of my interior. But when my brother-in-law was doing most of the building for me, I stretched straight out in the space and could barely make it with a couple of inches to spare top and bottom. Later I put in about an inch of insulating privacy panels on either side. Technically I could still lay flat on my back and not quite touch either side.

BUT, once sleeping on the bed for months, it became clear that a real-time sleeping position is not the same as a "test" of laying straight for clearance. A person does not stay perfectly aligned during sleep. I was always kicking the foam panel at the bottom during the night, trying to stretch my legs out when needed. So then I'd have to sleepily try to angle myself on the bed... well, let's just say that when the time comes to update my rig, the FIRST thing I will do is make my bed go along a wall and not across.

Plus, if you remove insulation to put the bed back there, aren't you taking out insulation where you might need it most in cold weather?

I'm guessing you've seen some of the bed builds here wherein the bed is up like a couch during the day (giving you extra room between bed and counter) and then pulls out to extend the platform at night. The bent mattress that had formed the back and seat of the "couch" slides down to be the bed mattress.

You may, of course, still conclude your current plan is best for you and how you sleep. But I wanted to thrown in my 3 cents worth of my own on-the-road experience.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

You guys make some great points. I am a little apprehensive now. I did measure it WITH the insulation intact and its currently about 68 inches about 9 inches above the wheel wells... the height of my foam mattress.

I see other guys on youtube do it with the mattress across the back, like Will Burson.

I think it may be worth a try. Worse case scenario I could just reverse everything. I dont really want to do the folding bed thing as I dont want to have setup my bed on a regular daily basis. Plus since my wheel well has two inches of insulation all around it, it makes it more challenging to do the bed/couch thing. Perhaps its do-able. More thought required!

 

[WriterMs]

Just an idle thought crossed my mind: what about putting something at the foot of your current bed to mimic the length of bed you'd have going across the back of the van? Put a box or such up on the foot of the bed --- something so that you'll know during the night when you touch it (don't use anything breakable in case you kick it off!). This might physically allow you to test how comfy it would be. If you sleep 100% of the time with knees bent.. probably not a problem.

So if you are 72 inches tall and your space with insulation is 68... and you will gain only 4 inches by taking out insulation on both sides... that is still a tight total of only 72 inches (are my math skils holding up in my later years?). So you'd have your head touching the top wall and flat feet touching the bottom wall -- assuming EXACTLY 6 feet for both you and the bed.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Yup that is correct math. I think I will rig up some cardboard at 72 inches and see how that works as a preliminary step.

 

[jimindenver]

There are times that being a big person just doesn't pay off.

 

[akrvbob]

I made my bed across the back of my pickup but the bed was 48 inches wide (a sheet of plywood) and slept diagonally on it. It worked great and my dog got to sleep in the corner.
Bob

 

[becida]

In the '90 GMC I could sleep sideways on the rear seat folded out into a bed, the '87 Ford is not wide enough for me to sleep sideways.  I'm on my 3rd bed evolution on the Ford.

I hope you get what you want!

 

[ZoNiE]

Bing big pays off waaaay better than being short!

 

[flying kurbmaster]

taller people don;t live as long ...apparently, anyways if you were to leave your bed in it;s current configuration had a bit of ply hinged to the front about 8 inches long fliped it up, locked in place somehow then used another cushion that was 8 inches by 72 used as a back rest during the day slipped in against the wall when you flip up bed was in position, 38 inch bed made easy enough. you could also have a slide out piece if the flip up one didn't work, or you could have a hinged piece near the wall with legs out front on your existing plywood top and just pulled it forward and bed would be in place, back would fall flat, 38 inches. in the morning lift back with per attached line push back into place. might work.

 

[becida]

Don't live as long as what? And what is "taller"?... I know! Tall is not being able to sleep sideways!

I really like a bed I don't have to mess with to use, I don't mind moving stuff but I'm not a fan of having to turn the bench into a bed. On the same lines I like a stove I can boil water on first thing in the morning without having to put stuff together.
Easy to go to sleep & easy to get started. The VW westy had a great stove but I had to fold & unfold that bench seat ...

With all these 'wants' something has to give cause my van is not that big.

 

[66788]

The average person learns from his mistakes,

the wise person learns from the mistakes of others.


There is a lot of wisdom, experience, and time invested by the members of this forum. Learn from it.

 

[LeeRevell]

Once I had to train a co-worker.  I gave him all the tips and tricks he needed to know.  After a bit, he said, "you're either the smartest man I've met or you're as dumb as I am and already made the mistakes!"  
I told him he had it right the sscond time!  
I do expect to make some mistakes in setting up my van, but already tried some things in the minivan.  So maybe I can miss a couple mistakes.....

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Well I decided to try the change. I can always just reverse everything if it doesn't work out.


Sorry for the crappy screen shot