To stand or not to stand

[maryann1976]

How important is being able to stand in the van? Is it something that you would always prefer but didn't get because you wanted to be stealthy, costs, or other reasons?

 

[poncho62]

I think it depends on how much you get outside....If you are just sleeping or sitting inside the van, standing isnt such an issue. If its crappy outside and you are stuck inside, you may wish you had that tall roof at times.

 

[AbuelaLoca]

I needed the high top for health reasons. I need to be able to walk around to loosen things up! I'm thrilled I managed to find one within my budget!

 

[hepcat]

How important are your joints and back muscles?

I put up with less-than-stand-up headroom in RVs for years. I'm 6'5" tall and after YEARS of not being able to stand up in a van/trailer/moho... I won't buy one now UNLESS it has enough room for me to stand fully upright and walk around at least a little. It's THAT important to me.

 

[Stargazer]

Four years with a standard top. It was ok at first. It got old pretty fast. Cooking was a real feat, tidying and cleaning was difficult. It was my one regret with that van.

 

[reflex439]

Being able to stand up is critical for me. One way to determine this for each individual, is to create a space where they need to sit or hunch over in their current living space, and use that for dressing in the morning, cleaning themselves, and other daily tasks they would do in the van. Do that for a few days or a week and see what issues surface and if that would be acceptable over the long haul. Nothing like practical real world testing to answer those questions.

For me, I knew I didn’t wan to spent that much time hunched over, sitting for some tasks, or kneeling on the floor. Being able to stand up, stretch, etc, is a basic function I don’t want to do without. For those times when the weather is bad, it would be depressing for me not to be able to stand up for a couple days on end.

If you are spending most of your time outside in private location, can shower and dress outside, and most of your activities are outside, it probably wouldn’t be a big deal. If you are stealth camping where you need to do those functions inside the van, it could be an issue, and I would think the height would be of much more concern. There are vehicles that allow the higher height without loosing too much of the stealth ability, such as handicap vans, sprinter vans, etc.

I would always take the height even if loosing some stealth ability.

 

[thehellend]

I'm looking at vans with room to stand up. I like vans with windows, so a conversion van with high top is a goer for me. At 5'7, would there be enough room for me to stand in this? Or would I need a super-mega high top like this?

 

[bullfrog]

I'm getting older and shorter. I keep hoping I'll shrink just enough but alas not enough yet. When I was 20 years old no problem now your **** right I need to stand up, falling down, rolling in the floor to put your pants on is not the way to start your morning!

 

[Almost There]

I'm looking at vans with room to stand up. I like vans with windows, so a conversion van with high top is a goer for me. At 5'7, would there be enough room for me to stand in this? Or would I need a super-mega high top like this?

Nope, the only top that can be fully stood up in is the 24" high top. The conversion van high tops are known as TV tops - they're meant to be just high enough to give additional headroom for the passengers seated in the captains chairs and also for mounting the small tv just back of the driving compartment so that the rear passengers have their own entertainment center - as if the outside scenery passing by isn't entertainment enough...sigh!

As to the original question - I wouldn't be full timing in a van without the ability to stand upright EVER. If the van I bought didn't have the high top already installed, it would be second on the list only to new tires.

I've spend the majority of my life in and around vans and for the occasional weekend trip, I could live without it. Anything longer than that and it's a necessity.

I've had to spend as many as 5 days in a row confined to the van because of pissy weather and I can tell you that being able to stand up and dance in the van became a vital necessity.

I stand up to cook, make the bed, do up my jeans (yeaaa, I don't have to lie down anymore, the jeans fit... ) etc. etc. etc.

 

[hepcat]

^^^^^What Almost There says! ^^^^^

 

[waldenbound]

Well Almost There, you make a good argument for a high top and standing. I will have to be non-standing when I get started. In fact, I will be wishing I could sprout wings and fly around like Tinkerbell. I can see me getting dressed in the morning, that would be good for a hysterical laugh on YouTube.

Seriously, I don't want to spend a lot of time in the van, really. It's my sleeping quarters and clothes, kitchen storage. Sure, if it's raining, I"ll have to curl up with a good Kindle book for the day or two. Or I want to take a nap, or just get out of the sun for a bit. Mostly, I want to be outside, with a tarp on the barn door side to extend my living space.

 

[hepcat]

Waldenbound, let us know how that works out for you in a couple of years. Maybe a couple of months?

I don't recall anyone ever saying, "I regret having that high top on my van. That extra head room and walk-around space is awful." I CAN recall LOTS of folks saying that they get tired of having to put their clothes on lying down, and cooking and doing dishes on their knees or sitting on the bed. None of us PLAN to spend significant amounts of time in our RVs, but it does happen and unless you're very short, the low top can get pretty old pretty quickly.

There are, of course, reasons not to have a high top; parking your van in a garage comes immediately to mind, but enforced lack of comfort isn't one of them.

 

[Gigi]

I'm in the minority where standing in a van isn't a priority for me. Luckily I am short and limber. I was attracted to teardrop trailers which is basically a bed on wheels and so it wasn't a stretch for me to decide to start out in a minivan. It's going to be about your personal comfort level and your lifestyle. Bob always talks about finding the sweet spot. A minivan affords me better gas mileage, more stealth in neighborhoods when boon-docking, less-expensive starting costs and because I'm very much a minimalist...I don't need a lot of room...even head room. But I have no doubt in 10-15 years my needs and comforts will be probably very different. Good Luck!

 

[mayble]

I don't recall anyone ever saying,  "I regret having that high top on my van. That extra head room and walk-around space is awful."  

How about "I'd love to camp back in those woods but I can't get in there" or "I have to stay put today because it's too windy to drive".  Or the ever popular "I can't find any high top vans in my price range".  The simple fact is they aren't as common, so they aren't as affordable.

Obviously there are advantages and disadvantages to any choice we make in life.  All we can do is make the best choice we can, and be prepared to make adjustments as necessary. 

I'll be going with the best van I can find in my price range when I'm ready to pull the trigger, which should be in 3-6 months.  If it's a high top, fine.  If it's a low top, fine.  I'd rather get out there in a setup that's less than ideal than waste more time trying to make it perfect.  If it runs reliably and has room for the essentials, it will get me going.  If I find I need to make changes, well then I'll make changes.  High tops can be added, vans can be bought/sold/traded.  Very few choices are permanent.

 

[DuneElliot]

The only thing about my 5W that I would change is that the bedroom area doesn't have standing room; it is more like a very tall cab-over you see in a Class C. Since I really only sleep there it's not that big of a deal and the lower clearance will be invaluable when I am in the boonies. However, standing room in my kitchen, bathroom and living area is vital for my sanity. I'm short so going to be able to stand up in almost anything.

 

[TrainChaser]

Warning:  Heavy Scarcasm!

I've spent quite a lot of time living and camping in a regular height van (a shorty Ford and an extended Dodge).  I'm 5'8" and it didn't bother me.  That's just how it was.  

If it's raining for two weeks straight and you're going stir-crazy, maybe you should have made other plans, or make some new ones now.  Your van has wheels -- did you notice?  Some people on these forums live in cars.  Are they complaining that they can't stand up?  I don't think so.  They're doing what they can with what they've got, and they aren't whining about it.

Far too many people have an obsession with Absolute Perfection.  Well, guess what?  It doesn't exist.  Are you quite wealthy, with a good income?  You are?  Good for you!  You can just go out and buy whatever your little heart desires.

The rest of us might need a reality check.  You only have $1500 cash to pay for a van, but you're going to insist on a hightop?  You're going to travel with the weather, but you HAVE to stand up to put your pants on?  You're 5'2" and you NEED to be able to stand up when you're cooking in the van, despite the fact that you will usually be cooking outside on a Coleman on a folding metal table?  You're so desperate for vertical space that you won't put a 1/2" mat on the floor?  You're obsessed with stealth camping in the city, you'll be gone 8-10 hours a day, but you really, truly NEED six feet of headroom?

Are all of you so used to having everything you want that you can't possibly settle for a 48-52" high van?  Well, isn't that nice!  So......... why are you looking at living in a van?  Get an apartment and you'll have lots of vertical space!   Oh, wait, you can't afford an apartment because you've spent your entire working life spending money like a drunken sailor?  Right now, you have a $500 car with a $5,000 sound system?

I think a lot of people need to sit down and make a list of what is REALLY important -- what they NEED, not everything they want.  If they can even tell the difference between the two.

 

[Joseph_Grey]

I am still in the process of building. I wish I could stand but I don't have the money for a Sprinter, need the stealthiness so can't go to a high top. Ah well, maybe by the next van...

--joe

 

[grandpacamper]

TrainChaser: Great post, I too was concerned about height, I'm 6'2" have a bad back.  I decided that what I could afford, what I wanted to include & what I wanted to do with my van.  I have all the components made now, tested the height from the mattress to the top.  Yes a little close to the top of my head, but I'm not living inside, only going to use it for transport & sleeping.  The only thing I figured would be a minor problem, would be pulling my pants up.  

As of now I get dressed each morning using my bed - socks, shoes, shirt, undies & pull on pants.  How hard is it to lay down lift your hips & pull up your pants?  I can reach everything in the van from my bed with little movement.  Move whatever crate to the doorway & step down outside.  I cook, use the personal waste, shower & enjoy what mother nature has provided for me to look at, ALL OUTDOORS!

One thing I've learned while living in the Pacific northwest, if you don't learn to do things in the rain you won't be doing much.  You're not made of sugar & you won't melt.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

For the occasions where I can have a tent room next to van, that's the plan...we'll see how that works.

 

[slynne]

I think I am going to have to get a short van because of my crazy dog. At least at first. She is terrified of storms to a degree where even with Xanax, she can get out of hand. Since my full timing is not going to involve quitting my job and since my job will require me to be in the office at least some of the time, that means leaving the dog alone in the van. This dog absolutely cannot be left alone, even in my house, during a storm. Currently my solution is to leave her in my car which I park in an underground parking garage a few blocks from my office. The maximum clearance is 8'2" so I need to be below that, solar panels, fan vents, and all!

She will be 9-10 by the time I am out there so only an issue for 5-6 years max. I guess I can live with not standing up but I am a little sad not to get the Roadtrek of my dreams as it is too tall. I have seen some interesting vans with pop tops though. Maybe something like that? Maybe a VW bus or Eurovan camper if I can learn to poop in a bucket?