Unique Situation?

[awilder]

Hi there, I plan to convert a van that will mainly bring around myself and my two year old daughter and less frequently my partner and two older stepsons. 
We will need, at times, 5 seats, one seat that works with a front facing car seat. 
I'd like to have a full or queen bed, cooking and toilet. 
Also, we live in Brooklyn, NY where parking can be rough, so, I'd like to fit in as much in as short a van as possible. 
That's why I have come here - to talk about van size - how long a van will we need to get to fit this all in? And seating (is it safe to have a front facing car seat in the front of the car?).
Also, we're on a budget. No Sprinters for us. 
Anyway, these are the initial questions that brought me here. I am looking forward to chatting further.
Thank you!
Amanda

 

[Gypsy Freedom]

if it wasnt for the budget restriction, there are some expensive convertible beds out there that turn into real passenger seating

but with just 5, you could have driver and passenger front seats and a single full width bench seat for 3 right behind the front seats. some of the full width bench seat fold forward and tip up to free up space behind them. this could free up extra space for while stopped. then everything behind that is for the bed. the bed could be a folding, either commercial option or DIY rock n roll style or there are some slick DIY "murphy bed" examples on youtube and other places. the cooking could be set up so it was accessable when the bed was folded. not like you really need the bed and cooking at the same time. i think ;-) a portapoti under the bed can handle the basic needs and keep the costs down.

if you dont need a lot of extra open space at all times i think this could be done with out an excessively long van

 

[txmnjim]

welcome to the forum and good luck in your van search!
jim

 

[Doubleone]

Research some pics of Japanese and Eurovan RV's for some possible ideas. I think a queen bed is rather ambitious because of the large dimensions 60"x80" even without any seating. Japanese RV's typically convert a dinette into a bed, but I'd worry about seatbelts for daily passenger use and passing state inspection. Eurovans use rock-n-roll style beds that convert from a bench into a bed somewhere between full or twin and many come with seatbelts. I think that would be the most viable option.

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Amanda to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

wow you are asking to fit a lot of stuff into a small space.

highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

Welcome. You might be better served looking for a class B campervan. Some come with 4 seats up front and a dinette area in the back (with seatbelts) that makes into a big bed. Plus you would have a kitchen and bathroom. With enough searching, you can find some reasonably priced. Good luck.

 

[maki2]

I think you need to consider buying a motorhome or even a trailer that your car can tow that is of adequate size and finding a cheap place to store the RV outside of the city.