Using household furniture instead of build

[mothercoder]

There's a lot I can do but I don't have the tools/space/know-how to build cabinets and workspaces.  I may have someone lined up who can do this for me but if the budget doesn't allow, I'm creating a Plan B. 

Has anyone used pre-built components bought cheaply off CL or FB?  For example, I'm thinking of reconfiguring an inexpensive computer desk as my kitchen -- the kind with the hutch on top.  The idea would be to drop a bowl into the desk top for my sink.  At first I would use a water dispenser or something similar for water but eventually I'd want to put in a pump faucet.  Underneath in the knee well would go a container with fresh water and one for grey water.  Next to the sink would be space for my camp stove which would be stored in one of the spaces below when not in use.  The drawer could be used for utensils and the other spaces for pans, dishes, etc.  I would install peg board in the open areas above the work space to hang often used cooking utensils, towels etc.  I would leave the slide out keyboard to use as extra prep space.  The desk would be anchored to the floor and wall of the van.  The only thing I would worry about is if it is not well made that it might fall apart from the vibration of travel.  Thoughts?

 

[ArtW]

some household furniture is really,heavy, some isn't, if reworking household stuff works for you, try it
I know of at least one person on the forum who bought a metal base for their bed from walmart or Amazon, and it worked great for them, lighter than a built sleeping platform, and sturdier, too
do a lot of measuring though, nothing sucks as bad as buying something and finding out it doesn't fit

 

[mothercoder]

Thank, Art. Always conscious of what things weigh. The cheaper desks aren't made of solid wood. I think I know the bed platform you're talking about and I've been looking at them, too. They are 14' off the ground so they should clear most wheel wells and provide space for storage underneath. They are also slatted so there's good circulation under the mattress. Yep, measure twice, buy once. I just think if I'm able to use already built components, it would be cheaper than hiring someone to do the build. My son can help with insulating and the heavy lifting but he's not mechanically inclined.

 

[rvpopeye]

That has been done and no reason why you can't too !
Second hand , recycled and found on curb with a free sign items are also a great way to go and get your rig set up quick-n-easy.....
Dumpsters behind furniture stores is a potential source to check out as well.

 

[MrNoodly]

Whatever suits your needs. You might want to remove the legs from some items, or stack dissimilar pieces. Just keep in mind that vehicle walls curve -- both floor to ceiling and front to back. And you have to account for the wheel arches, gas filler and other odd shapes. So existing furniture might not be the most space efficient, but we all do what we can with what we have.

 

[Belinda2]

I just picked my favorites of what I'd like to keep if I only had 178 square feet. It had to be lightweight, small, and fold down, if possible. I converted it into furniture to fit my new lifestyle, if it didn't fit.
I hope this helps,
Belinda2

 

[cyndi]

Bob has a couple of great posts of people's van. they used furniture for their renovation. 2 of my favorite van make overs

Tribe member Cheri
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/conversion-details/cheris-high-top-conversion-how-to/

And tribe member Mike
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/conver...n-traditional-normal-feel-great-organization/

 

[TrainChaser]

I don't see any problem using 'real' furniture, as long as most of it isn't made from pressed wood. This isn't the best time of year, but some people have garage sales in their garage.

You might want to do a bit of cutting, but that shouldn't matter, as long as you maintain support. KISS is more important than some people realize. If it doesn't work, you can always shift it out later.

Just out of curiosity: Does anyone happen to know the max depth of the arc of a sidewall (skin)?

 

[GotSmart]

I found a WM Sterlite plastic dresser type cabinet that takes a lot of weight, but weighs almost nothing..  I set up a low cost way of keeping it from opening.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-4-Drawer-Cabinet/8206252#about

 

[BradKW]

I see many builds that utilize household furniture in some way, and the only thing that I bothers me about nearly every one is they don't take the time to safely secure the items. I remember on of Bob's videos where a wooden dresser was anchored to the vehicle by two tiny little L-brackets.

I guess my point is that custom builds tend to put more thought into how things are attached, whereas the furniture builds tend towards just keeping an item from moving during normal driving...

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

+1 on BradKW.

The big problem I see with using 'house' furniture is securing it so it doesn't flying towards your head in an accident.  It tends to be heavier.  Also drawers and cabinet doors are not made to stay closed while moving or traveling off level; so some modifications will be in order.

 -- Spiff

 

[MrNoodly]

Also drawers and cabinet doors are not made to stay closed while moving or traveling off level; so some modifications will be in order.

That's why bungee cords were invented.

 

[highdesertranger]

another problem is the contours of the walls of a van. if you put something with straight lines against a curved wall you automatically loose a lot of space. even if you have straight walls, household furniture has a lot of wasted space built in. just saying. highdesertranger

 

[GotSmart]

The way I get around that, is the flat covers for the windows slide behind the cabinet from the space next to the drivers seat.   The cabinet is anchored to the wall at the top, and the floor at the base.

 

[Willy]

Here's where the pics start my build

 

[Solitary Spell]

Bob has a couple of great posts of people's van. they used furniture for their renovation. 2 of my favorite van make overs

<snipped links>

Those two vans make me want to do the same thing!!! Very nice! Bob mentions this in Cheri's van description: 

1. 
   "On the left hand side of the door you see a build-it-yourself drawer unit she paid $80 for. She liked the incredible organization it gives her so much that it was worth the money to her and she has never regretted it. Assembling the furniture kits is simple enough anyone can do it."--- I've never seen those, if anyone knows what they're called or where to buy them, thanks! ---

 

[squatting dog2]

besides bungee cord, there are other low buck solutions.

 

[eDJ_]

In the first website below in my signature line I show a cabinet build that doubles as the cook top, sink, and cabinet storage.   This is easily enough fabricated for a guy with tooling to build it.  I would pay a visit behind some lumberyards and pick up some old discarded palettes for the wood to build with even.   Just be resourceful. 

But.........a person could pay a visit to a Recycled Home Wares facility (similar to Goodwill)  and find a used kitchen base (floor mounted) cabinet.  Like so:

You won't want top drawers with this and one shelf across the middle.   Then the top could have a propane cook top mounted and a cut out for a stainless sink basin.  A piece of 3/4" thick ply wood would make the top
of the cabinet.  A 5 gallon plastic Jerry jug could sit beside this cabinet for a water source.   This cabinet could be attached to the side ribs of the Van.   The doors could have a dead bolt fixed to them to keep the doors from coming open when under way.  

The idea for this came from a ACME Kitchenette I once saw.  It was an apartment sized sink and cook top
with refrigerator beneath it and storage.   In my own build I mounted a fold down table mounted to the left door.   Adequate for one or two people to eat from should the weather outside not permit.

In my view,  a mall converted Van would have this as the center of it's functionality.  Next to it a bed that
would provide good support to assure proper sleep.   The self built kitchenette could have a draining sink
and running water if one wanted to take the time to set that up.  Otherwise the water could be poured into the sink from water containers and the sink emptied by lifting it out of the top and disposing of it's contents properly. 

But for those who are doing their first Van conversion, low bucks conversion, or get on the road immediately,
this would be the bare bones necessary for it in my view.   One can always build out from there once on the road.

 

[eDJ_]

If you have 12 Vdc source wired near your cabinet,  you could use a couple of 5 gallon jerry jugs for your water supply to the sink.   There are inexpensive submersible water pumps where a supply hose to the sink comes up out of the jerry jug and the insulated 12 Vdc electric wires go down to the pump at the bottom of the jug.  A switch is thrown and water is pumped. 

Amazon has these:

The clear vinyl hose is clamped to the top of the pump and routed to the back of the cabinet and into a
faucet. 

The pump body may be 2"+ in diameter and about 6 inches long. 


There are many faucets but a simple one will work just fine.

Hot water can be heated in a tea kettle or pot beside the sink for washing dishes. 

Jerry Jugs are commonly available.  Here  is a 5 gallon see through with the lid on top.  
Full of water a 5 gallon just would weigh about 42 lbs.   If that is too much for you to lift then you may want to  purchase  two  2 1/2 gallon jugs. 

If you wanted to build or rig a vertical Ice Box in the cabinet,  there are those available.  Coleman made some of those types which were about 13 X 22 X 16.  It would leave about 8 inches of room above the top of the fridge so that you could store bread and pastry in a plastic box of some kind.  There may even be space behind the fridge to stow other items that aren't used often. 

As for myself,  I'd rather have a well insulated chest type of fridge so the cold will always be contained in it.
I would gladly put up with the space it took up on the floor.  

As for the counter top of 3/4" ply wood,  It could have a piece of sheet metal glued to the top of it and the
edges have strips of metal or Formica glued to them for a more finished look. 

The sink could be plumbed to a hole in the floor for water to pour out into a bucket sitting under the vehicle,
or the sink just lifted out of it's hole and taken out to dispose of at an appropriate place. 

In most domestic homes the kitchen seems to double as the "office" of the house.  So this system would be the center of the built out Van.   At it's simplest it would provide for most meals whether they were cooked, or purchased at a Grocery Store Deli to be prepped and served. 

The bed could be an inflated "air bed" full size laying on a plywood sheet as it's base and that with an old blanket between it and the plywood.  

I would then hang an adjustable shower curtain rod across the roof seam just behind the driver and passenger seat and hang a beach towel with wire shower curtain pins for privacy. 

A swivel computer chair could be a luxury item used with the ice chest for an ottoman.   Flat Screen TV's can be used for both TV and Monitor (if provided with a VGA plug)  And it could be mounted in different places in the Van depending on what it is to be used for.   For one person in a basic short wheel base Van who is on the road, it could take care of most of their needs.  Ice and gasoline/oil always being a regular cost.

 

[Solitary Spell]

Here's a manually-operated foot pump for water in the "galley" -- no electricity needed, you could feed a hose into the water reservoir and use this pump attached to a small faucet mechanism. Fancy but simple:   http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|2234226|2234237&id=155530

I think we've strayed from the original post but isn't it fun??? EDJ, you're a freaking buildout genius.