Using household furniture instead of build

[mothercoder]

May have strayed a little from the original post but all this information is incredibly helpful! I am a big list maker and planner. Right now I'm working on a list with my basic needs addressed and low, middle and high cost scenarios. I'm trying to put my money where it makes the most sense. Once basic needs are addressed then it becomes a matter of where does the extra money (assuming there IS any) go to make my life on the road easier and happier. I'm not mechanical and when I start to think about all this fits together (especially when adding in the power component), I get a little frustrated. I'm usually able to see the big picture and all the working parts of things but not so much with a van build.

 

[Solitary Spell]

I found Bob Wells's book (How to Live in a Car, Van or RV and get out of debt, travel and find true freedom) to be an incredible, portable resource for all of the planning you want to do before setting out vandwelling. It provides both practical and soulful wisdom and I recommend it to anyone who, like me, is an in-depth researcher of anything I want to do. The book is the main course and this website and forum are the hundreds (thousands) of side dishes and desserts (I guess I'm hungry LOL). Bob's Youtube channel and many others available fill out the menu for answers and step-by-step instructions on many topics. 

This is making it so much easier to conceive, plan and execute this rather overwhelming lifestyle change. A big shout-out to Bob Wells for everything he's contributing!!

 

[jimindenver]

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. 

I have one of these and used it for decades until we got the trailer with a fridge. I may add insulation but I'd use it again if I were going with ice. It's a ice box not a cooler. A block of ice last longer in the upper chamber and keeping the food cold enough vs down with the food keeping it even colder. I'm talking food not ice cold drinks.

 

[mothercoder]

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.

I found Bob Wells's book (How to Live in a Car, Van or RV and get out of debt, travel and find true freedom) to be an incredible, portable resource for all of the planning you want to do before setting out vandwelling. It provides both practical and soulful wisdom and I recommend it to anyone who, like me, is an in-depth researcher of anything I want to do. The book is the main course and this website and forum are the hundreds (thousands) of side dishes and desserts (I guess I'm hungry LOL). Bob's Youtube channel and many others available fill out the menu for answers and step-by-step instructions on many topics. 

This is making it so much easier to conceive, plan and execute this rather overwhelming lifestyle change. A big shout-out to Bob Wells for everything he's contributing!!

Have the book!  

 

[LadyJo]

Using furniture makes so much sense. I am not handy in any way.

 

[GrayWhale]

I'm using an old, long, dresser. It's cheap wood, so I don't load it with the heavy stuff. Then I put screws through the connection points. I also took out the bottom drawers to use it as an empty space where these plastic boxes fit perfectly, and no weight. Because I know it's going to take a beating on the joints while on the road.