I am not a pro at this- AND I am super poor so my conversion will be cheap using second hand stuff. I am creative, however, so it will at least look pretty cool when I'm done. So far, I have pulled all the passenger seating out of my Dodge 3500 van. Empty!! I have removed the metal frame/legs from the bottom of the seats and re attached them close together in the back to use as a bed frame. I am super proud of myself for thinking of this, because I could never figured out how to frame in a platform with wood. The empty space under the bed will be perfect for storing the few things I don't need to right away, and the height of the frame is just high enough to slide banana boxes underneath. The bed is probably bigger than most, but I have an extended van, and if I am going to live in it for awhile, I want to be able to stretch out. Comfort is king! <br>
Van progress
- Thread starter syg138
- Start date
Help Support Van Living Forum:
Simran
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2012
- Messages
- 639
- Reaction score
- 0
Sounds like you have a plan. Also, if you are putting the bed across the back of the van the extra width will be nice. I built across the back and wish I'd built wider for corner to corner stretching; I'm like 6'.<br>Using the seat frames is an excellent bit of ingenuity!!<img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"><br><br>gus<br><br>
So Things are coming along nicely. I bought 3/4 inch plywood and attached it to the seat frames so the bed is taking shape. I scrubbed and mopped the rubber school bus type floor and decided I really needed to cover it. The blue speckled rubber was just too much. I went to a local Asian grocery and bought a HUGE plastic woven mat that looks like an oriental rug. It was folded into thirds and upon opening it I realized It could have covered my living room twice! anyway, I cut one of the thirds off to use for a front "lawn" rug, and then trimmed the rest to fit the van. it looks amazing! all I have to do is sweep it or even pull it out and hose it down if I want. I really wanted carpet but my dog sheds and keeping it clean would be a nightmare...<br> <br>
Simran
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2012
- Messages
- 639
- Reaction score
- 0
Oh; now you have to have pictures.<img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/nono.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="24" width="27"><img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"><br><br>gus<br>
Here's a link to my blog with some pics. Start from the bottom to see them in order. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br><a target="_blank" href="http://outofdodg.blogspot.com/">Out of Dodge!</a><br>
stude53
Well-known member
<p style="margin: 0px;">SYG, </p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;">If you want comments on your blog (good start, good pics), you should add "Anonymous" as one of your type choices. Some of us have no success posting to Blogger, otherwise. </p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;">If you do I will comment and always identify myself in the comment as "stude53" so you know who posted.</p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;">Thanks, Bob</p>
stude53
Well-known member
<p style="margin: 0px;">looking good, <img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif"> and I did comment.</p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;">Bob</p>
I'm just going to go with a two burner Coleman stove, and a coffee pot for now. Will be using a cooler instead of a fridge. The less I have to plug in the better. I don't know what to do about a sink or water yet. I don't have any fancy batteries for electricity. I'm just going to get a tiny window unit for ac and just plug it in with an extension cord when we are at a park. (will that work?) Wish I had roof ac. I have a vent/emergency exit hole in the top that would be perfect for one.<br>
Simran
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2012
- Messages
- 639
- Reaction score
- 0
<P>
</P>The air conditioner will have to be ventilated somehow & arrangements made for the dehumidification process that goes on. That said, one of those room air conditioners would work pretty well. The come with a vent hose(like a dryer vent hose) that could be put out a window somewhere or that vent you're talking about. They also have an internal tank to empty moisture out of.<br>Also, I think at a campsite, one could sit a window air conditioner on a small table just ouside the van and use heavy curtains, or something of that nature, to make a barrier between the inside & out side. Something you could move aside, pass through, and close again. Many of these window units are so large that I think they would still cool a van's small interior with a hap-hazard arangement like that.<br>Those room airconditioners are a bit spendy.<br>Just tossing thoughts around; someone else may have some other ideas.<br>syg138 said:
VanTrekker
Well-known member
<p style="margin: 0px;">The portable room air conditioners work pretty well, especially if it is for a non full time use. Mine is set up in the bulkhead doorway. When at a campground, I just run the hose out the driver's window. There is a piddle tube but so far it's never piddled. Supposedly the A/C will evaporate its own drippings. Just in case, I drilled a hole and ran the tube outside should the drain be necessary.</p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;">I think you'd mentioned using a hole with a window air conditioner. If you run the rear end outside, making sure the exhaust air and water drain is outside, it should be just fine. I didn't go that route for a couple of reasons, mainly stealth.</p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;">The best advice I can give you is to get a real air conditioner with freon. There are so many out there, some of them are only dehumidiers. They don't cool. Some blow air cover ice (not recommended for high humidity areas). etc. I would look at the ads for those that run on... what is it now days... R410a freon? They work very well. Mine pulls 8 or so amps at 110 volts. </p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;">I overcompensated and bought a 9000 BTU Sunpentown portable A/C with the intention of only using it at campgrounds. It does a superb job though is maybe a little too big, not that I'm complaining. The nice thing is that the A/C can be removed and stored for the winter if desired and leaves no holes in walls, etc. It can be stored in a couple of minutes and a new lower half of the bulkhead door stuck in place. </p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;"><img border="0" hspace="0" alt="" align="baseline" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bxt-NMKdP...0/Trekker+Van+Air+Conditioner+Inside+View.jpg"></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><br><br>Here is a link to how I've got this one set up.</p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://vantrekker.blogspot.com/2012/04/stealthy-onboard-air-conditioner.html" target=_blank>http://vantrekker.blogspot.com/2012/04/stealthy-onboard-air-conditioner.html</a></p><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px;">Brad aka Van Trekker.</p>
<br><br>Well, My thought was to buy a regular small window unit and put it in the back window since it's removable. For when we are parked only.Something like this maybe??<img src="http://guanabee.com/media/uploads/van_ac_medium.jpg"><br>Simran said:
Similar threads
