weight comparison thoughts/opinions

[bonnieE350van]

okay, so I have an E350 15 passenger van...been living in /out of it for about 2 years now...with a tent and all the gear connected with that setup
no longer using the tent(too much work setting up/taking down [canvas 9x12])...don't want to do a tear out/rebuild as I may not make this my
lifetime home ...
did remove two of the bench seats to give me more usable storage area...when I had a travel companion we each had a bench seat to sleep on
still want to keep the remaining two benches in as I have gotten used to sleeping on them and it will give me a seat to carry other passengers if needed...
which would be lighter weight storage wise, repurposed wood units or wire shelving and plastic bins?  I think the wire and plastic would be,but I'd like other peoples opinions...what has been your experiences?
Also trying to figure out how to make a wider bed incorporating one of the bench seats that is place now. only needs to be wide enough for one person(me) maybe about a twin size.  space underneath the bench and extension would be used for storage of course...
curious what other people may have done...

MODS: not sure if I posted this in the right place so work your magic if necessary, THANKS

 

[grandpa pete]

get plastic drawers from wall mart ; nothing to build ;moves to next vehicle easily

 

[user 37446]

If you want to widen the bed, you could either zip tie storage cubes/crates together then build it up to level with the foam mattress, or build a lightweight 2x2 extension framed with 3/8 or 1/2 inch plywood as an extension. Most benches slope backwards so thats going to be a bit of an issue as far as making it wider. Better yet is ditch one bench completely and use a cot, Walmart and Amazon sells a Coleman one thats 5'7" long, if you are shorter than that it would work for you.
It's a Coleman Comfortsmart Cot, about $50 give or take...

"Superior comfort, thick foam mattress and spring coil suspension
Durable construction, heavy-duty steel frame supports up to 275 lbs.
Fits heights up to 5 ft. 7 in.
Compact, folds up to fit inside most car trunks
Unfolded Dimensions: 69 in. x 25 in. x 15 in.
Folded Dimensions: 34.3 in. 25.4 in. 5.5 in.
1-year limited warranty"

Coleman 2000020271 ComfortSmart Cot
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List Price: $64.99
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[drysailor]

okay, so I have an E350 15 passenger van...been living in /out of it for about 2 years now...with a tent and all the gear connected with that setup
no longer using the tent(too much work setting up/taking down [canvas 9x12])...don't want to do a tear out/rebuild as I may not make this my
lifetime home ...
Also trying to figure out how to make a wider bed incorporating one of the bench seats that is place now. only needs to be wide enough for one person(me) maybe about a twin size.  space underneath the bench and extension would be used for storage of course...
curious what other people may have done...

Hey Bonnie, you didn't mention budget, so I'll forward this example of a store-bought bench seat extension. I guess you could also fab a DIY version of this if you were so inclined....http://www.discountvantruck.com/rvvansofas/extend-a-bed.htm

 

[velojym]

You could do long-distance rideshare with those seats... kinda like a modern stagecoach.

 

[bonnieE350van]

thanks to those that have responded so far...I'm on a shoestring budget, more like no budget at all as in nothing to spend...
when I was using the canvas tent I had a cot in it but I needed lots of padding to make it somewhat comfortable...and it became more of a pain to set up/take down everything every time I moved from one place to another...trying to get away from that scenario...
now that I'm sleeping in the van I sleep pretty good on the bench seat, it's just a little short even for me( I'm barely 5 ft.) and I can only sleep on one side...I have an idea of how to widen/lenghthen the sleeping space, just not sure how to construct it...and no funds at the moment to get materials...so for now I'm just in the idea gathering phase...have a few more months of van payments before it's officially mine, then the money from the van payments can go into a remodel fund of sorts...
ultimately, I'm thinking I will add a cargo trailer to the mix and turn it into my living space, but that won't be for a while yet...gotta get solar set up so I can start weaning myself from relying on campgrounds with hookups...which is wasting a lot of money that I don't have...
I am already using totes/crates and soft sided luggage for storage, just need to get it better organized...definitely an evolving project..
at least I know I am thinking in the right direction. maybe I'll get to the RTR in Jan. and see first hand how folks are doing it...as well as put faces to the names I see here...thanks again, keep the ideas coming so I can have other perspectives and solutions.

 

[breeze]

thanks to those that have responded so far...I'm on a shoestring budget, more like no budget at all as in nothing to spend...
when I was using the canvas tent I had a cot in it but I needed lots of padding to make it  somewhat comfortable...and it became more of a pain to set up/take down everything every time I moved from one place to another...trying to get away from that scenario...
now that I'm sleeping in the van I sleep pretty good on the bench seat, it's just a little  short even for me( I'm barely 5 ft.) and I can only sleep on one side...I have an idea of how to widen/lenghthen the sleeping space, just not sure how to construct it...and no funds at the moment to get materials...so for now I'm just in the idea gathering phase...have a few more months of van payments before it's officially mine, then the money from the van payments can go into a remodel fund of sorts...
ultimately, I'm thinking I will add a cargo trailer to the mix and turn it into my living space, but that won't be for a while yet...gotta get solar set  up so I can start weaning myself  from relying on campgrounds with hookups...which is wasting a lot of money that I don't have...
I  am already using  totes/crates and soft sided luggage for storage, just need to get it better organized...definitely an evolving project..
at least I know I am thinking in the right direction. maybe I'll get to the RTR in Jan. and see first hand how folks are doing it...as well as put faces to the names I see here...thanks again, keep the ideas coming so I can have other perspectives and solutions.

Think Small! Buddha said, "You can never satisfy Greed." Like Bob preaches, go as compact as you can for the best long term results. You already have a nice one-ton van, so you have more than most! Eventually as in CA, all trailers will have a 55mph limit, which is a constraint while trying to drive safely with traffic that is driving faster.

It just takes a while to figure out the best value approach, and that is hard while you are living in it I know. You are doing great, and I'll look for good ideas to copy from you in the future. There are smart people here who can help you, but I think you are headed in the right direction. Just stay away from trailers: they are a nightmare backing up in congested areas at night and require a lot of attention to travel safely imo. It may be time to start unloading unused seats instead, and open up to unlimited layout options like a cargo van.

Good luck!