Mobilesport
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Who has the best van setup?
Whos has the best van setup?
- Thread starter Mobilesport
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sephson
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I do!
Oh, wait. Sorry, I don't have a van. I guess I don't have the best van setup.
Oh, wait. Sorry, I don't have a van. I guess I don't have the best van setup.
GotSmart
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Mobilesport said:
That is like asking "WHY?"
Everyone wants something different.
https://vanlivingforum.com/Forum-Conversions-and-Modifications
ahh_me2
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sephson said:I do!
Oh, wait. Sorry, I don't have a van. I guess I don't have the best van setup.
I didn't want to be the first to say that....lol
But, I DO!
Best is in the eye of the beholder, and there are many beholders on this forum!
Mobilesport
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GotSmart said:
I've seen thousands and I have my opinion who has the best setup , I was looking for others opinions
BigT
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TMG51 said:
You won't hear it from me.
My set up is OK if I'm camping for a few days, but it's far from the best for full-timing. Just not enough room for stuff. :s
B and C
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No, I do. We carry waaay to much stuff and will be paring it down over the next 10 months as we travel the West (our favorite part of the good ol' USA!). A Roadtrek 200 has a ton of storage space.
We carry waaay to much stuff and will be paring it down over the next 10 months as we travel the West (our favorite part of the good ol' USA!). A Roadtrek 200 has a ton of storage space. flying kurbmaster
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That is easy, Terry White from 123 Maple Street, Westborough, New Hampshire, without a doubt.
Mobilesport
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Sorry , I've been looking for a long time and honestly I've never found any to be that good , I mean there always all cluttered , There just aint enough space to make em livable , Ive seen some with nice interiors but them ones aren't livable , once people start putting the cabinets in and such it goes down hill quickly because theres aint any room to move around .
You have to admit that even if your a extreme minimalist you still need your basic stuff .
Heating
Cooling
Water
Cloths
Insulation
Cooking supplies
Ventilation
Storage
Cooler or fridge
Cooktop
Propane
Batteries
And the big one BED
Tools
Cookware
Invertor
Plates bowls etc
Miscellaneous
All these things add up quickly , I am a extreme minimalist and it really suprises me how much we still really need.
I worked for a long time trying to fit everything I need in my van and I couldn't do itand still have room to move , I was trying to see if anybody pulled it off because out of the thousands of setups I've seen there never any better then mine a mine aint that good.
You have to admit that even if your a extreme minimalist you still need your basic stuff .
Heating
Cooling
Water
Cloths
Insulation
Cooking supplies
Ventilation
Storage
Cooler or fridge
Cooktop
Propane
Batteries
And the big one BED
Tools
Cookware
Invertor
Plates bowls etc
Miscellaneous
All these things add up quickly , I am a extreme minimalist and it really suprises me how much we still really need.
I worked for a long time trying to fit everything I need in my van and I couldn't do itand still have room to move , I was trying to see if anybody pulled it off because out of the thousands of setups I've seen there never any better then mine a mine aint that good.
wagoneer
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Having no floor plan but a 30" bed platform it can all get moved around. Having not settled on a floor plan is the best floor plan. You guys are funny.
cyndi
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My favorites are Cheri's (gramahugababy) van Hulk
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/cheris-high-top-conversion-how-to/
and Mike the Mechanic's (vonbrown) van (that's been recently sold)
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/home-furniture-van-traditional-normal-feel-great-organization/
both are easy, efficient conversions
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/cheris-high-top-conversion-how-to/
and Mike the Mechanic's (vonbrown) van (that's been recently sold)
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/home-furniture-van-traditional-normal-feel-great-organization/
both are easy, efficient conversions
Canine
Well-known member
I'm with MOBILESPORT.Me and Vic are going back to the camper after this winters experiment.We are just not as tough as we were 30 years ago.If we were going to van full time,we would have a small trailer to tow behind with our necessary stuff so we would have more room in the van.Maybe only have a bed and cooler in the van.Bicycles,chainsaw,tools,propane,gas,extra clothes,house batteries,solar panels etc.would all go in or on the trailer.
eDJ_
Well-known member
In my Van Conversion site (link below) I evolved a bed which went across the rear wheels. (originally an aluminum tube folding cot with the end legs left folded up. I had to install 2x4's at the end running across the
wheel wells so the ends of the cot would be supported and everything be balanced. (but that required little more than cutting and fitting and securing with a couple screws) 30" wide and perfect bed for one and with smaller Girl friend on a weekend.
My early Vans were low roof stock vehicles. I knew I would have to conserve space and use each square foot of it wisely. The other fixture I knew I would need was a cabinet with sink & cook top and folding table. (partly to be compliant with state requirement for "house vehicle" licensing). Originally I had a large cooler believing the more Ice I had the better off I would be, but I soon realized a 36 qt was more efficient for my light traveling purposes. (and took less room)
Most of this originally was calculated for the one floor of the Van. I hadn't given much thought to building vertically but then found some "cargo hammocks" and began to string these things up across the Van. First over the bed to hold clothing. In the cardboard boxes I used under the cot I could stow bath towels and toiletries on one side and tools, spare parts, lanterns, camping tools on the other side. I could push the cooler
between the front seats as it was small enough to fit there and this left about 25 sq ft of room free. I had found a cardboard tube that was about 8" wide and 8 ft long. Then an old piece of 1/2" ply wood was cut to
fit in the tube through the center and screws held it in place. This was fit along the upper left side with metal
perf stripping that came on a roll to hold it there. Self tapping screws secured it in place and wood screws
secured it into the ply wood. I cut a plywood disk to go in the front end of the tube to seal it. This allowed storage for fishing rods and tent poles for the awnings. I had 3 awnings at one time. Front, back, and long side awning. Support poles were made of electrical conduit.
It was by learning to move stuff up off the floor in this manner with the tube and hammocks that I could
maintain some floor space. I had a couple of folding wooden/canvas Director's Chairs I could set up inside
and this stuff was held against the cabinet with bungee straps so they only took up a couple of inches of floor space each. In time I found a carpet layer who had pulled some indoor outdoor carpet out of a building
and I got some of it to lay it under my side awning. I cut it into two rolls so I could stow it in a vertical mode
when I traveled.
When I was in camp, the cooler went outdoors when I was present and any extra cardboard boxes I may
have brought some extra stuff in went out likewise. So I still had some room inside so I could prep food and eat with the mosquito nets installed on the door ways and windows.
This was a short wheel base Van in pure stock form. The ladder racks with awning on the side and the bicycle rack on the front would have prevented it being too stealthy. Likewise the vinyl louvered rear window covers
and externally mounted spare tire & cover would hinted at it being more of a "conversion Van" than a service vehicle of some business. (then there was the less expensive House Vehicle License plates in those years)
A note on license plates. A lot of people don't realize what the letters & numbers on their plates mean but the LEO's do. There are even books in print and articles that describe it. Today you will see some Police Cars
with what looks like books laying on the trunk/boot where these are electronic camera devices that can read license plates as they drive slowly through a parking lot.
In my area these vehicles creep around all night long cruising parking lots and streets where vehicles
aren't parked bumper to bumper to read licenses plates and find out if there are any stolen vehicles,
expired plates, or vehicles with warrants for the vehicle or it's owner. In time Banks will likely interact with Leo's to "skip chase" those who are behind on their payments and have left the area to run from making payments. Banks will post a database of wanted license numbers Police Dept can access. When a find is made
the Bank will call a local REPO outfit to recover the vehicle and return it to the Bank. (possibly with Police present when the vehicle is towed).
wheel wells so the ends of the cot would be supported and everything be balanced. (but that required little more than cutting and fitting and securing with a couple screws) 30" wide and perfect bed for one and with smaller Girl friend on a weekend.
My early Vans were low roof stock vehicles. I knew I would have to conserve space and use each square foot of it wisely. The other fixture I knew I would need was a cabinet with sink & cook top and folding table. (partly to be compliant with state requirement for "house vehicle" licensing). Originally I had a large cooler believing the more Ice I had the better off I would be, but I soon realized a 36 qt was more efficient for my light traveling purposes. (and took less room)
Most of this originally was calculated for the one floor of the Van. I hadn't given much thought to building vertically but then found some "cargo hammocks" and began to string these things up across the Van. First over the bed to hold clothing. In the cardboard boxes I used under the cot I could stow bath towels and toiletries on one side and tools, spare parts, lanterns, camping tools on the other side. I could push the cooler
between the front seats as it was small enough to fit there and this left about 25 sq ft of room free. I had found a cardboard tube that was about 8" wide and 8 ft long. Then an old piece of 1/2" ply wood was cut to
fit in the tube through the center and screws held it in place. This was fit along the upper left side with metal
perf stripping that came on a roll to hold it there. Self tapping screws secured it in place and wood screws
secured it into the ply wood. I cut a plywood disk to go in the front end of the tube to seal it. This allowed storage for fishing rods and tent poles for the awnings. I had 3 awnings at one time. Front, back, and long side awning. Support poles were made of electrical conduit.
It was by learning to move stuff up off the floor in this manner with the tube and hammocks that I could
maintain some floor space. I had a couple of folding wooden/canvas Director's Chairs I could set up inside
and this stuff was held against the cabinet with bungee straps so they only took up a couple of inches of floor space each. In time I found a carpet layer who had pulled some indoor outdoor carpet out of a building
and I got some of it to lay it under my side awning. I cut it into two rolls so I could stow it in a vertical mode
when I traveled.
When I was in camp, the cooler went outdoors when I was present and any extra cardboard boxes I may
have brought some extra stuff in went out likewise. So I still had some room inside so I could prep food and eat with the mosquito nets installed on the door ways and windows.
This was a short wheel base Van in pure stock form. The ladder racks with awning on the side and the bicycle rack on the front would have prevented it being too stealthy. Likewise the vinyl louvered rear window covers
and externally mounted spare tire & cover would hinted at it being more of a "conversion Van" than a service vehicle of some business. (then there was the less expensive House Vehicle License plates in those years)
A note on license plates. A lot of people don't realize what the letters & numbers on their plates mean but the LEO's do. There are even books in print and articles that describe it. Today you will see some Police Cars
with what looks like books laying on the trunk/boot where these are electronic camera devices that can read license plates as they drive slowly through a parking lot.
In my area these vehicles creep around all night long cruising parking lots and streets where vehicles
aren't parked bumper to bumper to read licenses plates and find out if there are any stolen vehicles,
expired plates, or vehicles with warrants for the vehicle or it's owner. In time Banks will likely interact with Leo's to "skip chase" those who are behind on their payments and have left the area to run from making payments. Banks will post a database of wanted license numbers Police Dept can access. When a find is made
the Bank will call a local REPO outfit to recover the vehicle and return it to the Bank. (possibly with Police present when the vehicle is towed).
Mobilesport
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Bob Dickerson said:
That trailer probably Is a good idea , because another thing bad about everything crammed into a van is that you're too close to the propane tank whether your sleeping or driving ,
Mobilesport
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wagoneer said:
That actually dscribes the setup I'm using now . , I have to move my kitchen to get to my shower . I have to move a storage to get to my inside my propane locker.
Mobilesport
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Bob Dickerson said:
Two people in a van makes me think of the episode of Sienfield were kramer was talking to a guy and he was a CLOSE TALKER , ( always up in your face)
Mobilesport
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I've come to a conclusion , Living in even a hightop Is like wearing shoes that are too small for you .
From my calculations you need to be 5ft 3 inch tall or shorter and preferably thin build and have things super super organized to live comfortably long term .
And the 5 ft 3 inch means only reflectix for insulation at top and foot of bed.
From my calculations you need to be 5ft 3 inch tall or shorter and preferably thin build and have things super super organized to live comfortably long term .
And the 5 ft 3 inch means only reflectix for insulation at top and foot of bed.
