Still not sure if I like it this way around but my wife wanted to be able to sit down while she cooked. I'm still working out a telescopic chimney pipe through the pop-top but I think it will keep the van warm in the winter months :-)
A friend of a friend used to have a woodburner in place of the back seat in his Volkswagen beetle. It was a common sight driving around Moundsville WV years ago. When you're moving most the heat gets sucked out the chimney so when it comes to a stop the inside gets too hot. He could never find a happy medium.