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Old 11-01-2009, 09:29 AM   #1
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Layout for extended touring, not off-roading -- suggestions?

Hi all:

The floor will be finished this afternoon so now I need to finalize my floorplan.

The van (2WD RB Passenger) will be used for extended touring (1-2 months) by one person. As I am a digital nomad working person, I need a dedicated workspace for my laptop, as on workdays I will be on-line for 6-8 hours. Using the passenger seat on a swivel won't cut it for that many hours. Otherwise I will outdoors as much as possible.

Think "dorm room on wheels." A dorm room without a propane system or a water system. There will be a Yakima storage box on the roof (and someday a kayak). I've studied the gallery of LenS, and gotten many ideas there.

Here's my starting point:


The 24" wide kneehole in the desk will accomodate a porta-potty should I ever decide to carry one.

I have no place for hanging garments. However, the seatbelt attachments in the ceiling (nice bolt holes) will be used to mount hanging hooks for jackets. Loops on two of the seatbelt attach points will be used to hang a closet rod (the kind that is used in cars) when necessary (laundry!)

This design makes good use of room, but it still has some flaws:
  • I'm not sure where I'd store/carry my Coleman stove and lantern[/*:m:1ja3eb11]
  • use of the "garage" area (the rear area under the bunk) requires easy access through the rear doors, but I'll be carrying one or two bikes. If the answer to the Coleman stove question is "in the garage area" then I don't want to be unloading the bikes every day.[/*:m:1ja3eb11]
  • I carry water in 1-gallon jugs and a 3-gallon jerry can. The jerry can could go in the stepwell. I'm thinking the 1-gallon jugs could go under the ice chest, but there might be a better place.[/*:m:1ja3eb11]

One possibility would be to put a hitch-haul on the van with storage boxes. and put the Coleman lantern/stove/fuel back there. This would only work if the van doors would clear the storage boxes.

The reason that the bunk isn't snug up against the rear door is that I want storage space to put things that are taller than 24" (height of the bunk) such as a three-step folding step ladder to reach the roof box.

When I anticipate snowy/icy weather, the garage area can be loaded with some sandbags to improve traction with weight over the rear axle.

A alternative layout would have a bunk along the driver's wall, and a desk on the passenger's wall, but then you have the problem of the wheel encroaching on the kneewell space. The only advantage I can see to this is that none of the storage is "rear door only access." Otherwise it doesn't seem as efficient.

Thoughts? Id like to start the interior build next weekend.

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Old 11-01-2009, 01:28 PM   #2
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Re: Layout for extended touring, not off-roading -- suggestions?

I think how tall you are is critical to the success of your layout. I'm 5'7" and have a removable rear bed platform and I just barely fit crosswise in the van (the bed platform is at the widest point of the van). By the time you add wallboard and window shades, you lose a few inches of width.

I've never seen one in person, but SMB at least used to offer a bunk which attaches to the wall and folds up and down like a railcar sleeper. I would imagine you could even add another platform piggyback style that could be a desk.

You may want to pre-wire a 12V outlet near the ice chest location, since at some point you'll probably want to upgrade to a 12V ice chest at some point.


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Old 11-01-2009, 03:14 PM   #3
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Re: Layout for extended touring, not off-roading -- suggestions?

Hi Herb:

Yes, the width of the van makes it a bit dodgy for a crosswise bed; SMBw told me a few years ago that they had stopped offering them.

I'm almost 5'7" so I think I can get away with it. The bunk will be level with the inner lower lip of the window trim so that the mattress will rest about 2" on the window trim at each side, making it slightly higher than window level. My concern is that I assume there will be condensation on the window, and since the mattress/pillow will touch the window, I might end up with soggy bedding. Have you had any such problems?

Indeed there is a 12V socket wired at the ice chest location for exactly the reason you suggest. I have not done much research into 12V coolers -- I assume the ones at Walmart, etc are junk. Do you have any suggestions about good brands?

Thanks!
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Old 11-01-2009, 03:57 PM   #4
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Re: Layout for extended touring, not off-roading -- suggestions?

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyDawg
I might end up with soggy bedding. Have you had any such problems?
Well that's a bit of a personal question, but I haven't had wet sheets or a wet mattress in quite a few years.
Couldn't resist. No damp bedding, but then my mattress/bedding doesn't touch the window (window frame and dual action shades). Personally I can't stand not to be able to stretch out full length so be sure that you are willing to in your setup.


Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyDawg
Indeed there is a 12V socket wired at the ice chest location for exactly the reason you suggest. I have not done much research into 12V coolers -- I assume the ones at Walmart, etc are junk. Do you have any suggestions about good brands?

Thanks!
I have a cheapy 12V cooler that the previous owner threw in, and it works OK. I haven't checked out any others, though there are some good ones out there that I've heard about secondhand (ARB, National Luna). I'm sure there are others.


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Old 11-01-2009, 11:00 PM   #5
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Re: Layout for extended touring, not off-roading -- suggestions?

I think doing stuff like the largest Aluminess bumper box and an Aluminess side ladder for roof access makes a lot of sense instead of the hitch hauler and "wasted" space behind the bed.

The worst part about the windows is cold pours through them (or more so the doors which are poorly insulated in my van) and a hand or arm flung upwards can wind up being downright painful after a few hours hanging out in the colder space.

Extended touring I would want tons of storage, shelves and closets, including a big fridge. A living room (like the 50) that becomes part of camp with the doors open would be much less important than an aisle to the back, where I could kind of get away from myself (from the front). But it's mostly personal, there are advantages and disadvantages in each.

Doing a short side gaucho might get you away from the windows, give you an aisle and cabinets/work area across, and your aisle can be used for storage/transport of long things. You can get some more storage by moving the cabinets forward from the back doors, and put camp chairs or your ladder there.

Also the gaucho my brother has you can fold it down or just remove the back. When he goes out solo he just leaves the back at home and it makes the perfect single bed. When he has company... speaking of having company, what happens if you meet somebody taller? There isn't a lot you can do to make a sideways bed fit two... (not that the 30" helps in that category either!)

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Old 11-02-2009, 12:55 AM   #6
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Re: Layout for extended touring, not off-roading -- suggestions?

In my Build V.1 I did the cross ways bed and I am 6.4 ft it was too short... that is why I went to the Gaucho style bed...

Mind you if you can sleep across I think you can make better use of the floor space, as you use less for bed... but it all depends on comfort...

If I were you I would test sleeping in a bed/bunk the length you plan before you install... I tried mine in day time and thought "Oh that will be fine" but when you sleep you tend to move about and I woke with a hell of a crick in the neck
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Old 11-02-2009, 08:42 AM   #7
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Re: Layout for extended touring, not off-roading -- suggestions?

Thanks to all for your comments. Here's a sketch of an alternative layout:



Yes, Jage, I know that the bunk is even narrower -- the width of a standard camping/backpacking sleep pad! Come to think of it, it is the width that used to be known as a "dorm bed" and we know how creative college students are! But I digress....

Maybe I'm not being creative enough, but as I look at this aisle layout, it seems very inefficient. It is not immediately clear to me where I'd store my tent and Kelty sunshade and bike floor pump and backpack and boots and ... and ... the stuff that you don't need every day. (Aluminess anything is out-of-budget.) HELP!

Thinking back to the first layout: I have not pulled off the factory wall trim. Does anyone know how much space I could gain if I pulled off the lower wall trim (leaving the trim around the windows intact), added insulation, and covered with masonite? In a 1995 homebrew (in a stripped van with windows) I had a twin mattress (full 39" width, don't worry Jage!) up at window height and it just fit. Barely. So I wonder if I could gain enough width across by pulling the trim so that I could put a crossways bed below window height - 18" rather than 24" high.

More food for thought. Please keep the ideas coming. I will start the interior build in two weeks (I forgot that I have a mountain biking weekend schedule for this week -- at least I will have a clean van floor for my sleeping bag!)

Thanks!
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Old 11-02-2009, 11:05 AM   #8
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Re: Layout for extended touring, not off-roading -- suggestions?

Remember you can have storage on the roof, like with a Thule/other roof box...
I store various fuels and my "Jenny" up top in an aluminium box.
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Old 11-02-2009, 04:44 PM   #9
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Re: Layout for extended touring, not off-roading -- suggestions?

The width of a new van (as built by SMB) is 68". Cabinets can be built narrower than standard.
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Old 11-02-2009, 05:38 PM   #10
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Re: Layout for extended touring, not off-roading -- suggestions?

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyDawg
Hi Herb:

Yes, the width of the van makes it a bit dodgy for a crosswise bed; SMBw told me a few years ago that they had stopped offering them.

I'm almost 5'7" so I think I can get away with it. The bunk will be level with the inner lower lip of the window trim so that the mattress will rest about 2" on the window trim at each side, making it slightly higher than window level. My concern is that I assume there will be condensation on the window, and since the mattress/pillow will touch the window, I might end up with soggy bedding. Have you had any such problems?

Indeed there is a 12V socket wired at the ice chest location for exactly the reason you suggest. I have not done much research into 12V coolers -- I assume the ones at Walmart, etc are junk. Do you have any suggestions about good brands?

Thanks!
I built my own bed platform (see my photo gallery) after looking at the transformer bed from SMB. I am 5-10 and have no problem with the width with the elevation as you stated in your post. As for the windows, I used the bubble wrap type insulation from home depot placed up against the window. Slept in the van at Mammoth Lakes with 37 degree mornings and was never cold.
As for you other problem of bikes on the back and using the "garage" area under the bed, you could mount the bikes on the left side door in a verticle position and then have access to the rightside door for quick access to stuff under the bed.......
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