So we have a 6 month old and I'm trying to figure out a good place for him to sleep. The bassinet takes up to much room and many times during the winter we keep the top down to help keep the van warm. We also don't have an upper bed so he couldn't sleep there anyway. At the moment I was thinking of building a sort of hammock that would hang from the vans roof cutout notches. Once he is older I already have the porta-ledge built but the wife doesn't want me to stick him in that one yet. Anyone have an easy fix before I start in on yet another project?

some people do the "across the front seats bed" that seems to work really well. I'm working on a different system that I'll post up when it's done in a bit. I have some other things going so it might be a bit.

All three of our children have slept on a dog bed(the kind without sides). We have also strung a hammock from driver side door to passenger door and tie off to the roof rack. But they were much older. Or you can tie a knot with a tent stake through it and close the door so the knot won't slip through. I would just be concerned about the sides of the hammock maybe being a suffocation hazard for a child.

I'd be worried about a 6-month old in a hammock, they tend to roll you up and that's bad for an unattended baby. I wouldn't be able to sleep. Ditto the dog bed, that's way too soft for a 6 month old- crib mattresses have to be a certain hardness. I'm not trying to go all nanny state on you, but I've just been through all this and less and less is acceptable- even those side positioners and bumpers from a few years ago are out. http://mom.me/parenting/5823-when-can-i ... ld-pillow/

Have you looked at a co-sleeper? Arm's Reach are the ones we had, they have a small footprint (if you get the small one) and the side comes down, or doesn't depending on your need. There are some fairly nice ones on craigslist usually, and they're safer than DIY.

Have to applaud you though, I've only just test fitted the car seats in the van and my girls are almost two. I might have a shred of sanity left if I'd been able to get out in the last few years.

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it was good to be back

We tried to do a winter trip on the Clearwater in ID during late October but between the kid being 2 weeks old, the temps getting into the 20s and the house battery going tits up we only made it one night. I figure every trip is downhill from there.

We started camping with Lake in the rig when he was about 7-8 months old, for the most part he slept in his car seat, if we didn't pop the top he was in his car seat placed on the front seat. When he was a bit older, we had him on a dog bed on the floor. Jage, not one of those big fluffy overstuffed ones, a flat fleece one, like this.....

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'03 Ford E350 7.3L Diesel
(de)SMB'd Custom RB-50
Quigley 4X4 w/Deavers & Agile Offroad's R.I.P. package
CCV High Profile Pop Top

I'm thinking the grandparents...

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Four time Baja 1000 winner, four time Baja 500 winner. Solo'ed the Baja 1000 to LaPaz/Cabo twice.
4-Wheeling since 1972, Desert Racing since 1989.

AgileOffRoad.com

This is probably no smaller than your bassinet but it folds and stows nicely. Baby Bjorn Travel Crib

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2007 E250 Super Duty cargo
1988 Toyota Van 4x4 5-spd

We had a Co-Sleeper that went next to our bed at home but it was kind of bulky and tall inside the van so we ended up buying a travel bed very similar to this: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.js ... age=search much better fit, packs down to nothing, you can have it on the floor or on the bed next to you and not worry about your little one rolling off (or you rolling over them!) Another option might be to use a changing table mattress as they have raised sides (though not as tall as the above linked bed) and are firm enough to not be a suffocation hazard. I'd only opt for that if your little guy will be positioned between you and a wall so there is zero risk of falling off. Our dog also comes with us so I liked the bed with the taller mesh sides because he has no interest in trying to lay on it!

We traveled and camped with our daughter when she was an infant with a portable mesh dome travel bed that folded up for easy packing. It was similar to these:

http://www.amazon.com/Chicco-Fun-Travel ... ravel+crib


http://www.amazon.com/BRICA-Fold-Go-Tra ... B004L2JJ6E

It worked very well at night for sleeping and during the day outside.

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Patrick and Angie
2014 Ford SMB EB 50 4x4
2012 Toyota 4Runner 4x4
2017 Subaru Crosstrek