From company cargo van to family camper

[hyperboarder]

Could you make a sketch of your layout and van interior dimensions? I am having a hard time visualizing your layout and sizing.

Here's a quick crappy sketch for reference:



This is when we're moving, when parked the rear is all bed (dog bed, fridge, and kitchen outside, loo and water in the front footwells) and the hammocks sit at the front and back of the van. Does that help?

 

[hyperboarder]

No dogs this weekend. Easy peasy camping without them. I even managed to fit everything in the van while we were sleeping due to potential weather concerns. Pulled one car seat, flipped it and stacked it on the other, put the fridge on the bench and the kitchen on top of it. Not ideal but it worked. Just bought a disc-o-bed cabinet for better food storage, I'll try that out next weekend. Planning a rear barn door Sportsmobile style kitchen to see if I can further integrate.

The issue we found this weekend is we're jamming in so many activities that I don't have time to cook. Ate out 5 times in 3 days, getting $$$. Anyone have some good recipes that can be premade and served cold?

 

[luthj]

Looking at your diagram I am impressed you can fit all that in your van! About the only option for making everything fit while you sleep would be to somehow suspend some gear from the roof.... Even then...

As far as cold food goes.

• Salads (potato, pasta, lettuce)
• Sandwiches; make the toppings ahead of time and stack all the servings together separated by wax paper. Assemble the final sandwich with condiments at the last minute.
• Cold soups (gazpacho?)
• Soups can be kept warm for 12 hours or more in a vacuum thermos. Warm tomato or chicken soup goes well with a lite sandwich or bagel.
• Pre-sliced fruit can be tossed into a salad with a sweet/sour dressing. Finish up with some nuts.
• There are lots of dry foods which can be made in minutes with hot water. Get a jet-boil and you can have food with zero setup in less than 10 minutes. Oatmeal, dry soups, instant rice etc.

 

[goneagain]

I noticed in your pic progression youve got windows... Di you just swap the side doors or retro them?
can you tell me about the rear windows?

 

[Corneilius]

I LOVE my disc o bed cabinet! Cant wait to see how you use yours. Ours gets heavy loaded with clothes, bent the original 1/8" mount I made, should have used 3/16. Vans looking good.

 

[Eazy]

What kind of awning/mounts are you using? I'd like something like that for my van, but I haven't been able to find gutter mounts.

 

[hyperboarder]

Looking at your diagram I am impressed you can fit all that in your van! About the only option for making everything fit while you sleep would be to somehow suspend some gear from the roof.... Even then...

As far as cold food goes.

• Salads (potato, pasta, lettuce)
• Sandwiches; make the toppings ahead of time and stack all the servings together separated by wax paper. Assemble the final sandwich with condiments at the last minute.
• Cold soups (gazpacho?)
• Soups can be kept warm for 12 hours or more in a vacuum thermos. Warm tomato or chicken soup goes well with a lite sandwich or bagel.
• Pre-sliced fruit can be tossed into a salad with a sweet/sour dressing. Finish up with some nuts.
• There are lots of dry foods which can be made in minutes with hot water. Get a jet-boil and you can have food with zero setup in less than 10 minutes. Oatmeal, dry soups, instant rice etc.

Good list, thanks man. Found this list today too, some really tasty looking stuff in there. Not so healthy, but equal to or better than eating out and nothing was too time consuming.

I LOVE my disc o bed cabinet! Cant wait to see how you use yours. Ours gets heavy loaded with clothes, bent the original 1/8" mount I made, should have used 3/16. Vans looking good.

Just got the shipping notification, says it weighs 11 lbs! Curious to see what shows up.

I noticed in your pic progression youve got windows... Di you just swap the side doors or retro them?
can you tell me about the rear windows?

Swapped the doors with some off of an early 2000's junkyard van. A couple hours with a helper, honestly pretty easy. Still need to sell the old ones, but this mod was priceless, the ladies are all much happier now.

What kind of awning/mounts are you using? I'd like something like that for my van, but I haven't been able to find gutter mounts.

I've got the ARB 2500 mounted directly to the uprights of a Vantech rack. I just drilled right through them, easy peasy and works great. I'm planning a Sportsmobile style cabinet "kitchen" on the rear side door, I'll probably swap the awning back to the passenger side when that happens.

Starting to ponder a high top, prices are not crazy and it would get closer to the goal of fully contained without needing to pull stuff out at camp.

 

[Eazy]

Starting to ponder a high top, prices are not crazy and it would get closer to the goal of fully contained without needing to pull stuff out at camp.

There's a shop in Boise called Throttle Works that did the penthouse top on my friend's camper van. Might be a good place to get in contact with if you need help with it.

 

[hyperboarder]

There's a shop in Boise called Throttle Works that did the penthouse top on my friend's camper van. Might be a good place to get in contact with if you need help with it.

I know about half the crew over there, good guys. Any idea what they charged?

 

[Eazy]

I know about half the crew over there, good guys. Any idea what they charged?

No idea. I think they ended up buying the top and canvas from Colorado Camper vans, but doing a lot of the fabrication for the bed and stuff themselves.

 

[hyperboarder]

Another weekend in the books, some random shots:

Rest stop on 95 south of Riggins:



Google maps took us the "back way" to McCroskey state park. This hill was mud, I didn't make it up and almost slid into a ditch backing down. Sketchiest moment in the van so far but we were able to laugh about it, reroute, and make it into the park.



Shot from Skyline drive in the park. Really cool park, info here.



Sunday morning breakfast in Heyburn state park. These state park campsites aren't great, usually overrun with massive RVs. We're going to be changing the strategy going forward.

 

[Eazy]

Sunday morning breakfast in Heyburn state park. These state park campsites aren't great, usually overrun with massive RVs. We're going to be changing the strategy going forward.

Where else would you camp? Especially with the little ones?

My daughter is very anti camping anywhere without a decent toilet. Which I understand, but it kind of forces us into state or private camp sites with developed facilities.

 

[hyperboarder]

Where else would you camp? Especially with the little ones?

My daughter is very anti camping anywhere without a decent toilet. Which I understand, but it kind of forces us into state or private camp sites with developed facilities.

We did a forest service campground out near Swan Valley, much nicer. Quiet, more separated, still had a decent bathroom, and cheaper. Only downside was no electricity, but that can be mitigated.

 

[hyperboarder]

Another couple nights in the van this weekend, Sunny Gulch and Upper O'Brien campgrounds along the Salmon River. Not bad at all, though the dogs are tricky, just barely enough room for them. The engineer/tinkerer in me says it's time to consider upgrading a bit to something bigger. Keeping everything in one rig (no trailers) what is there between here and a Class C? Converted Ambulance or bus, sprinter, what else?

 

[luthj]

Other than what you listed, there isn't much out there.

My suggestion, consider a high roof add on. Depending on design, they can add tons of usable space. Bunks for your kids maybe?