Tour de van
When I started this blog, I intended to show off the inside of my van very early in my trip. However, I soon figured out that I'd brought along more stuff than I could store neatly, and I didn't want to share pics of a mess.
The last couple of days I took most of the loose stuff out of my van with the idea of reorganizing it for the return leg of my trip. I did some reorganizing, but mostly I put stuff back in the same place. I realized that I would either need to get rid of stuff that I'm not ready to get rid of, or make peace with things being messy. Also, now that I've sort-of learned where I keep things in the van, I don't want to confuse myself any more than necessary. So, here, finally, is a mini tour of my van.
I have storage under the bed, storage under the table, a couple of plastic sets of shelves, and a few hanging features that can hold things, but I knew I would be staying in motels at least some of the time, so I stored some things in suitcases and backpacks that are easier to schlep in and out of buildings. Some of those suitcases and backpacks fit under the bed, but some don't. So when I'm driving, I always have a few bags on the floor. That way if I need to stop or turn suddenly, they are already on the floor and the worst they do is slide around a bit. When I stop for the day, they either come inside with me or if I'm staying in the van, they go up on the table.
I made a decision to install the furnishings in my van in a temporary way so that I could try out this initial layout and see how I like it. Everything (except the insulation, which is glued) is attached to the van using clips or zip ties.
At the top along each side I've attached a pole that I can hang things from. Across the back is my bed, made from plastic shelves and PVC pipes. Hanging over the bed is a cargo net where I can store lightweight things like coats and towels. Along the side opposite the sliding door, is a table and two sets of plastic shelves. Hanging over the table are four cloth hanging drawers for lightweight items. Along the side with the sliding door is a hanging cloth shoe rack for shoes and small items I want to be able to reach from bed. Between the cab and cargo area I've inserted some hooks that I can hang a curtain rod from. The blackout curtains I use are heavy and the hooks are tucked behind a plastic panel, so I take the curtain rod down when I travel. I don't want to put any more stress on that panel than I need to, especially in cold weather when the plastic becomes more brittle.
Here are some photos that show many of the features I've described. They show the van interior without all the stuff I schlep into motels, but not so heavily tidied-up that it feels idealized to me. Captions are below each picture.
My blackout curtains are folded up on top of the far side of my bed above. The bed is a three-quarter size -- about halfway between a twin and a double. The quilt I inherited -- I believe my grandmother made it. It's threadbare in a few places, but I still think it's pretty and it feels homey to me. Underneath it is my most excellent sleeping bag.
You can see the pole along the top side wall, the drawers hanging from it, and some other things I have hanging from it. You can also see the muslin I have clipped to the van ribs to make temporary walls and ceiling, and because the insulation behind it is black, it's easy to see the white ribs through the muslin in this photo.
This shows the hanging shoe rack with shoes, slippers, kleenex, and the things you can sort-of see in the top pockets are a thermometer/humidity monitor and a mirror. Some of the PVC pipe structure of the bed is visible, along with the netting I use to keep stuff under the bed when I'm traveling. It's on the floor at the moment, but I tie it up as a barrier when everything is packed.
That concludes today's mini tour. 😎
The last couple of days I took most of the loose stuff out of my van with the idea of reorganizing it for the return leg of my trip. I did some reorganizing, but mostly I put stuff back in the same place. I realized that I would either need to get rid of stuff that I'm not ready to get rid of, or make peace with things being messy. Also, now that I've sort-of learned where I keep things in the van, I don't want to confuse myself any more than necessary. So, here, finally, is a mini tour of my van.
I have storage under the bed, storage under the table, a couple of plastic sets of shelves, and a few hanging features that can hold things, but I knew I would be staying in motels at least some of the time, so I stored some things in suitcases and backpacks that are easier to schlep in and out of buildings. Some of those suitcases and backpacks fit under the bed, but some don't. So when I'm driving, I always have a few bags on the floor. That way if I need to stop or turn suddenly, they are already on the floor and the worst they do is slide around a bit. When I stop for the day, they either come inside with me or if I'm staying in the van, they go up on the table.
I made a decision to install the furnishings in my van in a temporary way so that I could try out this initial layout and see how I like it. Everything (except the insulation, which is glued) is attached to the van using clips or zip ties.
At the top along each side I've attached a pole that I can hang things from. Across the back is my bed, made from plastic shelves and PVC pipes. Hanging over the bed is a cargo net where I can store lightweight things like coats and towels. Along the side opposite the sliding door, is a table and two sets of plastic shelves. Hanging over the table are four cloth hanging drawers for lightweight items. Along the side with the sliding door is a hanging cloth shoe rack for shoes and small items I want to be able to reach from bed. Between the cab and cargo area I've inserted some hooks that I can hang a curtain rod from. The blackout curtains I use are heavy and the hooks are tucked behind a plastic panel, so I take the curtain rod down when I travel. I don't want to put any more stress on that panel than I need to, especially in cold weather when the plastic becomes more brittle.
Here are some photos that show many of the features I've described. They show the van interior without all the stuff I schlep into motels, but not so heavily tidied-up that it feels idealized to me. Captions are below each picture.
My blackout curtains are folded up on top of the far side of my bed above. The bed is a three-quarter size -- about halfway between a twin and a double. The quilt I inherited -- I believe my grandmother made it. It's threadbare in a few places, but I still think it's pretty and it feels homey to me. Underneath it is my most excellent sleeping bag.
This shows the hanging shoe rack with shoes, slippers, kleenex, and the things you can sort-of see in the top pockets are a thermometer/humidity monitor and a mirror. Some of the PVC pipe structure of the bed is visible, along with the netting I use to keep stuff under the bed when I'm traveling. It's on the floor at the moment, but I tie it up as a barrier when everything is packed.
That concludes today's mini tour. 😎
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