Another idea I thought I'd share

Yeah, what a sensitive word "share".  We are all into this sensitivity stuff these days.

What the heck, you can't beat them, oh wait... don't say that, for heavens' sake.

Anyway, the Big Idea is to put a quonset hut on top of the van.  What???!!!??  Yeah, it would entail using a rack gizmo, and attaching the wood to the rack, and then the cattle panel to the wood.  It would be longer and shorter than the quonset hut I built out West so as to reduce its profile just a bit.  I figure at 4 feet or shorter, it won't be too tall.

This idea would replace putting a camper shell on top.  This option would be cheaper, I think.

As with the original "coffin" idea, I want to really insulate it well so that it won't need so much power to climate control it.  It would be primarily for sleeping.  I can envision putting some personal effects up there, too.

This one can go into the construction subseries in the off-the-grid post series.

Update:

The roof will consist of concrete cloth.  Perhaps the sides, too.  It will be "framed", which is to give it strength.  If it is to be on the highway, it has to be strong enough to resist a lot of wind.  Now, to attach it to the wood, will need to first attach the wood to the rack.  I think some u-bolts through the wood and around the rack will do it.  The wood can be 8" tall, instead of 4".  Why?  Want some clearance from the roof.  Want to have the wood provide some of the support for what's on top of it, namely me.  However, the van's roof will supply some of the support for the quonset sleeper.

It may need 4 horizontal bars across the top of the van's roof.  The front and back are extensions to the main body area where the sleeper is.  The idea here is to stretch it out so that it will be less tall and more aerodynamic.  Each end will be reinforced with framing that it can resist the wind resistance out on the road.

The cloth will be cut to size so that it will fit around the rounded edges.  Perhaps some chicken wire can go into the open spaces for additional support.  You can also cut the chicken wire to size like the cloth, because it is not so thick.  Wire can be threaded through the wood to complete the fastening of the concrete cloth walls to the structure.

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