Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Van to RV conversion Next steps

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This post will go into the Construction sub-series of the off-the-grid main series of posts.  These posts can be accessed from a table of contents and watched individually or in series from beginning to end.

Rather than update the last post, I decided to make a new one.  Reflecting upon the work I did yesterday on this, I am going to have a lot more shelving than I figured on.  So much, in fact, that I may be challenged to use it all.

I am also discovering that I will be able to take a lot of stuff out there with me, and yes, it will all fit into the van.  When I started this, I never would have figured on that.

This van will be very tricked out.  It will have a microwave, freezer, clothes "closet", an entertainment center with stereo, TV, DVD, VCR, and computers out the wazoo.  If I put the overhead rack in, I can put even more stuff to ride on down the road in style!

The procedure for working this may go like this:  I will lease a space in El Paso that will hold either the car or the van, but not at the same time.  When I leave the ranch, I will take the generator with me. Once I get to El Paso, I'll take out the generator, and then I will have room to live inside the van.  Perhaps I will only sleep in it when in town.  Of course, the car will have to come out first.  I'll ride around town and work for the Uber thing, and then come "home" to the van.  Once I made enough money, I'll go "home" to the ranch.

Woo-hoo!  This could be great.

Update:

This doesn't rate a new post, so I'll just make a short remark or two.  It looks as if I should be able to fit almost everything I've mentioned so far into the van.  Just so there would be no mistake once I start installing this stuff, I've double checked all the measurements.  It's A-OK so far.

Operationally, I've gone back and forth so much over this that nothing is solidified just yet.  It looks like it may be best to get two RV spots in El Paso, park the car in one, and the van in the other.  I'll try to arrange some sleeping time without having to rent a parking spot in an RV place in town.  This could keep my expenses down to a couple hundred a month for the storage places.  I have to check around to see what may be possible with this.  It is an unknown at this point.

A parking spot in an RV place could be cheaper or more expensive, depending on how you handle it.  That part must be thought out better.

Update:  ( 1/20/16)

Wishing not to make an entirely new post on the subject of the van to RV conversion, I thought I would make note of what thinking I've done on the subject in the past week or so since I created this post.

The second computer desk was to be put in the back.  As of now, this plan will have to be modified in order to allow the rollaway bed to be used.  It is simply too difficult to get into and out of the bed with so cramped a space inside the van.  I will have to make some space in order to allow some maneuvering room.  This means the stereo system is out.  That stereo system will have to be junked.  Too much space and not enough utility.  The desk itself will have to be cut into several pieces and rejoined with hinges, so as to allow for movement out of the way when not needed.  It can still go into the back, but it will be quite a different beast than what it is now.

Even this may not be optimal.  I may want something else to help out.  It is hard to get out of that bed because it sits so low to the floor.  It is only hard because of my age and physical condition.  If I were in my teens or twenties, it wouldn't be such a problem.


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