In reply to Tom1200 :
Pics!
In reply to Tom1200 :
Pics!
There are really some great looking van interiors out there. Unfortunately you're going to spend a ton of money and/or time buying/building one and not even have all the creature comforts of a class b. I've daydreamed a lot about a sprinter van with a diesel, 4 wheel drive, and an extended roof to turn into the ultimate glamping van. We bought a 30ft race trailer instead. The Sequoia can be slept in or a great component of tent camping. One day I'm going to get a nice class b or a airsteam to bring to the track as well.
No pics.............I don't want anyone to see my "handy work" it functions but it's not pretty.
Daily Turismo found a pretty interesting starting point on eBay a few days ago:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/114082633155
Quigley 4x4 conversion on a high top cargo van. I'm not sure what the exact purpose this was built for; it appears to be something that calls for using industrial equipment in remote settings. One of the commenters on DT suggested that it may have been for maintaining fiber optic lines.
DWNSHFT said:I would like to see pictures of the toilet and shower in a van. Those are important for me, too.
Almost all are "wet baths" and will be petty tight. Like being in an airplane toilet room, except smaller. They allow you do the tasks required, but don't expect luxury. At least it's "yours" and not a questionable looking campsite facility. Plus, if you need to "go" in the middle of the night, you can just do it, rather than getting dressed and walking however far as necessary to do the deeds. Then there are traditional black-tank RV toilets, cassette toilets, composting toilets and so-on, depending on the level of complexity or maintenance you are willing to deal with.
A good place to get an idea of different floor plan possibilities is the Sportsmobile website. These are some Sprinter plans, but they have plans for pretty much any van type and length.
One issue I've had with camping in a van has been A/C - or the lack thereof. It's something I think about since most/all of my camping is done in the middle of Summer in the Northeast where we have this lovely thing called humidity. Coming up with A/C solutions is an entirely different subject and often not considered in DIY builds.
Like Curtis, I also had the 4x4 truck vs van debate, but in the end, I have decided I need what a van can do a lot more often than I need 4WD. Was the Express AWD ever sold with the Duramax option? Another reason I don't want a truck is I want a camper that can keep my bikes inside and can still tow a car trailer so I can park the camper somewhere and then drive one of my old cars around. If I remove the last requirement, then I can make do with a R-Pod 180 trailer behind my current minivan (which may end up being my solution for a few years).
For the record, I'm 5' 7' and a 140lbs so the closet isn't an issue but yeah if your a bid dude the layout in my van now is the way to go (open tub).
I actually just recently purchased an old ambulance that I intend to make into an "adventure van" of sorts.
I'm 6'2", and while I can't quite stand up in the high-roof e350, it's MUCH better than a standard roof van. I try to do as much tent camping as I can, but despise setting up tents in the rain and/or dark, so having a fixed structure that I can drive and sleep in is real nice.
Seems like the level of luxury that people build these to is really dependent on their use. For someone that lives out of it full time, I understand wanting to make it nice. For me, I am looking at it as a tow rig/permanent tent. There's something to be said for the design challenge of utilizing every square inch, but at some point it's diminishing returns.
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