Transforming Minivan for Camping - Update Before Part 3
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- I've been spending my useful hours( which aren't too many:) working on transforming our minivan (2015 Toyota Sienna) for going camping. I've been planning to start this project for a couple years now; things just keep getting in the way. Of course we will be taking and using a lot of freeze dried food that we have made over the years.
I do have have 3 other videos part way edited. Mini marshmallows at 100º vs 130º, a red bean test I started back in November, and a longer version of the Part 3 van video for the other channel.
/ @schoolreportsonthego
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When trying to decide what to freeze dry you can start by asking why.
Start by asking yourself this question. Why are you freeze drying food? Knowing this should help you decide what you should freeze dry first.
I'm freeze drying because:
Just to freeze dry leftovers?
You want to make your own food for camping/backpacking?
For if/when the SHTF?
For a short term emergency?
You have your own garden and want to freeze dry the food?
You love Costco but don't have a family of 6?
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PackFreshUSA
We have been buying oxygen absorbers and 7 mil Mylar bags from PackFreshUSA since early 2018. During all that time (1000's of bag and oxygen absorbers, and about 6 year before before we added this affiliate link) we have been happy with the products and service we have received from them.
I earn from qualifying purchases from the links provided. - packfreshusa.com/?rfsn=7877576.a54e2a
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Before buying a freeze dryer, perhaps research to find out more about the downside of the machine; some people have problems with their machine and it's big and heavy and hard to return!
I enjoy how you figure it out as you go. When I was very young my dad bought an old bread delivery truck and made it into a custom camper for our family of 5. He did it the same way - figure it out as you go - and it turned out great. We only went camping in it a few times (my mother hated camping) but in the summer, we kids lived in it. Our house was a small 2 bedroom ranch on a slab, but it was on 54 acres. The camper became our play house and we played in it for years until my dad realized my mother would never get in it again. He sold it and the family that bought it used it for years.
I have a 2015 Sienna as well and have thought about how I could rig it into a camper I could use to travel around New England and do genealogy onsite. You are making a deluxe version of what I was thinking I could do. It would just be me, most likely, so I was thinking of taking out the seats and making an office in the back. A place to work on organizing the finds of the day and planning the next one are what would be at the top of my list. Your bed idea looks a lot more comfortable than my sleeping bag plan. I have a plug in cooler that work as my fridge and freeze dried meals would make things easy. There are custom window covers you can buy that offer complete privacy and easy to install and remove. I'm watching your project with great interest and am rooting for you!
One person vs 2 people makes a huge difference on every part. We are planning for mostly freeze dried food.
You had me at "custom window covers you can buy" Tell me more please! If I can get good ones, I don't want to have to make my own.
Using cardboard modeling is a very good idea for mitigating mistakes. I think I have watched just about every minivan conversion UA-cam video ever created 🤣🤣. One of the better channels I have been following is Humble Road custom vans -- they only do high end conversions but I like to learn the art and science of their design methods, and they use cardboard to model all of their designs before building them out. They only convert cargo vans and avoid minivans and passenger vans though. Still, their design approach is very informative for my own build (still bouncing around in my head for a few more months while I finish up some other home projects). Anyway, most Sienna van videos have folks trying to remove the van trolleys from their Sienna vans. My design approach stems from my permaculture design education and experience -- and the common permaculture approach is to always view problems as the solutions. The problems with the trolleys is that they are the perfect anchoring point solution for a minivan conversion -- just as you have done.
Here is a question for you -- Do you use your minivan to carry passengers very often? If not, what will you be doing with your mid-row and back-row passenger seats?
I'll have to check out Humble Road channel. Even though it geared to bigger vans, I have so much to learn I'm sure I'll find useful info.
I have found a lot of great Toyota Sienna videos. Like you said, I've seen at least a few where were trying to remove the trolley. I had no interest in removing them. - They are strong and made to hold things firmly to keep them from moving. Why not use them? Plus, we never know when we might need to put the seats back in for use or for resale.
I will have to put a row of seats back in for a long drive, with extra people, in less than 2 weeks. When the seats are removed, they are in the garage.
Cardboard is my friend! I have modeled most of my projects in cardboard for as long as I can remember. When I built this house I modeled the whole kitchen (the cabinets and counters) out of cardboard so we could walk around it for a a while, to make sure we were happy with it, before I bought/built/installed the parts. (Of course I built a scale model of the whole lot and house before we started building)
@@SchoolReportsOnTheGo Humble Road specializes on using lots of extruded aluminum for framing which I think is overkill, but cool to use for people who can afford it. I've considered using it for my design but I'm leaning more and more towards a traditional cabinet framework approach.
Tellvia is another YT channel that I've followed and he has revised his van build several times and like you (and me), the toilet feature is second in importance only to sleep system and he used the extruded aluminum approach for his build. I also like Bruce Parks YT videos and his design(s).
My build will be much different than most everyone else. I have no passengers to ever transport so my van will be converted into a permanent cargo van to transport garden and building supplies but mostly for just personal commuting. The camper build design will be modular (usually for no more than a few days to a week or so) for quick and easy install and removal with full access to the luggage well at the back of the van.
I really do enjoy how everyone approaches their own minivan conversions and I have gleaned many ideas. Some are "no build", some are very skilled craftsman with obvious engineering background, some are simply for camping and long road trips while others actually live in their vans for very long periods of time. I learn bits and pieces from them all.
I have seen all of Bruce Parks videos. I look forward to checking out the others. (My wife and I used to cycle race)
It's hard to imagine any two van builds being the same, everyone is going to have different needs/goals for the way they are going to use it.
@@SchoolReportsOnTheGo Tellvia cycle races -- and I think his wife too?
@@RA-rf4nz I assumed he did based on his thumbnails. (Haven't watched any yet) For me it ended about 20 years ago. (and very little riding of any kind since the spine surgery:)
Is there a way to incorporate storage into the flip down bed platform? seems like you could hold all your dishes or something in that amount of space. Also good idea on the removable top half on the big back cabinet. I think maybe even just keep it half height, since you look out the back you'll have a better view .
Absolutely! 👍 All the parts of the couch/bed boxes will have hatches to use them all for storage. Besides the roof-top box, this will be our largest storage area.
are you considering doing some of your mre meals to carry along with you. and what cooking stoves, etc are you planning on utilizing. I like your plan. My mother and father inlaw had an old cargo type van and they threw a mattress in it. took a grill and coolers when they went camping before they got them another camper.
Oh, we will be loading up on freeze dried meals! We have two stoves that we plan to try, one butane one and one little wood one. We will test them on video.
The “lip” on the couch backing is facing the wrong way if you’re thinking of “permanently” attaching it to the center bed piece. In order for it to face down at the foot of the bed the “lip” has to face towards the back of the van. Otherwise you would only use it as a “temporary” attachment that comes off the couch backing much like you’re doing it at present and then placing at the foot of the bed.
I’m not good at explaining this, but the geometry of the folding couch doesn’t work as is with the L-shaped “lip” facing the front of the car.
Also the toilet could be a problem, a stinky one when not in use. It’s why they’re in a separate enclosed area in campers I’ve seen. It’s a “nicety” when camping not to just find a fallen branch and have an indoor facility away from creepy crawlers and mosquitoes, but there is the “mess” you elude to regarding the water-tight flooring.
My experiment with Mike & Ikes failed. While I was able to get the candy to change shape a little, the chewiness never left. I think it may have something to do with the corn syrup, sugar, and corn starch getting heated to 180 degrees for 19 hours before the outer crust is added with coloring and flavor. Skittles may have these same ingredients but there’s some extra stuff in the center of those: hydrogenated oil for one.
We don't currently have plans to attach the 3rd section to the other sections in any permanent way. We want to be able to use those pieces for other uses. Beside couch back, maybe tables or laptop desks or ?
As I mentioned in the earlier video, for me the toilet was a non-negotiable item. It' not a “nicety” for me. I just didn't go into detail about why. Waiting to find a public restroom isn't a thing for me due to neurological issues caused by a spinal cord injury. When I first stand up to move around there had better be a toilet within a few feet and within seconds! 🤣 We've had (and used) this portable toilet for 20 years with no issues. I'll chance it. I wouldn't go on a 10 mile drive without it; it more or less just stays in the back of the van.
@SchoolReportsOnTheGo
Ooo! Laptop desk in such an otherwise cramped area sounds interesting!
I know about the spinal cord injury, we covered that already. Wasn’t aware you required a restroom as opposed to a tree or for sitting down: a fallen branch. I’m fully aware of what occurs seconds after I wake up, sorry you need it within seconds 😢… I’m able to hold out for a minute 😂. The problems I have with watching videos out of order is I didn’t hear what was said in earlier episodes. I came here after watching the “less edited” version on your other channel, but didn’t want to make my comments there.
I guess I have a slight advantage that I’m able to keep our conversation in order of my viewing. I’m not reading and responding to hundreds of comments. I’m sure it’s easier to forget who said what, when, where, etc., when dealing with multiple people.
How about lowering the suspension or raising the cabin the way the van conversion people do when retrofitting vans for the handicapped? I’ve looked at vans I can almost stand straight up in after such a conversion.
I was looking at these vans 1) when I thought I might end up in a wheelchair😮… and then 2) when my father could only be transported in a wheelchair and he wanted to go to the church he was a member at one last time.
Would not recommend using the water flushable style commode. Unless you're going to keep it outside in a tent when you're parked, it's not great for van use. We have the same one in our tow-along camper and it's a smelly hassle. Consider a bucket toilet with absorbent crystals or horse bedding/pine pellets for nighttime use. Much easier to dispose of the waste in any trash receptacle. These water flushing commodes require you to find a place with toilet facilities to empty and refill them. They always smell strongly when you empty it, plus youll have to carry the receptacle into the bathroom to empty it.
We've had this for 20+ years. It's never been a problem, it seals so well. We wouldn't leave home without it. 🤣 (Literally, because of a spinal cord injury, I don't leave home without it:)
Just checking to see if the USPS delivered my card to you. Our area seems to have intermittent issues with things actually making it to their destination....
Ooh, aah! I'll have my sister check it out. (Could take a few days)
@buckonono7996
Thanks so much for the absolutely wonderful card! (Who even hand-writes cards today? We always love when we get hand-written cards from our few friends that still do that!) Thank you for such a generous gift. I may have to add a shirt to the collection.🤔
Happy it arrived safely and glad you enjoyed it. We don't get much hand written mail either and I miss it. Same goes for photos. Your collection of shirts is fun and I'm happy you don't have to share your gift with You Tube. I hope other subscribers will consider mailing you a check as well. You teach us all so much. Thank you!
I would not use an in house fridge. they are NOT efficient , having to run an inverter 24/7 is a massive draw. I would get a trucking RV one, with a dan boss compressor, or the new ecoflow delta 2 zone fridge w ice maker. just trust me here
Thanks. If we go with a fridge instead of a cooler we'll have to look into it more.
But using an inverter that draws 4 watts on stand-by, and a fridge that draws 50 watts doesn't sound like a massive draw to me. That's what I had measured ours at. I'll have to recheck the numbers.
EcoFlow WAVE 2 Portable Air Conditioner looks interesting! (maybe double the BTU's I'm looking for, but still - Nice!)
@@SchoolReportsOnTheGo I have the arb 47, great compressor. But if I could I’d of gotten a dual zone, and the ice for drinks sounds delux. The other thing I would have done is gotten two drawer style fridges. Run one a fridge the other a freezer. Like the ice cube drawer fridge. Or the dometic ones. This is an item you’ll have a long time so even tho $1000-2000 was more then you were thinking. For the value it brings and resale it starts to make sense.
@@Photosbydrew Thanks. A lot of new fridge stuff out there since the last time I really looked, maybe 10 - 15 years ago.
I use a small car fridge - 10 quart, from Vevor online. It's very small, but efficient. If it's just me, I can keep milk, cheese and burgers cold. For the family, I switch it to freezer mode and use it for freezer blocks that we put into a regular ice chest cooler.