Easy_Van_Conversion

A Conversion Van is a can of complexity when it comes to making it into a RV.
But it can be done and turn out comfortable and completely self sufficient --
except for gasoline and Walmart.

Mine is a 1994 GMC Vandura 2500 Tiara conversion van. That amounts to a
3/4 ton truck running gear and additions that really comes out to two
and a half tons of metal and creature comforts. The engine is an
adequate 5.7 liter EFI gasoline V-8. Four speed automatic transmission
with overdrive, and 3.42 rear axle. The sticker said 18 mpg highway fuel
consumption. I've never gotten better than 16. But it'll generally do 16
mpg up mountains, down hills, pulling a 5,000 pound trailer or anything
less. As you can likely surmise, we're good friends, my venerable
van and me. Converting it to a travel-in and live-in RV has been done with an
eye to being able to restore it to its original configuration any time I needed
to. I've picked and done all modifications with that goal. And, thanks
to modular furniture units and the wide selection of plastic storage
bins and drawers and such, it all came together rather nicely. It's
taken me to beautiful Provincial Parks in Canada and isolated stretches
of the High Plains and Edwards Plateau from Kansas to west Texas plus a
lot of places and parks along the Gulf of Mexico and the East coast.

On the curb side of the van, two Sauder units hold cooking and eating
supplies (I use paper plates, cups and eating utensils as much as
possible for ease of storage, lack of cleaning need and quick disposal).
A spare shelf from one of the cubes became a folding shelf for use as
needed in food preparation and serving.

Behind the two right side cubes is a table in matching oak finish that
was purchased in the furniture section of Walmart. To it, my 750 watt
microwave, also from Walmart ($70), is attached with "L" brackets and
metal screws. On the shelf below the microwave is my dishwashing basin,
soap dispenser and such. Below that, hidden by the rubber shelf mat
material, is a two gallon Portapotti.

The table and cubes are screwed together (note 4x4 base and 2x4
above). The unit is bolted to the base of the seat that was positioned
there with a section of board to which the lower cube is attached. (Story
continued below)

Two other interior modifications to my conversion van have to do with
warmth and communications. To keep the interior livable, I use one of two
electric heaters of the oil-filled type. If I know I'm going to be in below
25-degree nights, I take the larger, 1500 watt version (mine is Lakewood
brand, from Walmart, of course) and I then seek out state parks with
electrical hookups. I find the 600 watt setting is usually adequate at half to
two-thirds settings, with a 30-degree sleeping bag. In more moderate
places, a smaller 700-watt oil-filled heater (WestPoint model HO-0227)
works fine.

A custom made wood cabinet between front seats holds my
communications center. As an amateur radio operator, that means a 200
watt AC/DC High Frequency Single Side Band transceiver and its attendant
tuner, and AC power supply for shore-power or generator power locations,
plus two 50-watt VHF/UHF transceivers for use on the road and where
amateur repeaters are available. Two digital scanners also are on board,
to keep up with weather, sheriffs and police, EMT, park ranger and other
emergency communications.

Day/night shades (picture below and left) have replaced all the gauze
original shades in the back of the van (all windows behind the front seats).
Source was www.vsales.com for perfect fit, quality shades complete with
all new hardware.

Here's the van on its way somewhere (picture below). The trailer serves as
the overflow closet. Three large Sterlite plastic tubs hold bulk foods,
cleaning materials and the like. A more sturdy tub holds spare oil and other
van fluids, hoses, electric cords and trailer hitch hardware. Beside that is
a Honda EU2000i generator and a can of gas. Also in there are a folding
metal table, folding camp chairs, Coleman catalytic LP heater, and
depending on length of trip, containers of spare clothes and such. For
season-long tours, my HughesNet tripod-mount Internet satellite dish and
its feed horn ride back there also.

The trailer is a Wells Cargo MW-6 www.wellscargo.com 4 by 6 foot
Mini-Wagon model. It was selected for sturdy construction and 16 inch
wheels. Decal was added by me from the wide selection and excellent
directions of the Sign Specialist in Tennessee. www.signspecialist.com

The folding back seat of my conversion van has become my bed, with a
memory-foam top. Future plans include removing the seat hardware and
replacing it with a piece of plywood as a better long-term foundation
for a bed. For my height, the width of the van is about right to stretch
out on. For six-footers, a side bed arrangement likely would be better.
Four couples, a Tear Drop trailer would beat that.

Behind the bed comes two plastic drawer towers, also from Walmart (hey, my
mailing address IS Arkansas). The towers contain folding clothes on the
street side and towels and such on the curb side. Keeping the drawers shut
when they are not full of stuff are roofing nails through holes drilled in the
drawer bottoms' leading edge. Roofing nails through holes in the sides of the
Sauder cubes are used where needed to hold doors shut. Cheaper than
anything else I could find and works fine.

Beneath the bed are stored an LP two burner stove and other bigger pots
and pans and plastic storage for things not needed daily. Most nooks and
crannies are filled with what ever else fits. And a feature of the cubes
is that behind the street side, I can store security files and
fire-safe storage with window screens windshield and front side window
sun screens covering them. Ahead of all that is the solar battery and
charger, inverter and the AC strip which is screwed to the door post.
Wires for it are routed in behind an existing Tiara book holder where
access to the outer van skin allowed cutting for a 2-pole, 3-wire
weatherproof male motor base electrical connector found in a catalog
from McGaugh RV Center, Springdale, AR, www.mcgaughrv.com (part #11156)
for 120 volt connections. It is fused and has a Ground Fault Interrupter
(GFI) connected ahead of the AC strip.

Easy Van Conversion

By Vern