Camper Interior 87 Toyota van

coronan

New member
This will be camper 2.0 for my van.
1.0 was very basic and not functional enough.

While i love the expedition concept, There are no expeditions planned in the near future. The application will be weekend camping, skiing and other adventuring. One challenging application will be winter ski camping. I have seen many great builds but few who can operate 100% with the doors closed. One goal is to get to all of my stuff with the doors closed. (IE: Bad Weather)

2nd goal is leave the van able to do other things. The sleeping deck in the cargo area will be removable for more serious hauling. The kitchen may come out easy too. This is not the only vehicle I will use for camping either. All of my pots pans plates cups, kettle, and silver ware fit into a duffel. I will be retaining the duffel. All I have to do is grab the duffel and white gas stove and I can cook outside, or load up into someone else's vehicle.


Here are the dimensions. I'm calling this poor mans CAD.

Birds Eye View of the cargo area
Dimensions top.JPG

Profile View.
dimensions side.JPG
Note i forgot to draw the firewall. It appears in later drawings.
 
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coronan

New member
I spent hours playing with floor plans.

There a few tricky things.
1. is the sink drain routing. If the kitchen is to be on the drivers side. To run the drain hose through the floor you must avoid the battery. And exhaust wich also runs down the drivers side, underneath the Van.

2. is the hood / driver seat which flips up and swings into the cargo area. This limits counter height. Which limits sleeping deck height.
Note the shaded area is the space the hood occupies when open. Putting the stove in the corner makes the counter to low to get your knees under.
Sleeping deck height will be 14" It will allow a X-mas wrapping paper tote to slide underneath.

DSC_0100.JPG

Sorry I dont know how to rotate pictures on this site. (They are all properly oriented on my PC) Please Advise.

More Floor plans

DSC_0103.JPG
This is showing under cabinet organization.
DSC_0104.JPG

Fridge in the corner
DSC_0107.JPG

And the winner is: Sink in the corner:
DSC_0113.JPG
DSC_0106.JPG
DSC_0112.JPG
 
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coronan

New member
The fridge is a dorm fridge that will run off a 200w inverter.

Other fun things to look for in my build:

- Flat plate heat exchanger. Making hot water from hot coolant.
- Foot pump water pump. A sailor once told me he uses less fresh water when its not on an electric pump.
- large 1000w inverter.
- dual battery
- Removable sleeping deck
- 6 gal water tank
- Cold water heat exchanger plumbed through fridge
- heat from fridge will heat van in the winter and boost fridge efficiency when batteries are taxed the most.
 
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coronan

New member
Slowly making progress.
Paneling, cabinets, sink, drain, and sleeping deck are done.

Here it in haul mode. I was able to move a full size oven on this configuration. I love having a modular setup.

View attachment 317276
If you're familiar with the Toyota vans, you know the battery box is under the floor under my sink. Still accessible with the cabinet in. I had a bad battery this week and was able to slide it around the drain hose and drop it in place. I also added a tow truck style plug for jumper cables behind the driver's seat.

View attachment 317277

View attachment 317278

We took the van down to mammoth for skiing and hot springs and to test out the build.

So far I'm loving the large counter top.
View attachment 317279
We are both about 5'4" and can sit up no problem. I found a 10" tall panic bin that slides well under the sleeping deck.
Skiing has allot of bulky gear like boots, back packs, and helmets, All of which fits under the sleeping deck.

I put tabs of Velcro under the deck to keep things in place. There is no rattle when driving.

Here it is loaded up and ready for sleeping.
DSC_0139.jpg

Temps were in the 20a. A Coleman propane heater warms the interior while making breakfast.

One thing that needs improving is making the bed area wider. So I will have to find a fridge that is not 18" front to back. Maybe a custom fridge? The home New beer makers have that process well documented. Our just stick with a ice chest?
 
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snoozy

New member
You know, I think you are wasting the best thing about the Toyota van by putting the galley inside. The best layout is with the galley in the back. The back door gives you cover from rain and leaves dropping into the soup. No worries about spills. No worries getting grease and splatter in the interior of your van. No hunching over. As a cook, the idea of squinching into a VW to cook on a kindergarten sized set-up does not appeal to me.

Look to teardrop campers for ideas. Here is the prototype I did up in my van:

20120625_0637031.jpg


The campstove shelf pivots out and the legs are actually adjustable telescopic handles for scrubbers that I found at Home Depot. I want to put in another pivoting shelf for more counter space and maybe for a small sink. Down below, you see a couple of plastic bins (one for pans and equip, one for food) and in the center, an ice chest. I've since switched to an ice chest which is twice that capacity.

20120625_0638451.jpg


For a sleeping platform, we just put two 6'x2' plywood pieces from the back seat to the hump behind the front seats, and topped with foam. Also put a removable 2x4" brace in the middle, because I chose 1/2" plywood. Underneath is storage for campchairs hiking boots, firewood, clothing duffles, etc. Above the hump, we installed a 14" wire shelf, now called "The Library", where we keep books and maps handy.

The biggest improvement I would like to make, is mosquito netting between the galley and the sleeping area, as well as on the windows. Oh -- and a roof vent.

If you are just one person, no doubt you could use a smaller sleeping platform. One thing -- it is more of a pain to check the oil and water because you have to remove the sleeping platform to get at the engine.

Anyway, I just thought I put in my 2 cents, even though you didn't ask :)
 

Alaska2Baja

Member
I agree with snoozy; I'm also a big believer in standing to cook and utilizing the rear of the van for the galley seems to be a good use of space. However I do spend months at a time camping, fishing and surfing in Baja during the winter months and being able to escape the wind and be "inside" during weather days is a plus.

I've been traveling in a full size truck and camper rig for the past 8 seasons so I've had the luxury of a large interior space but recently bought a 4x4 Toyota Van and I'm in the process of designing my next Baja adventure set-up. I think I have decided to go with an outdoor galley and after many hours researching other builds, this particular concept http://dinoevo.de/sleeping-platform/ seems the best for my use. You might check out some of the builders ideas. On my rig, I also plan to sew up a modular tent that will attach to the back hatch to enclose the galley area and block wind and blowing sand. Hoping to start the mods in September.



IMG_0153-2.jpg Here's a shot of my "NEW" project van.
 

snoozy

New member
Wow! Team Liquid, I would love a nice-looking 4x4 like you have there -- only I don't want righthand drive. Or better yet, one with sunroofs... Lots of good ideas on your blog, too! Those drawers you've got in the galley -- where'd you get them?

Toyotaroamer, We have the 1/2" plywood topped with 3" firm foam which I got on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-x-24-x-82...rm-/390808870377?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160). We have a flocati on top of that (a wooly thing, for ventilation), and then regular full-size sheets fit it. Makes a 4'x6' bed, which works for us because we are 5'7" & 5'6".
 

DzlToy

Explorer
Never understood why people want to go camping in an SUV or van and open all the doors and hatches so they can use all of their stuff.

The inside will quickly fill with dirt/dust, bugs and god knows what else, all of which gets into your bedding, seats, clothes and whatever else is inside your vehicle.

Your rig man, do what you want, but I want to either be completely inside or completely outside. I do like the idea of having the rear hatch lifted for cover and a large tent attached to the rear of the van, but I would close all of the other doors up.

Hijack: build thread on the HiAce?
 

snoozy

New member
Never understood why people want to go camping in an SUV or van and open all the doors and hatches so they can use all of their stuff.

The inside will quickly fill with dirt/dust, bugs and god knows what else, all of which gets into your bedding, seats, clothes and whatever else is inside your vehicle.

Your rig man, do what you want, but I want to either be completely inside or completely outside. I do like the idea of having the rear hatch lifted for cover and a large tent attached to the rear of the van, but I would close all of the other doors up.

Hijack: build thread on the HiAce?

Do you drive with all the windows closed? If people have a phobia about bugs and dirt, maybe they shouldn't go camping at all. We close things up when we go to sleep, but we're out in the great outdoors to be in the great outdoors. It is not so important to us for there to be such a clear demarcation between inside and outside. Though I agree with you that having a mosquito tent that would drop down from the open hatch while I'm cooking sometimes would be awful nice.
 

Desert Dan

Explorer
It is nice to have the option to cook inside in bad/cold or windy weather. At least be able to boil water for coffee and oatmeal etc and do the messy cooking outside.
 

DzlToy

Explorer
I do drive with the windows closed, but no "phobia" about dirt or bugs here.

I prefer not to have dirt in my sheets or to be bitten by mosquitos all night and if your doors have been open all day long, both of those are quite likely.

Maybe install a fine mesh screen over the doors and windows while they are open so you can see things and reach them easily, but the screens will keep out dirt and bugs without opening and closing the doors each time?

EDIT: it is 98 degrees here today and about 90% humidity (rain on its way), so you run the AC and stay inside. No camping or sleeping outside when it is this hot. Going to the higher elevations will get you about 10 degree temperature drop, but it is not pleasant camping weather now.
 

Alaska2Baja

Member
Never understood why people want to go camping in an SUV or van and open all the doors and hatches so they can use all of their stuff.

Good point there DZLToy. And I agree; keeping the dirt, bugs and mice out of the rig in Baja (and more importantly, out of the engine compartment where they like to build nests) is a difficult task, however IMO without a poptop on the van, the interior gets small in a hurry so I'm going to give the slide-out kitchen concept a try. It'll be a modular design so changing it out if it doesn't work will be easy. In addition to the rear hatch tent, I'll also be sewing up screens for the rear and sliding doors to keep out the undesirables and provide venting on warm days.

As far as a build thread on the HiAce, I do plan to document some of the mods and I'll be sure to share them here. It's all just in the concept phase right now as I only received the van 12 hours prior to jumping on a plane to Alaska back in April. I work as an adventure guide up here in the summer months and plan to start the build in mid September.
 

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