I spent the end of summer doing some work and modifications in my van. Here’s what I did…
New shelves for plates and glasses
I’ve tried to make use of every bit of excess space and volume
New shelves in cupboards for food
It was just empty space in here before
And for fruit
Some new lights
I’ve always had a spare light switch, so I put some fairy lights in. They run directly on 12V and have several brightness levels – they can light the whole van on the highest setting. I bought them on amazon here
Made some storage boxes
I got some spare bits of plywood and made some boxes for all the loose electronics bits
Extended bookshelf upwards
Now I can fit my bigger books
Fan in shower
This vent has never had a fan in it. I put a 12V brushless motor in it and a switch.
Drawer separators
I put separators made of plywood in all my drawers. It’s way easier to find things now
Catch for bathroom door
For two years the bathroom door swinging open when I go over a bump. I made a catch out of bit of plywood. Now I can focus on the road
Bench
I fitted a broken second hand heater (this post) and fixed it (this post).
And extra storage inside the new bench
Organised storage under bed
A couple more plastic containers did the trick
New shelves
I found some nice hardwood pallets and made these shelves for my workshop at the back of the van. See this post
Workshop
Still a work in progress. The plan is to have a mini electronics workshop for making and experimenting
A bit of touching up
I touched up some rusty bits and replaced several plastic bits of trim that were always missing. Now the van is totally complete.
Serviced the van
New gear and engine oil, rear differential seal, air filter (needed after Morocco) and exhaust, which was completely battered.
Finally registered as a motorcaravan
I followed the guidelines given here. The process took 7 working days
I nearly installed this huge WiFi antenna
But it just wasn’t practical
Having a proper storage for things really is the key for happy van living, and it’s usually the simple solutions that work best. Finally there are no more potatoes rolling around the floor whilst I’m driving.
Also see: Living in a van and travelling – highlights of 2016 in 39 photos
