In this post I’ll share with you some of the recent upgrades and modifications to my van over the last couple of years.
1. Upgraded desk
I replaced the old fold-down desk with a cleaner and more functional design. It’s a piece of oiled pine board mounted on folding brackets, maximising the available space and neatly folded out of the way.
2. With seat extension
This extension to the bench seat makes a huge difference to the comfort when sat at the desk, giving extra depth to the seat.
3. And this computer stand
I came up with this simple way to mount my computer stand vertically on the wall, freeing up desk space beneath it and to get the correct screen height. The stand is easily removed by turning that wooden toggle. This way I can still use the stand at a normal desk if needed.
4. Kitchen extension
I was surprised at how much of a difference this makes when cooking and preparing food. Just this 30cm of extra space. It uses the same folding bracket mechanism as the new desk above, but in a smaller size.
5. Chopping board (wooden)
I ditched the plastic chopping board because ingesting little bits of plastic every day probably isn’t good. I made this new wooden one that fits perfectly inside the cupboard door. It also locks into place over the sink, providing another good surface for food prep.
6. Improved Food organisation
Rather than having everything loose on shelves, and having to dig around for the cumin, I’ve organised everything into labelled containers. Now I just take out the spice box and the cumin is right there, for example. Makes cooking less stressful and things don’t get jumbled up (and lost) after driving.
7. Better pan space
I made use of this unused space above the gas cylinder to fit the frying pan under the existing pan shelf. I knew that dead bit of space could be used for something!
8. Upgraded Kitchen hob burners
Cooking in the van is now a lot better with more powerful burners that cope better when the door is open. I also made proper cutouts on the front of the kitchen unit to expose the gas knobs, flush with the design. Way better. (Before they were set too far inside).
9a. Dedicated bin space
I rerouted the kitchen drain pipe down the inside of the kitchen unit structure. This leaves a decent bit of space to keep the bin, which is huge on a hook.
9b. With removable recycling container
This was a quick solution made permanent. A removable container for food waste.
10. Better clothes storage
Finally, no more rucksack wardrobe. Now I have these clothes cubes stacked up above the cab. They can be easily removed and swapped around. Well, 3 are mine, the other 3 are Sarah’s. We share.
11. A fresh coat of paint and oil
The beauty of using oil is that you can easily top it up at any time without much prep work. Just rub it on with cotton. Everything feels, and smells, new again.
12. Easy synth mounting
I’ve been meaning to solve the synth problem for some time. The solution was easier than I thought: 2 folding aluminium brackets and a guitar strap. It’s very nice to have the synth at eye level, whilst still being adjustable with the guitar strap, and the desk space below is free. It’s perfect.
13. Bathroom storage
There’s a lot of potential space on the inside of the bathroom walls. I used this suction hooks and storage containers to organise bathroom things. Yeah, this is mostly Sarah’s stuff.
14. New back curtains
Instead of one layer of canvas, it’s now two layers of heavy canvas with a thermal blackout fabric in between. It’s much stiffer and sits over the window much better, completely blocking light from inside and out.
15. Curtain buttons (instead of hooks)
This is a better solution than the previous hooks with eyelets. And if the curtain gets pulled, it just detaches without damaging the fabric. I also repaired and reinforced the curtain with a strip of sturdy cotton along the top.
16. Water filter
This gives some peace of mind when filling up from random taps. And the water tastes SO much better now. I should have had a filter from day one.
17. Better use of roof space with more solar power
I changed my 2x100w panels for one 270W panel. It’s neater, smaller and more efficient.
Also see this post: an overview of my van conversion – features, design, spec.
