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Thanks. I'm no longer building for people, just myself. I really like this design wanted to give people ideas for building their own. The link to this video shows how the whole thing was designed and build. th-cam.com/video/fgVRyBoAicU/w-d-xo.html

Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoyed it!

hey thanks for writing. Yes toilet can be used at night. I don't see much point of having a toilet if it can't be used at night. The box should work with most portable toilets, it also fits the small compost toilets like the Trelino. I switched to that in my own van. Not mods made to the seat, correct. I am 185 cm tall. I built this for a lady who was a bit shorter so the 170cm bed worked. However I do have a modification so as to extend the bed for a taller person. Here is a linked to the mod. www.patreon.com/posts/modification-to-112697251 (This is on my Patreon page, but not paywalled). Basically what you do is have a mobile storage box like I use in the minivan video and slide it forward for a bed extension. The toilet box top could also be used to extend the bed if you matched it to the bed height. Of course measurements would depend on the make of van you have. Greetings from the States.

Sorry missed this earlier. This was built to be removable, so I used the existing felt with rubber mat floor as the subfloor and then have a piece of 12 mm Baltic birch to bolted on top using existing 8 mm bolt holes. Here is a link showing the construction in a full video. th-cam.com/video/fgVRyBoAicU/w-d-xo.html Floor starts at about 1;05

Thank you! Cheers!

Thanks!

Great, glad these videos were helpful. Always thought a Caravan would be a fun build.

Thank you, I have been thinking about the next small builds. Several ideas I'm working on. Perhaps a build for a solo traveler, and also a simplified version of my minivan build.

thank you!

Thanks a bunch!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks, I guess I sort of work a lot by how it feels in terms of how daily life will flow in the space. As I get in deeper design I often spot the things that will disrupt that flow. In this van as I got into it, I could see that convenient storage was going to be inadequate. The city cargo vans are about 8-12 inches shorter in the cargo area and I wasn't using the mobile storage boxes like in a minivan. That is a lot space lost in a small space. While generally I don't like to build high cabinets in a minivans because of the curtain airbags that are in them, the NV200 didn't have them so I didn't worry and went with it. The whole build is tied down really solid. I know there are a lot of minivan builds that build in front of airbags, I just have no idea what would happen if an airbag went off with it behind a wooden cabinet. Don't think I want to find out.

@@mini.vanman That's a really good thing to think about - something I didn't even consider. The fact that you did means that you're building with the safety of the person(s) you're building for in mind while making sure you maximize their tiny space, which is awesome.

Thanks! The funnel is a 24 cm or about 9.4 inches. I bought it off Amazon several years ago, but I'd get it off AliExpress. Just under $12 free shipping. Here's a link if you're interested. s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mr0LLpe. I believe a 30cm is available if you wanted larger, just not on the link I sent. Was curious about the Patriot. For length if you are 5'5" or shorter, it should work with just the seats folded down. Headroom gets to be the problem. Probably would not be able to sit up in bed. For a design I probably keep the mattress flat on the cargo deck and put a storage box beside it along 1 side.

Thank you! Cheers!

Glad you like it, I like how this one turned out as well. 🤠

@@mini.vanman can’t wait for the video for that shower enclosure that comes off the rooftop box 😊

@@daratatum6111 I assure you I have not forgotten it. The van had to go into the shop and I've been without it going on a week and a half. 😕 I was doing a rework on the rack so as to eliminate the expensive Yakima mounts so had to reshoot some steps. Got interrupted mid way. I'll bump this in front of my Stow-N-Go externally mounted diesel heater video.

@@mini.vanman 😀

I put together a Patreon post that talks about the shower enclosure rack and more that the DIY roof rack does. I will follow shortly with written instructions along with the supply list. I should get my van back tomorrow. The enclosure build will likely make it to my Patreon page first while I edit the TH-cam video. Patreon may prompt you to join, it should be public but who knows. Membership doesn't cost and neither do the instructions. Here is the direct link. www.patreon.com/posts/112940603?pr=true

I dropped a quick how-to on my Patreon page for you. It's free to the public, no paywall. www.patreon.com/posts/diy-tarp-clips-112809977?Link& It might prompt you to join, although it should be open to public. Joining doesn't cost anything. I'll probably be moving all my short how-to stuff to Patreon, my webpage seems to get a lot of spammers.

Not selling anything, but will provide details of the build. I have a video I'm working on that shows how it's built. I'm about done with it. Also if you have any specific questions, feel free to message me on Instagram. Probably the best right now for direct communication.

I made the mounting base myself. Here are the instructions. www.smallvanlife.com/2023/10/08/usb-rechargeable-water-dispenser-pump-hack/ The black pump I showed is still available and is $8.99 on Amazon. There is a link in the web post. Also if you look around you will find that you can now buy a base with a few of these USB pumps. I don't have any experience with them so can't say how stable they are. I should have highlighted it more in the web post, but be wary of the silicon lines that come with these pumps. They tend to be too thin and collapse when pumping, especially if you increased the distance from your water supply. I reference the specs for the tubing in the post.

@@mini.vanman Thank you. Now I know how to alternate mine, for the tube to go in the side, other than to cut a hole in my countertop. In the article you're trying to find another tube solution. I can suggest aquarium/fishtank tubes. They are much thicker than the ones that come with the dispenser. It's a bit fiddedly to fit them on, but the work perfect and last for years. I've been using mine for 4 years now. No leaks, no nothing.

@@beed.8037 thanks, I'll add that to my bank of solutions. I substitute a thicker wall silicon tubing which also works great. I give the wall dimensions in the post. i just didn't want people to think the USB pumps weren't pumping well when the actual problem is tubing collapse.

Not selling anything, but will provide details as I pull it together. I'm also about to put out a video that shows a pretty good overview of the build. If you have any specific questions feel free to contact me on Instagram Messenger.

As birthdays accumulate, so does the desire to have a nighttime toilet. 🤠 Thanks for your comment.

Thank you! 😊

It was the first city cargo type van I had done. Thanks

Small vans are always a compromise. We have a Microcamper (in the UK) we can access our fridge and cook inside, but cooking out the back in fine weather is preferable.

Thanks for watching and your comment. The person I was building for wanted an outside kitchen, however it did get me to thinking. There are a number of good builds for small cargo vans that have an inside cooking setup. It just depends on what you like. Here are a few links. This first one build (th-cam.com/video/LjPSjrFt4RU/w-d-xo.html) is basically the same floor plan as my US style minivan camper. This build does not seem overcomplicated. Depending on your size, you could still probably manage 2 people in bed. I really like the openness of this design. It also retains a small gap next to the sink to load stuff in and out of the door. I'd probably make that space a little larger so I could squeeze in and out the door if I needed to. One could just put in a flip up shelf to gain back counter space. For a 2 person van that extra open space would prevent you from having to crawl over each other to get out of bed. Nice place to sit and have a small area to put shoes on if you sleep on this side. This second is a variant up the first, but with a wider counter. The compromise is, you give up bed width . This is definitely a solo traveler van. th-cam.com/video/fJgwTnt3ooI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=XhGnl76KRdEUQjwc . She should also fix the shin buster design of the bed. Not necessary. What I like about this build is she did a really good job making the kitchen accessible from either inside or outside. This last one is more of a galley style, with the couch looking side to side instead of the front. Looks you could manage 2 in this. The first time I saw this layout it was a design from NZ, a blog I think. This set up is the same though. th-cam.com/video/X_Fa6EKXfsE/w-d-xo.html

@@mini.vanman cooking and washing IMHO needs to be able to be performed inside and outside. That's why I prefer removable solutions.

Not really....He shows the stove set up inside, and there is counter space for prep work. I love this build!

No need to be embarrassed. I've never helped someone through a full project, just small parts of one. My build looks more complicated than it actually is. For the most part it's a set of wooden boxes that end up supporting a bed. I'm about to post a 10 minute video on design through construction of how it's all put together. It will be on the NV200, but the construction method is the same for a minivan. The difference will be how to achieve level in a minivan since the floor slopes. I'll post how to do that in the near future as well. Easy once you know the trick. Be sure to subscribe and notified so you know when the videos get up. Also feel free to message me directly on my Instagram. Incidentally, what kind of van are you trying to build?

@@mini.vanman Thanks so much for replying. I'll keep a look out for the next videos. As far as a van, I haven't picked one out yet. What do you find to be a good choice? Thanks again! PS Reading some of the comments below, I agree with@patriciagrace18, it really is the only build that I have seen that is like PERFECT! lol!

There seems to be a lot of team pride when it comes to minivan models. Team Toyota seems especially full of pride. 🤠 Toyotas do tend to be the most mechanically reliable, but the uneven floors do make them more difficult of a build IMO. Not a deal breaker, but more difficult. The middle row seat trolley system in the 3rd generation Sienna is very awkward. I'm not as familiar with the other models so can't answer much more. I know that probably doesn't help. One thing that I personally would not choose in a minivan if I had a choice, is a minivan that has a moonroof if I was building for a camper. You will lose about 2.5 to 3 inches of headroom in the front sitting area because the moonroof has to slide in. This probably isn't a popular opinion as I know people often seek them out for ventilation. My opinion is a window fan with a screen will give you just as much ventilation and you don't lose headroom. I have been working on an idea of how to use my build in a minivan with a moonroof and retain the mobile storage boxes as a comfortable seat. As is you have to stoop down a little unless you are short. I just need to try it. My daughter has a Sienna with a moonroof I can experiment with maybe. 😉

@@mini.vanman Ok! Thanks for the info! A starting point.

Would love to see the video on leveling the floor we are in the process of laying out our van

Thank you!

I've never had a problem. It would be like any RV water holding tank, but easier to deal with because its removable

Glad you like it!

Thanks!

Glad you like them!

It depends. If you aren't interested in a toilet, just remove it and extend your bed. If you want to retain the toilet you just add a cushion to the top of it (example of cushion on toilet at about 5:15 point in video, I like the cushion anyway because it gives you a seat). If you had a regular passenger seat in the car (i.e. -not flipped to face back) I would also build a mobile storage box/seat and have it slide under the bed and hang out partly for the amount of extension you needed. Then just put a piece of cushion on top for the amount of extension you need. (demonstration of mobile boxes starting about 1::45 point in the 5 minute minivan tour to make clear what I'm talking about) This is exactly what I did when I did some mods on the NV200 when it got a new owner, The beauty of a the mobile storage/seat box is the additional storage gained. You wouldn't necessarily have the push the storage box under the bed to extend it, but I like to keep the ability to sit up on the edge of the bed in the morning with my feet on a floor, to change and put on shoes and such.