Clearly you are tall people. As a barely 5 foot person, my feet NEVER reach the floor when I'm sitting down anywhere, and I still live a happy live. You'll survive 😂
I'm 5'6 and my feet don't touch the floor on my leather recliner sofa. My legs aren't long but anyway it doesn't bother me to not have my feet touching the floor.
Thanks for pointing out your own mistakes so that others can avoid them. Ignore the negative comments. They are most probably just jealous. For me a raised floor with the extra storage (which I think would even make getting into bed a slightly easier) is a no-brainer but I understand if Allie doesn't wanna ruin the flow of the floor. But it's a camper van or rather a motor home. Functionality comes first in my opinion and extra storage is worth gold. You could put a safe there for example. Great build anyway!
Yep smaller cushions. Admit you fucked up buying cushions that have no give .... Or... Get on marketplace, find someone giving a free couch away. Get each of the cushions, run a Stanley knife along cut the cushion and use the excess fabric to then stitch back up. Done!. You could also get a little hinge shelf, a tiny one that folds out for her when sitting on the bench so she can put her feet on it.
You might want to invest into a recycling shower that comes out clean the whole time and only uses 4-5 gallons. AND you can take as long of a shower as you want.
@@abigailv5347 Sure. The first time I heard of them were through a Van Tour were the owner has come up with a system for radiant floor heating with hot water. His name is Troy @vanlifetech on instagram. He is currently in the Beta version but expect to have them available next year. There are also simpler ones which you can see in my second comment on this vlog about a month ago. You can also google recirculation shower and more options will come up. Hope this helps.
The problem with living in such a small space is that it becomes your entire world-view so your day to day problems that consume you become really pedantic and stupid, like a disorganized shelf or closet. It's like living in an apartment and having crappy annoying neighbors VS living on ten acres and owning 4 out-buildings filled with clutter that you don't care about or know exist. Who wants to spend all day complaining about a shelf? Wanted to go to sleep at 11pm but traffic wont stop raging down the street? You can see the how that would suck hard.
@@successandlifestyle I used to live in the inner city (mainly because of good internet and I didnt have kids) but when I had kids, we needed a few more bedrooms. When we were moving, I told my kids' mom she could pick the house as long as it's in our budget. i can live with anything long as she lives with and deals with the choice (haha im absolved free from any consequences). We bought a fixer-upper on 10 acres with horrible internet, the total opposite of my dream house but as it turns out, I could not be happier. It's even got a couple nice sledding hills as we found out last weekend. You can't do that in van life :)
These dorm fridges release heat through the side walls. You have them paneled. Remove the panels and the efficiency will increase. Cover the door and the back.
Perhaps an over-sized pillow that you can throw on the bed when not in use and then put it under the table when needed? It's comfy, practical, inexpensive and an easy fix:)
This makes me laugh and roll my eyes at the same time! Trent built the van with his own physical comfort in mind with no thought or understanding of Allie's needs. Truly a MAN-MADE van, like so much else in our world... Oh, and: #nostep.
You live and you learn… That’s life… Foot stools..whatever kind, maybe a solution… there are stackable and folding types…And then you can put them aside after use so you won’t trip over them… Good luck and happy traveling!!! ❤️
I would use a foldable foot stool to raise your legs while sitting. We have the same issue at our kitchen island because we maximized in space with undercounter cabinets. Hope this helps.
Take the hinge off the stove cover and put it aside. Maybe on the left side of the sink while cooking. Build a raised foot platform with storage for your dangling feet problem. Get the endless shower hack to increase your water supply without increasing tank sizes.
About your fridge; #1 The front doors tends to not be insulated very good and sometimes not at all. Drill a few holes and shoot in bathroom rated expanding foam for around piping and under tubs. #2 Check to see how many amps it uses. Ours are a few years old and we checked the amp rating and they are 2.4 amps, but the new ones are 1 amp. Even the one 6.5 cubic foot is 1.2 amps. That is amazing, so we are going to upgrade ours. Then we will drill a few holes in the inner white plastic and shoot in expanding foam. After it dries, we will clean up any foam out of the holes and pop in plastic snaps to cover the holes. This will take about an hour of taking turns holding the plastic from expanding while it dries. Unless we lay the new fridge on it's side and place a heavy weight (Cinder Block) on a towel on the inside of the door, while the foam expands and dries. I say use bathroom rated foam so there is no risk of it absorbing moisture. Make sure you buy the matching or larger sized snaps and drill the holes for the size snaps you buy and the holes need to fit in the straw from the can of foam. Hope this helps anyone with this problem who has not resolved it yet. We are rebuilding our 15 foot camper trailer and building out a van. (no videos on our channel)
I was having trouble with my mini-fridge staying cool enough. A friend recommended setting a fan to blow on the coils, that worked great. Then I got a usb powered fan and now it uses very little power!
I'm an upholsterer. :) Simply replace the cushion inserts. I'm sure they have zippers in them. just get "super soft" foam from this company www.thefoamfactory.com/opencellfoam/supersoft.html and cut it to the same size and thickness as existing cushions. It will fill the cushions perfectly but squish down appropriately too. xo.
The holy grail of van design perfection. Fitting everything into a tiny space will always involve compromise. Surviving it for any extended period as a couple and only having issues with bench heights and spice racks, means you could probably do anything together. Good luck with your adventures. Love the channel.
2 suggestions for added storage: 1. Make a new, two-tier spice rack, longer than taller, and install it above the bench, your head will never bump into it. (use the same principle on the other side of the van). Reuse the space where the rack is now as a mini pantry. 2. Install two storage bins above the bed, similar to the overhead bins in airplanes. I also vote for the fold-up foot rest.
With a 36" inseam the bench looks perfect from here, 😁. 3 years of watching van build videos and yours is still one of the best. I plan to have two 20 gallon tanks so I can use just one or both if needed. Always a thumbs up video.
Make a small bench for your feet or just a pillow for your feet that is made from something that can be washed easily. One more item to haul around but a small pillow/ottoman wouldn't take up much space. Even something inflatable inflated only partially would keep your feet level and you can then deflate it. There has to be an easy answer somewhere in your audience. I had 3 ideas, one might appeal to you or not.
I'm a long-time type-B motor coach owner, and I've encountered more than a few space issues along the way. I did notice a cabinet door above and to the left of the stovetop (time reference 2:44). What about putting some wire-frame racks on the outside of the door, reinforcing the door with a piano hinge and stocking your most-used spices there? Still close by for cooking, and the existing rack could hold extra stock of spices. "Happy Cybercamping!" - Michael Canode - 1997 Airstream 190
Make some memory foam cushions big enough for Foot Rest that you can use as pillows on the bench seats or up on the floor when your sitting for your feet to rest on.
Not sure in that hot weather but in this train of thought, if you want to keep your walls sparse maybe 2-3 small nobs/hooks high on the wall above the seat were you can hook up and can store hanging at the front of the van or wherever when not in use. Fabric solution possibly.
Or... just flip the spice rack around (face it into the wall) then stick hinges on it so you can open it off to the right like a cabinet door, with the spices in it. Doesn't move the rack, in fact it hides it when not in use, doesn't stick it behind the seat, and makes it easily accessible when in use.
Then you can hang the vest in a place more convenient to where you cook, and store it back where the original faux pas is retrofitted with a few tweaks to store the vest of spices.
@@karenhetherington9358 not so sure it's practical cause both aluminum and stainless steel are non magnetic,I guess you could glue magnets on though and make it work.
Do the step. If it bugs you to not have your feet touch the ground then just do it. Can always attach a small ramp and sand/gap fill it to make a smooth transit between the two heights.
Aaaaand if it pulled out you might as easily put a lid on it and keep your spices in there. The step being hollow would only bye a few inches deep .... Perfect for spices and maybe other items.
#1 worst thing, finding out the hard way like abject morons that we took for granted basic things like clean potable water. who knew undeveloped disease-ridden countries dont just give you free clean drinking water like you can source from the ground in america?
for the spice rack, get those magnetic one, and use that storage for something else or redesign it. and for your problem about feet and height, i think that extra step is a good idea for space for the stuff you have in your hanging closet.
SPice rack suggestion - cut another opening in your stove cover then you access the spices. Have it hinge at the top so it doesn't come back down on your stove and hitting your pots. Magnet would hold it to the cabinet.
You could add a slide-out foot rest with a very light pressure hydraulic inside, that slides out when you kick it(like a latch that unlatches a cabinet door when you push in on it), and latches closed when you slide it back in with your foot. No need to even bend down.
For the seat issue install a flip down foot rest. Only needs to be ~8 inches and can flip up and lock in place when not in use. Flip down when seated. Problem solved.
about the spices dilema its a easy fix, make the wooden stove top slideable to a side and will also serve as an extra table. and leave the spices free to acces
flat box, roof water tank for shower use, if you have it in black it's ideal for the use in warm/hot climates it will heat in the sun to a comfortable temp.
The extra storage space to fix the benches could also solve one of the earlier listed problems. More water. 40-33=7. So you could store a five or seven gallon jug there and it’d be close enough to run the line to just the drinking water filter.
1. 46 gallon tank in mine 2. Kitchen not built yet 3. I accounted for my cushion... my benches will perfect. I agree with her. Sorry Trent 4. My closet will probably end up the same way so I'm not worried 😂 5. I bought a 54 quart costway chest style freezer it's great. $399
So pausing at 6:22 to comment on the three things you hate so fare 1 water capacity. Can you just get some external containers and hand pump it into your water storage? Think WW2 Jeep and Jerry can 2 spice rack can you still put a spice rack where you no thing it would fit better and just have that much extra storage, or is something already there? Other idea: I’m looking at the towel rack that hangs on my bathroom door, fashion something like that that fits over the top edge of your stove cover and you can have a small selection of spices there Seat cushion Make existing cushion the back of the seat and a one inch memory foam the new seat cushion. So far these problems seem very easy fixes
Regarding water, I saw a video on taking a shower using only a half gallon, the method is, a sump pump in the bottom of the shower that passes the water through a sock and a water filter and back up to the shower head. I would delete the water filter, add another sock, and add either an instant water heater or tubes that push the water through sun-heated black rubber something, which you can put outside the van. The video poster said he got all the components off Amazon. I think you should look into this and it is a LOT more practical than storing more water.
Water is easy and this solved my problem. Get an atmospheric water maker. Pulls moisture out of the atmosphere. Mine is solar powered and makes 3 to 5 gallons per day depending on humidity. It is cooking and drinking water. Dump what is left over into your water tank. It's clean filtered and free.
Instead of increasing your water amount, try recycling your water! Have it go through multiple filters! I saw a YT video on it just dont remember who did it 😅
Its recirculating water. Lots of people are doing it. Wando tales have one. I don't know if I spelled that right...they were with the Matney's for a while.
That's possible but it can be a headache to clean and maintain those systems. Especially when traveling outside of NA. One thing they should look at is a hiking filter to filter questionable water before it goes into the van. It might take a little longer but then they don't have to worry about their tank so much. That being said I hope they are doing a chlorine flush once in a while, Even with clean water stuff cab build up in those tanks,
I watch Alton Brown's show a lot ( food channel@altonbrown) and he has these neat magnetic spice jars made from metal that attach to the door of his to die for kitchen.
I was thinking similar, and/or to the underside of the adjacent cupboard above sitting height. The old spice space can it hold the closet bottom stuff if retrofit?
Yo need to convert your shower to a recirculating shower. Wando Tales has one. Both of You can shower for as long as you want with 5 gallons of water and wash Frank before you throw ot the water
In days of olden, there was one tub to bathe in, each took their turn with the baby last, hence the saying, don't throw the baby out with the bath water..
@@vidguy007 have you ever had a swim in a river or in a creek or even in the ocean? Guess what lives in the ocean and does not get out to go potty? Everything! from crabs up to wales.... did that ever stop you. And lets not forget what all that fresh rain gets to run over before it winds up in a creek or a river. Dead animals; and the crap from every animal that ever lived.; and the fresh water fish that still do not get out of the water to go potty. And as Soup 2 Nuts already said....... filters etc. Not really rocket science. What do you suppose they do in the space station?
So listen to me right...**keep on reading for perfect soul** I was down a TH-cam rabbit hole recently from this video to Eamon and Becs video where y’all were trying to help Armita and Soheil some time ago on a video called “which size of van is right for you” and then I went to Armita and Soheils channel where they were giving van tours to strangers and guess what, they have the perfect solution for y’all!! Their bench is higher but they have built drawer size storage underneath the bench that’s door lifts up and acts as a foot rest!! And it doesn’t break the flow of the floor!! Y’all have to check it out!
Rotopax water tank or two that you can store anywhere flat or upright so you can pour it into what you have. Swap out the material in the cushions to memory foam like you planned to begin with. Re design the spice rack into the flip up. Do a 4 link slide that closes the spices into place when closed.
Shower water fix: Catch water in small tub at your feet and pump/recirculate it using two filters (could even use a foot pump ….but you would have to pump and scrub at the same time).
And even use a soapy squirt bottle to soap up dishes. And a water squirt bottle to rinse them. Have your big tank just for showers. Have a different tank for drinking water.
For the stove cover, can you sort of "cut" a window into it that hinges off to the right once you have it popped up against the spice cabinet? A door in a door kinda thing?
We buy one gallon jugs and refill them use them for drinking and cooking and dog water. Use our tanks for showers and dish washing. We also use paper products plates, cups, and use paper towels in the plastic paper plate holders. Less to wash. I also only use about 2 gallons to shower. Wet, soap, rinse done. I am shaved too. I lived in Arizona and water is expensive and found a way to take shorter showers so we didn't have a 300 bill.
i haven’t watched yet but believe some overlooked areas in van builds are weighing what goes in, how to keep the temperature reasonable if you have animals and are out exploring for almost any length of time, what the distance should be bt cabinets and other Ie, hallway, best advice on laundry, safety information( from others mostly but even wildlife, how much water per day per person, and animals, how to limit stuff,
#1: Water: Take loose water tanks and put them low (under the bed). If there is no space, get a bigger RV. Use Micropur (european, don't know US-Equiv.). Put hygienic dirty tanks on the roof full with water. The sun kills nearly everything. #2: Spices: Train your brain and put the needed spices on the table before cooking. Or: Design the massive table thing optionally to be taken out. #3: Cushion: Make a new one and create a takeout cushion within it for Allie. Or: Put a small doggys cushion just in front of the bed, so her feet have the rest position. Or: Couples really loving each other have the female feet resting on the male ones. Trent could even use a small garage-like cushion so Allie could park on top of it. #4: Mess: Solved urself #5: Fridge: Design error. Toploader! with big insulation (3-4 inches)! Idea: Get that fridge out and put a DC-drawout-toploader on its place. Think about economizing space of cooling stuff. F.e.: After buying veggies, cut them into cubes and store them in tupperware or the like. Another thing: If driving in heat, you can heavily cool down stuff wrapped into a wet towel on the roof of the RV. The sunnier the better. The beer can be cooled down just before consumption. The meat has to be cooled all time.
Doesn't look like you've got any ventilation to the back of your fridge... Having worked with all sorts of cooling systems, i can tell you that this is your problem.... Not the fridge. ... The heat gets sucked out of the coldstorage but accumulates behind the fridge where its supposed to be ventilated away... So you need a vent hole at the bottom to let air in and one at the top to let it out... The one at tge top would be great to vent out of the car
LeaLöwin I agree. If you enclose the back of a regular refrigerator, it won’t run cold. But you guys got a much more efficient DC fridge now so that’s great.
@@PersonaN007Grata more efficient fridge, maybe... But you can't fool thermodynamics... If you collect a KW of thermalenergy inside the fridge, you need to get rid of it some where... If you dont vent it away, you will heat up the surrounding furniture until they have the same temp as the coolingfinns in the back of the fridge...then it stops working
In my van my seats are the right height but I don't like my feet touching the floor ,so I have a stool about 8 inches high to put my feet on. This also is handy to take outside as a seat or table for coffee. I use it all over the place for everything. Easy to pick up and move.
You're being in the van a couple of years Shirley basic maintenance and DIY you could have sorted these things out yourself. Seat feet not reaching floor. Install a drop down pedestal. Or put a cushion on the floor Spice Rack move it simple as. You have a great van. The little grapes you have a reasonably rectified. Nice video thank you for your fine work Happy camping be safe
Thedevontree Plus they have it jampacked, nowhere for airflow, I bet the freezer is worse. Airflow and ventilation are absolutely imperative for any fridge to cool.
I made the same mistake on my narrowboat. AC fridge powered thru a 2kw inverter. Flattened a bank of 24 x 100kwh batteries in a week. Ended up switching it off and just using it as a larder for tinned goods. 🙃
THANK YOU! For being true to everyone and not just share the perfect camera worthy moments of van life :) It's really helpful for people who actually are looking to start a life style like this xx
Go to a foam shop and try out foam slab samples to get the height and feel you want. Then have your cushions remade- I just thought of a down and dirty way to do that...sew a big tuck in the band to reduce size-could be on the outside of cushion or the inside. ( Or have a pro cut down the band to fit the new foam.
or just stick a 4" pipe shower with 10 gallons on the roof. Weather is warm enough for outside use. As a reserve you could gravity fill inside when dry. Looks more like a contractors vehicle, can cruise empty for economy, and demount inside for the container loading.
A 10 minute shower for a gallon (or less) of water. That's a huge deal. You'd think recirculating showers would be standard for ALL van builds. It will be in mine.
@@kbtred51 that's what we are designing for our van. We are using 2' pvc though, heats up quick in the sun plus I'm doing 2 rows around the top, makes it kind of like a small railing around my Solar Panels. Will hold almost 14 gallons of water just for the shower. Drain on top to fill up easy
Make a footstool that you can fold flat and allows her to put her feet up. Also, there are inflatable, 3 hights in one footstools available that are amazing. There are many simple, cheap solutions to that proble. And for the spice rack problem, make the countertop fold to the side and use make a support that folds back into the wall or the bed frame to support the stovetop. That will also give her extra work surface! Just a few ideas 😊
Suggestion: have a push pop-up step as a foot rest platform, built into the floor. That way it can be flush with the ground when unused. And ideally it can open just using your feet to push down, then again (with a bit of force) to put it away.
A neat idea would be to use the board over the stove for a table. make detachable legs and you can set it up between the benches to make a sort of breakfast nook thing.
Take the cushions back to the maker and have them change out the foam for softer stuff. It will be substantially lower cost than remaking them from scratch.
Clearly you are tall people. As a barely 5 foot person, my feet NEVER reach the floor when I'm sitting down anywhere, and I still live a happy live. You'll survive 😂
Yeah me too lol.
#3 worst thing, having to constantly smell each other farts all day in a tiny enclosed area
Yes, so used to my feet not touching the floor.
I'm 5'6 and my feet don't touch the floor on my leather recliner sofa. My legs aren't long but anyway it doesn't bother me to not have my feet touching the floor.
Same lol
How about a little fold down footstep attached to the bench? Use it when you are sitting there and fold it up when you are not.
Yes. A fold down, or fold up step with hinges to lock in place.
I was thinking the same thing. Just a small step that be folded up or slid under the bench.
perfect solution!
That would be my inexpensive solution considering how much you have most likely had to shell out for a much better refrigerator.
Maybe but they have a drawers, doors and a furnace down there so it'd be tough to do something that didn't interfere with that.
Thanks for pointing out your own mistakes so that others can avoid them. Ignore the negative comments. They are most probably just jealous.
For me a raised floor with the extra storage (which I think would even make getting into bed a slightly easier) is a no-brainer but I understand if Allie doesn't wanna ruin the flow of the floor. But it's a camper van or rather a motor home. Functionality comes first in my opinion and extra storage is worth gold. You could put a safe there for example.
Great build anyway!
I like the spice rack where it is. You just take out the spices you need beforehand.
I lived in a coverted fire truck for 6 years and even though I built it myself there is always something that you don't get right.
Yes I can imagine
All these ideas of raising the floor...................get thinner cushions.
Or grow a few inches!
Exactly... all these issues are easy fixes/customization or upgrading.
Whichever’s more economical!
Yep smaller cushions. Admit you fucked up buying cushions that have no give .... Or... Get on marketplace, find someone giving a free couch away. Get each of the cushions, run a Stanley knife along cut the cushion and use the excess fabric to then stitch back up. Done!. You could also get a little hinge shelf, a tiny one that folds out for her when sitting on the bench so she can put her feet on it.
#1 worst thing, having to dump out our excrement in unsuspecting people's yards.
You may want that fire extinguisher more handy, not hidden in the closet
I would use the spice rack for other things and buy some spice jars with velcro that you can put beside that area on the wall.
I live on a big rig. Velcro is everything.
I feel if my wife and I lived in a van like this, in a week, one of us would go ‘missing’ and the other would be questioned by police..
🤣🤣🤣
👏👏👏👏👏😂😂😂👍👍
Kmsl
Well how is quarantine going then? 🙃
tinne scheunis I was thinking the same thing
Wow us short people cannot relate to hating having your feet hanging...is that a thing that actually bugs people? Just a fact of life for me.
I was thinking the same thing 😂
You might want to invest into a recycling shower that comes out clean the whole time and only uses 4-5 gallons. AND you can take as long of a shower as you want.
I think they could just shower more efficiently with the present water supply. I can shower at home with only 2 gallons.
Britt-Marie Rhodes do you have a link to a shower like that
@@abigailv5347 Sure. The first time I heard of them were through a Van Tour were the owner has come up with a system for radiant floor heating with hot water. His name is Troy @vanlifetech on instagram. He is currently in the Beta version but expect to have them available next year.
There are also simpler ones which you can see in my second comment on this vlog about a month ago.
You can also google recirculation shower and more options will come up.
Hope this helps.
@Hard Facts That's one way to do it. To each its own.
@Hard Facts Just so you know, recirculating shower is not for drinking, just showering.
Appreciate the honesty and transparency... this is why you’ve gained subscription. Truly humbled. I believe your build is one of the best.
The problem with living in such a small space is that it becomes your entire world-view so your day to day problems that consume you become really pedantic and stupid, like a disorganized shelf or closet. It's like living in an apartment and having crappy annoying neighbors VS living on ten acres and owning 4 out-buildings filled with clutter that you don't care about or know exist. Who wants to spend all day complaining about a shelf? Wanted to go to sleep at 11pm but traffic wont stop raging down the street? You can see the how that would suck hard.
@@p.chuckmoralesesquire3965 exactly 5" or oven 2" can make a world of difference.
@@successandlifestyle I used to live in the inner city (mainly because of good internet and I didnt have kids) but when I had kids, we needed a few more bedrooms. When we were moving, I told my kids' mom she could pick the house as long as it's in our budget. i can live with anything long as she lives with and deals with the choice (haha im absolved free from any consequences). We bought a fixer-upper on 10 acres with horrible internet, the total opposite of my dream house but as it turns out, I could not be happier. It's even got a couple nice sledding hills as we found out last weekend. You can't do that in van life :)
You could always put a fold down foot bar on it like they have on some bar stools. Then Allie can keep her open floor space. Just a thought.
“One of us is clean, Trent is not.” 😂
#2 worst thing, swimming in our own feces and having to clean it up before making a youtube video
I see a lot people making an effort to create his/her clothes storage. But what's done is done.
The way she looks at you is wonderful. Congrats on finding each other.
Re: fridge... Do you have the fridge vented? It may be struggling to reject heat in warmer climates if there isn't enough airflow around it.
Good comment
another reason not to make your own camper van
These dorm fridges release heat through the side walls. You have them paneled. Remove the panels and the efficiency will increase. Cover the door and the back.
A cheaper solution is a kids folding step stool to rest your feet in or a small storage ottoman that you can tuck away.
Love your Van build!
Perhaps an over-sized pillow that you can throw on the bed when not in use and then put it under the table when needed? It's comfy, practical, inexpensive and an easy fix:)
This makes me laugh and roll my eyes at the same time! Trent built the van with his own physical comfort in mind with no thought or understanding of Allie's needs. Truly a MAN-MADE van, like so much else in our world...
Oh, and: #nostep.
2023...to see this video and the Mercedes van build, 3 years later is mind blowing!! Some never learn from their mistakes...TRENT & ALLIE DID!!!
I'm five feet tall. My feet have NEVER touched the floor. Lol. No step vote.
Stacy Klair-Symone Ditto
Me, too.
I'm 5'2" and touching the floor flat footed is a luxury to me.
I’m 5’10 💀
#4 worst thing, constantly dealing with homeless people sexually assaulting your girlfriend kind of sucks
I segment showing the installed fridge would've been a nice ending.
cliff hanger. remember they live off this shit
You live and you learn… That’s life… Foot stools..whatever kind, maybe a solution… there are stackable and folding types…And then you can put them aside after use so you won’t trip over them… Good luck and happy traveling!!! ❤️
I would use a foldable foot stool to raise your legs while sitting. We have the same issue at our kitchen island because we maximized in space with undercounter cabinets. Hope this helps.
Take the hinge off the stove cover and put it aside. Maybe on the left side of the sink while cooking. Build a raised foot platform with storage for your dangling feet problem. Get the endless shower hack to increase your water supply without increasing tank sizes.
About your fridge;
#1 The front doors tends to not be insulated very good and sometimes not at all. Drill a few holes and shoot in bathroom rated expanding foam for around piping and under tubs. #2 Check to see how many amps it uses. Ours are a few years old and we checked the amp rating and they are 2.4 amps, but the new ones are 1 amp. Even the one 6.5 cubic foot is 1.2 amps. That is amazing, so we are going to upgrade ours. Then we will drill a few holes in the inner white plastic and shoot in expanding foam. After it dries, we will clean up any foam out of the holes and pop in plastic snaps to cover the holes.
This will take about an hour of taking turns holding the plastic from expanding while it dries. Unless we lay the new fridge on it's side and place a heavy weight (Cinder Block) on a towel on the inside of the door, while the foam expands and dries. I say use bathroom rated foam so there is no risk of it absorbing moisture. Make sure you buy the matching or larger sized snaps and drill the holes for the size snaps you buy and the holes need to fit in the straw from the can of foam. Hope this helps anyone with this problem who has not resolved it yet. We are rebuilding our 15 foot camper trailer and building out a van. (no videos on our channel)
I was having trouble with my mini-fridge staying cool enough. A friend recommended setting a fan to blow on the coils, that worked great. Then I got a usb powered fan and now it uses very little power!
No to the step.. LOL can't you just change the foam to a squishier one? 😁😉
I'm an upholsterer. :) Simply replace the cushion inserts. I'm sure they have zippers in them. just get "super soft" foam from this company www.thefoamfactory.com/opencellfoam/supersoft.html
and cut it to the same size and thickness as existing cushions. It will fill the cushions perfectly but squish down appropriately too. xo.
The holy grail of van design perfection. Fitting everything into a tiny space will always involve compromise. Surviving it for any extended period as a couple and only having issues with bench heights and spice racks, means you could probably do anything together. Good luck with your adventures. Love the channel.
No van build is perfect but yours is pretty close to it‼️
Why not just get new seat cushions made that are “shorter”?
That’s expensive. I’m sure they are looking for a DIY for cheep option after having to ship a refrigerator to South America.
They could change out the foam inside the cushions to squishier foam and still keep the current cushion covers.
@@mirageseekr Take a breadknife and cut the foam in half.
mirageseekr think it would be worth it
You will find cheap seamstresses in South America.
There are many adjustable, folding, lightweight footstools, made for airplane travel or offices. Inexpensive, effective.
2 suggestions for added storage:
1. Make a new, two-tier spice rack, longer than taller, and install it above the bench, your head will never bump into it. (use the same principle on the other side of the van). Reuse the space where the rack is now as a mini pantry.
2. Install two storage bins above the bed, similar to the overhead bins in airplanes.
I also vote for the fold-up foot rest.
I've seen some van builders are using a recirculating hot water system that uses a fraction of the water they used to use.
I think everyone has a "shove and stuff" cupboard in their house.😆
With a 36" inseam the bench looks perfect from here, 😁. 3 years of watching van build videos and yours is still one of the best. I plan to have two 20 gallon tanks so I can use just one or both if needed. Always a thumbs up video.
Just get one or two low lying floor cushions for your feet ;) easy
No step! Keep the flow...can you add something to the bottom area of the bench to rest your feet on?💜💜
Make a small bench for your feet or just a pillow for your feet that is made from something that can be washed easily. One more item to haul around but a small pillow/ottoman wouldn't take up much space. Even something inflatable inflated only partially would keep your feet level and you can then deflate it. There has to be an easy answer somewhere in your audience. I had 3 ideas, one might appeal to you or not.
I'm a long-time type-B motor coach owner, and I've encountered more than a few space issues along the way. I did notice a cabinet door above and to the left of the stovetop (time reference 2:44). What about putting some wire-frame racks on the outside of the door, reinforcing the door with a piano hinge and stocking your most-used spices there? Still close by for cooking, and the existing rack could hold extra stock of spices. "Happy Cybercamping!" - Michael Canode - 1997 Airstream 190
Make some memory foam cushions big enough for Foot Rest that you can use as pillows on the bench seats or up on the floor when your sitting for your feet to rest on.
Or maybe a large cushion that also acts as a dog bed?
@@loganholmberg2295 Then they would have hairy feet....
Maybe make a couple of narrow footstep/boxes that can double up as storage boxes
Put a pillow under your feet and call it a day 😂😂😂😂
Spice rack fix: Buy one those fishing vests with a million pockets,stuff all your spices in the vest and cook away!!
Not sure in that hot weather but in this train of thought, if you want to keep your walls sparse maybe 2-3 small nobs/hooks high on the wall above the seat were you can hook up and can store hanging at the front of the van or wherever when not in use. Fabric solution possibly.
Made me chuckle
Or... just flip the spice rack around (face it into the wall) then stick hinges on it so you can open it off to the right like a cabinet door, with the spices in it.
Doesn't move the rack, in fact it hides it when not in use, doesn't stick it behind the seat, and makes it easily accessible when in use.
Then you can hang the vest in a place more convenient to where you cook, and store it back where the original faux pas is retrofitted with a few tweaks to store the vest of spices.
@@karenhetherington9358 not so sure it's practical cause both aluminum and stainless steel are non magnetic,I guess you could glue magnets on though and make it work.
Do the step. If it bugs you to not have your feet touch the ground then just do it. Can always attach a small ramp and sand/gap fill it to make a smooth transit between the two heights.
The easiest way to fix board over stove is make it a bi-fold
You need a little slide out step. More comfort when sitting, hide it when not.
Good call! Do you have a way to borrow garage space at the floor level? It could pull out like the table.
Aaaaand if it pulled out you might as easily put a lid on it and keep your spices in there. The step being hollow would only bye a few inches deep .... Perfect for spices and maybe other items.
#1 worst thing, finding out the hard way like abject morons that we took for granted basic things like clean potable water. who knew undeveloped disease-ridden countries dont just give you free clean drinking water like you can source from the ground in america?
Or you could simply have new 'professionally made' cushions made with THINNER 'uncompressible' foam!!!!!!
for the spice rack, get those magnetic one, and use that storage for something else or redesign it. and for your problem about feet and height, i think that extra step is a good idea for space for the stuff you have in your hanging closet.
SPice rack suggestion - cut another opening in your stove cover then you access the spices. Have it hinge at the top so it doesn't come back down on your stove and hitting your pots. Magnet would hold it to the cabinet.
My thoughts exactly ‼️
get a wall mounted spice rack and use the old one for other crap. LOL maybe cut the cushions to half thickness and sew up the slack?
This is a good idea too.
Noticing that all the hanging clothes seem to belong to Trent. Why do his T-shirt’s need to hang? Seems like a colossal waste of space.
Replace the dense foam with memory foam...thats if the cover has a zip :)
You could add a slide-out foot rest with a very light pressure hydraulic inside, that slides out when you kick it(like a latch that unlatches a cabinet door when you push in on it), and latches closed when you slide it back in with your foot. No need to even bend down.
For the seat issue install a flip down foot rest. Only needs to be ~8 inches and can flip up and lock in place when not in use. Flip down when seated. Problem solved.
The chopping block, take the hinges off and lift it up and put on the sink or table when cooking.
Simple cool idea.
Then you are constantly juggling and relocating a big piece of wood
No don't juggle it.
Thats what I would do
Buy some platform shoes. Allie, I believe Lady Gaga has some for sale. Sorry, Trent, you gotta make your own.
Plenty of drag queens with platform shoes.
about the spices dilema its a easy fix, make the wooden stove top slideable to a side and will also serve as an extra table. and leave the spices free to acces
Spice rack problem, cut a hole, the size of the spice rack, in the stove cover. Insert it & remove it, as needed. BRILLIANT‼️
flat box, roof water tank for shower use, if you have it in black it's ideal for the use in warm/hot climates it will heat in the sun to a comfortable temp.
The extra storage space to fix the benches could also solve one of the earlier listed problems. More water. 40-33=7. So you could store a five or seven gallon jug there and it’d be close enough to run the line to just the drinking water filter.
1. 46 gallon tank in mine
2. Kitchen not built yet
3. I accounted for my cushion... my benches will perfect. I agree with her. Sorry Trent
4. My closet will probably end up the same way so I'm not worried 😂
5. I bought a 54 quart costway chest style freezer it's great. $399
Put the same foam cushion on the floor and raise the floor 3.5 inches that way.
So pausing at 6:22 to comment on the three things you hate so fare
1 water capacity. Can you just get some external containers and hand pump it into your water storage? Think WW2 Jeep and Jerry can
2 spice rack can you still put a spice rack where you no thing it would fit better and just have that much extra storage, or is something already there? Other idea: I’m looking at the towel rack that hangs on my bathroom door, fashion something like that that fits over the top edge of your stove cover and you can have a small selection of spices there
Seat cushion
Make existing cushion the back of the seat and a one inch memory foam the new seat cushion. So far these problems seem very easy fixes
Regarding water, I saw a video on taking a shower using only a half gallon, the method is, a sump pump in the bottom of the shower that passes the water through a sock and a water filter and back up to the shower head. I would delete the water filter, add another sock, and add either an instant water heater or tubes that push the water through sun-heated black rubber something, which you can put outside the van. The video poster said he got all the components off Amazon. I think you should look into this and it is a LOT more practical than storing more water.
Water is easy and this solved my problem. Get an atmospheric water maker. Pulls moisture out of the atmosphere. Mine is solar powered and makes 3 to 5 gallons per day depending on humidity. It is cooking and drinking water. Dump what is left over into your water tank. It's clean filtered and free.
Instead of increasing your water amount, try recycling your water! Have it go through multiple filters! I saw a YT video on it just dont remember who did it 😅
Its recirculating water. Lots of people are doing it. Wando tales have one. I don't know if I spelled that right...they were with the Matney's for a while.
@@lethiapage4767 I was gonna suggest wando tales video also!
@@helloall4013 GMTA! Happy trails bigmama!
YES, i just watched this video and commented above with it. th-cam.com/video/L0AR4COFJng/w-d-xo.html
That's possible but it can be a headache to clean and maintain those systems. Especially when traveling outside of NA. One thing they should look at is a hiking filter to filter questionable water before it goes into the van. It might take a little longer but then they don't have to worry about their tank so much. That being said I hope they are doing a chlorine flush once in a while, Even with clean water stuff cab build up in those tanks,
All of these floor/couch ideas just made me wonder why you don't just get a foot rest.
Or new cushions
get a sturdy cushion for the floor to be used only while sitting ther.
Add a pull out drawer underneath the hanging clothes so you can access the stuff with out digging through the clothes. 👍
Stove cover is hinges and flips to the right and doubles as counter space while cooking
How about magnetic spice rack and those black roof top solar heated water pipes? #VanLife #TA
I watch Alton Brown's show a lot ( food channel@altonbrown) and he has these neat magnetic spice jars made from metal that attach to the door of his to die for kitchen.
I was thinking similar, and/or to the underside of the adjacent cupboard above sitting height. The old spice space can it hold the closet bottom stuff if retrofit?
Yo need to convert your shower to a recirculating shower. Wando Tales has one. Both of You can shower for as long as you want with 5 gallons of water and wash Frank before you throw ot the water
In days of olden, there was one tub to bathe in, each took their turn with the baby last, hence the saying, don't throw the baby out with the bath water..
Yes, because I want to shower in dirty water.
@@vidguy007 not if you do it right with the correct filters and ultraviolet light unit.
Soup 2 Nuts or you could learn to be efficient
@@vidguy007 have you ever had a swim in a river or in a creek or even in the ocean? Guess what lives in the ocean and does not get out to go potty? Everything! from crabs up to wales.... did that ever stop you. And lets not forget what all that fresh rain gets to run over before it winds up in a creek or a river. Dead animals; and the crap from every animal that ever lived.; and the fresh water fish that still do not get out of the water to go potty. And as Soup 2 Nuts already said....... filters etc. Not really rocket science. What do you suppose they do in the space station?
So listen to me right...**keep on reading for perfect soul** I was down a TH-cam rabbit hole recently from this video to Eamon and Becs video where y’all were trying to help Armita and Soheil some time ago on a video called “which size of van is right for you” and then I went to Armita and Soheils channel where they were giving van tours to strangers and guess what, they have the perfect solution for y’all!! Their bench is higher but they have built drawer size storage underneath the bench that’s door lifts up and acts as a foot rest!! And it doesn’t break the flow of the floor!! Y’all have to check it out!
Solution *
Rotopax water tank or two that you can store anywhere flat or upright so you can pour it into what you have. Swap out the material in the cushions to memory foam like you planned to begin with. Re design the spice rack into the flip up. Do a 4 link slide that closes the spices into place when closed.
Shower water fix: Catch water in small tub at your feet and pump/recirculate it using two filters (could even use a foot pump ….but you would have to pump and scrub at the same time).
Reduce the amount of flow coming out of your water taps. This will force you to use less water for dishes, conserving more for drinking.
Agree. 😉
And even use a soapy squirt bottle to soap up dishes. And a water squirt bottle to rinse them. Have your big tank just for showers. Have a different tank for drinking water.
Just watched the Matney's most recent video. Their discussion of water use is interesting and funny!
@@PoodleParti Great ideas! I'm going to do this! Thanks!
@@PoodleParti Agreed! Using the higher pressure from the squirt bottle allows you to rinse with less water. Simple physics!
Have new seat cushions made and flip up the existing cushions and use for back cushions. 😉😎 Easy peasy 😂
Specifically, get new firm cushions that are 1-1.5” thick...
For the stove cover, can you sort of "cut" a window into it that hinges off to the right once you have it popped up against the spice cabinet? A door in a door kinda thing?
thats exactly what i was thinking
We buy one gallon jugs and refill them use them for drinking and cooking and dog water. Use our tanks for showers and dish washing. We also use paper products plates, cups, and use paper towels in the plastic paper plate holders. Less to wash. I also only use about 2 gallons to shower. Wet, soap, rinse done. I am shaved too. I lived in Arizona and water is expensive and found a way to take shorter showers so we didn't have a 300 bill.
i haven’t watched yet but believe some overlooked areas in van builds are weighing what goes in, how to keep the temperature reasonable if you have animals and are out exploring for almost any length of time, what the distance should be bt cabinets and other Ie, hallway, best advice on laundry, safety information( from others mostly but even wildlife, how much water per day per person, and animals, how to limit stuff,
#1: Water: Take loose water tanks and put them low (under the bed). If there is no space, get a bigger RV. Use Micropur (european, don't know US-Equiv.). Put hygienic dirty tanks on the roof full with water. The sun kills nearly everything.
#2: Spices: Train your brain and put the needed spices on the table before cooking. Or: Design the massive table thing optionally to be taken out.
#3: Cushion: Make a new one and create a takeout cushion within it for Allie. Or: Put a small doggys cushion just in front of the bed, so her feet have the rest position. Or: Couples really loving each other have the female feet resting on the male ones. Trent could even use a small garage-like cushion so Allie could park on top of it.
#4: Mess: Solved urself
#5: Fridge: Design error. Toploader! with big insulation (3-4 inches)! Idea: Get that fridge out and put a DC-drawout-toploader on its place. Think about economizing space of cooling stuff. F.e.: After buying veggies, cut them into cubes and store them in tupperware or the like. Another thing: If driving in heat, you can heavily cool down stuff wrapped into a wet towel on the roof of the RV. The sunnier the better. The beer can be cooled down just before consumption. The meat has to be cooled all time.
Doesn't look like you've got any ventilation to the back of your fridge... Having worked with all sorts of cooling systems, i can tell you that this is your problem.... Not the fridge.
... The heat gets sucked out of the coldstorage but accumulates behind the fridge where its supposed to be ventilated away... So you need a vent hole at the bottom to let air in and one at the top to let it out... The one at tge top would be great to vent out of the car
LeaLöwin I agree. If you enclose the back of a regular refrigerator, it won’t run cold. But you guys got a much more efficient DC fridge now so that’s great.
@@PersonaN007Grata more efficient fridge, maybe... But you can't fool thermodynamics... If you collect a KW of thermalenergy inside the fridge, you need to get rid of it some where... If you dont vent it away, you will heat up the surrounding furniture until they have the same temp as the coolingfinns in the back of the fridge...then it stops working
I couldn't hang with the dog hair and dog farts in such a small space, sorry Frank. But your Frisbee skills are epic!!! 👏
In my van my seats are the right height but I don't like my feet touching the floor ,so I have a stool about 8 inches high to put my feet on. This also is handy to take outside as a seat or table for coffee. I use it all over the place for everything. Easy to pick up and move.
You're being in the van a couple of years Shirley basic maintenance and DIY you could have sorted these things out yourself. Seat feet not reaching floor. Install a drop down pedestal. Or put a cushion on the floor Spice Rack move it simple as. You have a great van. The little grapes you have a reasonably rectified. Nice video thank you for your fine work
Happy camping be safe
U have to vent the back of the fridge way too much heat back there ever rv fridge is vented
Thedevontree
Plus they have it jampacked, nowhere for airflow, I bet the freezer is worse. Airflow and ventilation are absolutely imperative for any fridge to cool.
I made the same mistake on my narrowboat. AC fridge powered thru a 2kw inverter. Flattened a bank of 24 x 100kwh batteries in a week. Ended up switching it off and just using it as a larder for tinned goods. 🙃
Andrew Green .
After just breaking a toe on an uneven floor, Allie is right.
No step - keep the flow of the floor. I vote new cushions.
THANK YOU! For being true to everyone and not just share the perfect camera worthy moments of van life :) It's really helpful for people who actually are looking to start a life style like this
xx
Go to a foam shop and try out foam slab samples to get the height and feel you want. Then have your cushions remade- I just thought of a down and dirty way to do that...sew a big tuck in the band to reduce size-could be on the outside of cushion or the inside. ( Or have a pro cut down the band to fit the new foam.
build a recirculating shower. Check Snow and Curt on TH-cam.
or just stick a 4" pipe shower with 10 gallons on the roof. Weather is warm enough for outside use. As a reserve you could gravity fill inside when dry. Looks more like a contractors vehicle, can cruise empty for economy, and demount inside for the container loading.
th-cam.com/video/L0AR4COFJng/w-d-xo.html
@@TheStickyBusiness Thank you
A 10 minute shower for a gallon (or less) of water. That's a huge deal. You'd think recirculating showers would be standard for ALL van builds.
It will be in mine.
@@kbtred51 that's what we are designing for our van. We are using 2' pvc though, heats up quick in the sun plus I'm doing 2 rows around the top, makes it kind of like a small railing around my Solar Panels. Will hold almost 14 gallons of water just for the shower. Drain on top to fill up easy
Why not put a cushion on the floor for when sitting
Just lower the benches by taking off the top, and remove some of the wood, then refix the top.
Easier said than done‼️Just ask Trent or any carpenter.
of course, I know, I've also build a van. But could be a solution
Make a footstool that you can fold flat and allows her to put her feet up. Also, there are inflatable, 3 hights in one footstools available that are amazing. There are many simple, cheap solutions to that proble. And for the spice rack problem, make the countertop fold to the side and use make a support that folds back into the wall or the bed frame to support the stovetop. That will also give her extra work surface! Just a few ideas 😊
Suggestion: have a push pop-up step as a foot rest platform, built into the floor. That way it can be flush with the ground when unused. And ideally it can open just using your feet to push down, then again (with a bit of force) to put it away.
have you considered rain collection for your water problem?
I'm planning this as well. It will not always be available but will definitely help.
Toss a cushion on the floor for your feet.
Here I was thinking, cool fridge install video! Now I’m sad. Hope it all works though.
A neat idea would be to use the board over the stove for a table. make detachable legs and you can set it up between the benches to make a sort of breakfast nook thing.
Take the cushions back to the maker and have them change out the foam for softer stuff. It will be substantially lower cost than remaking them from scratch.