Tabula Rasa Part 5-- a Bed in the NV200 Campervan
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- In Part 5, I show how I built the van bed in the NV200 camper. I also cover the new house battery, DC to DC charger, and inverter. Yes, there's also a solar panel, but not where you'd expect it! The harder to find components are listed below. Be sure to stay for the Yellowstone and Tetons footage at the end. Then, find me on OdysseyCamper.com Thanks for watching!
Stay tuned for more progress in the Nissan NV200 camper conversion to vanlife duties!
Contour Tracing Tool: amzn.to/37Ic2al
Pre-cut Wood Bed Slats: amzn.to/2VJUjJK
Renogy 30A Charge Controller: amzn.to/2VHGKL1
Flexible 100W Solar Panel: amzn.to/2JMHifT
Renogy 20A DC-DC Battery Charger: amzn.to/36K6wEx
12V Digital Volt Gauge: amzn.to/3oshx3z
12V Illuminated Switch (latching)
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#chevycityexpresscamper #vanbedbuild #vansolar
“Wow”. I’m watching a lot of van build videos for ideas, great content, but had to comment and thank you for the ending with the geyser, especially the kid in background yelling “wow”!
Glad you liked it. Thank you for watching!
Thanks 🙏✌️🌎💞
Enjoying it. Very different from Odyssey build with more built in stuff and house battery, etc. Curious to see how roof vent fan works for you. I think it was Into the Mystery that did a floor vent which I found concerning...exhaust fumes coming in etc??? But I think Forresty Forrest uses one like you're installing with good results. He's in very small Chevy mini van.
Hi Jeana, glad you like it! I actually thought about floor vents but I’m not THAT concerned about stealth (assuming that was the reason). I also thought about wiring the vehicle dash fans to the house battery, to push air through. It’s all an experiment, as you know ;-) I will check out that guy’s channel (fun fact, Forrest Is my middle name!).
@@OdysseyCamper seriously?! Forrest? Wow. That's interesting about wiring the dash fans. Would there be a separate switch from on board controls? And wired to house battery? Any thought given to Chinese diesel heater?
@@jeanariley7759 LOL, yes; the name is a true story! I would run the power through a contactor (relay) so that the fan could only be powered by one source at a time. It could also be run through a thermostat. I’ve seen the Chinese Diesel heaters and always wonder if these people remembered the CO detector. Not sure I’d trust my life to one while I’m sleeping. However, if we assume they are “safe” then it’s an intriguing idea for people that park for a few days. When I stay somewhere cold I am either hiking or driving during the day. So when I stop I’m only sleeping and I’m warm and toasty in the sleeping bag. But it would be great for the time that I’m not in the bag and for the morning. My little heater is on a timer so it kicks in before I get up, but it’s like a midget breathing on my ankles. Real warmth would be a nice luxury!
@@OdysseyCamper yeah and good , dry heat. Don't know if low O2 shut off cuz everything happens outside of van. I'd do CO2 detector anyway cuz I cook in van with butane and right now heat van with butane. I got a couple of those wood stove fans to sit on heater. They work great! Makes a world of difference!
@@jeanariley7759 I think everyone should have one, if for no other reason than we are in metal boxes, with a fuel burning engine at one end.
It’s good to hear from you! This year had been especially busy for me and I’m having trouble keeping up with everyone. I wrote a my longest post ever for the blog, covering my travels this year, only to run into a technical problem with WordPress when I tried to add pictures. Hopefully I get it sorted in time for the holidays. Best wishes to you and yours for Christmas and the New Year!
Nice build so far. What do you think of this vs. the Odyssey so far? Does not having the extra length/ width make a massive difference?
Thanks! I like building in what is essentially a big cube (or breadbox). There are fewer curved surfaces and space lost to plastic upholstery, compared to the Odyssey. Also, the floor is completely flat. Driving wise, the Odyssey beats it in every other way, including fuel mileage. But for a build where you want to do it your own way, the NV200 is hard to beat. Actually, there is one other way that the NV wins...ground clearance. Especially with the taller tires I've fitted. The Odyssey is inches closer to the ground at the rocker panels and the oil pan is very close to the ground if you do any rock climbing (who does that, right ;-)
You gave up your trusty Coleman cot. I see the beauty of a built bed that conforms to the van contours and your body shape. Do you find it more comfortable than the cot setup?
I still have the cot, but as I get older and ahem...spread out, a wider bed is more comfortable. I'm a side sleeper which meant that my arm was always hanging over the side rail and I'd wake up with a sore arm or worse, a numb arm (whose hand is touching me?!?!). But, if you are under 6 feet and especially if you sleep on your back, the cot would be perfect. Thanks again for checking out my videos!
Thanks for the info on the firm foam. Do you have a sense of how much some of the less firm foams compresses? I’m thinking about a sliding bed that’s a couch during the day, but I’m not sure how tall to make the base. I’m 6’, so if the foam compresses some, I could have a slightly taller base that would give more room for storage.
The less firm foam compresses about 25% but my advice is to go to one of these stores and request a piece to sit on. The taller you are, the more your weight is distributed and the less it compresses. It seemed like mine compresses about an inch. I’m 6’ 4” and 250 lbs.
Thanks! That gives me a good starting point.
Does your NV have D-ring tie downs on the floor?
Hi Karin, Yes it does. They come standard on the SV trim level of the NV200, but you can order them for the other trim levels. I removed the rings and put in extended screws to hold the subfloor down, but it’s a 5 min job to reattach them. I leave them off when I’m not carrying a pallet because they are painful to step on, LOL!
About how wide did u end up with on the widest part. I looking for a van (maybe conversation van). I debating a full twin or a 30 inch one.
I should have put that in the video! At the widest, it is 36". I wanted more than 30" because I'm a side sleeper and my arm used to hang over the edge of my 30" bed. I'm 6'5", so this may or may not be an issue for you. The frame rails are 30" apart but the slats hang over the edge.
@@OdysseyCamper I'm a wide body myself, and I found 30" is wide enough for me. I ordered foam online, and got 5" fairly firm for about $90. I built my bunk with 2x4s, and used 3/4" plywood. You have a lighter, cleaner, neater build than mine. It looks very nice and neat. I'm subscribing and will follow along. Nice video!
@@scottrosenberger8696 Thanks, I'm flattered but you didn't see all the half-starts I made. I learn a little bit more each time. I used a 30" cot for years and it would be perfect for a back sleeper, but I was always waking up with a numb arm draped across the edge of the cot. Thanks for watching and for the sub, it's appreciated!
@@OdysseyCamper
I'm a large person too and I will hang my leg off if it isn't big enough. I think I'm going to try it at home and stack many pillows in the middle of my queen size bed to see if 30 inches is enough. Thanks for the information.
That’s a great idea!
Nice video. I like that you show everything. The good and the bad. Every van build has things you don't like, you just noticed them because you are working on it and focused on it, if you show it to someone else they won't even notice !