Design and layout of a van conversion is a tricky proposition, as every available inch has a huge impact on the final livability of the van.
The new 2016 Ford Transit cargo van is coming soon and there’s still a lot to do and prepare for the conversion. One of those things is the design and layout of the van. Over the past few months, I have been working on the layout towards a good and hopefully somewhat unique design.
I filled in the wheel wells (53.5″ width between both of them) and recognized immediately how much less usable space was available for what I had planned.
I have come closer to a decision on a toilet too: a cassette toilet has probably more benefits for me than a regular RV toilet. The conversion is designed for one person, so the size of the cassette is a non issue. Avoiding a black water tank AND a roof ventilation stack are a big plus for me. Moving the bathroom backwards has no impact on the location of the toilet, with access to the cassette from the rear.
This new location for the bathroom, also brings it closer to a possible ‘built-in’ ventilation opportunity, thus avoiding a second roof vent above the shower.
I do realize, that this layout work on paper or on the computer is only good enough for preliminary work and that the final plans have to be substantiated in the actual van, where layout can be correctly sized and all variables can be taken into account. One such variable is the gray water storage tank, that has to be located preferably between the shower and the sink. But I’m still unsure if I can assign some space underneath the floor of the van. That has to wait until the new van arrives!
As soon as the wood subfloor is in, I’ll use tape to precisely indicate the locations of the major design elements, to avoid any miscalculations.
advertisement