UKC

I have access to Brand New vans on a regular basis. These vans are literally anything from small vans, Vito size vans upto huge 4.3m monsters. Oh the major stipulation is that after every trip I use a van, no trace of it being used is left. IE I cant cut holes in it or alter anything of the van

I haven't the budget these days to buy one and convert it so I am looking into purchasing a stand alone 'camper pod' which I can put into whatever van I choose to use. The pod would cover any cooking needs, a sink and possibly a little storage for food & clothes etc.

My thoughts are to have some kind of off the floor beds so the cold flooring isn't too much of an issue (The floors are all lined at least) and some magnetic lighting etc.

My worries are

1) These vans will more often than not have a bulkhead in them so airflow will be lower (I have checked and the bulkheads are not air tight as they have louvres in them. Can you get into issues with lack of air?

2) The cold. They will basically be uninsulated. Obviously the time of the year will dictate this but how cold does a uninsulated van get say upto October.

TBH the idea is that I would use it for single night trips only. Not into touring about but have a need to have something that will make longer trips more bearable. This would let me sleep over after a long day to make the trip back the next day a bit easier.

Any help appreciated

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:

Folding bed from argos (or similar) to keep you off the floor and then sleeping bag and pillow?

Build your own "box" for kitchen / cooking. and a clothes rail type wardrobe.

Not sure what to suggest about heating it, no van or car is actually sealed but if you are worried about running out of air, add a CO/CO2 detector?

In reply to rallymania:

You might be thinking of a carbon _monoxide_ detector, which will detect the result of fuel combustion, but not "running out of air". Obviously, cooking or burning anything in a close space like a van is very unwise.

Respiration during sleep will reduce oxygen and increase carbon dioxide. I'm not an expert, but provided there is some ventilation then there shouldn't be more problems than in a small tent. Might get stuffy though.

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:

Don't get locked in it! If you can't get into the cabin most unconverted vans can't be opened from in the load bay.

And yes this is the (embarrassed) voice of experience speaking!

In reply to andyjohnson0:

CO is Carbon Monoxide...?

In reply to gav:

I know. Thelittlesthobo asked about ventilation while sleeping. Sleeping doesn't generate carbon monoxide.

Carbon dioxide detectors are available, but they're not commonly used in domestic settings as CO2 isn't toxic in low concentrations. Its hard to imagine a person sleeping for a few hours in a van poisoning themself with their own exhaled CO2.

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:

I have an uninsulated van (Transporter size) and it does get cold on nights away between about October and April, but I use at least one duvet and a thick fleecy blanket thing. And for the depths of winter I will sleep under both of those in my down sleeping bag, so I am always toasty, its just cold when you get out of bed!

For single nights away Im sure the lack of insulation wont make you lose too much sleep if you wrap up!

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:

Yeah done it loads just wrap up warm

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:
A dirt cheap pop up festival tent should be pretty warm in the still air of the back of a van.
In the back of a van it doesn't need to be waterproof, windproof or pegged down.

Not very pod-like and not very sophisticated though

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:
I bought a T5 with the intention of doing a full conversion i neber got round to it because i found that it suits my needs better to just use it with a couple of fold out £25 go outdoors camp bedswith duvets ontop for extra comfort, everything fits under them when in use. I occasionaly use a solar shower bag in warmer weather.
I stretch a tarp over the back doors when opened to give an undercover ventilated space to cook. Moisture isnt an Issue if you air the van out after a weekend away , longer trips in wet weather may be an problem.

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:

Folding beds can be cold, because the canvas offers no insulation to speak of and your sleeping bag is squashed up beneath you. Much the same as a hammock. The simplest solution to that is to chuck a camping mat on top.

Running out of air won't be an issue but if it's cold outside and the van is unlined you should expect a fair bit of condensation on the metal walls & ceiling - probably not enough to cause any major problems over a couple of nights though.

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:

Hi guys, thanks for the replies.

I put similar on another forum I am a member of and have come to the conclusion that I was over thinking it. I have most of the stuff I need from my camping trips so why buy it again in a wooden box.

2 x Camping beds from go outdoors = £50
Couple of big stackable boxes for cooking stuff etc - £10
Couple of old bedsheets sown together and held on roof by magnets to stop condensation - Free
I have a jetboil system, sleeping bags, tables, chairs, crockery etc. Even have washing bowl and stuff for tent camping all boxed up.

Been assured enough times that even in the smaller Vito/T5 type van there should be enough airflow for me and my daughter not to have too many issues sleeping (Probably make it warmer)

Getting locked in would be funny. I will ensure there is zero chance of that

Wouldn't be doing it past October and probably start agin in March so hopefully warmth wouldn't be too much of an issue.

Would probably be one night, once or twice a month so nothing heavy.

Thanks for the suggestions.

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:

Condensation is a problem in my Transit on cold nights. I hang an old sheet from one side of the roof to the other to stop the vapour from our breath collecting and dripping down. Your idea of boxes and cheap pads is best.

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:

Condensation form breathing and cooking will be the biggest problem, esp. in cold but above zero weather. Kitchen roll or an old towel are your friend... If handing van back with condensation covered metal/windows etc. is a problem, drive home with the windows down a bit and the heating up a bit!

Temp wise, in an un-insulated van, once you've had your final brew and got in bags, it'll quickly drop to be pretty much whatever the outside temp is. In the morning, perhaps even colder as any sun warms the air outside but (esp if white) your van air space will take longer to warm up.

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:

you should be sure you have enough ventilation for the carbon monoxide when cooking

Get a tailgate lock so that you can leave (securely) a tailgate ajar.
Various supplier such as
http://www.ventlock.com/tailgatelock.php

In reply to Thelittlesthobo:

I've done it quite often in my mates transit. I throw a big rug on the floor, a camping bed (fishing type) from go outdoors and rig a tarp up over the back to cook under. Often I've stayed in Keswick up on Blencathra street....a few beers in the dog and gun then get in the van for a kip! It's just like camping but always waterproof....I leave the window open a bit for ventilation but it's all straightforward!

In reply to abr1966:


Don't let an over enthusiastic copper see you doing that.

In reply to Lusk:

I know!! I always have a good look around before I get in!

In reply to rallymania:

Forget about heating the Van and invest in the best sleeping bag you can afford, in the morning and evenings run the car heater when you need warming up.

In reply to Greasy Prusiks:



All my vans have always had handles on the inside of the door to stop you doing this, I've never come across one that hasn't.

In reply to Wsdconst:

Maybe I just struck unlucky but I can confirm that this particular one didn't.

In reply to Wsdconst:


I have. Definitely worth checking first.

Quite amusing story on here once about getting locked inside a Focus car.

Usually fairly easy to cut a bit of the inside panel away to get a finger to the lock. Do this before you need to

In reply to Greasy Prusiks:


I wasn't doubting you, it just seems weird manufacturers wouldn't give you at least one handle in the back so you could get out if the door closed.

In reply to Wsdconst:

Yeah definitely a bit of an oversite. I'm just glad it didn't happen in the middle of Canada or anything, a pretty grim way to go.