Tag Archives: sofa

Design, General, Interior, Murphy Bed, Projects

“What Do A Bed, Desk And Picture Frame Have In Common?”

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For a converted cargo van to work optimally, multiple-use furniture and a clever use of accessories, is needed to make living in a van comfortable.

The Details

Getting the general design and color scheme right, is one thing; implementing all the details, is an other matter. Before I can build the Murphy bed, every little detail has to be thought out and drawn up. I could buy the bed mechanism, but that would set me back another $300-$400. pivot pointI prefer some home-made solutions, that require a smaller investment. Starting with the main axle, I could buy some off-the-shelf bearings, couplings and bolts and create my own pivoting points.
But there is more to it: I chose for a limited torsion box as the base of the bed, a single handle at the top, that matches up with the cabinet handles above the bed. The legs will be removable and I might use parts of a standard door lock/handle, to keep the bed secured to the wall, while driving.

Then there are the decisions of how to integrate the bed into the wall: will you make it flush or close it on top of the wall. I opted for a flush installation, but with a relatively wide (approx. ¾ inch) space around the frame. Continue reading “What Do A Bed, Desk And Picture Frame Have In Common?” →

Design, General, Interior, Murphy Bed, Projects

“What Do A Bed, Desk And Picture Frame Have In Common?”

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Choice of a comfortable bed and a subtle integration of a workspace, are probably some of the most important features of this van conversion.

As the start of the van conversion comes closer, I have begun buying some materials, as you can read in Why I Order Chinese And Get It Delivered and started making some final design decisions. The first modifications of the van will entail the basics, such as electronics (usb, cameras & sensors), floor installation, ceiling & floor vents and cabin curtain. These are all relatively quick and easy to install and lay the foundation for the rest of the conversion.

Color and Design

formica -samplesToday I got into the details of the sleeping arrangements. After completing the ventilation, the floor and the privacy mods, the first real woodworking project, I wanted to initiate was the proposed Murphy bed, just as a way to optimize the building process. Continue reading “What Do A Bed, Desk And Picture Frame Have In Common?” →

Design, General, Interior

How To Design Your Conversion Van Layout

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Buying a new cargo van brings with it a complete new design of the interior of the van. During the last few months, I have been working on some ideas that make it stand out from the standard van conversions. One such idea is incorporating a Murphy bed, that creates more living space during the daytime, while avoiding the fold of a sleeper sofa.

In addition to the bed, I have been playing around with a rear storage area and a desk design with a built-in wall picture. The rear kitchen fascinates me and the bathroom still poses problems to the design. Continue reading How To Design Your Conversion Van Layout →

General, Removal

Removal cont. 1

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009After yesterday’s sofa bed, today I’ll keep it simple by only removing a few small items. Next in line is the inside luggage rack, composed of just a few strips attached thru the carpet to the subfloor. Those were gone a few minutes later.

Originally I bought this van as a Mark III conversion van; the company is long gone but the interior is still looking fairly good. The removal of items so far has taught me how flimsy everything has been put together. I am astonished that nothing has fallen apart yet.

010In front of both wheel cases I have two cool boxes that have to go next. I took me a while to figure out, how they were connected to the walls and floor: just a few screws in strategic places. As soon as I removed them, the boxes collapsed and only a few small parts remained. I try not to use a sledge hammer, because I plan to reuse some of the materials. The wall coverings (thin plywood with a cloth cover) will return with a new cover, as needed. Since the walls are curved and difficult to apply, this will save me a lot of time and effort.

011I have to find out after 20 years, that the boxes were really insulated and even had tubing to the outside to expose of the melted ice.

012Flimsy attachments.

 

014More and more space.

 

 

 

After yesterday’s sofa bed, today I’ll keep it simple by only removing a few small items. Next in line is the inside luggage rack, composed of just a few strips attached thru the carpet to the subfloor. Those were gone a few minutes later.

General, Removal

Time for the Beast

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008

Lots of planning, designing and redesigning has taken place. Now it is time to do the physical work.

 

 

003 002 001

Today I started to remove the sofa bed. A quick look showed it was attached with 4 bolts to the car frame.

 

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Working alone could have been a problem, but I managed to remove all four of them by constantly switching between the inside and outside. Even after 20 years, I did not need any WD-40.

 

007 006

With the sofa out of the way, the real space is showing. Can I fit a bed, closet and walkway in there? The worst part of the day was carrying the thing away; too heavy and awkward to be handled by one person.