On the passengers side of the EVC, underneath the window, part of the wall is inset, with a small bungee net that is only big enough to hold a slim paperback and maybe a few pairs of undies (we even called it the “undies area”). We got sick of not having any real storage on that side of the bed, so some serious surgery was in order. Got out my handy cutting tool:...
Our reliable Trojan “house” battery was nearing the end of it’s usable camping life (no longer as many days between charges), so I made the switch to a dual 6 volt system. The 12 volt battery we had (Trojan 30 XHS) provided 130 amp/hours - the 6 volt (Trojan T-105) provides 225 amp/hours. More power in almost the same space - how cool is that? This required removing the existing battery box, installing a new box (after modifying the box with parts from the old box, as well as latches and seals), installing a smaller box for the battery disconnect switch, and while I was at it, installing a new battery meter....
A couple of years ago, while traveling on Route 66 in humid Missouri, chunks of foam started blowing out of our dash vents, filling the cab with sticky bits of disintegrating material - quite a mess. I had remembered reading on the eurovanupdate list that this was from the “blender box” in the air conditioning system - the box that regulates the air flow from the heater, directs air to the defrost, floor, etc....
Here are some photos of how our platform bed is put together. The wood is 3/4 inch birch plywood, the hinges are brass piano hinges, and aluminum angle is used to create the “box” portion and other supports. View from the back: My method for holding the platform in place: The platform is hinged in such a way as to form a seat (from before we had a drawer): View with platform removed (looking towards the back of the van): We have a drawer under the bed that is also used to support the front edge of the platform: Small pieces of wood “flip up” to prevent the drawer from sliding back: Pins, set in brass bushings, are used to hold the seat closed, as well as hold the platform in the “upright” position: Countersunk bolts are used to connect the “box” to the floor: I removed the metal plate that was used to support the bench seat and replaced it with a piece of plywood with brass inserts - I have heard of others keeping the metal plate in place, and sliding the box into the angle pieces on this plate - that is a pretty slick idea!...
We only travel with one table, but once you have dishes on that, you don’t have much room to prepare anything - like coffee after lunch! We mocked up a “mini” table out of plywood before our desert trip to see if this idea would work - it was such a success, I now need to make one out of maple. Our “big” table is also out of maple (much nicer than laminate!...
The EuroVan has a small cabinet to the left of the sink/stove - we call it the “Food Cabinet”. Below this cabinet is a small drawer, which is poorly designed - it cannot open to it’s full depth, and is a pain to get back in place if you pull it out. Others have added “normal” drawer slides to the drawer to improve its usability - we started to do this, and then decided to redo the entire cabinet - like so:...
Usually when we camp, we just use our furnace to warm up in the morning, then shut it off after getting out of bed. When we were up in the mountains of Nevada, and it was really chilly, we let the furnace run for quite some time, and I was surprised at how often the furnace would cycle on and off. After reading a few posts on the eurovanupdate list about “short cycling” thermostats, I replaced our original Honeywell thermostat with a new Suburban thermostat....
Reading a post on the eurovanupdate list, I heard about a company making insulation for the inside of the pop top. This was an idea that we had, ever since a very cold night in the mountains of Nevada. So I contacted Fancher’s Upholstery and after a few emails, decided to order one. After a couple weeks (they make 2 at a time), the insulation arrived, nicely packaged: You can see the instruction sheet, roll of velcro, stuff sack, and the Fancher business card (I love little touches like that…)...
I recently replaced my “house” battery, and since those darn things are not cheap I wanted to take good care of it. In the Camper, there is a “converter” - it’s job is to supply 12 volts to the furnace, power to 12 volt outlets, and to charge the house battery when connected to AC (“shore power”). The stock converter is a Magnatek - a HUGE unit that provides very “dirty” (unregulated) 12 volts, as well as poor performance as a battery charger....
After having our Norcold fridge fail on us (fuse blew on the DC heater) during a long slog up the coast on a rainy Thanksgiving (fortunately all the leftovers were in another ice chest!), I decided that I needed a way to monitor the fridge temperature remotely. I found that Engel (makers of electric coolers) have a remote temperature accessory - product link that looked to be a perfect solution....