Any way you look at it, 2020 has started out as a crazy year… Before the craziness started, Ramona had been dreaming, then setting her mind to what would be a great way to set out on the adventures she wanted to do. Of course it was infectious, and pretty soon those dreams started to turn into plans and ideas.
This memorial day marks the weekend where some all those plans came together, and it’s time to introduce Vandaloo!
This picture is taken on a cool cloudy afternoon in Tillamook Oregon.
This van is a 2020 Ford Transit that has been fully decked out inside and out. You’ll see the custom surf board carriers on the drivers side, and an awning on the passenger side for hanging out after playing in the waves. We’re still trying to figure out the bike rack for the back hitch, and likely a little rack that can be used to keep the grill out of our ‘garage’.
These panels are rated at 200 watts, which will keep the Lithium Ion battery pack charged when the sun is shining… We did get a second alternator on the van to keep things charged up as well. You can see two roof vents/fans as well, for those warm evenings! We got things wired for AC, but running AC for any extended period of time is a major power drain.
A garage when you’re traveling should prove to be handy for storage, toys, etc. On the right-hand side is a 26 gallon water tank, and on the left is batteries and electrical. This keeps weight a bit more balanced out while driving.
The bed above (California King) is a bit hard to describe, but the front portion “slides back” to open up the dining room, which is where Ramona is sitting…
The dining room – when the bed is out of the way and just over the garage, extends over the dining room, and when it’s tucked away we have plenty of space to eat, play cards, or work on websites… 🙂
On one side of the bed is storage consisted of some custom cabinetry. You can see the window and window covering below. There’s quite a bit of storage for clothes, etc. The pillows make the space look pretty tight, but when everything is neatly made, there’s quite a bit of space….
The other side of the bed, with plenty of room for storage.
The dining table is on a swivel that will go up/down, and spin back. That way it serves as a work table when making gourmet mac & cheese, or can be lowered for eating, working, or whatever. The coat closet is below the fridge, off to the right.
The fridge is small but workable. It has a small freezer as well. Above the fridge is a microwave. One that is at about the right height for me!
We have a 2 burner stove (propane), and a deep sink (no oven). There’s storage below the sink and fridge for dishes, food, etc. I happened to be enjoying the formal dining room, which is made possible thanks to front seats that rotate…
She looks a little too happy doesn’t she? The bathroom has an airhead composting toilet, and a shower. I won’t lie – it’s not big, but I can actually stand up in it, and the water heater puts out very hot water almost immediately. The composting toilet will likely get multiple blog posts! Many nights of intense research went into that (and not by me)!!!
The kitchen is pretty workable. There’s a little pop-up table for food prep, and you’ll see 110V outlets for things like a coffee maker or other appliances. The inverter seems to work well!
Ramona put a lot of design time into this layout, as this was a “full custom” deal. Van Specialties built this out and definitely helped with the details, but when you show up at their shop, you an empty canvas to work with, and it’s up to you to paint the picture (don’t get me wrong, they were very helpful, but you have to drive the design).