Some of you may be wondering about my campervan in a bit
more detail. While it is very functional
and has served its purpose well, it certainly doesn’t have all the “creature
comforts” that one might desire, such as a shower, a toilet, a microwave or a
flat screen TV (just kidding). And one
thing it definitely does not have is an abundance of space.
I find myself constantly moving stuff around just so I can clear a spot
to do something or put something, only to have to move it again later (and
sometimes just a few minutes later).
Part of this is due to the limited size of the van itself and the fact
there simply isn’t very much storage space.
But, it is also due to the fact that my large checked bag will not fit
in the storage underneath the bench seat.
So at night, for example, I have to shove this bag up into the driver’s
seat (the passenger seat is the designated storage spot for my camera
backpack).
So what about the really important things like toilets and
showers. Toilets of course are wherever
you can find them. They are available at
many (though not all) of the scenic attractions, gas stations, campgrounds and,
occasionally, road-side picnic areas.
Showers are available only at campgrounds in my situation, and most
times cost extra (and where you do have to pay, sometimes it is time limited –
for example, a two-minute shower may cost $2).
As a result, I have showered only twice so far. The first time it was included in the
campground fee (fees are often $12-18), and the second time there was a charge,
but the time was not limited. This
hasn’t been a huge problem (for me anyway), but suffice to say, I use a lot of
deodorant!
Ok, so let’s take a quite tour of the living space (and I
use that term loosely). I’ve taken a few
pictures with my fish-eye lens and labeled them with the important
features (click on them to make them bigger). Refer to the “legend” at the bottom
for a full description.
Editor's Note: I'm a little behind on my regular blog posts, some I will combine Day 5 & 6 into one post, hopefully later today or early tomorrow.
Legend:
- Hooks, for towels, coats, clothing, etc. (there are only 4 hooks, and big things can get in the way of the side door, so you sometimes have to get creative.
- Portable propane camping stove. This actually works quite well. I started with 4 cylinders and just started on my second one. These are readily available at gas stations, especially near campgrounds.
- Small electric cooler. This does a pretty good job keeping things cool, though it is not very big, so you to be selective on what you buy. So far this hasn’t been a problem for me, though. It is powered by an auxiliary power supply that is described later.
- Sink with running water. See below for description of the supply. This is cold water only, so it you need hot or warm water, you need to heat some up on the camp stove. I have no idea where the drain goes, but I assume outside. Also: no garbage disposal (duh), so you have to clean any big food particles off dishes, etc. before rinsing and washing.
- Storage compartments for pots, pans, tea kettle, utensils, plates, cups/bowls, and other small items. These are okay. Just wish they were bigger!
- The two aluminum tubes (one not visible) the first arrow is pointing at fit into the square tube supports at the front of the kitchen “island” and companion supports under the bench seat. These tubes then act as supports for the bench seat back when it is broken down into a bed.
- Garbage!
- Side sliding door (note that the side windows are solid)
- Back doors. Windows are regular windows, but there are curtains can that be pulled across at night. There is usually one curtain stored just above the sink, but I keep it on the other side because it gets in the way of the sink.
- Enclosure for extra battery that is part of the auxiliary power supply (which can also be used as a storage spot when the bed is open, since one corner of the seat back rests on this). There are two large capacity batteries that make up the power supply, both of which are charged off the engine. The other battery is underneath the bench seat. This supplies power to the electric cooler, the heating system, the water pump (see #12) and the charging outlets (see #13). The heating system is a small device, also located under the bench seat, that provides heat to the compartment when the van is not running. It is powered by electricity, but also takes a slip stream of diesel to actually generate the heat, which is pumped into the compartment via a small vent at the base of the bench seat. The temperature controls are located at the far right of the rear doors (not visible in any photos). This thing is pretty darn effective, and sometimes I have to turn it off because it gets so dang hot. The only downside is that the power supply can run low on juice after a while like 6 hours), and the system will shut off. When this happens you can wake up to a bit of a chill. Solution? Start the engine and fire it back up!
- “Mud room” (this area is actually very important in order to minimize tracking in mud, water and the insidious coarse black sand, which is everywhere here in Iceland)
- Water storage for sink, which is probably around 2-1/2 gallons. There is a small pump in the container that is powered by the auxiliary power supply. To fill, simply unplug the power, disconnect the hose, and remove the container. I’ve had to fill twice already (it’s amazing how much water I have used).
- Charging outlets: one “cigarette lighter” style and two USB ports. I brought a power inverter along so I can plug into the former and have two 120V receptacles, such as for charging my laptop.
- Curtains for across the rear windows. The controls for the heating system (see #10) is behind these in the corner.
- “Pantry” (i.e., shopping bag with non-refrigerable items)
- Bench seat. Bottom lifts up for storage, and back detaches to form other section of the bed (see #6)
- Companion tubes to support round aluminum tubes described in #6.
