Van life (Climber edition)

Hello everybody,

Just recently bought a van that was partially built out, 60% Complete, still working on some details.The build is pretty close to the way Alex Honnold had his first van setup (The one before the promaster). Anyway, was wondering if anyone, or if anybody knows anywhere I can get info on how to organize things (Climbing gear [Big wall to Bouldering], camping equipment, food, clothes, etc)  and what to expect other than the obvious. This would also include potential build ideas of how to keep things organized and efficient as possible. Plus tips and tricks you've learned from personal experience would be highly appreciated! 

Note: This van would be for full-time living(2-4 Years), not just a weekend warrior. Traveling with the seasons for the best rock climbing destinations is the plan! 

Thank you in advanced!

Link to the style of Van I have and setup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CArfaGmYuGM&t=89s

climbing friend,

the peoplez living in a van cannot usually convice other human being to sleep with them, yes?

My guess is, yeah, its more than likely pretty lonely. but people don't live in vans to just have sleepovers, they do it for the access to climbing! (Or whatever they're into)

climbing friend,

ho ho ho! I make the funny! you are certain to have great adventure, and possibly even convince other human being to sleep with you!

Aleks Zebastian wrote:

climbing friend,

ho ho ho! I make the funny! you are certain to have great adventure, and possibly even convince other human being to sleep with you!

If I can convince any girl to spend a night in there, I will consider that "the win of a lifetime"

Hobo Greg wrote:

I researched and looked at all my friends vans, but nothing will prepare you for your own unique situation. Your first build will probably never be perfect, but you'll learn what to do differentl for the next time.

The problem with that is I don't really know any van living Climbers! I've asked some people on Instagram, but they tend to just ignore me. I understand the first build won't be perfect, but I would like to make it as functional and organized as possible for the first couple years without to much regret. 

Side note:  It sounds like you have a van! What is your setup if you don't mind me asking?

kendallt wrote:

Have you been to http://reddit.com/r/vandwellers - I got lots of ideas from there in my build.

I have a full size high top van with a queen size bed so it might not be the same, but making my bed high enough to fit the Walmart Rubbermaid containers under the bed is key. I have enough room under the bed for rock, ice, and mountaineering gear. Label the bins, keep them stored by frequency of use, and always keep the contents the same. You don't want to have to disassemble the entire van to find your jetboil.

Edit: oh and make sure you have good ventilation, in cold weather condensation and mold are a real problem.

This is build if you're interested http://www.abandonmoderation.com/2016/07/13/vansion-build/amp/

It's funny, I just BARLEY posted on that Subreddit haha 

Good info though, thank you for your input! I really appreciate it!

kendallt wrote:

making my bed high enough to fit the Walmart Rubbermaid containers under the bed is key....Label the bins, keep them stored by frequency of use, and always keep the contents the same. You don't want to have to disassemble the entire van to find your jetboil.

This was super key for me, especially the part about always keeping stuff in the same place. Under bed storage is a must.

check out  tads thread on Supertaco. i think the title of the tread is help a noob out? 

Nick Goldsmith wrote:

Honestly, I had originally thought about doing really nice compartments, slide outs, etc, for my "garage", but after having the van for over a year, I found just giving yourself a big fucking hole in the back is easier... You can build some racks and use plastic bins, but when I need to get in there to find one thing in a sea of hundreds of things, shit gets thrown about. After a week or two, everything is out of place anyway, no matter how hard I try to stay "organized".  

Do you find rack rack useful, as opposed to throwing all your cams on a sling in a container or something? Not being passive aggressive, it looks neat and I'm curious.

Matt Wetmore wrote:

Do you find rack rack useful, as opposed to throwing all your cams on a sling in a container or something? Not being passive aggressive, it looks neat and I'm curious.

At first, I just made it out of scrap as a joke, really. But I actually enjoy the ritual of picking out which cams to take on the day, depending on where and what I'll be climbing. Also keeps them clean, organized, easy to see if anythings missing. I have a lot of cams and hated having them in a bin, and every time I needed a rack for the day, they'd all be clipped together and twisted and/or full of sand.

sapiecha wrote:

Honestly, I had originally thought about doing really nice compartments, slide outs, etc, for my "garage", but after having the van for over a year, I found just giving yourself a big fucking hole in the back is easier... You can build some racks and use plastic bins, but when I need to get in there to find one thing in a sea of hundreds of things, shit gets thrown about. After a week or two, everything is out of place anyway, no matter how hard I try to stay "organized".  

I've never seen anyone organize their cams like that in a van, it looks super neat! Unfortunately, because my van is not as tall, I don't think that would be immensely efficient in terms of space.

side note: Your van looks mega rad!

sapiecha wrote:

Honestly, I had originally thought about doing really nice compartments, slide outs, etc, for my "garage", but after having the van for over a year, I found just giving yourself a big fucking hole in the back is easier... You can build some racks and use plastic bins, but when I need to get in there to find one thing in a sea of hundreds of things, shit gets thrown about. After a week or two, everything is out of place anyway, no matter how hard I try to stay "organized".  

Inspiration for us all.

Out of curiosity, how much is the entire investment for both van and additions?

jg fox wrote:

Inspiration for us all.

Out of curiosity, how much is the entire investment for both van and additions?

Thanks! Van was $15k (2007 144" sprinter) and I probably did the entire conversion for an extra $5k, includes spray foam insulation, heater, solar, batteries, fridge, wood, etc. But i sourced almost everything second hand off craigslist and such, so I didn't pay retail for almost a single thing. Getting everything off the shelf you could easily hit $10k.

Being able to sit up straight in bed without hitting your head is key.

Bumping this to the top of the forum list to get more feedback from the community. Thank you all that replied already! I appreciate it!

The most important feature for long term living for me was a desk set up along with a good solar panel and deep cycle batteries so that I could work as late as necessary.  I worked out of it for about 10 years.  The second most useful item was a battery operated digital carbon monoxide detector (essential if you are contemplating any indoor cooking).  I never thought being able to stand up had any value and just seemed like it would be wasted space as I am either sitting or sleeping when I am inside.  Some strong grab points to allow you to move around without bending over do help.  Although I don't live out of it anymore, it is still great on some trips and also as a little study for when the wife is playing the piano.

proper venting probably more important than the carbon monoxide detector. that thing just tells you that you are poisioning yourself. the venting prevents that..

What surprised me was that even with a hood vented straight up through a 3 inch pipe with a fairly strong bilge fan in the vent, along with a bottom vent to allow air in directly to the hooded stove, the carbon monoxide levels still shot up after just a couple of minutes.  I decided that trying to cook with propane in the van without all the doors all the way open was just not worth the health risks.  -- I would be curious if other people have come up with venting systems that worked as measured with a carbon monoxide detector.  The ones that don't give a readout and just go off when it reaches some critical level won't help you avoid lower levels which are still really bad for your health if you are exposed to them multiple times every week.