Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Continued Reflections on my Stealth Van

As I began yesterday's blog... what are the minimum essential requirements for my Van?

Well, it needs to have a bed and enough air circulation to stay comfortable. Since I don't plan on using it in the heat of summer or the cold of winter I don't really need a heater or air-conditioner. It is not my intention to "Live" in my van. The purpose of the van is to get me to places I want to arrive at and provide a comfortable place to spend the night when the occasion requires. I won't be using camping grounds nor doing a lot of advanced planning and reservation making. If I can't find a motel then I will have a fall-back position to pass the night in a Wallmart parking lot, a rest stop or a truck stop. If I get tired and "Droopy Lidded" I can pull off somewhere and comfortably grab forty winks. So that is the purpose for my van conversion. There are some more requirements like carrying passengers in a pinch and a good set of fans and the ability to charge a cell phone and operate lights when the motor is turned off. I want the operating electrics of the vehicle to be separate from the electrical requirements when the motor is snuffed.

So it is beginning to look like some solar panels on the roof, a deep cycle marine battery and an inverter to convert DC current to AC current. After watching some U-tube videos I have some general ideas regarding how to proceed, however, I don't plan on going overboard. For now I plan to frame up two benches along the sides that will expand into a bed if I need one. I think four foam cushions will form both the bench seats and the back rests which will fill the void between the benches and double as mattress cushions. That will give me plenty of room to stretch out. Under the benches will be space for my suitcases and other storage requirements. That's enough thinking for now.... I'm getting a headache.

I got my annual physical today and the Doctor was full of kudos on my cholesterol and my weight loss in the past year. That was good news.