BC4ME Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Very nice BC4ME. I agree, nice work BC4ME. Thanks I have put a lot of planning into it, I love it :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridesabikealot Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 Hi I just bought a pop up 2 man instant tent, best thing I ever did lol, I just flip it out at free camps and the dog can have the whole bloomin van for herself and I get a decent nights sleep. I have a tent, but i don't use it much. I prefer solid walls around me. I like the idea of a van where i can get into the driver's seat without leaving the vehicle... Just feels safer if i'm travelling alone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebbles Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 I like being in the van too. Camping in the middle of the Northern Territory, just me and my dog. Woke up and we were surrounded by those BIG Brahma cattle, was so pleased I could just slide into the driver's seat and drive off, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridesabikealot Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 This van has been a dream of mine for many years, I have designed it for me and my dogs and my wonderful hubby helped me fit it out. The van is a 2003 mercedes Benz sprinter, mid wheel base, high roof. It has a turbo diesel engine with a 5 speed manual box. It drives like a dream and I get nearly 900km to a tank of fuel. It fits into most car park spaces, just need to watch the height, it won't fit into underground carparks. All up doing the fitout ourselves including the cost of the van is ..... Van purchased 2nd hand from a dealer - $17000 Window done professionally - $2500 Roof insulated and lined by a friend who is an upholsterer $560 this would normally be $1200 Fitout done by us including bed, kitchen cupboard, draws, port-a-loo $3000 I still need to attach a caravan style annex to the side and put a secondary power system through. So still need to spend approx $3500 to finish is off. So totals around $26500. Much cheaper than buying one already fitted out and it I have designed the way I wanted it. This is standing between the front seats looking towards the back of the van you can see my bed with 2 large crates underneath. I have a port-a-loo to the right and kitchen cupboards to the left. Just out of view is my 15ltr water container and under that is my car fridge. This is looking from the side door, this is before I put my doona on the bed. Each of the crate have large fans that run off the cigarette lighter, I have an attachement for 3 inlets for this purpose. The 3rd pic of looking into the back of the van. Up top in my bed (I can lay across the van I'm 5ft 3in tall) under and to the sides of the crates is storage space for my show trolley, towels, grooming box, extra 20ltr water container etc. Since these photo's were taken I have lined and insulated the roof and walls so nice and cool in summer and warm in winter. I have also made magnetic fly screens to keep the bugs out. Like the bugmesh ones advertised on TV just a larger version. I have my foldup crates in the spaces at the moment but have plans to put permanent crates with duel opening doors (so I can acess the dogs from inside and the back of the van). Everything is a protype to see what works and what needs fixing, so far everything has work so won't need to change anything. Hope this gives you some ideas. What a great setup! Thanks for sharing it... Definitely some good ideas there... I would love to be able to sleep across the van like that but i am 183cm tall, so just wouldn't fit in a medium sized van... Pity cos it leaves a good amount of room near the sink... . I love the flywire at the back, and the kitchen bench. I imagine too that lining and insulating the walls and ceiling would make it look and feel much more comfortable. Do your dogs travel in the crates under the beds when you are moving? I want the whole experience to be really enjoyable for my dogs, and while currently they tracel in comfy beds in fixed crates behind the cab on my ute, under a canopy, they don't get a lot of vision out of the vehicle, unless i open the sides so they can get some airflow through the flywire in milder weather. But in wet or cold weather i only open the back part. Just at the moment though i have a collapsible crate set up at the rear fir s dog i am looking after, and i put my two little dogs in it yesterday, and i noticed they were sitting up looking around and seeming to be really interested in what they could see out through the flywire. Usually they just go to sleep. They really seem to enjoy being in friends cars too. So with a van, i am trying to see how i can have their crates higher up, so they can look around and enjoy themselves... Haven't found the answer yet though... Not in a way that seems easy that is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridesabikealot Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 I like being in the van too. Camping in the middle of the Northern Territory, just me and my dog. Woke up and we were surrounded by those BIG Brahma cattle, was so pleased I could just slide into the driver's seat and drive off, lol. Yep... That's what i'm talking about... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridesabikealot Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 Thanks everyone for these great responses and please keep them coming... I am replying to all of them i think, but am new to this kind of forum and a bit confused about how the replies work. You can do it like i am now, by clicking on the reply thing on the top right hand side, or by clicking reply under individual posts. I can't really figure out which is best. Hope i have not missed replying to anyone... Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC4ME Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 My dogs travel quite happily in their crates, they are safer their if I was to have an accident and they usually fall asleep when I am travelling. Although I did have to put a small mat under the tray in the bottom of the crate to quieten the noise when they moved around at night. I only have 2 bucket seats in the front part of the cabin so I can walk from the drivers seat into the back quite easy. It is important that nothing can move while you are driving. So things like my port-a-loo, car fridge and 15ltr water container are tied down with Occy straps or small ratchet straps. I have latch hooks on the draws and velcro on the cupboard doors to keep them closed. I also have small handles on either side of the bed so I can Occy strap anything down that I put on the bed for travelling. If you wanted to, you could lengthen the bed further into the cabin for you length but think about how you sleep, how often do you actually lay flat out in bed most people curl up their legs. You could also lay diagonally if you wanted to. I also have the magnetic screens on the sliding door side and I made screens for the sliding windows as well. These are great for keeping the bugs out at night that are attracted to the lights. Until I get save up for an annexe for the side I use a gazebo and put 2 puppy fences up around that to create a fenced off area so the dogs have a place to walk around in, this is only when I am there. If I leave the van for any reason they go into their crates or they are with me. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridesabikealot Posted December 31, 2012 Author Share Posted December 31, 2012 One thought might be to set up your bed so the crates can sit under it, saves on floor space. Yes that might work. Only thing is i would like the dogs to be able to look out of the van when travelling, enjoy the air near windows etc.... Haven't worked out how to do it though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridesabikealot Posted December 31, 2012 Author Share Posted December 31, 2012 My dogs travel quite happily in their crates, they are safer their if I was to have an accident and they usually fall asleep when I am travelling. Although I did have to put a small mat under the tray in the bottom of the crate to quieten the noise when they moved around at night. I only have 2 bucket seats in the front part of the cabin so I can walk from the drivers seat into the back quite easy. It is important that nothing can move while you are driving. So things like my port-a-loo, car fridge and 15ltr water container are tied down with Occy straps or small ratchet straps. I have latch hooks on the draws and velcro on the cupboard doors to keep them closed. I also have small handles on either side of the bed so I can Occy strap anything down that I put on the bed for travelling. If you wanted to, you could lengthen the bed further into the cabin for you length but think about how you sleep, how often do you actually lay flat out in bed most people curl up their legs. You could also lay diagonally if you wanted to. I also have the magnetic screens on the sliding door side and I made screens for the sliding windows as well. These are great for keeping the bugs out at night that are attracted to the lights. Until I get save up for an annexe for the side I use a gazebo and put 2 puppy fences up around that to create a fenced off area so the dogs have a place to walk around in, this is only when I am there. If I leave the van for any reason they go into their crates or they are with me. :) Thanks for that BC4ME. Yes i agree it is critical to tie things down to make sure they are secure. And i agree about dogs travelling in crates. The only time pretty much i have a dog travel out of a crate is when my little parson russell comes with me to run errands etc. The two larger dogs are always crated. For their safety and mine. I guess what i'm wondering about is if there is a way to have the crates raised so the dogs are nearer the windows. My dogs sleep when travelling too, but i've noticed when they have the opportunity to see out and enjoy a bit of air, they really relish it... i have also thought of the same thing re giving the dogs somewhere to walk around when camped and not having to be always chained. I think it is much more relaxing for them to have an area they can walk around in. I have a three sided market tent that i am thinking of using in a way similar to what you describe, only using fence netting that the dogs are used to me using to keep them away from vegie garden and poultry when i need to. That seems to work pretty well.... Re sleeping, i must be one of the few who often sleeps stretched right out. I think i do need that length... Thanks again for the great ideas! You are very generous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J... Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 A friend has crates welded into her van just behind the driver's seat. Hers are stacked vertically though, so one dog doesn't get to see anything but the top dog does. I wonder if you could use the down low area as some kind of storage and then have the crates horizontally across the top? Would take some working out and probably extra expense in building it but it might work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieEvans Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 One thought might be to set up your bed so the crates can sit under it, saves on floor space. I would agree to this one. You wouldn't want to fill up your van's space with the crates when you can place some other stuff there too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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