Storage in a Van
It is totally intuitive that we want as much storage in a van as possible, but yet it always amazes me that wandering around some motor home shows there are some pretty shoddy attempts to provide storage that uses up all the interior space. Some manufacturers buy in a preformed unit that is slid into the van body, so I can only assume that this is a result of manufacturing convenience. Nevertheless, good storage doesn’t need to imply that there are cupboards everywhere because this can suddenly to really cramp things up. Whilst it is always good to have space to store things, there may well be a case where you ask for too much, at the expense of the space that the occupants need for themselves.
Consider, instead what are the items that are needed to get stowed away- how much, and what type of storage would you need? For instance, taking a lot of clothes on your travels may not be everyone’s choice, whereas some people may well insist on plenty of storage space for their clothes, and even require hanging space as well. The other storage aspect that is important with a pull-out bed arrangement, is to allow for things to get to when the bed is in its made, and unmade state.
We build our land yachts with a long overhead locker running down the full length of the van. We also make them with a slight can’t to the fronts, which doesn’t reduce the overall storage at all, but really gives a sense of space within. This unit has lift-up doors supported on gas struts and provides lots of storage for everything from food to clothes. (On our last trip one of these was even referred to as the games cupboard…) We found that a small rubber mat from the local market really helped keep down the rattles from plates sliding around too…
Above the rear doors, we also put a small shelf with a bar running along the front to act as a strap to stop things again from pitching out, and this is the place where we store the blinds for the windows. We make up the blinds for the windows out of fabric that matches the rest of the upholstery, and onto the corners, we sew in small, but very powerful magnets, which lock onto similarly positioned magnets on the window reveals. There are also parts of the van furniture that we have also allowed for easy access to the the equipment like water pumps, and batteries, and we have made a conscious effort to hide away any instrumentation that isn’t really needed so we can keep the look as refined as possible. There is even a secret compartment so you can store valuables…
We use lightweight poplar plywood for the units, and veneer the boards with a thick cedar veneer. The wooden element of our vans is an important aesthetic to us, and we firmly believe that a timber finish gives a hard-wearing, durable protection for years. The worktops however are solid wood throughout, and you can choose from a number of timbers we have in stock, a lot of which comes from the Estate where the workshops are based.
The kitchen worktops usually are provisioned with a Corion worktop which is available in all sorts of finishes. An unusual feature of our vans is also the curved ends to our cabinets- these create a welcoming entrance and easier access through the side door. These curves are built as laminations to create a really strong outer shell, which we can then build into the cabinet units. With all the choice of finishes on our vans, there is a huge range of opportunity to customise the interior so it stands out as your own.
The Kitchen is an important piece of furniture in our vans, and we build them so there is no wasted space and you can access to every part. There are drawers for pots and pans, and we put all of these on soft close runners for an added bit of luxury. We also have a neat solution for the cutlery, which is a smaller drawer tucked behind a larger one, and we also have designed a way that the drawers can open out and can act as a support for a chopping board- essentially turning the kitchen into an L shaped area. We also provide a small bin that pivots out for the rubbish.
One aspect of storage in a van, is although there is a need for storing items within the van, there is also a lot of stuff accompanying us on our travels that could be thought of as B-list items. These are the things that we don’t really want to clutter the van but are essential nonetheless. Frisbees, chairs, rugs, all of this can be stored in the garage at the rear, and in both of our conversion layouts. There is plenty of space here for these things. The Fixed bed arrangement allows for huge storage, in particular, so you could even store bikes in the van, which can be stowed on sliding trays.
