Alumi Bunk Setup

[trhoades]

I just bought an E-350 Super cargo van. I went to alumi bunk to see about setting up my van, but they want $6000 to set up my van. I figure after materials, I can probably set it up myself for well under $1000. Problem is, I am a little lost on what to use to fasten everything down to the van. If someone could give me some pointers, it would be much appreciated. Also, if someone has the alumi bunk setup, could you post some pics? Some close ups of the mounts and braces would be extremely helpful. Thanx in advance.
One more thing, will self tapping screws work for laying the plywood and e-track on the floor of the cargo area? Or do I need something more heavy duty?

 

[pellgrn]

A couple years ago i found this place in Shipshewana I.N, There called ARI there number is 260 768 4704.

 

[trhoades]

Well, my biggest problem is keeping my costs down to a minimum until things take off. I am just starting out, so I would love to be able to have everything installed professionally, but I know I will need money for something on down the line. So I want to try to keep as much backup money in the bank right now as I can for enexpected expenses. I would like build at least a temp setup for now and then later when the outlook is brighter, maybe I'll get a company to build a permanent setup. Thank you for your input, and I'll at least give them a call to see about their prices.

 

[JeffJensen]

trhoades,

If you really want to go cheaply for now, you can try a variation of what I did many years ago on a cargo van.

For a bunk, I used a 70" long Contico pickup truck plastic tool box laid crosswise in the back. It was only 20" wide, but that can be fixed with lightweight plywood screwed into the top to extend the width by 6 or so inches overhang. Just cut the plywood at the hinge points of the box to allow the doors to open.

It was plenty long enough for my 6 foot height and it's nice to have that storage space. I put two layers of egg crate foam on top for a mattress with my sleeping bag on top. It was 68 dollars for the box and I already had the bag and foam.

I never bothered to secure the bunk to the floor; during panic stops, the worst that happened was that it slid forward to the back of the seats. No damage done. It's easy enough to secure if you want.
And, it came in handy a number of times with loose boxes, long skids and bins - just slide the bunk forward. It's also nice to be able to pull the bunk completely out through the side doors if you need even more room. It's so lightweight, it's not a problem.

To make a smoother floor in my "sleeper", I laid down some 1/2" plywood and threw a 4'x6' rubber-backed entrance way rug over it.
I would ordinarily have the bunk sitting about two feet from the front seats - plenty of leg room. Behind the bunk for my poor man's version of insulation, I stretched black rubber tie-downs across the van at the roof line and fastened a couple of packing quilts over the straps. It kept a good deal of the heat up front.

For privacy at night, I had more tie-down straps across the van just behind the seats with a light weight dark cloth curtain hanging from that.

I could stay warm in the winter with the truck running while I was awake (gas engine) For bed time, I found that by dressing in a sweat shirt and pants, I could stay warm in the sleeping bag with a couple of comforters on top of that. That system was good down to about 10 degrees F. For summer, I found that if I just had a slight breeze on me, I could sleep comfortably. For that, I used an 8 or 10 inch fan (DC) mounted on the side wall pointed down at me.

As you can see, I took the really cheap route as far as comfort, but it worked for me and I wound up keeping that poor man's setup for the life of the van.

 

[trhoades]

Yeah, I think I'll be doing the same for awhile. I'm going to run up to the army surplus and grab a cot. I got a sleeping bag, and a fridge already. All, I need is to figure out what to use to fasten the plywood to the floor. Thanks for info.

 

[Dreamer]

trhoades,

1st off, welcome to the forum! Sheet metal screws will work just fine, as long as they are of sufficient length and strength to hold the wood. Just make sure you counter-sink the heads of the screws in the wood, so as not to catch the freight (or your butt ) on them.

Also, if you are a bit handy with a saw, some plywood, 2x3's etc, you might check out this link, where another member , Dieseldoctor, posted pics of his homebuilt interior. Awesome set up, in fact, it's how I plan to do my next van's interior, with my own personal touches added of course.


http://www.expeditersonline.com/dcforum/DCForumID16/337.html




As you can see, with a little time, and imagination, and some good ol fashioned "git yer hands dirty" , you can make a nice, comfortable setup with room comparable to any commercial sleeper.

Also, check out this post for some more interior pics of Aviator's Super B van. It's a little different setup, bigger van, but.. it gave me good ideas also.


http://www.expeditersonline.com/dcforum/DCForumID16/373.html


There is a wealth of information availible in these old posts. If you need it, chances are, someone here has done it, and posted how!

Just click on "search" at the top of the forum, and enter search terms, ie, interior, bed, heating a van, installing batteries, etc...


Hope this helps,


Dreamer

 

[trhoades]

That's exactly what I was looking for. I really appreciate it. It's just kinda hard to find the stuff sometimes. So many forum posts and sometimes they go off from where they started so you don't get the info you wanted. I had alot of ideas about setting it up, but I wanted to know first if someone else had tried it and failed. Thanks again! And thanks for the welcome.

 

[davekc]

If you are starting out it is good to minimize your expenses. I think Jeff Jensen's ideas are great. Sure beats spending $6,000.
If you change down the road and want someone to do it, I would at least research some of the van conversion places. I don't think they will be anywhere near the $6,000 mark unless you are getting real elaborate.

 

[Dreamer]

I do have to agree with DaveKC also. If you are just starting out, and income is limited, it wouldn't hurt to do something more flexible like Jeff's setup til you make sure this is what you wanna do. A lot easier to take out if you change your mind.

I had never heard of someone making a bed out of a toolbox, but it does sound like a cool idea, maximizing storage space too!

Just "shows to go ya!".. a little ingenuity applied, and ya have a unique setup that works!


Dreamer

 

[Larry]

There are a couple of things you can do to stay warm (cheaply). Go back into the archives and there have been several discussions about heaters available that running off of the truck's fuel. Also a combination of CO2 detectors and running your engine while sleeping is also addressed. You can also get a 12v blanket (with thermostat) and run it off of your accessories plug while driving to get the bed warm. You can then plug it into a portable power pack or even a charged battery while you sleep. You can then recharge the battery or power pack while driving. I built a bunk out of tubes and canvas and suspended it from the ceiling with chains. I can raise the bunk up to get it out of the way when need be. I then bought a thick piece of foam and put sheets, blankets, pillow etc. on it. (I like to hunt, fish and camp and quickly tire of sleeping bags.)