Time & time again I have caught myself completely swooning over the intricate builds plastered all over social media along with the gorgeous TikTok aesthetics. I can’t lie to yas though- I have never used a power tool in my life! Not to mention every penny I had been burning both ends of all my candles to save were strictly set aside for my take off. So, if you find yourself short on time/patience/handy skills/materials & cash- Then I’m the one to show you how to get creative with what you already own.
Everything has a work around, friends! So, try not to stress too much over what you have/don’t have. Because one thing you learn real quick out on the road is what to hang onto & what you can let go!
Since I was hitting the road alone, I took out the back & passenger seats to use up as much space as possible then gave Sharon a good scrub & shampoo.
Don’t think I’m proud of the mess 🤣
That’s better!
My dad had an extra cot mattress lying around so I snatched that up from his pile of camping gear. I also put one of those pillow mattress toppers on it even though the cot mattress alone would have worked just fine buuuuut I already had it on hand & who doesn’t enjoy extra comfort? Side note- Luckily, I’m pretty short and fit perfectly on this mattress so the tall folks may have to look for bed suggestions elsewhere 😬
My “bedframe” is just perfectly placed storage bins. The bins are full of things I may potentially need on the road but don’t need to access daily. Such as extra clothes/jackets/tools/jumper cables & jacks/first aid supplies/etc…So there’s no hassle of having to disassemble to get to something needed on a constant basis. Plus these are set up behind the driver’s seat so it’s securely in place and does not slide around!
Next to my bed is a large-ish wicker basket where I keep my clothes, toiletries & other items I use daily. The lid doubles as a “countertop” where I have my small one burner camping stove, a lantern and a little section to keep nightstand items when I sleep.
For days when I have a long drive, I can reach over for a snack or bevvy from my “Kitchen”.
RIP Passenger seat
This just includes crates acting as a “pantry” where I have dry foods/cookware/utensils/dishware. I had a 5-gallon water jug on hand, so I purchased a USB electric pump for it. Last is my 20 qt fridge that’s powered by my Jackery 500 that charges from my renogy 100-watt solar panel.
Picture is just for show of water jug & fridge…..the arrangement is far less chaotic these days 😅
Speaking of solar panel. This was the only real “labor intensive work” I have done on my SUV.
& By I, I mean my uncle 😂
I ordered the brackets from Amazon and then he drilled it in the roof & sealed it up. We put the cable just through the back right window under the rain visor since we weren’t comfortable drilling another hole just for that & not properly sealing it up by mistake.
I do highly suggest that once you think you’ve finished your set up to give it a test run before you hit the road. I’m talking a good full week at the very least. I had mine set up sooo cute at first but quickly realized it was anything but realistic when I tested it out. By the end of the week, I had rearranged it 3-5 times to make it van life acceptable. Because when you’re living on the road- functional is the new adorable!
Take one
Cuteness level:
10000000000000
Functionality level:
➖ 100000000000000
Take a million
Super functional, still pretty cute!
