Berg & Ocean: Fitout
Fitting out a Van
Because of the fact that we bought a passenger van there was no need to built in any insulation. That saved us time and work.
As foundation for our upgrade we built a flooring made of OSB. That gave us the option to build up the whole construction on a wooden base. As a consequence we did not have to put a single screw into the body of the van. A back conversion to a regular passenger van is possible without any remains.
After the flooring we built the bed and cabinets. The whole interior is made of OSB as well. It is cheaper compared to plywood and we like the rough look of it. Furthermore we didn’t have to treat the wood with paint or varnish.
The bed frame is very versatile. It has four independent moving parts. As a result we can convert the bed to a bench in the front, a bench in the back and we can lift the head section if we want to. Also, we can access our storage under the bed easily.
Furthermore we have a second board battery and an inverter to run our electrical equipment on 110 Volts. For example, we can dry our ski boots overnight and off the grid.
As soon as we hit the road and lived in our van we figured out that we needed some improvements. Our stove had to be set up with all it’s hoses and connectors every time we wanted to use it. The cutlery and dishes were flying around in different boxes. We decided to build an all in one kitchen.
Portable Camp Kitchen
Our kitchen is made of pretty lightweight and thin plywood. It is pretty portable and fits under our bed. We can pull it out at the back of the van. It’s possible to place it right behind the van or everywhere else.
The kitchen holds cutlery, a pan, pots, a month’s supply of spaghetti, pesto, spices, all kinds of cans and other groceries. It also features a custom compartment for our coffee utensils like beans, coffee machine and a grinder.
Another device of our van interior is a nice tiny sink. We made of a salad bowl which we found at a grocery store. It catches the water of our water tank and even has a drain. We are now able to clean our dishes easily.
We have a lot of storage in our van. Nevertheless we were sure that we needed more. Each of us has two pairs of skis and a whole bunch of winter equipment. In summer we want to go surfing. Where would we put some surf boards? We needed a roof rack.
Custom made Roof Rack
We tried to get a nice roof rack for our van. Luckily, we stayed for a while at a friend in Oregon. He handcrafts training carts for sled dogs and they are made of steel.
So, we had the chance to weld our own custom made roof rack. It will fit our surf boards, a cargo box when we want to add one and also doubles as a platform for videography.
This is truly the trip of our lifes, we’re doing all of this with much blood, sweat and tears. If you like our project, we would be more than happy if you spread the word about it.
