Van Life Hacks: 6 Easy Ways I Improved My Van
Four years ago, I transformed an empty cargo van into a zen-like tiny home on wheels. I still have a couple of areas that don't entirely function like I want them to.
Today, I'm showing you how I improved functionality in my cab area by doing just a few things.
1. Removed the passenger seat
I did this to extend the livable space in my van and also to create new storage beneath this seat. It's gone through several stages of transformation as I try to figure out how I really use it.
During the day, it serves as an extra seat in the living room, and at night, it becomes a bedroom. While it's been comfortable and pretty functional, I still feel like this whole area has underutilized space.
2. Center console
A few years ago, I got a cup holder that expands out so even a bowl could fit in it potentially or even a larger diameter thermos.
Recently, I found another cup holder, but this one allows me to utilize this space even more. I like the fact that it has a tray because sometimes I have a light snack while I'm driving. This frees my hands and gives me a flat surface to put something down and not lose it in the abyss between my seat and the console.
It also has a phone holder, and that's helpful for me because sometimes my phone holder on the windshield gets sun coming down on it, and it overheats my phone.
This will really solve that problem because it will be in the shade when my dashboard is in full sun.
Also, when I'm parked, having the phone holder here allows me to sit down and watch something on my phone and gives me another option for keeping my phone safe and out of the way and somewhere where I know where it is.
3. Hooks
Anyone who spends any amount of time living in a van will tell you how essential hooks are.
I have a lot of hooks. I use them for towels; I use them for my coats or clothes or bags that I want to keep up off the floor and not have to clutter my space everywhere else.
I also use hooks for small items like my keys, my pot holders, my bag sealer, and my little chandelier. They are really useful and are very good at helping you to keep your space organized.
The hooks I use usually attach to shelving and are used for coffee mugs in or below a kitchen cabinet, but the measurements fit the overhead shelf that I made to extend my cab area almost perfectly.
Now, when I'm parked, I can hang my jackets or hats or anything on these hooks rather than some of the hooks back in the back area.
4. Seat cover
When I removed the passenger seat, I got a new seat cover for my driver's seat to beautify the space and make it look new again, and that worked well enough.
But since I've been re-evaluating the functionality of this whole area, I started looking at seat covers again to see if there was something a little more suitable that would optimize the space even better.
I found this breathable cover that has the added feature of little pockets in the front. This has been useful for small items that I want in the front area when I'm driving. I keep things like chapstick, eyeglass cloth, an extra charging cord, and really whatever fits in there, and I need to have it handy.
5. Back of seat
Behind the driver's seat, I have this bin, and I usually move it to the driver's seat when I am parked somewhere. It holds miscellaneous things like markers, playing cards, a USB fan, some sunscreen, some hand sanitizer, and anything else that I actually don't know what else to do with.
Behind the curtain are these black mesh pockets.
They Velcro to the seat cover, and I house things like waste carriers and just a thing that goes around you when you're around water and will protect your iPhone.
So, down behind here, I have another one, which has my first aid kit and some binoculars. It's really for things that I don't access that frequently, but I want to have access to them when I need them.
6. Seat warmer
This last item is a luxury item for me because I have a 2010 Ford Transit Connect that is a standard model. It has no bells or whistles, which means it has no automatic door lock and no automatic windows, and it doesn't have anything like a seat warmer.
So, I thought it would be something that I could add, be quite useful, and make the space more functional in several ways.
I opted for this one for several reasons. It can fold down into a nice little roll. I store it this way. It could be folded another way as well.
It is pretty basic. It has three temperature levels and a USB port, so if you're going to plug it into a battery station or a battery pack, it is already attached to the heating pad. If you wanted to plug it into anything else, it's got this long cord that you could plug it in.
On one side, it's felt like, and on the other side is Sherpa. So when I'm driving, I can set it up on the driver's seat and plug it into my Jackery as I'm driving down the road, and it will keep me warm that way.
I also can use it on my folding chair when I am seated or when I'm lying down. So, it can serve as an extra thing that will keep me warm at night. I can use it with my camp chair with a mini portable battery to keep it charging when I am out by the fire or am sitting outside and want to keep warm. It has a lot of functionality and is versatile, which is why I chose it.
Van life
I hope my van hacks have given you ideas for making your cargo van more comfortable. What van hacks have you used to make life in your van easier? Share your tips in the comments below.
Next, learn the 3 Weird Things Van-life Made Me Do.
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