Home Sweet Home

2003 RoadTrek 190 Popular

This post is for those who want to see my new living quarters - I've had several requests...

Did you ever get to make blanket forts when you were a kid?  We did.  We'd unmake all the beds, claiming tables, chairs - anything with a space under it for our temporary homes.  We'd carefully drape the blankets over the furniture, grab our favorite toys, and crawl inside for a wonderful afternoon of make-believe.

My daughter tagged it for me - I've moved into a blanket fort!

Closet, Toilet

Unlike the forts of my childhood days, however, the camper van has all the comforts of home.  It has a closet and a toilet.  (behind the mirror in the picture to the right.)  It has a shower - I haven't used it yet, because the space is a little cramped - but if/when the day comes I need it, I'll be very glad it's there.  Yes, it's in the picture - see the track on the ceiling?  The shower curtain comes out of the toilet cubby and creates an enclosure in the aisle.  The shower head mounts nearby; the water drains into the floor - so you get to shower and clean the floor all at once. Quit laughing.

The closet is about 18" wide and a bit under 2' deep - but does go floor to ceiling - it's amazing what you can cram into a space that size, as long as you don't mind a few wrinkles.  No dry-clean clothes allowed...

Kitchen, Bed

On the other side of the aisle, I have a small but well-equipped kitchen.  There's a two-burner stove, fridge, sink, microwave and about 18 square inches of counter space.  The latte machine and television are in the cabinet to the rear of the picture, behind the microwave.  (All the essentials...)

The bed is good-sized; I keep it made up as a single mattress, which is basically a short queen-sized bed.  There is an option to make two twins with a center aisle, but I haven't tried it that way because  I like to sprawl.  I have a camping air mattress to add a little support in the center of the space, which is where I sleep. 

Much to my chagrin, the sides of the bed have become my dumping grounds - that's where I keep everything that doesn't have another home.   I don't like clutter - but where else to keep the jackets that won't fit into the closet, the books (that's another story) and the extra blankets?  If I pared down just a bit more, I could find places to tuck them away, but...  what if I need it????  Besides, it's not a good blanket fort without some treasures scattered about!

The van fits into a standard parking spot, so I can stop in to visit busier areas when it suits me.  (OK, parking spot plus an extra three feet or so, since I have the bike on the back.)  It's easy to hook up and the mileage isn't TOO bad (13-15 mpg) for a home on wheels. 

I can see where I will be ready to climb out of my fort into a real home by the time I'm done with my sabbatical, but for now, it's perfect.