a sabbatical journey: minivan conversion

 So what is sabbatical supposed to look like? I have no idea. Especially during COVID. I was hoping for a few things that might be out of the ordinary; a chance to experiment and explore in ways that aren't feasible in daily life. But last year when I was planning, I didn't have a good vision. 

In September when I returned, I saw a newspaper article on therapy dogs and got really excited about getting Maggie certified. But alas, the trainings were cancelled and regardless, in the facilities where therapy dogs would visit, visitors weren't allowed in anyway.

And so after the holidays and a retreat away in January, I was in York wondering what was going to be a focus and feel life-giving in the coming months. I hoped to plan a trip west to some National parks in April and May, but was also struggling to figure travel and lodging along with Maggie in a way that was going to be economical for multiple weeks. Not really wanting to set up camp constantly, and not wanting to book places to stay and be confined to a strict schedule, I thought a camper van would be nice. But more issues as they are really expensive to rent. 

Until my mom suggested converting a van. And I got excited about the possibility: something concrete to focus on and a way to explore something different, something I definitely wouldn't have the opportunity for in normal life. I don't have the carpentry skills, but she does. Enough to put together what we wanted. And between her and me, we are creative enough to figure out how to make it what we want.

So first step: find a van.

Meet Minnie.

Simple, unadorned, but sufficient for the purposes.

And then gutting her. Only a few bolts to unscrew to get those back seats out. More complicated was figuring out which levers to pull to get out the removable seats 😄

And then planning. Lots and lots of planning. Google searches. Minivan conversion research. 

Bed. Cushions. Storage. Curtains. Electric. 

What I would need to power a cooler. Is it possible? (In the end, no electric cooler - I just don't have the skill or time to install the solar panel and following electrical that I would probably need.) What kind of bed can I convert into seating? How does the bed get supported? How does anything we build get secured in the van? How will I have phone signal (and data) in remote parts of Colorado and Utah? Brainstorming what is possible and what would be nice and what feels feasible. 

We started with 2 benches with storage underneath, the second of which pulls out to make a 6x4 foot bed. This is the beginning of the frame for the benches/bed. Supposedly simple. In reality... not so much. I should have calculated how many hours we spent calculating and cutting and screwing... and then unscrewing and recalculating and recutting and rescrewing. And who knew, but there is barely one inch of level floor in that van. Not the easiest to try to make a level bed.

But it came together. And then putting the top on, slides in so that the one bench slides out flat and trying to figure out how to support the slide part of the bed. Fortunately between the two of us we came up with ideas of how to support all that needs to be supported. But man, my brain has been exhausted after many, many hours of calculations and problem-solving. 

And then cushions... did you know you can cut foam with an electric meat knife? Wesley and Maggie very much enjoyed the foam. And after hours looking for a decently-priced upholstery fabric that I liked, I narrowed it down to 25 options 😂 Maybe I'm too idealistic, but it had to be light enough to not make the space feel smaller than it already it and have enough pattern to make it interesting without being overwhelming. But I found one. Decision-making is not my strong suit. 

sneak peek at the cushions here!

And then a cabinet for the back that will provide storage... space for a cooler, portable toilet, stove and whatever else I'll need for the kitchen. Mom took an old kitchen cabinet she had in storage and sawed it off to fit the space. And then calculating how much space we need to fit the equipment and get into the cooler, remove the cooler and remove the toilet. So the upper shelves had to be removable. Again, a lot of calculating and recalculating, sawing and resawing, screwing and rescrewing. Mom said today that we've built this cabinet 3 times now 😳 But it's finally getting there. As of today, shelves are in and the stove has a place to sit. Good thing, too... 10 days till departure. Now just to figure out how the propane bottle for the stove will fit... unfortunately the shelf itself is not wide enough for it. 🙄 Who knows to figure in all these things from the beginning?! Not these amateurs. 

Curtains are still being figured out (again, no straight walls... and we're trying to do this so the set up is completely removable - no holes in the van! Current plan is PVC pipe into the garment hooks in the back of the van). Still a couple supports to put on the bed. Flooring to velcro in place. Cabinet to screw in place. A few other odds and ends... including a nice little paper towel holder on top of my cabinet. 

So you'll have to come back later for the big reveal 😄 The end is in sight and I'm looking forward to having a cute tiny space for 6 weeks. It's not a perfect design, but it's fun to know we created it ourselves and it will be functional and aesthetically pleasing. 

That last piece was important to me. It's going to be my home for 6 weeks. A space to relax, rest, commune with God. And in a life that often feels very transitional and occasionally that I have no home (hello...all my belongings in Prague are in storage), I appreciate spaces that I can feel safe and at peace. That I can in a way make it my sanctuary. So I maybe spent a little more money on pieces to make it look good, but it'll be worth it. I can't wait to show you! (and maybe more so, I can't wait to have it finished! 😁)