Oh! I’m so excited, my Vanpackers conversion kit just arrived! Never mind that there is currently 3 inches of snow on the ground! Of course, this would be infinitely easier to unbox and set up anytime other than late November in NH, but alas here I am.
Truth be told, I’ve been trying my darnedest not to buy another full-size, high-roof RAM Promaster van, and am hoping the Vanpackers kit will satiate me…. If the past is any indicator, however, I’m not sure it will work, but once can hope, right?
First let me say the folks at Vanpackers are amazing to deal with. Honestly I wish I’d driven to Montreal to have them install it, and even just to meet everyone. With so many emailed questions and answers going back and forth, I feel like I’ve made a few friends. As it stands however, my son-in-law helped me put it together.
Overall, the installation went smoothly, though a bit more confusing than anticipated. It took about 40 minutes, primarily because we’d ended up confused about the 2nd row of seat attachment points. Honestly, I’m still not 100% sure we did the right thing with the stow-n-go seat covers, but everything fit, so that seems like a win. The kit came carefully packed and undamaged, which in turn, left me with a large wooden pallet and a fair bit of packing material to dispose of. (Again, making me wish I’d gone to Montreal to have it installed.)
Initially looking at the Vanpackers kit fully-installed in Vandora, I have to admit, I was a little surprised. Having traveled for years in a no-build built that worked quite well for me as a single woman. Several aspects of this design initially seemed unsettling. For example: if the fridge is in the rear kitchen, how do I reach it from inside? What if it’s raining? Should I turn it around for easier access? But then how will I cook outside the van? And where does the cord go? Hell, where do I put my 1000 watt Jackery? It’s clearly too big to fit in or under any of the components….
I also balked at the apparent lack of floor space. Traveling in Vandora before, I had left about 4X6 feet of open floor space, which made moving around, dressing, or using the potty a breeze. The Vanpackers kit offers only 19.5 inches of space between the “seats” and the interior table looms over a good deal of that. The front boxes also block a great deal of the door access.
It didn’t help that I was still sick with a pretty sever cold and well… it was freezing outside. After a few “shit, what have I done thoughts?” I came in and left it untouched for the rest of the night.
Fortunately things always look better in the morning. Once I started loading my stuff into the boxes, I was shocked at how much storage space this kit offers. The cushions are surprisingly comfortable. and sitting in the van, it doesn’t feel crowded at all. (Getting in and out is still a bit perplexing, but once you’re seated inside, it’s surprisingly easy to move about. I also realized that the cable for my fridge is long enough to reach all the way across the van, both to the Jackary and car’s 12v charging port in the front passenger side floor.
The kitchen area also gives me an incredible amount of space I didn’t have before. Not 100% sure what I’m going to do with it all, but there’s definitely a ton of space.
I suspect it will be a while before I fully settle in to using this new layout. But I’m definitely feeing better about it now. A creature of habit, letting go of some of my old way of doing things might take awhile. For example, having the 5 gallon water tank in the back, means I technically no longer need my 2.5 gallon USB pump tank between the seats… but having to open the hatch for water, still feels a bit odd. Likewise with things like food storage. It may take me awhile to adjust to having my food stored in the kitchen and not the front seat.
In truth the bathroom aspect remains a bit of an unsolved mystery at this point. I opted not to get the suggested potty cut out option from Vanpackers primarily because I didn’t want to buy a smaller version of the same potty already have. I also didn’t want to lose the front storage space and well… the kit requires that you use the potty while seated facing the passenger door window. LOL! I’m not sure why, but I’m just not cut out for that.
The other piece I haven’t quite figured out is where to put my camp chairs and window coverings. Had I taken out the 3rd row of seats, this would be a non-issue, but having failed to do that, I’m at a loss.
I’m currently bouncing around ideas for the seat cushions and how I will ultimately use the van. Having the third bed cushion taking up space seems unnecessary given that I don’t need the double bed option. I can also reach the fridge much more easily without that third cushion in place behind to rear seats. But the single bed configuration Vanpackers suggest leaves a lot of wood showing. I’m toying with buying a smaller foam insert for the single bed extension, but haven’t quite worked out the details.
Stay tuned for further developments. I’m heading south this weekend for a two or three week test run and can’t wait to see how this new layout works.
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