NOTE: Since this post, I've reorganized and cleaned out yet again. I'll post photos of that reorganization later in April, 2019.
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In the past year I've organized and reorganized my 2002 Toyota Sienna a few times. Each time it gets a little better, and a little easier to live out of.
Here are some photos of the inside of my van:
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| I turned my passenger seat around |
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| I have lots of space! |
This is my office. It is a sturdy woven plastic picnic basket. I think I paid about $3.99 for it at Goodwill.
Inside, I keep my iPads, books I'm reading, pens, pencils, tape, correction fluid, pencil sharpener, and pretty much everything I'd keep in a desk.
During the day if I'm driving,
this "office" lives in the passenger seat.
Inside the white bag are all my cords.
Under my bed I have 3 cubby holes that hold large storage bins.
Two of the bins hold clothing.
One holds art supplies and first aid.
In front of Bin #1, which holds my jeans and shirts,
I keep another small basket that I picked up at Goodwill.
Inside that basket,
I keep items I use nearly every day;
lotion, make-up bag with fingernail files, clippers,
a bit of makeup, nose spray, foot powder, q-tips, etc.
In front of Clothing Bin #2, which holds panties, bras,
swimsuit, hair dryer, towels and washclothes (2 each),
is a small cloth bag. Inside that is my jetboil, for the mornings I don't want to drag out my table and coleman stove for coffee. I also keep my DoTerra essential oils in that bag so I can get to them easily.
Also fitting in that space, is my pee pot.
I bought a snap-lock container for my pee pot.
I keep it in a cloth basket with packages of baby wipes.
The wipes, by the way, are from Walmart.
They are plush and fragrance free
and only cost $5 for 3 large packages.
The pee pot is as tall as a regular cereal container, but half as long.
It's "just the right size" to use and avoid spillage.
The two of those fit perfectly side by side in front of the clothing bin.
Cubby #3 holds my art supplies and my first aid box.
One half-sized bin holds all my watercolor supplies.
One holds all of my first aid supplies along with a few other items
that haven't found a home,
like my wind up radio and wind up flashlight.
Sitting sideways is a box that holds my acrylic paints.
One of the boxes, you'll notice, does not have a lid.
There wasn't enough space to get it in with the lid,
but it sits so close to the bottom of the bed,
that it really doesn't need a lid.
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| All my acrylics fit nicely in this snap-lock box I picked up at Joann's. |
Behind the acrylics are two small wooden boxes.
One holds my ritual supplies, like incense, charcoal, censor, etc.
One holds my tarot cards.
The backside of my kitchen is my headboard.
On the left of my headboard, I hung part of a shoe holder.
It keeps my carbon monoxide detector right next to my head.
It also holds things I use every day,
or may need quickly,
like toilet paper, nose spray, ibuprofen and Gaviscon.
Beneath that you see my purple shower bag,
and under it is my small propane tank that I use for my Buddy Heater,
when I need it.
To the passenger side of my bed I put a small container
that holds my night lights.
These are simply solar lights that you stick out in your yard.
I got them at Walmart, 10 for $10.
To use them as night lights, you simply unscrew them
from the pointy sticks.
I turn them upside down and charge them each day.
They burn for a couple of hours.
Under the night lights is a little bin that holds my scissors
needles, and other sharp things.
I decided to bring my guitar with me again this winter.
During the day when I'm driving or hanging out,
it lives on the bed.
I keep my solar panel and yoga mat on the driver side of my bed.
They fit nicely between the sliding door and the bed.
Under the passenger seat, I keep a few books and files,
along with my yoga strap and level and house slippers.
The passenger seat in my van is turned around facing the rear.
So "behind" it I keep my extra battery
and a bucket I use to do laundry.
I keep my dirty clothes in the bucket until it is full,
and then either go to a laundromat or
wash them in the bucket
with my plunger washing machine (see previous post).
You can see my buddy heater in this photo.
It lives beween the two front seats when I'm not using it.
I don't usually keep ice,
but I keep an ice chest for extra food storage,
like salads, eggs, and yogurt.
It lives on top of the battery until I'm parked,
at which point I take it out and keep it in the shade.
In the back of the van is my kitchen.
There is an entire blog post on that with photos if you're interested.
Last, I paid $49 for Eclipse shades for the front window.
These are made specifically for your van and I am in love with them.
They save me from having to deal with those stupid sunshades
you have to fold up and figure out a home for.
They were simple to install.
My cousin has had them in their car for 7 years and she suggested them.
They just pull closed and fasten with super strong velcro.
When you open them, they are hardly noticeable.
Here are some photos from the website:
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| Easy to open and close. |
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| From the inside. |
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| From the outside |
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| From the inside when open, hardly noticeable |
All my extras are kept in the Thule cartop carrier up top; tent, archause, chair, levelers, washing machine, shade tent, extra table, tools, bungies.
I love my van.
The only thing I'd like more is to be able
to stand up inside and cook.
That will be my next change...
Please feel free to add comments or questions.
Happy Trails!
Annie
