El Capitan : Interior Design

I spent last Saturday working on the interior layout of my soon-to-be home on wheels. It was a gorgeous sunny day and I was in good spirits, so I took the power tools outside and merrily got to work.

The new 4-bin base

I started be re-doing the base under the bed. The plastic bins I found were way narrower than the slots I had created, and too much space was wasted. I figured I better pull the base out and improve storage capacity while I still had the time. I unscrewed and moved the inside panels and added an extra one, so the base now has 4 bins as drawers and an extra slot for tools at the back.

Toe killers. Not good.

I also noticed, after removing my passenger seats, that 4 big screws stuck out of the floor, just high enough to destroy a pinky and make my life miserable. I didn’t want to saw them off, in case I ever wanted to put the seats back, so I cut a piece of plywood and created a flat space just in front of the sliding door. I covered it in floor mats for comfort. Bonus : it also prevents the bed base from sliding off and keeps everything in its place.

Smooth floor holds everything in place

I finished up “the kitchen” by cutting cupboard panels in the base and adding a plywood countertop that can be used as a cooking space or as the base for the stove, in case I want to cook inside. Right next to it is a stack of cheap plastic drawers that I will use to store utensils, tools and all sorts of useful little things.

Kitchen and stove

I switched the fridge to the side of the bed, because I find it’s a better use of the available space. However, it makes it the furthest possible away from the 12V outlet and the eventual battery bank, so I’m going to have to wire an extra outlet at the back, which should be no biggie.

Mini drawers

The first test of El Capitan’s coziness is coming up this weekend, as my Belle and I will drive up to Ottawa for the marathon and spend two days on the road. I’m sure I’m going to come back from there with a ton of improvements and modifications, but I’m looking forward to it!

Next up : a visit to the mechanic’s shop and some body work :)