Outfitting our Nissan NV - First Beds

The most important item we needed was a place to sleep. There are many ways you can configure a bed in a van. Many people build their own raised bed in the back of their van and store their stuff underneath. In Canyonlands, Utah a few months ago we ran across a camper van that did just that. A company out of Los Angeles had converted Ford Express type vans to campers and they were renting them to travelers.

Escape Camper Vans Vacation Rental

http://www.escapecampervans.com/

I felt that space could be saved if we put in bunk beds. We searched the internet for a portable bunk bed and found a good one. It's called the Disc-O-Bed Cam-O-Bunk. They are a heavy duty cot bunks that are made for the military for mash units and such. They are currently $260 at Cabelas.

Greg on lower bunk of Cam-O-Cot-Bunk in the Nissan NV

http://www.cabelas.com/cots-disc-o-bed-cam-o-cot-bunk-beds-1.shtml


More on how we outfitted our NV later....


Copyright (C) 2011 Greg Kendall. All Rights Reserved.

Buying A New Nissan NV For Camping

Our 2012 Nissan NV2500 HD SV High-Top in Colorado.

The roomy cabin.

Back in June 2011, my wife and I purchased a 2012 Nissan NV2500 HD SV.

We had been searching for a vehicle that we could use as a camper van. We looked at the Sienna, the Odyssey, the Express and more. We looked at the Sprinter, but it costs more than we wanted to pay. Our plan was to convert whatever we got into a "home made" camper van.

We stumbled upon the brand new 2012 Nissan NV one day online. It came in a high-roof configuration and was much less expensive than the Sprinter. I'm six foot and I can easily stand up completely in it and there's lots of space to add the stuff we wanted to add.

The NV line is designed as a commercial van for plumbers and other trades. It's expected that purchasers will outfits them with interior fixtures that they will need for their particular trade.

Here's are some of our Nissan NV2500 HD SV specs:
(From Edmunds.com)
A 317-hp 5.6-liter V8, chrome exterior accents, full power features, upgraded audio (four speakers instead of two), cruise control, rear parking sensors. Rear door windows, a rearview camera and a Technology package (which includes satellite radio, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity and a rearview camera). Antilock brakes, stability control and traction control. Front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags.

We've had the vehicle for a couple of months now. We've gone on multiple camping trips in it. It's been working out great.

I will go into the items we purchased to outfit our camper van in my next post.

Greg getting a feel for the floorspace.