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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default Avan camper storage

    Avan campers are a little short on storage, particularly easy to get to storage. So I went about improving the situation to suit our own needs.

    The under bed area in the 1D layout is divided into three sections, I installed a divider about half way back, removed the drop down door in front of the bed, constructed a drawer to suit, installed runners on the floor and attached the drop down door catch to the drawer. This drawer holds a lot of our food: breakfast cereal, spaghetti, tinned food, cling wrap and so on. Either side of the drawer is a space around 100mm wide in which we store empty plastic tubs ready for leftovers. This mod has proved to be extremely useful, no more getting on hands and knees to fish around behind the drop down door trying to find stuff or lifting the bed all the time. Simply pull out the drawer, grab what you want and push the drawer closed. The rear section of the middle compartment is just long enough to store two director chairs, a roll up table and a pop up shower tent.


    A solar panel sits above the drawer on a couple of brackets I’ve installed.

    On top of the three drawer cabinet just inside the door sits another handy unit I made up. Five plastic peach containers sit either side which contain, rice, pasta, coffee, tea, sugar, dog biscuits and so on. The centre section holds a couple of chopping boards on a shelf at the rear and a couple of plastic containers for biscuits (you can never have too many biscuits). The TV sits on top When traveling the unit is stored out of the way on the bed.



    Under the table I’ve mounted a pine plank around 200mm wide, on top sits a box I made up which can slide one end to the other. In that we store our vegies, fruit, onions and so on. Pushing the box to one side allows space to put our radio, books or whatever you need to get out of the way.



    Over top of the front storage tubs sits a shelf made of pine plank around 150mm wide. It is held in place by a couple of U shaped brackets, to stop the shelf sliding forward a couple of self tappers are positioned underneath the plank but not through the brackets. The brackets are thin enough to fit between the lid and shelf gap and secured underneath inside the two outside tubs by a couple of self tappers. The shelf doesn’t interfere with opening the lids and although it’s not suitable for tallish items due to the roof angle it is handy for books, meds and so on. When travelling the shelf is removed and placed on the bed.



    Inside the window frames sit a couple of plywood shelves shaped to fit around the window winders. Again not suitable for tallish items but handy for some of the smaller stuff. When traveling the shelves are removed and placed in the centre tub.



    I did away with the centre tub clothes hangar and fixed a shelf about half way down. The top section now holds our 19” TV, radio, electrical cables, teapot, scotch and a few other bits and pieces. The bottom section is where we store our 240 volt items such as pod coffee machine, toaster and heater for when in a park.

    On the front I’ve mounted a V shaped aluminium box. Stored inside is our sullage hose, hose, water pressure regulator, power cord, winders and gas bottles and regulator. The box has vents fitted to the rear as well as the floor to keep it legal. Pressure regulators are available from Bunning's retic section for around $7. On the side of the box I’ve mounted three plastic saddle clamps into which slot our extendable TV antenna pole. When travelling the antenna pole is stored in the PVC tube just under and to the right of the box. These poles are around $110 from memory; however, a paint roller extension pole will do the same job and is around a third of the price.



    The box sits just behind the jockey wheel and is somewhat higher blocking the use of the jockey winder. To solve the problem I constructed a winder handle from 12mm round steel, placed a rotating knob on top and a piece of 16mm square tube at the bottom. Next I removed the jockey wheel winder handle and welded a 13/16 nut in it’s place. A 13/16” socket was then welded to a piece of 12mm square steel which slides inside the winder handle thus clearing the toolbox when winding the jockey wheel. I constructed another smaller socket extension which also slips inside the winder handle and is used for lowering/raising the corner legs.


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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,756

    Default

    Some good tips there. We have just spent a week in ours on the south coat of WA and so everythng you said resonates.

    We we use wheeled plastic tub for under the bed but the best thing I've made is a light weight, easily removable Al and pine frame that goes overhead and that has 4 shelves A wide shelf above the sink/stove is used for food and another above the door for clothing. These shelves support 100 mm deep wire baskets. Two narrow shelves run between the two wider shelves.

    the baskets and the whole frame takes seconds to remove and lower onto the bed for travelling.
    I'd post some pics but I'm not near the van for the next week.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default

    Well isn't that amazing, today I started constructing a shelf unit for over the Kitchen, pine shelf with ally frame that clips over the side walls. Four shelves, you must be eight foot tall. - pictures please? Another job on the go is a doggy door in front of the seat beside the kitchen for dumping dirty cloths in. Necessity is the mother of invention when it comes to the Avan camper! We were going to sell ours and buy a Jayco Swift again, simply for the extra room and storage but now with RA I can't wind the roof up or pull the beds out so we'll be sticking with the Avan I think.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,756

    Default

    We have been camping down south of WA in the Avan and handed it over to friends yesterday so we don't have it on hand to take any Photos of the shelves.

    When we get it back next week I will takes some pics.

    It's not 4 separate shelves - It's one large shelf - like a mini mezzanine that straddles between the walls above our heads.
    It's a bit awkward to get at but it stores A LOT of stuff.
    I can reach most things but SWMBO brings along a collapsible plastic stool to step up onto to reach stuff.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default

    Alexandra Bridge down Augusta way was one of our favourites when we lived there. Heron point was another good spot around Xmas, plenty of crabs. Kicking myself for moving now.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,756

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    Quote Originally Posted by sacc51 View Post
    Alexandra Bridge down Augusta way was one of our favourites when we lived there. Heron point was another good spot around Xmas, plenty of crabs. Kicking myself for moving now.
    We go to Walpole with a group of up to 5 other families and have been going there for nearly 20 years. We have sites #1 - 5 for the first weeks of he year.
    AT least 2 of the families have tinnys and we get some good feeds of fish during the 2 weeks.

    IMG_4030.jpg



    This is the Irwin Inlet mouth - we drove along the beach to the mouth for a spot of fishing.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default

    Never camped at Walpole. looks like a good spot. There were some great camping areas over there: Chapman's pool, Coral Bay, Rocky Pool, the De Grey, the Quarry. One day I may get back to my home state.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,756

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by sacc51 View Post
    Never camped at Walpole. looks like a good spot. There were some great camping areas over there: Chapman's pool, Coral Bay, Rocky Pool, the De Grey, the Quarry. One day I may get back to my home state.
    One reason we like Walpole is that even in mid summer (unless there is a total fore ban) we can have an outdoor fire.
    If we are just going to walpole for a week or two I then carry a pair of SS dryer drums in the Avan.
    The drums sit on top of each other - The bottom one is used as a fire pit and the other as an oven.

    It all collapses apart and fits on the floor of the van.
    More details here Camp Oven

    Another reason is when its 40ºC+ in Perth it rarely gets above 30 in Walpole so its good for summertime camping although it often rains in summer.
    In Winter it can be WET for long periods although more recently like many places in WA it has been quite dry.

    We can also take our dogs.

    We had a cracker of a thunder storm last saturday night with the first drops coming down seconds after we got the food off the fire pit BBQ. We sat out under the awning to watch the and it fair bucketed down.
    The big dog (Willow) just wants to jump up and attack the Thunder and Lightening where as Skye gets frightened and hides in the dog crate or wraps herself around our legs.

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