When I first began looking into living out of the van, I had three requirements:
1) Everything must fit. Tools, Toys, Personal Items. There would be no storage locker.
2) I had to be comfortable inside. I’m 6’4” tall so this was going to be an issue.
3) I had to be able to park it anywhere a car could park.
#3 meant that I would not be looking at the extended length vans as they will not fit in most parking spaces in places like San Francisco.
#2 meant that I would need to figure out a way to sleep sideways.
#1 meant that a large portion of the interior was going to have to fit my tools and belongings.
Having traveled in a 1978 VW Bus Westfalia Deluxe for a period of time, I learned that height wasn’t really all that important as was layout and sleeping. The only time height even came into play was when I was cooking, but I learned how to make do with that. Sleeping was what I did in the VW mostly so sleeping was priority, followed by a nice kitchen and a bathroom. Now bathrooms are controversial, but the older we get, the nicer it is to have one and well, I want to be comfortable, especially if it is raining out.
I first saw the Flare Space Body flares on an article for a van in Europe. I quickly search the internet and discovered them here in the states and they would be available for and of the current van offerings by Mercedes, Ford or Ram. As I was going with the Ford Transit, I knew this was the key to making it all work. The body flares from Flare Space offered me the ability to sleep sideways so I could go with a 148” wheel base van and still get a kitchen and bathroom in. It also allowed me the ability to store my tools under the bed.
Installing the Flare Space body flares was the first modification I did, or rather had done. It’s a two – three man job and I was solo so I had a local body shop do the install for me. While it was there, I grabbed a CR Laurence window for the sliding door.