#AlfredoTheVan Overview

Cyd
Feb 2, 2020
4 min read

We won't consider this a full van tour because Alfredo has many features that aren't captured well on camera. In this post, we will do our best to describe the general lay out and key features. Let's call it a van "overview".

We had a few "must haves":

1. Stationary, full-sized bed

2. Sink with a manual foot pump

3. LP-Gas cooktop

4. A partition wall separating the driving and living areas

5. 50L Dometic fridge

6. Solar

7. A small window

Perspective: From the partition wall looking inside Alfredo

Clockwise:

A: Our closet. Literally all of our clothes (minus 4 work suits). The left half is mine, organized by type of clothing in packing cubes. Carter uses two large cloth bins to hold all of his clothes. In both cases, our clothes are neatly rolled up to maximize storage. We have enough clothes for each season to minimize laundering to every two weeks. We focused on quality, not quantity. It was so freeing to minimize our wardrobes and it is even more freeing to realize that we don't "need" that new swim suit from Target or another Panthers tee shirt. When we purchase a new item, it is generally to replace a similar item of lesser quality or that is at the end of it's life (Carter goes through socks like it's his job). Keep an eye out for a future post about what is in our wardrobes.

B: The bed. An 8" memory foam mattress--full sized. It is 36" off the ground, leaving 28" of "garage" storage accessible from the back (and from the garage door, labeled "F"). We have a FABULOUS down comforter and duvet gifted to Carter from his mother when he graduated college. It is by far the best bedding on the planet.

C: Reading pillows. These guys are triangle-shaped and allow us to comfortably use our bed as an office, dinner table, movie theater, reading nook, and so much more. We use these on the bed and when we are sitting on the bench. They are super versatile and even more comfortable.

D: Part of our open kitchen storage system. This was a must-have for me. We've renovated two kitchens in previous homes and open shelving was the main feature in both. It is so functional and makes cooking and putting away dishes so much faster. I like these baskets because they can fit our electronics, seasonings, plates, toothbrushes, headbands, keys, really anything.

E: 72" butcher block kitchen counter. That's right--we have SIX feet of counter space in this baby. It was so important to us to be able to cook comfortably. This stain is called "Early American". It is my favorite! It has been used on every single kitchen renovation and wood project I have tackled in the last 5 years. We use a natural bees wax sealant to keep the butcher block safe and to disinfect it.

F: As mentioned before, the "garage door". Our toilet is directly behind the door and there is access to the rest of the garage storage, too. Although we really only use this door for the toilet. If we need something from the garage, we just go around back.

G: The storage bench/fridge/pantry. The top of this 45" storage bench lifts up to reveal a 50L top-open Dometic fridge and some great containers from The Container Store for our pantry organization. Stay tuned for a future post about the materials we used to build Alfredo.

Perspective: Directly inside the sliding door

Clockwise:

H: A fruit basket! Fruit takes up a lot of room but is a #VanLife essential...especially when you don't want to cook :)

I: 36" window with sliding screen. This is the perfect spot for circulation through our van because our electric fan is directly above the bed. When you open this window and turn the fan on, an 85F day immediately feels 10 degrees cooler. All of you who have lived in a home with a whole-house fan know how glorious this feels!

J: LP-Gas stove top. Two burners.

K: The most amazingly deep sink with a removable dish rack (you can see we were drying dishes when we took these photos).

L: Plain-Jane kitchen cabinets (Home Depot special). Carter wanted to build these himself but I just wasn't having it. I wanted the kitchen to look sleek and clean and I think these cabinets helped us achieve that look. Under the sink, we keep our fresh and grey water tanks, LP, and our bathroom bags. The other two cabinets contain all of our kitchen goodies. With the exception of a few of my favorite kitchen electronics (like my beloved KitchenAid Mixer), this is ALL of our kitchen belongings. Another extremely satisfying experience paring this down to only what we need.

Perspective: Looking in from the side sliding door

Clockwise:

M: Partition wall. Filled with high-quality insulation and equipped with an extra lock for added security.

N: Hooks. So many hooks. Everywhere. For all of the things we use every day that we don't want to "put away" each time. These hooks are as necessary as the open upper kitchen cabinets.