While still finishing up on the last back wall, which would be easy peasy at this stage, right? Not really but anyway, contemplated how to layout, design and plan the interior.
Have seen a few campers and layout wasn't rocket science for such a small space. Counters, kitchen, bed, dining, bath, storage, entertainment. Cram it in there somehow. There are those who delight in this detail and design. I'm not one of them. Basic will do for me, other things I had rather spend my time on.
In my preplannig had a few objectives.
1. Be able to stand up and thought about height. Being 5'7", wouldn't need to be tall but then not great for others possibly. What is tall enough? Thought about average height, room and space. The taller I made the inside the more material and exposed area on the outside. What was ideal or optimal? Six feet was an old standard I think. Figured that about 6'4" would be sufficient for maybe 95+% of the population and that's what I decided.
2. Comfort. Wanted to be able to stand, sit and sleep comfortably as those would be the main functions inside.
Once the walls are complete, you have shelter. It's all about comfort after that. Standing is height plus area around you. Many RVs are packed to the gills with every possible thing leaving little open space just to move and breathe. Find that constricting and imprisoning. It's all about compromise designing a small living space, of course. Adding one thing takes away from another. There is always a price to be paid and it's determining the happy medium which is different for all.
I determined that one luxury that I wanted was free open space. To minimize stuff and to maximize space. Feel free, open and liberated, not confined and imprisoned by stuff. Stuff doesn't really make you happy beyond the moment and actually becomes a golden handcuff. You have to haul all that weight around losing valuable space, adding weight and penalizing your fuel economy. Would try to keep things open and stuff minimal.
Sitting comfortably. Don't find that the convertible dinette to bed standard was effective. It's a great compromise but not the best sitting nor for sleeping on generic covered chunks of foam. For sleeping ok but seem to always be falling into a crack. A real mattress was the way to go. As were proper cushioned, dedicated seats. Ok, how to do this well and economically? Had a couple ideas. What can you suggest?
I had no intention of having 4-6 people over to sleep. Maybe one. IF she was a good looking female.
And behaved herself.
This is why I did not use the cabover section for a sleeper, only storage. It was too high to access comfortably, would require much more structure and reinforcement and hence weight. I wasn't sleeping up there and neither was anyone else. Required only one bed, simple and cost effective. The cabover would be great storage, aerodynamic and light, simple to build.
3. Kitchen and bath. Upon assessment, determined that these weren't important to me and that the space allocation would be minimal for that. How much time and use do they get? So with space being precious, allocating as little as possible seemed like the way to go. Just like airplanes and boats, must be efficient with interior space planning. Single burner would be fine, small sink or just a storable dish pan. Bath, hmm. How about using a garden sprayer for tank, pressure and supply to both sink and shower?
How about a pull out basin from underneath a seat as an on demand shower pan? Toilet would be some portable or????
Let's get controversial, should one even do ones business in a small confined space that they live and eat in? Saw a comment on one YouTube interview where the gentlemen questioned the health of this. Thought that it was interesting and valid.
4. Storage space needed to be maximized yet light and accessible, economical as well. Use the walls, floor and ceiling as two of the sides to save on material and weight. Only need to build the face and horizontal surface, save weight and cost. This could also be used to reinforce and box in sections, giving more structural rigidity. Nice. Seems like the way to go and how I would build it.
These were my design objectives that I determined were my priorities and preferences. Develop a plan and design would start with that. Now that I had the actual space enclosed, I could get a feel for the area to determine, what, where, dimensions, space, etc... Imho, no software can come close to designing by actually being in the space for measurement and reference. Of course, there are people who are very good with design software and spatial results and measurements. I'm a visual so like to see and feel it.
I knew that the bed was going on the back over the extension. It was light and the best thing to put back there. It was also going to be a Murphy bed that would fold up and out of the way during the day, liberating space. Had a couple more ideas tied into this but would get more specific when I got to that point. Right now I was still finishing the exterior and lots to do.
But the thinking process was still going on for the next stage.
Make it so.