Stools and Chairs
The stealth camper is a little unusual in that it doesn’t have a couch or any sort of a space that is like a “Living Room”. It does have two work surfaces though, one that doubles as the computer desk, and one that doubles as kitchen counter top space. The computer desk is low, normal desk top height, or close to it, 28”. The kitchen counter top space is 36” high, which is normal for a stand up work surface.
The computer desk needs a normal office type chair. I have one that I have used for years with 5 wheels, no arm rests, and a fitted base. It’s not even very expensive as these chairs go, but it is the most comfortable of all the chairs I own. The only problem is that wheels work great on level surfaces but will tend to roll downhill too easily when the stealth camper is on a grade. Remember, the Stealth camper will most often be parked on the side of the road, not in a level space. I don’t have leveling jacks and have designed things so I won’t need them. My solution was to buy some cheap plastic “caster cups”. These are normally used on a couch or some piece of furniture that has casters for moving, but doesn’t need to be moved in normal use. They also help to distribute the pressure and protect the floor. In my case I just glued them to the bottom of the chair wheels with a generous amount of Goop. (AKA, Amazing Goop, Shoe Goo, Plumbers Goop, etc.) The plastic pads were a little too “grippy” so I added a base of self-sticking felt. Now the chair slides reasonably well without damaging the floor, but will not easily roll downhill.
For travel safety I have added a Velcro strip along the left side of the seat base. I used the loop side on the chair so it wouldn’t catch on my pants. I placed the corresponding hook strip on the side wall underneath the computer desk. Now all I have to do is slide the chair under the desk and up against the left side wall and it is firmly held for transport. In order to help the Velcro stick to the cloth chair cover I glued it on with a base of Goop. On the wall side I added some screws through the Velcro into the wall to help out the adhesive.
Since the heater is also under the desk on the far right side, there is a possibility that the chair could be left in front of the heater. The Platinum Cat heater produces radiant heat, meaning it shines heat outward like a flashlight. Fortunately the “heat beam” mostly shines under the chair seat base (butt plate) and over the chair feet. For fire safety I covered the black plastic 5 star wheel base with aluminum tape. Likewise, I covered the underside of the seat base and any exposed black plastic anywhere in between. I wasn’t concerned about looks, but it ends up looking like the wheelbase is made of a polished aluminum casting. Just to keep it all looking nice and shiny I gave it a coat of the TREWAX Gold Label Sealer Wax I wrote of in an earlier post. I set the chair in front of the heater in the worst possible position for an hour or so and nothing got more than warm. The shiny aluminum parts were dead cold.
By the way, I have tried working at the computer desk when the heater is on. When I get cold, my legs and feet get cold first. It feels really good to have the heat right where I need it, and when it gets to be too much, I just turn it off.
The kitchen counter space also serves as a desk. At 36” high, a normal chair sits too low for comfort. I had always assumed that I would buy some sort of a tall chair, probably adjustable height, with a gas shock. As I got ready to buy the chair I realized that a normal chair with a back would block at least one of the drawers under the counter top. Also, the countertop is not very deep, and a chair with a large base would not fully tuck under the countertop, creating a traffic hazard, and a potential safety hazard. At some point I realized that what I really needed was a bar stool and this is what I bought.
http://www.barstools.com/count...ivelcounterstool.cfm
At $80 it’s not overly expensive. The round nonskid base is surprisingly stable. I like the cloth seat because it breathes, though I will admit that the grey material looks dirty even when it is clean. I really like the gas strut because it not only allows me to set the height for comfort, but it also solves the stowage problem. When not in use, which is most of the time, I can shove it under the counter and pull the lever to let it rise up and wedge itself under the countertop. It doesn’t block the aisle or the drawers, and it is very solidly held for travel. I probably wouldn’t want to sit on it for hours on end, but it is surprisingly comfortable as well.
The only other sitting space is the edge of the lower bunk bed. While it’s fine for putting on your socks, I would not want to sit there for very long. The upper bunk is too low, and you have to lean too far forward.
As always, pictures are available under keyword “Stealth”.
To be continued….