Truck Conversion & Toterhome Community - View Single Post - Is it feasible to increase the height of the box or the size of an over-cab "attic?"

scapegoatwax · 11-20-2016, 07:28 AM

Thanks for the replies, friends!

Man, I don't know what happened but I typed out a long reply to the both of you with quotes and somehow it didn't get posted. (...and it got lost...)

Regarding what I want to use the conversion for: Essentially a DIY camper/motorhome. I'd like to move into it as a permanent residence, one I can move wherever I feel like living. I got inspired by vandwelling but decided it was too small. Most importantly, I wanted an enclosed bathroom with a shower and I wanted to be able to stand up straight in my home. Busses would require a lot of DIY and they are generally short for some people, especially after adding insulation and flooring and whatnot.

So, I took a few measurements of myself and here's what I found. I'm 6'0", for reference. Sitting down, I'm ~3'0" which is probably to be expected. Kneeling, I'm ~4'6".

I don't know how much space insulation takes up, but I reckon a mattress is going to take up at least 6" of height. So we definitely need more than 3'6" of height in the attic for me to be able to have a comfortable space. Enough height for me to be able to kneel comfortably would be gravy but as long as I can sit up and not bump my head I'll be content. As far as the "length" of the cab attic, it doesn't need to be very long. 4' to 5' is more than enough. I currently sleep on a full size mattress and it's got way too much width for me, even a twin would probably be bigger than I "need." Not that I mind having the extra room! Also, I don't mind custom building a mattress as I'm pretty familiar with several different types of foam.

So that's the sleeping attic area. I really like the idea of that design, it seems like a practical use of space (if it's feasible) that would open up the rest of the box nicely.

I alluded to wanting a separate bathroom, that doesn't seem too out of the ordinary from what I've seen. I'm not opposed to using something like a composting toilet to avoid worrying about a black water tank, but I do want to be able to stand up and take a warm shower (not necessarily every day) and I do want to be able to partition off the smell of using the restroom.

In the living area of the box, I'd like to have a kitchen area with a stove and a sink. I found this diesel stove that doubles as a space heater and it seems like an elegant solution--I don't know how practical or safe it is to tie into a truck's diesel tank though. Other amenities (fridge, etc) are kind of malleable depending on how feasible mobile solutions are.

The rest of the build will kind of scale and emerge from the size of vehicle I end up with. I've been fantasizing about having a sort of workshop area partitioned off where I could store tools and work on projects or odd jobs picked up along the road. I'm envisioning this partition taking up the back area of the box near the garage door, and its length would essentially reflect the ~6'5"-6'10" area the door rolls up into. When the door is rolled up, the workshop area would kind of function like a patio for the rest of the box, and the partition could have some insulation built into it.

I don't have any particularly large belongings that need to come with me with the exception of maybe a bicycle, and if I were transitioning into this lifestyle I might spring for a motorized bicycle which would be a little larger and a lot heavier.

So that's my plans for the camper. I'm honestly not sure what kind of truck I'm looking for, though. I'm trying to research and figure that out but I haven't found very good resources for comparing things and weighing pros and cons.

I think a 14-foot truck is feasible, but it would cause me to make compromises I don't think I would be happy with. I think 17-foot is the size where I could probably downsize from my expectations and still end up happy. Regarding box height, I would definitely like to stay under the lowest legal maximum so I can go wherever I want! 13'6" it is!

Regarding Light Duty vs Class 8, I'm at a loss. I don't really know how to choose which is right for me, but perhaps talking about my expectations for size and build will help iron that out? I will say that cutting into the top of the cab to "lower" the attic sounds scary and I don't think I'd want to go that far.

Sorry if I skipped over some of your points, I wasn't as thorough or structured this second time around... thanks again for the advice!

11-20-2016, 07:28 AM	#5
scapegoatwax Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: M Posts: 16	Thanks for the replies, friends! Man, I don't know what happened but I typed out a long reply to the both of you with quotes and somehow it didn't get posted. (...and it got lost...) Regarding what I want to use the conversion for: Essentially a DIY camper/motorhome. I'd like to move into it as a permanent residence, one I can move wherever I feel like living. I got inspired by vandwelling but decided it was too small. Most importantly, I wanted an enclosed bathroom with a shower and I wanted to be able to stand up straight in my home. Busses would require a lot of DIY and they are generally short for some people, especially after adding insulation and flooring and whatnot. So, I took a few measurements of myself and here's what I found. I'm 6'0", for reference. Sitting down, I'm ~3'0" which is probably to be expected. Kneeling, I'm ~4'6". I don't know how much space insulation takes up, but I reckon a mattress is going to take up at least 6" of height. So we definitely need more than 3'6" of height in the attic for me to be able to have a comfortable space. Enough height for me to be able to kneel comfortably would be gravy but as long as I can sit up and not bump my head I'll be content. As far as the "length" of the cab attic, it doesn't need to be very long. 4' to 5' is more than enough. I currently sleep on a full size mattress and it's got way too much width for me, even a twin would probably be bigger than I "need." Not that I mind having the extra room! Also, I don't mind custom building a mattress as I'm pretty familiar with several different types of foam. So that's the sleeping attic area. I really like the idea of that design, it seems like a practical use of space (if it's feasible) that would open up the rest of the box nicely. I alluded to wanting a separate bathroom, that doesn't seem too out of the ordinary from what I've seen. I'm not opposed to using something like a composting toilet to avoid worrying about a black water tank, but I do want to be able to stand up and take a warm shower (not necessarily every day) and I do want to be able to partition off the smell of using the restroom. In the living area of the box, I'd like to have a kitchen area with a stove and a sink. I found this diesel stove that doubles as a space heater and it seems like an elegant solution--I don't know how practical or safe it is to tie into a truck's diesel tank though. Other amenities (fridge, etc) are kind of malleable depending on how feasible mobile solutions are. The rest of the build will kind of scale and emerge from the size of vehicle I end up with. I've been fantasizing about having a sort of workshop area partitioned off where I could store tools and work on projects or odd jobs picked up along the road. I'm envisioning this partition taking up the back area of the box near the garage door, and its length would essentially reflect the ~6'5"-6'10" area the door rolls up into. When the door is rolled up, the workshop area would kind of function like a patio for the rest of the box, and the partition could have some insulation built into it. I don't have any particularly large belongings that need to come with me with the exception of maybe a bicycle, and if I were transitioning into this lifestyle I might spring for a motorized bicycle which would be a little larger and a lot heavier. So that's my plans for the camper. I'm honestly not sure what kind of truck I'm looking for, though. I'm trying to research and figure that out but I haven't found very good resources for comparing things and weighing pros and cons. I think a 14-foot truck is feasible, but it would cause me to make compromises I don't think I would be happy with. I think 17-foot is the size where I could probably downsize from my expectations and still end up happy. Regarding box height, I would definitely like to stay under the lowest legal maximum so I can go wherever I want! 13'6" it is! Regarding Light Duty vs Class 8, I'm at a loss. I don't really know how to choose which is right for me, but perhaps talking about my expectations for size and build will help iron that out? I will say that cutting into the top of the cab to "lower" the attic sounds scary and I don't think I'd want to go that far. Sorry if I skipped over some of your points, I wasn't as thorough or structured this second time around... thanks again for the advice!