Driving down dirt roads to dispersed campsites, things are always bouncing around in the van. We learned when building the sofa bed just how easily side-facing drawers can slide open. We thought it would be simple to fix, but it took us many tries to get it all to stay closed.
Because, how complicated can magnets and velcro be, right? It turns out… there’s a lot of science(!) involved. I never thought I could have an hour long conversation about the pros and cons of different types of velcro, but now I have. And here’s what I learned.
Magnets
It’s easy to overlook the usefulness of magnets, but I’ve found them to be one of my favorite ways to affix things in the van. Because the entire frame of the van is magnetic (steel), it’s easy to just stick things on to the wall.
I first discovered rare-earth neodymium magnets from a friend when working on the kitchen in the van. In that project, I used fishing magnets to hold the faucet and pipes in place on the wall. Later, I used both round counter-sunk magnets and bar magnets:
Warning: these suckers are strong. If two of them get stuck together, you may need pliers to pull them apart. If the edge of your finger gets caught between them, it’ll leave a nasty welt.
Since then, I’ve used magnets to keep many drawers and shelves closed. The counter-sunk magnets seal nicely against themselves and are easy to attach to any piece of wood.
Velcro
Velcro has, overall, proven to be the most useful thing around the van. I’ve used it for everything from sticking cups and containers to the wall to holding the sofa bed cushions up.
Maybe it should have been no surprise that there is so much science involved with velcro, given its association with NASA. I learned when working on this project that velcro was not actually invented by NASA, though. Regardless, there are two variables that are most important in the van:
- How strong is the velcro?
- How many times can it be re-attached?
These two properties tend to be at-odds. Industrial velcro is one of my favorites for its strength, yet it has a tendency to weaken quickly over time. The same strength that holds it together also tends to bend and tear the hooks each time the velcro is detached.
There are many, many websites showing off #vanlife vans. We run into travelers every day with beautiful, albeit "standard" vans. Some look super polished, with crisp white lines. There are several professional after-market companies that create "perfect" vanlife vans...
In the end, I ended up buying three different strengths of velcro, and always using the weakest kind that would meet my needs. I also use a staple gun to permanently attach pieces to the wood/walls, when it makes sense.
Hooks
Clasps and Locks
In keeping with the steampunk theme of the van, much of the hardware is brass or copper:
I paired the copper with a dark stained wood (“Red Oak”) to make it pop, as you can see in the post about the kitchen cabinets.
Cargo Mesh and Bungee Cords
Bungee cords are a common favorite for all vehicles. In the above photo of the sofa-bed, you can see bungee cords used to hold the guitar. A similar and often overlooked option is elastic netting or cargo mesh:
Before, the overhead area was all but useless. It was too small to store much, and anything heavy would fall out. Now, the netting lets us put the sunshades, pillows, towels, and any other soft things away when not in use.
