All geared up: my all-seasons all-purpose T6 Ocean interior & organisation :

[Auberg-ine]

... and so in the middle of the night, I woke up, drilled a hole in the top of the window frame, cut both ribbons, cut the tops of the suction cups, and fixed these on the lower part of the window frame .
This means I can no longer use it outside. But I already have an outdoors bar counter (#291), and I don't trust so much suction cups to charge onto; not everything lands as well as cats.
I know, it's just an extra gadget, but I see myself using it quite a lot. The Cali table is so quickly filled with papers, dishes,...
And again, while driving long distances, the person on the right side of the bench needs more comfort to put his things as well.
So this extra frame can be put in a horizontal or vertical position (while the door can still open), just by clipping it into the plastic tops (I cut a slot into them to reach the existing perforation), and moving the rope fixation points to the middle. I still found two little rubber sealing rings to avoid rattling against the window. The 'cat's carpet' has velcro, which can easily be removed and folded away, keeping a free view.

Edit: instead of moving these fixations to the lower corner and keeping them in position with a safety pin, in order to keep the frame vertical, it turned out to be easier to just flip the frame, so that the fixation (and so also the canvas does not need to be removed:
:

 

[Megan]

Wow you have made some seriously long thread there. I think I will start with some of the IKEA hooks for around the ceiling, these seem to be the staple basis from which a lot of other things hang. We have some aluminium shelves in the wardrobe which really make it easy to stack packing cubes.

 

[Auberg-ine]

Wow you have made some seriously long thread there. I think I will start with some of the IKEA hooks for around the ceiling, these seem to be the staple basis from which a lot of other things hang. We have some aluminium shelves in the wardrobe which really make it easy to stack packing cubes.

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Hello Megan, I like your map-print packing cubes. Would fit very well with my other maps. Where did you get them?

 

[Kiwi Ocean]

Saw some in Mountain Warehouse over the weekend.

 

[Megan]

Hello Megan, I like your map-print packing cubes. Would fit very well with my other maps. Where did you get them?

Oh sorry I don’t know, someone gave them to me as a gift because I teach geography.

 

[Auberg-ine]

. . May you all enjoy your bubbles! And let them get you carried away,...

 

[Auberg-ine]

Interesting, as always, AG. Could be used in other places too in/out the van and maybe in the garden too.
This could hang in the van from @Bigted ‘s 3d printed slot in hooks.


Anyone UK based know if our Aldi has these? I looked on the website but not on there.

Hi Elly, just had cat-people over for dinner yesterday night. Apparently, they still found the hammock in an Aldi-'outlet' store. You also find them on Amazon though:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076GHD2FZ/

Also interesting could be this funny thing here:

Adorable cat travels in a car while riding in its very own hammock

Cats taking a pleasure drive from the comforts of an in-car hammock is the video that animal lovers everywhere have been waiting for. One cat takes full advantage of its comfy new cat bed and naps.

www.dailymail.co.uk

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32826508457.htmlhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4737162/Cat-travels-car-riding-hammock.html

;-)

 

[Auberg-ine]

Getting more and more into 'urban camouflage' mode in this Corona era. Working or having a drink at ease in my Covid-secured comfortable lounge in the middle of a city center, anonymously, remains such a nice experience. Social while distanced.
Last I was on a site where they had these tube caps laying around. So I tried them out on my awning, aiming for a more common 'service van' look, combined with the magnetic advertising signs I have, the limo glass, and my cabin mesh screen (#149). (I even consider removing the 'California' characters at the back). Must be blasphemy (ok, silly) for lots of you, but I think this silhouette blends well in cityscapes, bringing less attention at places where campers are not allowed. Another advantage is that dirt also fits well with the new look ;-). And I love the effect of the contrast when entering.
Not that I intend to adapt the caps to drive with though. It's just a small gadget, let's see if they prove their use and pass the test of time...


Now you might think why not simply remove the awning? But then you also know I don't like leaving things behind in the garage ;-)

 

[66tim99]

The new piercings of the day: fixing my drawer bungee at the footwell. It allows me now after a walk to get all our muddy boots in drying position in front of the heater outlet.
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Ingenious. Where did you get your map table stickers from?

 

[Auberg-ine]

Ingenious. Where did you get your map table stickers from?

Thx @66tim99, check posts #81, #84, #252 ;-)

 

[Auberg-ine]

I'm left-handed, so for drawing I needed a decent lamp on starboard side. I found this USB-chargeable LED lamp. Here at luminousity 1/3. Also useful to get light under the hood, in the upper bedroom,...
Charger cable via the mosquito screen, into the cigaret plug.
edit: Can also be used in my roof net.

 

[Auberg-ine]

Hereby my waste management: the VW Campershop dustbin beside the kitchenette for non-food, and this polyester bag (from a shopping trolley) for food rests. I hang the bag (+ garbage bag inside) at the rail right in front of the kitchen window, so no need to go out. And out of reach of animals. Both inner and outer bags have straps. Till now I did not experience smells coming in.
The trolley can also be used for water refills, and of course to go to the local market. Just fits the width of the boot.
Still have to figure out something for the bottles; time to start using that towbar ;-)

 

[Auberg-ine]

TLC day today. I completely emptied the car with the idea to make a serious selection of only the essentials... The only thing I removed was some old magazines. Sorry, did my best ;-)
Putting it all back in convinced me again to prefer my two containers over the boot tray. It just gives more flexibility, as bench, step, bbq stand (+HDF worktops #67) ...
So, on your marks, get set, ready,...
Just learned that the 'go' might be at Easter holidays, if we all behave!?




The handle of the trolley just fits over the sleeping bag (behind the shopping boxes), avoiding it from sliding around. The package at the right is the two Outwell tabletops with a blanket in between. and a work T-shirt over it. + two cushions as a buffer. Rattle-free again.

 

[melifornia]

Wow you have made some seriously long thread there. I think I will start with some of the IKEA hooks for around the ceiling, these seem to be the staple basis from which a lot of other things hang. We have some aluminium shelves in the wardrobe which really make it easy to stack packing cubes.

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Those shelves look really useful! Did you make them, or can you buy them?

 

[Qnapper]

What a great post. Thank you for all the useful stuff.

 

[icic]

Got 3 plastic jars left over from lunch; perfect containers for cables, medicine, sewing kit, earplugs,.... screwed them in the last unused 0,02m2 space at the ceiling of the wardrobe.

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Can I ask how you attached the lids to the ceiling in the cabinet?

 

[Auberg-ine]

Just with flat bolts and nuts. Drill 1 hole/jar through the ceiling of the cabinet.
Beware, It will affect eventual resale conditions,
but for the better! ;-)
Take the biggest washers you find, to avoid that the lid gets bent.
I found these plastic jars in the salad corner of the supermarket. They are light but still quite firm. Also Important is that the lids have an easy 1-turn large screw. You don't want to fiddle up there each time you put them back on.

 

[Auberg-ine]

Since lots of us bought the Sosmar drainer for the fridge, and since we only can use the drainer, and not the accompanying tray for ventilation reasons, and since lots are looking for an extra little table beside the kitchen cabinet, I got the drill out again... ;-)


step 1: move one towel rail bracket towards the center of the rail:



Step 2: put some ink at the 2 towel tops with a marker and present the tray on it, touching the B-pilar, then make 2x 8mm holes with a wood drill (pin), where the marker dots left a trace at the tray, and put the tops through them:



Step 3: open a bottle of wine, and cut a part of the cork, the same thickness as the plug. Stick it behind the left bracket. Et voilà!

 

[marchugo]

This is against our rules. Everything in the Cali has to have a dual function at least.
Why not rebuild the grey board above the sink to act as a tray? The brackets could be sunk in the sink.

btw what is this dog food in your plate...

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

 

[Auberg-ine]

This is against our rules. Everything in the Cali has to have a dual function at least.
Why not rebuild the grey board above the sink to act as a tray? The brackets could be sunk in the sink.

btw what is this dog food in your plate...

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

Of course there's a multiple use: my front passenger eats his oat flake biscuits on it while driving, avoiding spilling when eating like a dog,......
Also the towel rail gets a double use this way.
Also, that board will not avoid dripping at your lap.
Also, the sink board (heat proof High Density Board) is too deep. Especially since personally I will rarely turn my driver seat.

Also, if not the tray would be laying in the garage, and you know I like the garage quite empty,... ;-)

The tray just fits right under the box between the two seats, so no storage space spilled.
I expected having to add two little screws through the brackets right above the tray, to avoid flipping over but seems there's not even a need to do so, thanks to the fit of the profile of the tray and the brackets.

 

[Polomint]

Do you think this would be strong enough to take the weight of a kettle?

 

[Kayleigh]

Do you think this would be strong enough to take the weight of a kettle?

No way I would want to risk a kettle on there.

 

[Auberg-ine]

The kettle I would put on the heat-resistant board, a bit further from your lap, no?
But I tested it with 2l of water, and a towel between the tray and the armrest. (edit: simply raised the armrest). Piece of oat cake.


You could use it for an electric boiler or little expresso machine though (the plugs remain free), and not sit underneath it.
Obviously, the free-hanging corner bends a bit with an extra bottle at that position.

 

[Camperfamily]

This is such a great hack with the Sosmar tray. Thanks @Auberg-ine

 

[Auberg-ine]

Tempted to add a grip right under the glove compartment lid, like I did for the can holder at the sliding door (#48).
For when parked at the Drive-in Theatre or McDonalds of course!
One could even use it as a sunshade, or bird feeding board,...? Who knows, perhaps they might like a BigMac or some dog food ;-)

Pict with tray perfect fit underneath the box between seats. (Edit: this also means that this box perfectly fits in the fridge, to be filled with crushed ice for just enough summer Mojito's! )

Edit: 2 little black screws do the job:

(Edit: in the very hypothetical case that you might do something completely illegal, like driving on desolated highways with the tray installed at the dash, you do need to put these 2 little bolts in the brackets as suggested above, so that the tray clicks in the bracket. if not the tray tends to slowly creep out of the tops due to vibrations).