Test Night in the Van - What I Learned

Last night I spent a test night in my van.

I put my keys and flashlight where I could find them. I hung my nighttime curtains and was cozy and warm. I thought I had everything figured out.

I didn't.

Here is what I learned last night:

1) Have all your mid-night pee gear together and in place. As usual, at about 3 am, my bladder woke me up. The suggested procedure is to have something like a yogurt or cottage cheese container as a pee pot, then you pour the urine into a laundry bottle 

and discard it later. 

For those not van-camping, sorry to be so graphic, 

but it's just the fact. 

So first I was hunting the pee-pot in the cold 3 am air. Then when I finished using it, 

I couldn't find my laundry bottle. 

Then couldn't find a place 

the yogurt container wouldn't tip over 

so ended up tossing the urine out the door 

onto my lawn rather than having it spill inside. (Luckily, it's raining!)

2) Learn to use the danged key fob! 

I've never had a car with a key fob. 

Opening the door was a comedy of errors. 

I thought I was locked in forever!

 No matter how many combinations I tried, 

that damned door wouldn't open! 

Then I got my flashlight and realized 

I'd been holding the fob upside down. 

Doh!

3) Find a pee pot that is shorter and won't tip over!

4) Move toilet. 

Put the toilet to the BACK of the van, 

so I do not have to trip over it in the morning 

to turn on the heat.

5) Better viewing. 

Make a tiny place on all 3 sides of the back of the van where I can peek out if I hear a suspicious noise. Maybe I don't need that, but for now, 

it would make me feel better.

6) Buy a small trashcan or trash bag for the van.

7) Organize sleepwear. 

Thought I slept warm enough, 

it's COLD in the mornings! 

Have a packet (one of those zippered pillows) with nighttime gear in it. 

Pajamas, hat, gloves, socks.

8) Hook up the Buddy Heater the night before. 

The heater was right in front of me 

but the propane was in the back of the van 

where I couldn't get to it.

9) Check fuses.

 Figure out how to get the heat on 

in the BACK of the van. 

When I turned on the van heater, 

there was heat coming out of the front vents, 

but not into the back.

10) Shorter curtains are better. 

Cut the curtains between the cab/back shorter. 

I thought it was a good idea to leave them long 

so I could fold them under 

(to keep cold air from the cab 

out of the back of the van.) 

It's not. 

I need to be able to easily flip them into the cab 

in the morning so I can get to my 

back-of-passenger-seat storage.

11) Buy a better mattress. 

My old foam mattress that I thought would work... won't. 

I woke up with my back hurting. 

Since I'll be sleeping on it every night, 

I will invest in a good mattress 

to go on top of the foam. 

I am looking at this mattress from Amazon, 

because it is the right size, 

it has a removable cover I can wash, 

has sheets that fit it, 

and it has great reviews:

So that's what I learned.

Advice and suggestions will be appreciated! 

It was fun, and for the most part, comfortable. 

I felt snug as a bug in a rug, perfectly safe, and happy. Just a few minor adjustments, I think, 

and this will be a great adventure!