Show us your Beach set up

[CALI FATE]

We getting ready for an extended trip down to Greece on Monday - we have had the Beach for 30 months and still tinkering with our best set up inside. We often go away with 2 x teenagers, but for this trip its just us and we can pack up accordingly. The MUJI drawers are lightweight and strong, and come apart for easy manoeuvring. They can fit in and around the multiflex board as required. The drawers hold all cooking / tea / coffee making kit, crockery / cutlery and the pantry.

The Waeco fridge fits on top of a storage box - used to store gas canisters. The foldable Aldi box sits nicely on a B&Q drawer storage box

We are taking 2 x cassette stoves instead of our more usual double grille and large gas container. The stove is held in place with sticky velcro, as is the chopping board. The second stove fits snugly in one of the underseat spaces.

We have the inflatable kayak in the boot with camping paraphernalia and stuff - clothes / bedding store on top of the multiflex.

How do you set up your Beach in touring mode - show us your ingenuity

 

[MattBW]

I will get you some pics over the weekend

 

[Amarillo]

The MUJI drawers are lightweight and strong, and come apart for easy manoeuvring. They can fit in and around the multiflex board as required. The drawers hold all cooking / tea / coffee making kit, crockery / cutlery and the pantry.

MUJI drawers must be the #1 Beach stowage accessory.

Our double burner and grill slides nicely between them.

I am currently working on designing five custom size wooden crates to fit behind the bench seat. Three to fit under the made up bed (approx 48cm deep, 40cm wide and 35cm high), and two long shallow trays to rest above the three boxes and on the wheel arch trim (approx 40cm deep, 75cm wide and 15cm high). These two trays will need to be removed from over the top of the bench seat, or up and above the multiflex, for the bed to be made up, and can slide under the van below the sliding door (handy for shoes, dog leads, poo bags, outdoor toys, etc). They will share a single sturdy lid (approx 40cm deep, 150cm wide and 2cm deep), with folding legs so it can be used as an outdoor kitchen table (approx 150cm long, 40cm deep and 70cm high). When used as the two trays' cover, the total height of the boxes, trays and table will match the height of the top of the multiflex board so the entire surface can be used as a double bed for children under 150cm or 5' tall (approx 150cm long and 105cm wide). xccbh gv (message from Jack).

 

[Bramco]

We use two plastic crates that easily slide in and out which leaves enough space down the side for the drive away awning, although we rarely take that with us these days. I think you have to be careful about the crate height though as I think there is a difference between the 2 seat and 3 seat Beach wrt the (multiflex) board.

We have a 2 seat and use the storage box for clothes, the underseat drawer is used for all our cooking equipment, tea, coffee etc. We have a cheapo coolbox that sits between the storage box and the passenger seat and then use 2 boxes with lids from Ikea to hold provisions and to use as a rubbish bin. These are black with lids and handles.

I would add photos but the van has gone in today for the roof corrosion fix, so we have an Ocean for a few weeks, so no sleeping downstairs - it's like being in a 2 man coffin! The Beach is so much better if you sleep downstairs.

If we did replace the van, I think we'd have to decide whether to go 2 seat or 3 seat. The advantages of the 3 seat are you can have alcatara seat covers - not possible with the 2 seat. But then you wouldn't have the storage box, so you'd have to rework the storage plan, maybe the back window storage thingies from Vanessa? There have been good reviews of those on here. Also with the 3 seat, you have 3 smaller drawers instead of the one large drawer of the 2 seat.

Will be interesting to see what other folks are doing. Should also add that we take the absolute minimum of stuff. If we haven't used something for a while it goes. Example from the trip to Wales last week was we realised we almost never use the cling film we've been carrying round for ages which is always in the way. Plastic bags are more than adequate, easier to stow. So that was binned when we got back.

 

[Romke]

In April 2015 I did a write-up about How we dressed up Betsy. Here's one of many photos in that article. Follow the link for more inspiration! (Betsy was replaced last year with Betsy 2.0 - a California Coast).

 

[2haw]

MUJI drawers must be the #1 Beach stowage accessory.
View attachment 35651
Our double burner and grill slides nicely between them.

I am currently working on designing five custom size wooden crates to fit behind the bench seat. Three to fit under the made up bed (approx 48cm deep, 40cm wide and 35cm high), and two long shallow trays to rest above the three boxes and on the wheel arch trim (approx 40cm deep, 75cm wide and 15cm high). These two trays will need to be removed from over the top of the bench seat, or up and above the multiflex, for the bed to be made up, and can slide under the van below the sliding door (handy for shoes, dog leads, poo bags, outdoor toys, etc). They will share a single sturdy lid (approx 40cm deep, 150cm wide and 2cm deep), with folding legs so it can be used as an outdoor kitchen table (approx 150cm long, 40cm deep and 70cm high). When used as the two trays' cover, the total height of the boxes, trays and table will match the height of the top of the multiflex board so the entire surface can be used as a double bed for children under 150cm or 5' tall (approx 150cm long and 105cm wide). xccbh gv (message from Jack).

I think this could be a winner. Storage that fits the space between the seat and the multiflex that can be removed so the seat can be made into a bed without having to slide it into the correct position.

 

[Amarillo]

I think this could be a winner. Storage that fits the space between the seat and the multiflex that can be removed so the seat can be made into a bed without having to slide it into the correct position.

In normal 5 seat driving mode we leave the bench seat in the correct position for making the bed. The trouble is that storage behind the bench and forward of the multiflex is hard to access, so you need to think of things to stow there which you don't mind a bit of a faff to access, wetsuits and body boards for example. But with a capacity of ~180 litres, that's a lot of stuff you can carry with difficult access. To make matters worse, the middle crate would need to be wholly removed to pull out the crate stowed to the left or the right.

One thing I am considering is three crates, two approx 48cm by 48cm by 32cm high, and the third crate the double 907 gas box we already have (255 x 460 x 325mm):

The gas box sits between the middle two floor rails, and each crate would sit on top of the floor rails.

Gas nearly always comes out, so sliding out either of the side crates would be no additional faff: wetsuits in one, foul weather gear in the other.

I'm almost at the stage of making prototype crates and trays in cardboard (I have plenty of cardboard stored away for this very purpose), and I have a very generous offer from a member who is a cabinet maker to help me and to use his workshop for an entire weekend. I just need to make sure I plan this right first.

The design of the kitchen table/tray cover/multiflex extension is also important to try to maximise height. This worktop and these legs might work.

 

[2haw]

All sounds very good.

I think it's a shame that the rear of the seat backrest isn't more comfortable and doesn't fold fully flat when folded forward

If it did, the infill box between the multiflex and seat could stay in place and could have a lift up flap to enable access.. obviously under a comfort mattress.

 

[Amarillo]

All sounds very good.

I think it's a shame that the rear of the seat backrest isn't more comfortable and doesn't fold fully flat when folded forward

If it did, the infill box between the multiflex and seat could stay in place and could have a lift up flap to enable access.. obviously under a comfort mattress.

Wow! I had not thought of making the bed that way!

I had been considering mattresses. Clare has taken our Beach to a folk festival this weekend, so it is not around for me to measure up, but I estimate the extended multiflex size will be 150cm x 100cm.

It is possible to buy custom size pocket sprung cot mattresses. One that size would do my two boys perfectly satisfactorily for the next few years - perhaps until age 10. However, two of those mattresses would make a bed 150cm x 200cm, the size of the lower berth Beach bed. We could buy two 15cm pocket sprung cot mattresses, stack them on the extended multiflex and sleep downstairs in sublime comfort for less than the cost of the Brandrup mattress.

 

[Detritus]

This was our setup for the Larmer Tree festival this weekend - works really well for four of us sleeping in the van.
- Kids sleep up top, we sleep downstairs
- all clothing inthr maxxcamp Henry cupboard
- non-fridge food plus wet/ cold weather gear in the storage box in the middle compartment
- perishable food (OK, mostly booze) in the fridge which I’m creating a base for (currently just tied down using straps to the luggage loops)
- assorted everyday / quick access bits in the under seat drawer (hamam towels, wash bags, fairy lights and other electrics, first aid kit)
- cooker,gas bottle in the back under the multiflex board
- cooking equipment, pots, pans, hammocks, pegs, mallet, washing up bow and cleaning stuff, spare bulbs, foot pump etc. etc. in two small and one large ‘really useful’ boxes under the multi flex
- Quechua fresh tarp (with a kador strip sewn onto the long side) attached to the roll out awning for addditional sun shade and privacy so that we can sleep with the door open when it’s really hot!

For our three week long trips we take a back box as well, although now we’ve refined what we take it’s not really required so gives us room for luxuries/non essentials/more booze / tat to bring back from our travels

 

[Detritus]

Forgot to say - maxxcamp net for the back of the rear bench seat holds the table extension, fly screens for the middle windows
Brandrup seat pockets on driver’s seat holds kindles, shopping bags, toilet rolls and hand sanitizer, mosquito repellents, odds and bobs
straps run under the top mattress hold windscreen reflector for when parking in car parks, comfort windscreen cover for Camping, umbrellas etc up against their the cab roof
Thetford Porta Potti Qube on maxxcamp base platebehimd drivers seat and with cover turns into foot rest / extra seat when camping - this was an essential at the festival!!!

 

[Lorri]

In April 2015 I did a write-up about How we dressed up Betsy. Here's one of many photos in that article. Follow the link for more inspiration! (Betsy was replaced last year with Betsy 2.0 - a California Coast).

In April 2015 I did a write-up about How we dressed up Betsy. Here's one of many photos in that article. Follow the link for more inspiration! (Betsy was replaced last year with Betsy 2.0 - a California Coast).

WOW