FishUSA.com Fishing Tackle

Author Topic: what things haveyou done to your vehicle to make it fishing/camping worthy?  (Read 8390 times)

boondox

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,124
like the title say what have you done to your car, truck, or van to make it fishing/camping worthy? any pictures? of the modifications? I bought a cheap mini van I am planning to ad some modification to aid in fishing and sleeping in a van down by the side of the river.. aka car camping...

1: I want to add weather tech vent shades to the windows so I can on them and not get wet with rain.
2: some kind of separate battery system so I can run the dvd player and radio... like off a battery isolator of the factory alternator and a small battery bank...  so I can listen to the ball game or watch movies...
3: window tint so no one can see what I got inside theft deterrent if any thing so no rod reel get stolen...
4:curtin set up for the front and back windows so you can't see threw to see if I am sleeping or changing clothes...
5:rod tubes and or gear storage...
6:propane heater for the winter time if needed...   
7: led fog lights and lot of them... so I can see at night in the fog or blind that s.o.b. that left their Bright's on while driving..   
8: I was thinking a futon mattress or a air mattress for the bed.. any suggestions that are better?? was thinging the air mattress would pop sooner or later get a hole in it...
9: camping stove I have already and a propane bbq for cooking...
10:water storage set up maybe? not really needed..
11:toilet maybe? looking at the lug-a lou any better options
12: 2way paging alarm
I got a 2003 dodge grand caravan rusty but trusty lol's any suggestion on what to do to it??? mite up grade to another sooner or later will see... reason looking to out fit it is I  travel up north 75 miles one way once a week  only on week ends to fish for 2-3 day at a time... looking for feature comforts if any thing...
any suggestions???

I know a lot of the north east guys car fish along the beaches etc drive on them some times is what got me thinking and asking questions...

Jethro

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,877
  • I fish, therefore I am... always buying gear
I bought a pickup. Put a cap on it and voila- instant motorhome.

fishlessman

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,598
this comes in handy but looks redneck, ;D i hate sweating at night in a vehicle and that one mosquito keeps me up all night, window screening


Jethro

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,877
  • I fish, therefore I am... always buying gear
Isn't that funny... I have often wondered why autos don't screens along with the glass windows. Brilliant idea!

fishlessman

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,598
Isn't that funny... I have often wondered why autos don't screens along with the glass windows. Brilliant idea!

works really nice at the drive in movies

bldfrt

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 111
There's a guy in my town I see that has a van rigged for fishing. He used wood and built in rod holders, tackle box holders, chair holders, place for a net and I think maybe an awning but I don't remember not sure what all else he has in there or if he sleeps in it or not but I see him by the river sometimes set up and it looks pretty legit. The stuff is all around the sides and roof so he still has space in there but it's got a lot of stuff. Seems like a land boat a little

boondox

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,124
this comes in handy but looks redneck, ;D i hate sweating at night in a vehicle and that one mosquito keeps me up all night, window screening



now that deserves the Nobel prize lol's we use to have a f250 with a cap that had screens in the cap windows wish I still had that truck any other ideas that are great like screens?

boondox

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,124
There's a guy in my town I see that has a van rigged for fishing. He used wood and built in rod holders, tackle box holders, chair holders, place for a net and I think maybe an awning but I don't remember not sure what all else he has in there or if he sleeps in it or not but I see him by the river sometimes set up and it looks pretty legit. The stuff is all around the sides and roof so he still has space in there but it's got a lot of stuff. Seems like a land boat a little

that's what I am looking for any way to snap a few pictures?  if you see him or the van again take a few pictures if you can...

ericmic1

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 103
Bought a pickup.  I don't worry so much about privacy no one wants to see me naked anyways and that's how I sleep!~!! ;D ;D ;D

I like this kids setup though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnR5pNrkX68

-ericmic1

Boomer

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,284
Back in the early 1980s I had a Toyota pick-up. At that time I was going to Curtis, Michigan for a month every year and I put a cap on the back, Good move but the bed was a little hard. Next year I placed a twin mattress in the bed. Fit perfectly !  I had rod holders and a couple of containers to keep clothes in.

Since being married we have owned several vans. Wish the wife would let me turn one into a fishing van.

boondox

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,124
Bought a pickup.  I don't worry so much about privacy no one wants to see me naked anyways and that's how I sleep!~!! ;D ;D ;D

I like this kids setup though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnR5pNrkX68

-ericmic1


at least he remembered to throw the car in park.... could see it happening just saying.....

ADK Fishunter

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 29
Pole Holders
Fishing with an Attitude!

SLAYERFISH

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 659
I put a slide-in camper in the back of my pickup-

Fish Farmer

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 315
this comes in handy but looks redneck, ;D i hate sweating at night in a vehicle and that one mosquito keeps me up all night, window screening



There is a company that makes screens for windows, I bought a couple for my van. I think the company is called SKREENZ. They fit over the top of the door and you close the door over them, but can still operate the window from the inside.

Fish Farmer

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 315
I've rigged two vans for camping/fishing/loitering.

The first one was  a pretty basic layout. It was with a Toyota cargo van which were small. There was about a 6 foot length of floor. One person could sleep comfortably and I just used foam pads and bags for sleeping. I made two storage bins over the wheel wells which housed most of the camping gear. On the inside walls I had rod racks and a cargo net for storage. I built a cargo net on the ceiling for light items and a safari style roof rack for bulky things like my bike. I had a chuck box which tucked into a corner.

My current project is with a 2012 Chevy Express Van. It is mostly a couples weekend camper, but I am adding storage for the fishing gear.


I really wanted a full kitchen. The chuck box is from my old van. I added the sink this year, simple hand pump which I drain in the winter. It gets water from a 5 gallon water container and drains into a smaller plastic container which I usually have to dump every other day while camping. I even scored a free vintage Koolatron DC cooler which fits in the front of the van. I plug that into the powerpoint on the dash while driving. I have yet to plug it into a deep cycle battery to see how long it would run. I have one deep cycle battery with inverter for plugging in small items if needed.







The bed is the remnants of a fold away bed/couch. I took off most of the folding hardware and had the basic wood frame that it folded into and positioned it above the wheel wells. This creates storage underneath when the bed is closed and opened. Folded up it acts as a couch. I have a 4" memory foam mattress and a futon cover.



I was able to get a bunch of cabinet doors for free and have been designing more storage. Below the cabinets I built a shelf for fly rods.


I have many other ideas like making a closet behind the driver's seat. I have a makeshift closet for hanging stuff there now. It would be nice to have a lighting system independent from the van lighting, especially for the cooking area. Right now we use small battery powered lanterns for our lighting needs when we are closed up for the night.


 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Sponsor
© 2004- MyFishFinder.com
All Rights Reserved.