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Sienna Van Conversion- Installing the Bed

November 6, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

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Sienna Van Conversion- Installing the Bed

In our last installment about the Sienna van conversion I discussed how the rear seat well of the Sienna needed to be framed before I could install the bed. Once that was done, and I had the slide-out drawer finished, it was time to install said bed.

Tools Used

Before we get there, though, I’d like to thank my tools. Simple though they may be, they have done me right. I’ve used (and will continue to use) two power hand saws, a basic Skilsaw and a Black and Decker jigsaw. I also used a small hand saw for a few jobs. I used a Black and Decker cordless electric drill quite a lot. Also used on every piece of lumber was a small DeWalt electric sander armed with 60 grit sandpaper. Rounding out the kit- a tape measure, a speed square, two C-clamps, a level, and various pencils and markers. I don’t have any kind of shop, so all work was done on an ancient folding table.

My tools and workspace are basic.

Lumber Used

For those readers who hate throwing stuff away, here’s my take. You can keep useless stuff around forever. It gets in the way, collects dust and spiders, and is a pain in the neck. If you don’t use something for a year or two, it’s time to donate or sell it to someone who will use it.

Having said that, all the lumber I have used in this project so far is stuff I had hanging around the property, in some cases for decades. I live in a building, and lumber is building material! Makes sense! My out-of-pocket expenses so far have been limited to fasteners, the mattress, the window rain guards (which I need to install), and the potty.

Bed Installation

Back to the van. After removing the middle seats and clearing out assorted debris, I backed the van up to the garage. I got Susan and Cheryl to help me. We lifted the bed out of the garage and inserted it into the back of the van. Voila! An almost perfect fit!

campervan bed
The bed is in the van, and the kitchen box is pulled out.

Both ends of the bed fold up by way of hinges, allowing you to get at whatever may be lurking below. A Sienna has less space than say, an Airstream, so maximizing storage space is important.

folding van bed
Susan shows the front of the bed folding up. The rear does the same to allow access to the well. The seat trolleys gotta go, though!

We bought a full-sized tri-fold mattress from Amazon, but we won’t install that until just before our upcoming North Carolina trip.

In the meantime, I still have window screens and cabinets to build and install. Time to get back to work!

Thanks for reading about our Sienna van conversion- installing the bed!

Filed Under: Sienna Van conversion, travel blog, Uncategorized · Tagged: , , , ,

The Sienna Van Conversion Begins

November 6, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

The Sienna Van Conversion Begins

First off, this is my first blog about a Sienna van conversion, converting a soccer mom van into a killer mini-camper, and maybe becoming a vagabond too. Thanks for reading it!

During my adolescence, a question that often came up in our stoned/drunk conversations was, “What would you do if you knew you only had a year to live?” In May 2019 (age 66) I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable and always terminal affliction. I guess my answer to the above question is to get a van and become a vagabond.

The Sienna Purchase

Susan and I had been talking about getting a Sienna and converting it into a camper since we had to cancel our trip to Spain because of the pandemic. We’re going to go cross country, visit Maxx and Cat. We talked about our budget, how many miles a used van had to have to be acceptable for our planned use, etc. Talk, talk, talk. Elephant talk.

In September of 2020 I brought my RAV4 in for service. While at the dealer, I thought I’d see what they had for Siennas. They had a 2014 LE, with 67,000 miles, $14,999. The high end of our talkie budget, but the mileage was perfect. When the service coordinator told me the RAV needed $1800 worth of work, and the salesman offered me $3000 in trade, I drove the Sienna home, as surprised as anyone with the speed at which I’d made the decision.

2014 toyota sienna
The new chariot, in beautiful blue.

First Priorities

My first priority for our new camper was to get rid of the back seats. I drove to the landfill after removing them. One hundred twenty pounds of useless weight, transferred from my vehicle to the cosmos. I would have thrown the middle seats away too, but Susan said no. Where we’re going to store them is a problem. Anyway, the back of the van now had a big well into which the seats had folded when not in use.

Next, we needed a bed. I looked at several Sienna van builds on YouTube. The bed I ended up building was this one- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BlvZu7ZnWJszXVXKyM7uZX7eMM5FdzZ5/view – skipping the ratcheting part. For the frame I used all repurposed wood, stuff I had hanging around. Doing it over (and I may), I would use 2x3s instead of 2x4s to save weight. Didn’t have many 2x3s in stock, though.

For the sleeping platform I used polycarbonate panels, leftovers from the hurricane window protection project we’d done earlier this year. Seemed like a good way to repurpose the leftover material, and a good way to save some weight.

First Mistake

After the bed was “finished”, I tried putting it into the van. Since there was nothing supporting it in the well, the bed fell right into the hole. Crap! What seems obvious in retrospect had barely entered my consciousness before this little debacle. The well needed to be framed in order to support the back end of the bed. After sleeping on the problem I came up with a plan, and spent a morning framing the well.

The hole has been framed, and is ready to support the bed.

Next, I had to level the bed. The floor of the van slopes down from back to front. All the leg lengths on the bed frame needed to change to compensate. Directions on how to do this are found in this video-

That task is now finished. What remains? Take the remaining middle seats out, put the bed in, test it for fit and fitness. I’ll photograph the finished project in all its glory, and include it in the next blog.

Again, thanks for reading.

Filed Under: Sienna Van conversion, travel blog, Uncategorized · Tagged: , , ,

No Fishing Report, and Things Change

October 31, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

No Fishing Report, and Things Change

Thank you for reading another no fishing report. And, things change! And, Happy Halloween!

Due to COVID, I worked as a charter captain perhaps five days since March. Given the current quality of the water where I fish, that is not necessarily a bad thing. It did hurt the bottom line in a huge way though.

The USPS brought my commercial use permit renewal form from the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. I’m not renewing it.

Last Wednesday I brought the Mitzi to Jam-Up in Sanford to get the gel coat nicks fixed. I picked it up Monday. Looks great! I’m getting the Yamaha painted and then I’m putting the rig up for sale. I will have details in a week or two.

The nature of this blog will change as a result. I will still be fishing, but not trying to sell trips. There will be more travel. Fishing from different places, should be great! Photos of mountains and deserts, I can’t wait!

Back to the present. Didn’t fish this week. Wednesday Susan and I had some errands to run. One of hers involved the Sewing Studio on 17-92 in Maitland. When we got there, I put my mask on and got out of the car. “You’re going in?” she asked, surprised. “Fly tying materials, babe!”

A small sample of the goods at the Sewing Studio. Those are all spools of thread.

I didn’t buy anything. But a creative fly tyer with some disposable income could have a party in there. Every imaginable color of thread, all kinds of metallic and holographic appliques, beads, sequins, etc. If you’re in the neighborhood it’s definitely worth checking out. And you’ll be the only guy in a store full of women.

Thursday I had to be domestic, and had more errands.

Friday I had an 8 o’clock with chiropractor David Demetree (HIGHLY recommended) to get my spine straightened out. And then it was prep time for my upcoming trip to St. George Island State Park. So there should be an actual fishing report next week! Redfish and seatrout and macks, oh my!

Redfish…

 

…and sea trout…

 

…and macks, oh my! All caught at SGISP on previous trips.

Going fishing where fish actually bite sometimes, should be GREAT!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing! or travel!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing News, Fishing Reports · Tagged: , , , , ,

North Atlantic and North Carolina Fishing Report

October 24, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

North Atlantic and North Carolina Fishing Report

Thank you for reading my north Atlantic and North Carolina fishing report. Nothing terribly exciting contained within, unfortunately.

North Atlantic Report

Tuesday 10/13 I took the Mitzi out of the Port, hoping to find some mullet along the beach. Although they were not there, plenty of other boats were. We ran north along the beach as far as the tip of the cape, the north wind discouraging me from exploring any farther. Didn’t see many mullet. Got a jack and a ladyfish blind-casting a jig. Was surprised there were no bluefish, but there you go. On my way back, I observed almost all the boats that had been there earlier were gone.

Wednesday I brought the Mitzi to Jam-Up in Sanford to get the gel coat nicks fixed.

North Carolina Report

Friday Susan and I got in the van and rolled, eventually arriving Sunday at the Davidson River campground in North Carolina, on a first test of the mini-camper. (Read about that at https://johnkumiski.com/sienna-mini-camper-van-the-first-trip/) We stopped at Davidson River Outfitters, where they sold me a couple of the “hot fly,” a #16 soft hackle pheasant tail.

My best fish of the trip.

Monday morning Jim Tedesco showed up to take us fishing. He graciously gave Susan fly casting and fishing lessons while cutting me loose. I got a single trout on the soft hackle, a seven inch rainbow. I changed the fly, opting for a streamer, on which I got nothing. In the process I dropped and lost the soft hackle.

Jim and Susan work a pool.

We stopped for lunch and compared notes. Jim had gotten a 12 inch rainbow on a dry fly.

In the afternoon I tried the other soft hackle I had. It got hung on a root. The 6X tippet parted. Love that stuff. Got one bump on a bead head nymph. Tried various other things, none of which worked. My friends missed a couple bites.

Don’t move the rocks.

Tuesday afternoon we hiked up a tributary of the Davidson. We came to a pool full of diminutive trout. I caught one about the size of a mud minnow on a dry fly. At another pool further up I had six or eight rises and pooched all of them. Then it was time to go.

Susan works a pool.

Wednesday morning John Gilbert came, and he and I went fishing the Davidson again. I know I suck at trout fishing, so to save time I’ll just say we were both skunked.

John Gilbert, on the Davidson River

I talked with another fisherman named Scott at one of the pools we fished (you will see lots of other fly fishers on the Davidson), where there were a couple fish rising occasionally. Scott said you couldn’t get one on anything larger than a #26 midge. I can hardly get the #16s tied on. I have no interest in 26s.

The Davidson is a lovely stream, but it is very heavily fished. The fish have highly developed hook avoidance behavior. I don’t wish to fish it again. Ever.

More locally, the Mosquito Lagoon gauge is still reading 2.0, and the Econ gauge is at 6.5. In my opinion, both are still too high to fish effectively.

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing! or travel!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, travel blog · Tagged: , , , ,

Yet Another No Fishing Report

October 11, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Yet Another No Fishing Report

Here’s yet another no Fishing Report. The lagoons are still high and nasty. The ocean’s still like a wavy wind tunnel (it’s forecast to calm down this week). I’ve been working on my van.

I started a blog about the van conversion and our upcoming travels in it. You can see the most recent here…

I also posted two new slideshows on the sister website. One is about the 2018 Gulf Coast Paddle Fishing Safari, the other about my cross-country trip with son Maxx in February and March, 2020 (right as the plague started).

I apologize for such a dull post, but conditions are such it doesn’t make much sense to fish right now.

Susan and I are headed to North Carolina soon to road test the mini-camper. Hopefully the streams aren’t all in flood because of Delta. I think as I write this they probably are. Maybe I should bring the canoe instead of fly rods…

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing! or work on a van!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

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Another No Fishing Report

October 4, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Another No Fishing Report

Here’s another no Fishing Report. The lagoons are high and nasty. The ocean’s been like a wavy wind tunnel. So I’ve been I’ve been working on my van. Not even tying flies!

Have you read George Orwell’s 1984?

Thursday’s forecast called for 5-10, northeast. I thought, “I could fish in that.” The gauge read 1.4. High, but better than 2.0. I drove to Mosquito Lagoon with a kayak. The water was BROWN, except for all the whitecaps. I thought about it a couple minutes, then drove home again. That’s as close as I got to fishing this week.

I started a blog about the van and our upcoming travels in it. You can see the most recent here…

I don’t worry about a thing, ’cause I know nothing’s gonna be alright… – Mose Allison

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing! or work on a van!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports ·

No Fishing Fishing Report

September 26, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

No Fishing Fishing Report

Thank you for looking at this no fishing Fishing Report. I did not get out once this week. Instead of fishing I’ve been working on my van. And tying some flies- see below.

The weather has been terrible, small craft advisory much of the week.

Why I did not fish Mosquito Lagoon this week-

I prefer the gauge to read at 0.5 or below.

Why I did not fish the Econ this week-

I prefer this gauge to read at 2.0 or below.

Had the yard sale last Saturday. Did OK, got rid of lots of “stuff.” Even had a “free” table. All of that stuff went!

I have a book, Art Scheck’s Tying Better Flies. When there were still magazines, Art, who worked for Abenaki Publishing, was my favorite editor. He got submissions from the best fly fishermen and tyers in the country and learned a ton from them, which he incorporated into this book. It is so good, it makes you want to stop reading and get on the vise. I recommend it highly.

Many of us would probably be better fishermen if we did not spend so much time watching and waiting for the world to become perfect.
– Norman Maclean

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing! or work on a van!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: book reviews, Fishing Reports · Tagged: , ,

Another Not Much Fishing Report

September 18, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Another Not Much Fishing Report

Thank you for reading another not much Fishing Report. As I said last week, the subtitle of my blog is “Fishing and other bits of life.” This week the other bits of life again overwhelmed the fishing.

Why I did not fish out of Port Canaveral this week-

The waves have been kind of LARGE.

Why I did not fish the Econ this week-

I like the gauge reading 2.0 or less.

Why I only fished one day this week- cat to the vet, wife to the dentist, car to the shop, and getting ready for Saturday’s yard sale… 

Please feel free to stop by and say hello!

Did kayak fly fish on Tuesday, Mosquito Lagoon. The water was the highest I’ve seen it this year, with the gauge at 1.4. It has continued to rise all week and is currently close to 2.0. With the clouds, wind, and dirty water it was near impossible. I had only two shots in almost five hours, got one redfish. Leader was in the rod when the fish took the fly.

One good thing about the dirty water- they can’t see you, either.

But if you live in central Florida and have not been able to find time to fish, you’re not missing much.

Something to think about: if you fish the wrong fly long and hard enough, it will sooner or later become the right fly. – John Gierach

Life is great and I love my life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Uncategorized · Tagged: , ,

Not Much Fishing Report

September 12, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Not Much Fishing Report

Thank you for reading my not much Fishing Report. The subtitle of my blog is “Fishing and other bits of life.” This week the other bits of life kind of overwhelmed the fishing.

This has to be the internet article of the week- https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/the-health-benefits-of-farting/ar-BB18UyMu?li=BBnba9O

On the Tuck

The Featured Artist of the Week is local artist John Gilbert, who specializes in watercolors, gyotaku, and illustrations. His work is colorful, vibrant, and beautiful. Of course he’s an angler. Visit his website at https://www.johngilbertartist.com

Deep Creek

Sunday– Didn’t sleep well Saturday night. Visions of a big project involving a van kept me awake. My mind was fairly seething.

One thing that was painfully obvious to me was that before any big projects could happen I needed to be able to get at tools and materials that were buried under a year’s (at least!) accumulation of domestic detritus. Spent the morning cleaning the garage, then relaxed in the afternoon and watched the Red Sox.

Monday– no way am I going out in a boat on Labor Day. Got my sister to join me for an expedition to the landfill, where we chucked five cartons of unsold books as well as the back seats of the Sienna. See ya! Stopped by Mullet Lake Park on the way home. Yes, it was jammin’, cars, trucks, and boat trailers about a mile down Mullet Lake Park Road.

Took pictures of stuff I want to sell in the afternoon, put them on facebook. Some of the ads had instant gratification!

Tuesday– wanted to fish, but stayed home and sold a canoe. If you have a boat for three years and it hasn’t seen the water in that time, it’s time to get rid of it. I did. I now have one canoe left.

I also worked on the new bed for the van https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BlvZu7ZnWJszXVXKyM7uZX7eMM5FdzZ5/view.

Ripping boards- not as fun as fly fishing.

I’m using all repurposed materials in constructing the bed, so after ripping 2x8s and cutting everything to size, it was time for sanding. Hours of it. Piled the lumber neatly, cleaned up the mess, and took it easy all afternoon. Tied more flies. Can’t have enough flies!!!

The sleeping surface of the bed will be polycarbonate panels.

Wednesday– tried fly fishing from a kayak in the soup we call Mosquito Lagoon. We have a cat named Lulu. Lulu sheds a lot of fur. Once in a while I’ll take my fly brush and brush her. Then I take the collected hair and use it to make dubbed bodies. I tossed a Lulu fly at a tailing black drum and it ate the fly. BAM! I knew it would work, but am grateful it actually did. Many thanks to the kitty for its donation.

Black drum on the Lulu fly.

Thursday– had a long list of errands and things to do, tried to make a dent in it. The van was not ready to carry paddle vessels. I used 5200 adhesive to put a skid plate made from Seadek at the back edge of the roof, and then made and attached two tie down points that come out from under the hood. I’ll put the rack crossbar extenders on tomorrow.

Friday– if you’re going to make a camper, you’re going to need a bed. I spent all day Friday, quite a warm and humid day, working on that bed and perspiring. I do have the first iteration complete, though. Need to pull the seats out of the van and install the bed.

Saturday– Last week I cleaned the garage. Next Saturday we’re going to have a yard sale. So this Saturday was spent getting ready for that.

The wonderful thing about knowledge is that it is genuinely limitless. There is not even a theoretical possibility of exhausting the supply of ideas, discoveries, and inventions. – Matt Ridley, from The Rational Optimist

Life is great and I love my life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report · Tagged: , , , ,

Another E.C. FL Fishing Report

September 5, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Another E.C. FL Fishing Report

Thank you for reading my E.C. FL Fishing Report.

Monday– NOAA predicted 1-2 foot seas with an 11 second period. A bathtub! Reality proved the NOAA prediction incorrect, although the Mitzi was up to it. Launched at the port at 7 am. Right outside the port birds were everywhere, screaming and dipping. I did not see any fish, so I headed to the cape.

There were some small fish breaking there. I tossed a Krebs popper a few times and came up with a Florida-sized bluefish.

The wind was southwest so I stayed close to the beach. The water was dirty. There were big balls of glass minnows, and the only things bothering them were sharks and birds. Weird.

Casting a tan Clouser minnow around one of the balls, I got a small jack and then a nice pompano. Surprise!

This fish was a pleasant surprise.

Did not see any tunny or mackerel.

On the way back there was a school of menhaden in the bight. No fish that I could see. That was it for the day. The boat was on the trailer at noon. The skies opened up shortly after that.

Tuesday- non-fishing day to say the least. Had an early MRI, love those.

Afterwards I brought the chariot in for service. Sue and I have been talking about getting a minivan, the idea being we would turn it into a camper, then drive to San Francisco to visit Maxx and Catalina. My thought was I would see what they (AutoNation Toyota, Winter Park) had on the lot while I waited for my car to be serviced. Just checking out the scene.

They had a 2014 Sienna with 67,000 miles on it.

My car needed $1700 worth of work, but was worth $3000 as a trade-in.

I, to my own great surprise, drove the Sienna home. This is close to what we want to do with it-

Thursday I took the back seats out of the van, then had U-Haul install a trailer hitch and wiring.

Friday– went kayak fly fishing on the grossly dirty Mosquito Lagoon. Ran into Ed Wisecki at the boat ramp- Hi, Ed!

Found a rare trio of redfish, tails barely breaking the surface as they cruised. Doubt I could have seen them otherwise. Dropped a black Clouser Minnow in front of them- Score! Did not see much else. It was hot but otherwise quite lovely, at least until the skies opened.

I feel blessed to have found a fish like this in the soupy waters of Mosquito Lagoon.

There are many good fishermen and some great ones, but there is only one you. – Ernest Hemingway

Life is great and I love my apparent retirement!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Orlando Fishing Report, port canaveral fishing report · Tagged: , , , ,
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