Travel super light package "contest."

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JD GUMBEE

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sitting on a river-bridge playing the banjo...
If you were given a decent mini-van, along with a budget of $750 to turn it into a camper, how would you do it?
It is assumed you have a power drill, basic hand tools like pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches and wire strippers.
A hand saw or skil saw. (You can cut plywood, in other words.) You can remove the seats.

A person gets off a flight with a smart phone and the clothing in their bag(s).
You need to outfit the mini-van for them to make a one-year trip as comfy as possible.

The idea, is to come up with three varying designs. Itemizing the parts required to make a "one-click camper kit" for the van.

One of them may have a tent, another may concentrate on stealth...yet another on military style minimalism.

There is a very good possibility we could see a demo of three or four examples in a "most popular contest." (Might even make the next RTR on it's way through.)

The idea here is, with one-click, you get everything in van A or van B or van C.

While big solar and a fridge is unlikely, a chip cooler and an auxiliary ciggie-plug battery may be a good thing. For many, an ice cooler could be the way to go.

A shower tent and solar bag shower might be great for some...while truck stop showers and bird-baths may be for others.

The idea here is not to sit in one spot for a year. It is for a week or two here, another three days 500 miles away, then a music festival 1200 miles from there.

How would you spend the money to make your ideal travel-minvan?
 
First question, what do you consider a 'decent mini-van'.

The reason I ask is that I lived out of Chevy Astro for well over a year with it completely outfitted  with a pull out double bed and a counter surface big enough to cook on. Also had a porta potti. I'm sure I didn't have $750 US in to it.

BUT I also tried to outfit a Grand Caravan for even weekend camping.

IMO and YMMV, the only true 'decent mini-vans' are the Astro and Safari. None of the others that claim to be 'mini-vans' come close to interior cargo room and head space. It will make a big difference in layout and comfort!
 
Excellent topic here.  I hope it gets a lot of discussion and views. 

I like the 3 form factors you have detailed as well and there may be sub classifications that could follow them too.

I'll start giving this thought.  

Here is an image of  the floor dimensions of a 2014 Ford Transit Van just for an example.  At 4 years many businesses will be writing these off (after 5 years) and then selling them soon.  Thus,  there may be more people considering one of these opposed to the mini vans in the past.   But if anyone would like to post
floor & elevation images of earlier mini vans then please do.

2014%20or%20newer%20TC%20Dimension.png
 
Astro vans are tough for sure.

Lets stick to Caravans for the sake of this...or the small Fords as outlined above.
Front Wheel Drive. Max MPG. No off road considerations either.


"Decent" minivan, meant something anyone can find for $6,000 with low miles in good shape.
A vehicle the non-mechanic would be able to drive for 50,000 miles with few, if any breakdowns/repair costs.
 
I'm an old backpacker. To me, the vehicle is just a metal tent that moves. So all I really NEED is a sleeping bag on the floor, a place to store food and water (that I don't need to carry on my back), a camping stove for cooking, and some type of solar to charge my laptop.

Everything else is "luxury".

(Oddly, that is not very far off from what the inside of my van actually DOES look like... ;) )
 
I like your thread idea, was just thinking about starting a thread for a bullet list of the main components needed to make a full time mini RV from scratch since I havnt seen one yet. could be helpful.

the image eDJ posted reminded me of something Ive thought about in the past. I never altered the floor plan in my van because im not a full timers except for once for a six month 'tour' I lived out of it full time. so my set up has been geared toward a modular and completely removable equipment.

Ive had the idea that maybe something like a big crate that could be loaded into the van and unloaded that was all set up. it might take a fork lift though or at least a couple of healthy men. but based on the same idea as the old slide in truck campers.

Astros/Safaris are really a mid-size van and the last year was 2005 so they are kinda old for the newcomers to get into. I do wonder if there has been anything since in the small van market that can haul 4x8 sheets? I dunno, havnt looked into it hard but thats a good indicator for sizing also.
 
JD GUMBEE said:
"Decent" minivan, meant something anyone can find for $6,000 with low miles in good shape.

For that kind of money you might get a Transit Connect in XL trim (no power anything) that was fleet owned with 180,000 miles and pretty much beat to death.

A low mileage 2010-2013 TC in XLT trim in good shape will START at $11k with 80k miles.

The Ford dealer in town had a 2012 XLT wagon with 126K miles and it sold for $8k in less than a weeks time for sale.
 
That is why I chose a Caravan as the model for this base design.
You actually CAN find several in the 5-7K range with 75,000 or less miles on them.
Most times, you can get to 125,000 pretty trouble free with them also...and they deliver good MPG.
But that lady, "Jerry" on Bobs video has a SWEET TC design. There are others out there also that have been done very well.
Bang for your buck though...if on a tight budget, it is going to be a Caravan.

____________________________________________________________________________________________


One thing I see that would make a huge difference in this project...one way window stickers.

If anyone knows where to buy this stuff cheap, it sure would be a good addition to this thread.

Simple curtains inside are needed at night...but to drive around, the one way stickers would be excellent.
Done without any design but the color of the van, they should be pretty cheap.
Stealth-wise, they have become common enough that service vans regularly use them...and they hide your curtains at night.


I am trying to work out a "Jam Band Festival" van.
The $250.00 for a tent that wraps around the back is a full third of the budget...but if you were to setup for a week or more at a camping area in the State Forests...what a huge difference it would make for space. Nothing would remain outside the van during travel. Light weight. Etc.

I wonder...has anyone used one of these little gems?
https://www.amazon.com/Petforu-Cook...1521223815&sr=1-3&keywords=propane+camp+stove

I really like the "kit" format.
 
I would suggest "awnings" be a consideration as we come into the spring/summer of the year.  Most would want to be outside their rig  after being cooped up in it through the winter.   But the awning would offer the creature comfort of expanded space,  a roof to be under while outdoors and out of the sun's strong rays in order to avoid sun burn.  Awnings can be rigged cheaply or more expensively.   But it is one of the most sought
conveniences by new RV'ers

In this thread below, HDR points out the merits of having a roof rack to build an awning to.  I agree,  and it's how I  built the awning on my second rig by using a couple of ladder racks. (see Van Conversion first link in my signature section)  Having folding camp furniture to use with one's rig inside or out may add to one's satisfaction
and comfort with living out of a Van.   And not cost that much either.


Give the thread a look.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=17316&highlight=awnings
 
JD GUMBEE said:
While big solar and a fridge is unlikely, a chip cooler and an auxiliary ciggie-plug battery may be a good thing. For many, an ice cooler could be the way to go.


What is a chip cooler?
 
Its a type of very efficient refrigeration cooler that basically "deducts" 30-40 degrees from the ambient temperature.
They work well in applications like tractor trailers, where the A/C is used inside the cab all the time, keeping it around 70 or so.
When it gets to 90 degrees outside, unless you have ice in them, they get too high in temperature.
 
Cool thread on the awnings.
Never had to deal with putting a roof rack on one.
Many had them factory though.
I vote for the "tarp awning" with the adjustable poles, myself.
That "mushroom" deal on the Ford in the other thread shows amazing ingenuity though! :)
 
I agree with the tarp awning for most who would travel light.   That Bat Wing idea would be ok if you were going to be spending a lot of time in one place.   But for traveling light a tarp awning or a dining fly tent with one side attached to the Van may be the best bet.  

If you arrive at a campground in the noon time of day just park the Van with the drivers side facing the setting sun (if it is hot) and you'll have shade on the side door side of our Van. 

If you can find an 8x8 ft dining fly tent (that would fit the side of your Van then you could rig fastenings on the side of the Van that one side of the dining fly could attach to.   That may eliminate a couple of tent poles and 4 guy wires and make your setting up this type of awning a bit easier.

If you pull up beside a picnic table you can use a shortened pole for the center pole where it uses the top of the picnic table instead of the ground.   Thus you have a table, seating, and shade.  And dining fly's can be
found cheap from time to time as well.  (many of them have two or three piece support poles which knock down to conserve space)

a7e9c1cd-bf4e-4df7-be9b-b3dfd1347397_1.6a6ab4371428323a03601aee7b795185.jpeg
 
Trebor English said:
What is a chip cooler?
AKA peltier-effect coolers

As Trebor already knows, but for others:

Horribly inefficient if you're running off limited battery bank power.

Which people using them while dino juice is burning don't need to worry about.

And as pointed out, very ineffective when ambient gets over 65°F or so.
 
The shade tarp of some kind is a must.
Looking for the poles and cord to use a simple 12 dollar tarp with makes the package rather expensive though.
Jimindenver mentioned he had purchased adjustable tarp poles for 10 dollars.

Of course, the one pictured below here would surely be a sweet setup with the van.
Not for the stealth model for sure...but someone who would spend time in a state park or BLM, something like this would work out pretty well.
What do you think of these pictures??
Still, depending on which one you get $250 to $279.

https://www.amazon.com/Rightline-Ge...8&qid=1521332714&sr=8-4&keywords=vehicle+tent


ce1d4e28-8e19-4445-9f68-2ea37b46a8d1.jpg._CB297822498_.jpg


Then there is this style:
https://www.amazon.com/ArcHaus-Shel...rd_wg=L3cQH&psc=1&refRID=99T62RW2SYTXB200Q3GP

The one above (not pictured here) is $289 Thats a lot of the budget.

There is a "Cabana model" that gives a stand-up area for changing, a potti...???
It sells for $90
Link to it here: https://www.amazon.com/Cabana-Black...rd_wg=7v2Hn&psc=1&refRID=2K0JKTY11TTHRH1JDA1T


Stove/pots/pans/Potti/utensils/mattress still needed.

Would you say the stove kit presented earlier in the thread would be good, or not?
For the sake of simplicity, cooking would be done outside the van.
If you used the "cabana" tent on the slider door, a tear drop style kitchen would work nicely...
Sure would like to get feedback on that.
The commercial modular units  for this task are too much money to consider.
Especially when you have to include some plates/forks/spoons/paper towels/potti supplies...etc. It all adds up.
Going with the $300 tent option and it is very easy to go over the budget.

Checking the one-way sticker vinyl, I got a price of $160+- installed.
I think the stickers over the rear windows are key for this situation.
Opinions on this?
What about bed height?
Making a bed platform is key to the rear kitchen, if there is one.
Anyone have ideas on the typical tear drop setup?

The more I think about it, the modular platform setup is the key.
A full sized mattress taking up the whole back...that you could fold up-or fold in half...might be a better option than a twin.
 
JD GUMBEE said:
Stove/pots/pans/Potti/utensils/mattress still needed.

Would you say the stove kit presented earlier in the thread would be good, or not?
=
>> Nope. " FDA approved Non Toxic anodized aluminum "
No wonder people are sick, & getting worse, sigh. ............ I'll stick with my S.S. or glassware.


For the sake of simplicity, cooking would be done outside the van.
=
>> even when it's freezing outside ?


A full sized mattress taking up the whole back...
that you could fold up-or fold in half...might be a better option than a twin.
>> Just sleep curled-up :) to begin with. You know like any child.
my normal sleeping space is 28"Wx35"L, until jump UP :D (ok in van jumping up replaced with crawling out), & then jump UP, lol
 
JD GUMBEE said:
If you were given a decent mini-van, along with a budget of $750 to turn it into a camper, how would you do it?

How would you spend the money to make your ideal travel-minvan?
such a DEAL:
1. you're offering to take the modified RAIN-forest off my hands, &
replace it with something a bit more "decent" like a Caravan ?
+
2. for $750 it turns into a magic ... camper. Cool !
i need:
> clothes (for winter + summer) since you said "year-round"
>> an insulated (cold) storage for nutrition: like Eggs+lamb; plus sardines, Quinoa, Cruciferous veggies, dark berries, dark chocolate, Spices
& 5 gallon bottle of either deep-well water, or Filtered water: it all might fit into 1 of those 18-wheelers :D
>>> comfy bedding (my Yoga foam mat, & sleeping bag, & Down-comforter, & of course foot-warmer ;) )
>>>> Dependable Solar to charge the gizmo for Dependable internet connection.
toileting & bathing ? Birdie-style, lol
Since we're cooking outside, how about https://www.amazon.com/Sunflair-Portable-Complete-Dehydrating-Thermometer/dp/B008SGB2KU ?
& a few other items whose descriptions escape me atm. Can we add a mini woodstove outside ?
 
Wow I totally dig those tents that add on to the truck shell. I have a 2001 Chevy Silverado with shell I take to areas I can't bring my rv to. That add on tent would be awesome! Usually I just hide out in the shell, it's a bit cramped in there. Too bad they are so expensive.
 
lenny flank said:
I'm an old backpacker. To me, the vehicle is just a metal tent that moves. So all I really NEED is a sleeping bag on the floor, a place to store food and water (that I don't need to carry on my back), a camping stove for cooking, and some type of solar to charge my laptop.

Everything else is "luxury".

(Oddly, that is not very far off from what the inside of my van actually DOES look like... ;) )
Agreed this is how i would do it. Maybe add a few luxuries if i was full time so it feels more like home but if i absolutely had to i could do this.
 
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