Well hello from Central Coast California

[user 39339]

Hey all - this is my first post! In this forum. I hope I landed in the correct one... I am not into Van LIVING, but am planning to convert a Mini Van into a Camper Van, and hope to learn from the pro's here, and perhaps share my adventures and get some feedback.

I have done 35 years of tent camping (am over it now), have driven Class A buses through the country, rented Class C monstrosities, owned a Class B camper for almost 3 years, and am now ready to start over fresh with all the experience and ideas collected over time.

Planning to purchase a Mini-Van and convert it to exactly what I want/need to go camping in style, be it for 3 day weekends or 3 week vacation trips, on my own or with wife and teenage kid. I enjoy learning and figuring out stuff, and I think this will keep me busy and interested for the next several years. We'll see, I guess!

 

[bullfrog !]

Welcome!

 

[user 39339]

Thanks BF!

 

[maki2]

Be sure your wife and your teen age child are fully immersed in the planning phase of your minivan/camper. Their needs and mindsets are typically very different than that of a middle aged, adult male’s concepts of a good camping setup for overnight sleeping. An unhappy teenager is a misery to be around on road trips. They might well prefer sleeping in a tent to have some personal privacy.

 

[user 39339]

Be sure your wife and your teen age child are fully immersed in the planning phase of your minivan/camper. Their needs and mindsets are typically very different than that of a middle aged, adult male’s concepts of a good camping setup for overnight sleeping.

So true! There can be large differences in expectations when it comes to sleeping comfort, bathroom amenities, etc.
Important to be somewhat flexible and find solutions/compromises that work for everyone.

 

[jacqueg]

Be sure your wife and your teen age child are fully immersed in the planning phase of your minivan/camper. Their needs and mindsets are typically very different than that of a middle aged, adult male’s concepts of a good camping setup for overnight sleeping. An unhappy teenager is a misery to be around on road trips. They might well prefer sleeping in a tent to have some personal privacy.

I think that with two adults and one teenager camping out of one minivan, some kind of tent will be absolutely necessary!

First question to ask is how can everyone sleep comfortably? Get this one right, and other things will fall into place. Get it wrong, and nothing else will ever be quite right.

Another thing that needs to be addressed early on is what kind of weather do you envision for most of your travels.

Sounds like a challenge, but great ideas come out of challenges, don't they?

 

[user 39339]

I think that with two adults and one teenager camping out of one minivan, some kind of tent will be absolutely necessary!

This is something I am about to explore. The four options are

1. Popup
2. Rooftop tent
3. Extra tent
4. Sleeping inside

All have their pro's and cons. I started a more dedicated thread for more dedicated discussions, once our kind admin approves it feel free to visit and share more of your experience. https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/mini-van-camper-conversion.50318/

First question to ask is how can everyone sleep comfortably? Get this one right, and other things will fall into place. Get it wrong, and nothing else will ever be quite right.

Indeed! That, and cold beer.

Another thing that needs to be addressed early on is what kind of weather do you envision for most of your travels.

Mostly dry and sunny. I am hoping to plan trips to avoid the extremes. I have been in Utah/Arizona many times in the middle of Summer, and well, I am now over that.

Sounds like a challenge, but great ideas come out of challenges, don't they?

Absolutely!!

 

[vanbrat]

Give the teen a room of her own by adding one of those roof top tents...LOL

 

[user 39339]

Give the teen a room of her own by adding one of those roof top tents...LOL

That is one of the four options I am looking at, and actually, one of the more likely ones.

Besides teens being teens and sleeping most of the day, a RTT provides for sleeping area that benefits the available room below.

Drawbacks, of course, there are quite a few - from falling down a ladder while trying to go pee at 3 am, to the required setup work (especially if you remove the RTT from the roof rack after trips), to a hit to the gas mileage, and issues with attaching solar panels. Also, some of these are pretty heavy, and the particular vehicle roof and rails need to be strong enough to support it without bending or caving in.

 

[vanbrat]

That is one of the four options I am looking at, and actually, one of the more likely ones.

Besides teens being teens and sleeping most of the day, a RTT provides for sleeping area that benefits the available room below.

Drawbacks, of course, there are quite a few - from falling down a ladder while trying to go pee at 3 am, to the required setup work (especially if you remove the RTT from the roof rack after trips), to a hit to the gas mileage, and issues with attaching solar panels. Also, some of these are pretty heavy, and the particular vehicle roof and rails need to be strong enough to support it without bending or caving in.

My mom had a roof top tent thing on her truck 50 years ago for us teens. We learned really quick how to deal with the nighttime pee trips. We learned to A. Be careful climbing down and B. We had a bucket if it wasn't available for us to climb down. Mom also didn't know about a few other things we did up there because she never went up there and we knew she wouldn't....

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the forum, and good luck with this quest.

Are you considering something like this when your family is along ? So that everyone has comfortable space.

 

[user 39339]

Welcome to the forum, and good luck with this quest.

Are you considering something like this when your family is along ? So that everyone has comfortable space.

Thank you, especially for the write-up in your first link. Very interesting.

I have started a https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/mini-van-camper-conversion.50318/ tread, feel free to check out my (thought) process there!
I am thinking more along the lines of a rooftop tent, with a possible 2-person setup for sleeping inside in a couple of years when it's just the two of us. :|
Also pondering a rear kitchen which would be accessible both from inside and outside (for cooking while standing up).

 

[VanFan]

We watched a couple with two kiddos repack their rooftop tent in a rain storm. It didn't look fun, but they managed.

 

[user 39339]

We watched a couple with two kiddos repack their rooftop tent in a rain storm. It didn't look fun, but they managed.

Would have to dry it out well, but still better/easier than a regular tend that's been sitting in the mud!
Here in Central California we're blessed and cursed with the absence of rainstorms for most of the year.