Turn That Minivan Into A Camping Van!

Turn That Minivan Into A Camping Van!

 After raising four children, I am left with a minivan that still runs great. (Thanks Toyota!) Being the frugal person that I am, I learned to repurpose my van to go on solo camping adventures!

Minivan turned campervan

Where to go camping in my minivan?

 State park campsites here in New York State with electricity generally cost 25-30 dollars per night. These parks have restroom and shower facilities to use. 

How did I decide to go solo camping?

-My husband encourages me to go places that I want to visit, but he might not want to or isn't free to go with me.

-Somehow I came across "van life" videos on Youtube. There's lots of them. I watched many of them  last winter. 

-I feel safe out on my own and love to hike, bike and kayak. My "spidie senses" are a good indicator of my safety.  Some people are skeptical about me camping, hiking and kayaking solo, but there's a lot of life I would have missed out on if I let my fears hold me back!

Night view of my campsite with string lights on my van

I have the rear row of seats in my van folded down, and I removed the two middle section seats. For the pictured trip, I left a single rear seat up. 

What did I need to start solo van camping? 

Interior showing window covers

(Note: I am not an amazon affiliate, I am leaving links just to show what I used.)

-Covers for my windows.  I simply went to Walmart and bought black material. I folded them, cut them to fit each window, and cut holes to put on hooks I hung in my van. Super cheap! Sometimes the hooks fall down, but I have extras to replace them!

-A comfortable sleeping setup. I chose to buy a folding mattress from Amazon that fits from behind my van's driver seat to the back of the van. I cover it with a fitted sheet.  A top sheet, sleeping bag and pillow. 

-A cooler for my food. I bought a YETI Tundra 45 cooler.  Note:  I was able to buy this on Ebay for $200 instead of $300. 

-Cooler Shock Reusable Ice Packs to keep my food cold in the cooler. Two of these kept my food cold for over 2 nights. 

-Hotlogic Mini Portable Electric Lunch Box Food Heater. If you have electricity, this simplifies your food prep!  I prepared meals in containers at home and froze them in portioned meals. When I was ready to eat, I put them in this heater for about 1 1/2 hours, and my meal was hot and ready to eat!  Note:  I need to let the meal thaw a while before cooking to cut down on heating time. 

-I brought a small electric kettle to heat water for my tea and oatmeal. (Staples in my diet!)

Interior view of my campervan

-A long extension cord to connect the power box to my picnic table. 

-Lots of water!

-Flashlights, lanterns, string lights. 

-A bag for my change of clothes and shower items. Shoes for the shower.

Green Lakes State Park, NY

These pictures were taken at Green Lakes State Park in New York. This is one of my favorite parks to camp in, offering kayaking, access to the Erie Canal Bike Path across the road from the park, and hiking trails. You are required to rent the park owned kayaks. 

my campfire!

It was a good experience for me. I already have a few van camping adventures booked for next year!