How to Easily Turn Your Minivan into a Minivan Camper!
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Myself & two kids spent an entire summer camping in my minivan!
I've spent more than 28 nights minivan camping with my kids, including a multi-month road trip that took us from California to Maine and through dozens of National Parks. And I did it without permanently converting or building anything into my minivan.
I drive a Chrysler Pacifica, and one of my favorite things about our setup is that I can turn our everyday minivan into a comfortable camper in about 15 minutes. We have a bed, window coverings, running water, portable power, food storage, fans, a camp kitchen and even a flushable toilet. When the trip is over, everything comes out and the van goes right back to being our normal family vehicle.
When I first started minivan camping, I found very few resources showing how to create a simple no-build minivan camper, especially for a mom traveling with kids. I figured out our setup through a lot of trial and error and thousands of miles on the road.
In this guide, I'll show you exactly how I turn my Chrysler Pacifica into a camper, how I organize our sleeping and storage space, the gear I actually use, and how I transition the van from driving mode to camping mode.
If you're looking for a simple way to turn a minivan into a camper without a permanent conversion, this is the setup that has worked for us.
Table of Contents
Best Minivan for a No-Build Camper
We drive a Chrysler Pacifica, and the Stow 'n Go seating is one of the main reasons I chose it for minivan camping. The rear seats fold directly into the floor, so I don't have to remove heavy seats or leave them somewhere while we're traveling.
The Seats fold nicely into the floor so I can put a camp mattress directly on the floor for us to sleep. No raised floor is needed.
During the day, I can use the Pacifica as our regular family vehicle. When we're ready to camp, I fold the seats into the floor and have a large, flat space for our camping mattress.
I specifically wanted a simple no-build minivan camper rather than a permanent camper conversion. I didn't want to build a platform, remove seats, install cabinets, or make permanent changes to the van. Our camping setup needed to work around our everyday life, not the other way around.
We've comfortably slept one adult and two kids in the back of the Pacifica. We've also fit two adults and two kids inside for a movie night, although I wouldn't want all four of us sleeping back there. The amount of sleeping space you'll need will obviously depend on the size and ages of everyone camping with you.
Because the seats fold completely into the floor, I put our camping mattress directly on the van floor. We don't use a raised sleeping platform or bed frame.
Minivan to Camper Trasition
Both Kids were in their sleeping bags ready to watch Harry Potter -
How to Turn a Minivan Into a Camper in 15 Minutes
One of the most important parts of my minivan camper setup is how quickly I can switch the van from driving mode to sleeping mode. Since I've done a lot of minivan camping as a solo mom with the kids, I don't want to arrive at a campsite and spend an hour setting everything up.
Once I got our system down, I could turn our Chrysler Pacifica into a camper in about 15 minutes. I typically travel with the rear bench already folded into the floor because I only need the two second-row seats for the kids.
How I turn the minivan into a camper:
Fold and store the booster seats
Open and unpack the floor storage compartments
Fold the rear seats into the floor
Inflate the camping mattress
Make the bed
Install the window Coverings
Set up the rest of our campsite
How I turn the camper back into our driving van:
Deflate and roll up the mattressand bedding
Raise the rear seats from the floor
Install the HiFold booster seats
Remove and store the window Coverings
Pack our campsite back into the van
Load the kids and go!
10 Minivan Camping Essentials for a No-Build Camper
Our Jackery charging an ipad, my camera, and our fans while we built a campfire.
Once you've figured out where everyone is going to sleep, you really don't need a complicated setup to make a minivan camper comfortable. These are the 10 minivan camping essentials that made the biggest difference for us during weeks of sleeping in our van.
My setup also keeps the van relatively discreet from the outside. That's important to me when I'm traveling with my kids and occasionally need to sleep somewhere like a Walmart parking lot, church parking lot, or on public land where overnight parking or camping is allowed. With the window coverings installed and everything contained inside the van, it isn't immediately obvious from the outside that we're sleeping in it.
For a much more detailed gear list, see my 15 Minivan Camping Essentials for a No-Build Minivan Camper.
1) A Water source: I use a 5-gallon water jug with a battery powered pump in our minivan camper. Having easy access to clean drinking water is one of the simplest things you can add to a no-build setup, and we use ours constantly for drinking, filling water bottles, brushing teeth, and cleaning up around camp.
2) An external power source: We use portable power stations to charge our phones, iPads, cameras, rechargeable fans, and the pump for our camping mattress. I've used both Goal Zero and Jackery power stations while minivan camping, and I recharge them while we're driving or with solar panels at camp.
3) A Camping Mattreses: A comfortable camping mattress makes a HUGE difference when you're sleeping in a minivan. We use an Exped Duo camping pad directly on the floor of our Chrysler Pacifica. It rolls up during the day and has kept us comfortable while minivan camping in everything from summer heat to snow. (The Exped is pretty pricey, so check out this self inflating double pad which is more budget friendly)
Click here to check out my shoppable list of Must Haves for a Minivan Camper!
Here you can see how thin the camp mattress is, but it’s very comfortable. The window coverings are installed on every window!
4) Window Coverings: Window coverings give us privacy, insulation, and a much more discreet setup at night. I use custom WeatherTech window coverings for a Chrysler Pacifica with the black side facing out and silver side facing in. Similar coverings are available for other popular minivans, including the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna
**You can also find these kind of window coverings for other vans like the Ford Transit Connect, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Kia Sedona!
I love my weather tech window coverings. They give us total privacy while minivan camping.
5) Roof Top Storage: Our rooftop cargo box is one of the biggest reasons this no-build minivan camper setup works for longer trips. We use a SportsRack Vista XL and have driven more than 25,000 miles with it. It holds bulky camping gear outside the sleeping area and gives us significantly more room inside the van.
Dry Camping at Needles Outpost in Canyonlands National Park - our roof top cargo is priceless
6) A Flushable Toilet: Yes, we have a flushable toilet in our minivan! We use a Thetford Porta Potti 135, and having our own bathroom has been incredibly convenient when road tripping and camping with kids. At night, I keep it toward the back of the van so nobody has to leave the minivan to use the bathroom.
Click here to check out my shoppable list of Must Haves for a Minivan Camper!
While we drive, the Thetford Porta Potti sits between the kid’s seats, but it could easily go in the far back if you don’t want it there. Scroll up on the blog to see the toilet in the van with the bed set up
7) Food Storage: Simple plastic drawer units have been the easiest way for me to organize food inside our minivan camper. The drawers keep snacks and cooking supplies accessible without having to unpack bins every time we need something, and I've also used a second set of drawers for clothing on longer trips.
8) Rechargeable Fans: Airflow is extremely important when sleeping in a minivan, especially during warmer weather. I hang rechargeable fans from a bungee cord stretched between the handles inside the van. I also use window screens when we need to crack the windows for additional ventilation.
These little fans will run all night and help keep the airflow moving inside the car.
9) A Really Good Chuck Box: I use a crafting boxas our chuck box, which is basically a portable camp kitchen. It holds our small skillet, pot, cutting board, cooking utensils, seasonings, and other kitchen supplies. I also bring a two-burner Coleman camp stove for cooking at our campsite.
10) A portable vacuum: A portable vacuum isn't essential for turning a minivan into a camper, but after weeks of camping with kids, I can tell you it makes living in such a small space much nicer. Ours plugs into the van and makes it easy to clean up dirt, sand, and crumbs without taking up much storage space.
Want to see everything I use? Check out my complete guide to 15 Minivan Camping Essentials for a No-Build Minivan Camper for my full gear setup, including our awning, cooler, camping chairs, lighting, step stool and more.
I carry a tiny little skillet and a pot so I can make multiple things at once like I would at home.
Check Out My Suggestions on the Best camping Gear
Is a No-Build Minivan Camper Worth It?
For me, absolutely. I wanted a minivan camper that I could set up by myself, comfortably sleep in with my kids, and turn right back into our everyday family vehicle when the trip was over. I didn't want to remove seats, build a bed platform, install cabinets, or permanently alter my Chrysler Pacifica.
my kids and i at delicate arch on our 4 month long minivan camper trip
After more than 28 nights of minivan camping and thousands of miles on the road, this simple setup has worked incredibly well for us. We've had running water, a comfortable bed, power, privacy, cooking supplies, food storage, fans, and even our own toilet without permanently building anything into the van.
You also don't need to buy everything at once. Start with a comfortable place to sleep, window coverings for privacy, water, ventilation, and the gear you already own. After a few nights of camping, you'll quickly figure out what would make your own setup easier.
If you're planning your first minivan camping trip, check out my 15 Minivan Camping Essentials for a No-Build Minivan Camper for my complete gear list. You can also find my 100+ Road Trip Snacks for Kids and Tips for Road Tripping as a Solo Mom for more ideas before you hit the road.
Before you head out to start your van conversion, check out my guide to 100+ road trip snacks and How to Tent Camp with Toddlers.
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