The tick that changed the course of time

I love camping and the outdoors. I have always been fascinated in buying a transport van and converting it into a functional living space enjoying the luxury of camping and the outdoors with the family.

In 2017 we bought our minivan when my daughter India was born for the purpose of convenience and bigger space for our growing family. I have since planned the conversion but did not have the mature drive to do until the minivan had a ticking problem coming from the engine. An engine failure ensued if not fixed right away. The dealer quoted me a whopping $4,500 for repair which was not far from other automotive shop estimate. And rightfully so; This gave me the motivation to try to fix the van myself– which I have never done before and surprisingly did after a few months of intense preparation and research.

The precursor van fix that inspired the build

Holding the very own cam phaser in my own hands, changing the rocker arm after a grueling 48 hours of work- and a semi overhaul to the engine, all of which I have never done before, gave me the confidence to work on a project. This led me to pursue my vision to convert the van. One that would still be a functional vehicle after a camping trip.

the semi overhaul that inspired a non mechanic like me to re-think about my passion for camping and pursuing the idea to convert the van. Pictured above: cam shaft with few of the defective rocker arm and the cam phaser.

I then quickly went on to the drawing board and researched countless hours on the best conversion that would fit our needs. The conversion would soon begin and a few trips to the home depot store made everything slowly come into existence. This simple set up is one that is simple and easy to build.

The conversion

During the spring of 2023 we camped at a few places in the coast of California. The whole month of May was the perfect time with the weather temperate and the nights comfortably cooler. Camping is another alternative to traveling with the family locally without spending as much as traveling out of state or flying internationally. Grabbing just a few necessity from the pantry and filling up the cooler for a days worth of food made a lot of sense to just hit the road and plan a spontaneous trip and adventure. It opened up a whole new experience for my family especially this very first time we had the luxury of sleeping in a converted small build minivan. It is the child in me building a fort and relieving every joy in the process.

Joycee waking up to a beautiful sunrise in Lake Perris campground in early May, one that’s captured a great introduction to our very first time sleeping in the minivan.

We have rented an RV back in 2017 which inspired us to pursue this conversion- one that gave us an insight into planning, learning the routine (of a much smaller space), and building each other to take part in the process. A family bond working together as a cohesive team. Each had their important part to play. From that year on I became obsessed with van conversion and van builds. Not until five years later that the plan was realized.

The 26 foot RV that we rented back in 2017 which inspired us to pursue the van conversion

The set up

The process of planning for the trip, packing our gear, setting up the van, and leaving the campsite was somewhat of a visual mantra, a routine we had to improvise as we went along. It gave us the chance to reflect and step back to look at what worked and what we had to leave out on the next trip. It required a lot of careful thought out plan. While prepping for the trip was somewhat tasking, for me it was a form of meditation and a drive to just go and be in tune with nature without having to sacrifice comfort. 

One evening I drew a plan to build a functional bed frame that would save time to set up and save space; both while camping and on the daily routine use. What happened next was the very first concrete idea that would start to shape the build to choosing the trifold bed mattress. The idea I came up, with the help of a few brilliant Youtubers online, became a carpentry marvel for myself. 

The van and the gear

If you are interested click on the link to visit my amazon camping gear page for all the gears mentioned and used on this easy van build. If I have not mentioned yet, this is a 2016 seven seater dodge grand caravan with automatic sliding side and rear door. It’s serviced us a lot throughout the year hauling plants, wood floor and served as an airport ‘shuttle’ for family that come to visit.

The idea that the van can be used as a daily vehicle was one that took a lot of time and planning. Pictured here using the van for grocery shopping at Costco with the third row seats folded all the way down to the floor (which the dodge grand caravan are well known for), the middle row pilot seats are where the kids sit. When going camping, the space below the bed frame and above it can be used for the .three trunk/bin system. This gave us a seamless way to change the vehicle from camping mode to a daily use

I devised  a system to make a seamless pull-out fold-out bed system that reversed back to a vehicle during the day without the compromise of taking too much time to set up. Three trunk organizers fit below this bed frame that each hold the “kitchen”, the “outdoor”, and the linen/clothes/toiletry trunk organizer into a pull out tuck away bin system. The bed is high enough for the average Coleman cooler to sit under for storing food. This gave us organization and easy access to what we needed for that camping adventure. Three rules applied to choosing a campsite; We made sure to find a campsite close to the toilets, one that was close to a water supply and one where we can enjoy a nice hike. Luckily we have plenty in the state of California all year round.

Watch the video on the easy stow and go bed frame build.

The sink and ‘magic island‘

I have a fold out sink system that can hold water up to the brim without tipping the bag. This made for a good alternative to washing the dishes within our campsite. The water system was a five gallon shower camping supply that was made to be used for washing hands and dirty utensils. Everything was a magnetic hook system that attached to the metal part of the van to dry out pans and cups after each dish wash. 

Left and bottom photo: the mini island/table used for cooking or dinning coupled with a tripod stand that can be stowed easily while in transit. The kettle is hung on a small magnetic hook system that can be placed anywhere on the outside of the van for drying utensils and more Right: the DIY sink set up with an outdoor shower system (can also be used for shower or rinsing gear and shoes), a magnet that holds the shower head, and the collapsible bucket that can hold 3.7 galloons of water used as a sink system.

When unexpected rain happens, the awning with the small island table are used for shades and mini table. This makes for an increase real estate in and around the van. The table can be switch to the side or from the rear of the van for a more functional use. I now use a monopod gifted to me by a good friend with a dual purpose to secure the table and or hold the solar string lights in place.

Light source and power supply

The light source was carefully selected online and is all solar rechargeable. A small solar light with three feature brightness that clipped magnetically onto a shirt so you can walk and do tasks at night freeing both your hands. This is especially useful when preparing food at dusk and going to the bathroom at night. I have a small 180 watts Jackery power supply to charge up electronics and even boil water with a small kettle. The trip was usually a night or two, enough to use up all the power supply. This Jackery would be plugged into the cigarette outlet in the car while in transit so it charges up while on the go. The roll up solar string light stayed velcro’d in the front dash to recharge while not in use. We did not go for solar panels since we do not plan a trip longer than two nights. We made sure to keep the van as stealthy as possible during regular day use.

A side roll out awning is attached to the van for an increased shade/workspace/kitchen if ever it rained or a shade is needed from the sun. I made a small kitchen pull out table with a monopod to hold it in place. A magnetic shade is used to cover the windows at night for privacy. This whole setup gave us a luxury close to a comfort of a home and in tuned with nature at the same time.

Four small magnetic light source are placed strategically around the table to illuminate the space. This same light source can also be clipped on the shirt

Camping at san Mateo and San Onofre campground

On the day of arrival at the campsite, we set up the fire Pit, pull out the awning, set up the foldable chairs and go for a nice hike. We return back to the campsite just in time before the sun set to prepare for dinner. After dinner I will wash the dishes with my sink system set up, dry the dishes and hang them on the magnetic hook system. We then brush our teeth, go for a potty break and sit by the campfire before going to bed with the light clips as the dual light supply. These magnetic clips can also be place anywhere metal on the van. The kids will then go to bed changing into sleep wear and their jammies. Joycee  and I can then enjoy the starry nights to ourselves over a cup of coffee or warm cocoa while the log continue to burn and flicker through the night.

The next day I will usually wake up extra early before everyone else to start the coffee and prepare for breakfast. This is the best time to meditate and enjoy the surrounding glow and gentle hints of chirps. I enjoy watching bushcraft when I get the chance to sit on the TV screen, and while I cannot go out to the woods for days at end and immerse myself in nature that way, I gather a few loose branches and twigs to use as small logs for my portable oven system to boil water for a nice treat of pour over coffee and enjoy the process. 

The hike to the beach from the San Onofre camping site is beautiful and scenic.

Camping is the best way to teach the kids to love the outdoors and learn a few basic things in life otherwise not taught in the modern household. It gives them a chance to be involved in the process of meal prep, minimalistic approach in considering what to bring for a trip, admire the outdoors and learn a few simple life hacks.

Future plans for the Van

This van measures 72 in by 48 in. I am by far the tallest of the family at 69 inches. Believe it or not I fit completely fine at where the sliding doors are located being the widest part of the van in width at about 70 inches. This set up works for now and we are taking advantage of the limited space. I am considering the rooftop tent in the future to couple this van when the kids grow a little taller and older.

The van is equipped with extra upgraded features I put in like the warm ditch light on the front hood, a front and rear camera for loop recording, a small reverse camera, rain guard, and an apple careplay to help with navigation. This in all give me a luxury of a vehicle that does not scream attention on the road. How stealthy it is can be used for driving the kids to school or a nice drive down to the beach.

I’ve always been fond of camping and the outdoors. Integrating all this in a simple mini build gives us the many options to go for a weekend trip. Traveling with light gear enhances this experience and in turn gives more time to spend planning for the next trip ahead of time. California is no doubt one of the best place to find many campgrounds and scenic byways, hiking trails, the close proximity of the mountains and minutes away from the ocean. Having to spontaneously go camping and not have to think about the long process of setting up and taking everything down after a camping trip is definately something I’ve thought about for a long period of time. This gives us more flexibility to enjoy each other and plan for the next trip.

I hope that this van conversion sparked joy and interest in finding ways to enjoy the family in whichever form of travel and activity you come across. You only have a few summer trips with the kids and why not enjoy them in the in between. The early spring and fall season is the best way to go for a small camping trip. Enjoy them the more in all the season’s year round. This van build idea makes that possible for my family. Have fun in the process!

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