VanLife: Getting Away Is Good for You
For a more than a year, I have been tricking out my minivan for vanlife glamping. We finally took our first trip.
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An intense desire to escape Phoenix blankets the Arizona Legislature after the 100-day mark and the 100-degree mark are reached. Vacation plans intensify when the session drags on beyond Memorial Day.
Two years ago, in the spring of 2022, in the waning days of my last Legislative session, I longed to travel.
Vanlife videos and Facebook pictures of my friends’ cross-country road trips became my primary sources of information and escapism.
I have been a lifelong camper, and I really hate flying … now more than ever. I saw the vanlife as a way to up my camping game and make road trips more comfortable, interesting and affordable.1
When our kids were growing up, we went wilderness tent camping and fishing almost every holiday weekend. After many nights of being blown around or rained on in a tent, I wanted to upgrade to a vehicle long enough to sleep in but not too big to drive around town.
My Minivan Camper
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I dreamed of buying a vehicle that would be both a passenger van and a camping van. I wanted it to be large enough to accommodate a platform bed, my gear, my dog and my Grandfather’s 50-year-old camp kitchen chuck box (above). My old Toyota Highlander was a great vehicle, but it was too short to sleep in, the chuck box didn’t fit properly and it had over 200,000 miles on it.
My “no-build” van interior design revolved around having a vehicle long and wide enough for me to sleep on a bed platform with the chuck box at the end of the same platform. I used scrap wood, bricks and old campaign signs to construct a scale model of the platform and the chuck box. This helped me visualize the design, measure things as I went along and level the platform.
Many van campers have backend kitchens with built-in storage or tub arrangements and a pullout table. There are many variations on what I created, but few people started with a rugged antique as the primary design element. Other vanlifers have their kitchen stuff and food stuffed here and there — or have something super fancy and professionally built.
Besides being a family heirloom, the chuck box, built in ~1968 by my Grandpa Bill Powers, is a must-have camping item. The chuck box stays packed with everything one needs to cook when camping, except a stove, the fuel and any perishables.
When traveling with any chuck box, the trick is to place the chuck box in the vehicle so it can be used without being moved. (They’re heavy.) My chuck box fit so poorly in the Highlander that it always had to be moved when we camped. That problem prompted me to create a basic design and measurements for my bed platform before I bought another vehicle.
I looked up the interior and exterior measurements of every minivan and watched vanlife conversions for most of them before showing up for a test drive. One minivan kept popping up as a favorite on YouTube — the Dodge Grand Caravan2.
After lots of measuring and shopping, I decided a minivan — because of its length — was a better option than an SUV. I wanted a camper van with a bed, but I also wanted a “Nana” van with seats.
I have owned hybrids for more than 10 years. In the spring of 2023 when I was vehicle shopping, I wanted to buy a hybrid minivan. Unfortunately, the Toyota Previa, which has seats that do not completely fold into the floor, was the only hybrid minivan available on the market. I found a 2021 Previa (which was too short for my design because the passenger seats were in the way) for more than $50,000. There were a few Caravans for sale in Pima County. I found a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan (with two rows of passenger seats that all fold completely into the floor) for $19,000. The Caravan had plenty of length for my bed platform design.
How I Built a DIY ‘No-Build’ Camper
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I built stuff …
It took me a year to build out the minivan, to buy some vanlife equipment and to make accessories. This was a labor of love. I wasn’t in a hurry … look at the shine on that little table. Doing this was a spiritual practice because the van is a symbol of a new life.
I started by designing and constructing the plywood bed platform. It has two hinged fold-out tables inside the van, a slide-out kitchen prep table in the back and storage underneath the full length. Everything else in the van had to work around the bed, the attached tables and the chuck box on the back. I kept measurements and a tape measure in my purse for a year.
When not traveling, the chuck box is stored my the workshop, but I wanted a bed and mattress that could be stored in the van. My bed platform design has two sections. (You can see the center seam where the sections meet in the photo above.) This allows the bed to be stowed in the back while both second row passenger seats are popped up for use. The design also works with one passenger seat up and the bed fully extended. If I put the bed on the other side of the van, I can pop up the third row single seat. Some people do this to have an “easy chair” where they can stretch out their legs.
The front end of the wooden platform slides3 over the back half, and the hinged mattress folds in half for storage. The mattress, pillows, bed platform and much of the gear can be stowed on or under the bed, even when two rows of seats are in use.
The bed platform is an efficient and creative design. I’m so proud of my accurate measurements!!!!! Making a life-sized scale model first helped tremendously.
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I bought stuff …
As I have written previously, vanlife consumerism is heavily promoted by YouTube influencers.
Many vanlife YouTubers are “living off the grid” in all sorts of different vehicles, equipped with solar panels, fancy battery systems, water purification, bathroom accommodations, heating and cooling, a refrigerator and a video studio for social media and remote work. I’m glamping, for sure, but not like that!
Little by little over the past year I have purchased selected items of vanlife equipment. I find these all useful. (I have no influencer licenses with these companies. I’m just encouraging people to buy high-quality products direct, rather than go through the giant retailers. The mattress, the mats, the sunshades and the tent are all made in the US. )
Comfortable mattress. Vanlifers have different sleeping arrangements, but they all recommend getting a comfortable mattress. I got a custom cut memory foam mattress with an organic cotton cover and a hinged design from Mattress Insider. It is as comfortable as my bed, although much narrower. Their customer service by a real person over the phone was impressive.
Dry composting toilet. The Trelino dry composting toilet (the grey cube under the bed in the photo) is a real bougie game-changer for camping and traveling, particularly for women. Free, accessible, clean and safe public restrooms are hard to find. The Trelino doesn’t smell, won’t tip over and fits under the bed! It even won a European design award.
Full set of insulated sunshades made for this van. If you’re like me, you have been buying sunshades and floor mats of questionable quality for years at automotive and big box stores. If you’re lucky, the packaging lists vehicle sizes that the accessories are supposed to fit. Vanlifers use the insulated sunshades for temperature and light control, as well as privacy. The sunshades I purchased from Yellow Pro Auto (as seen above) are well made and seal up the van nicely. Having something that actually fits the vehicle makes a big difference.(Duh.) They really help with temperature control. If you have the funds, I recommend ordering a full set sunshades and mats that fit, regardless of the vehicle. When all the shades are up, they really lower the temperature in the van.
Full set of car mats made for this van. This van has lots of lumps, bumps, hooks and machinery in the floor because of the seats stored below. The floor also has quite a slope. Minivan camper builders often take out the second and/or third rows of seats and use the compartments for storage. Others go to great lengths to take everything out of the vehicle and level the floor. I did a “no-build” minivan design because I preserved all of the van’s original equipment and functionality, and all of the camping gear can be taken out. Part of the design is a full set of car mats from American Floor Mats. In addition to regular mats that go around seats, I bought two large rectangular car mat sections to cover the subfloor machinery and all of the bumps. It’s still lumpy, but the mats are thick and easy to walk and crawl4 on. The back section stays in the van with the bed. When I want to pop up the seats, I take out the front rectangle, pop the seats and put in the regular mats.
Tent or shade structure that attaches. I bought a tent from Napier that attaches to the van and makes a second room. It really expands my living space if I want to stay somewhere a while or travel with a friend. Also, when there’s “weather” — particularly heat — it’s handy to have extra shade. The tent can be detached from the van and stand alone. Even having a separate little tent or screen room is handy to have.
Yes, it’s glamping. In my opinion, the soft mattress, the indoor toilet and the cozy bed inside the van are true signs of glamping — even without solar panels, fancy battery systems, water purification, heating and cooling, a refrigerator and video studio capabilities.
I made stuff …
Vanlifers are known for their ingenuity and homemade solutions. Besides the bed platform, I did a lot of sewing and repurposing of items.
I made two bug screen doors (which are like ~$300 online), a bug screen window, two sheer curtains, four sets of retro fabric opaque curtains, a large cabana curtain (shown way above), several curtain rods, cotton front seat covers and multiple pillow covers to hold stuff like an extra blanket or jackets. Except for the bug screen material which I purchased locally from Home Depot, all of the other fabrics were remnants from other projects or previous house décor. (Some may recognize the cream, black and red retro curtains as the couch throw I had in my Legislative apartments in Phoenix.)
Our First Trip
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In late May 2024, two years and hundreds of vanlife videos later, my pooch Dyna and I took our first minivan camping trip.
It was marvelous!
We didn’t go far — Mount Lemmon — and we stayed only two nights, but it was wonderful to get away from the heat, the house, the noise, the traffic and the Internet.
Except for relaxing, journaling and cooking some great meals, I didn’t do much at all, a welcome change of pace.
I loved just being with nature — with no bings, bongs, bells, whistles or other electronic disruptions.
Early one day, birdwatchers were chattering in the parking lot and said that they had not seen much wildlife or many birds. As soon as they left, birds started chattering, Woody Woodpecker started thumping trees, and chipmunks began to scurry in the distance (a safe distance from the sleeping dog).
While the hikers and campers were off on their adventures, and the dog was snoozing, I sat quietly, listening to the birds and watching a large oval swarm of tiny backlit bugs that looked like glistening sperm in the setting sun.5
As the sun moved across the sky, I rearranged my seating and changed my view. There was a rocky ravine, many rock outcroppings and large boulders scattered around the campground.6
As I watched the pine tree needles and branches sway above me, three stunning blue birds7 came down from the trees. Each one of them sat on a large boulder in a semi-circle six to eight feet in front of me and started to chatter … as if they were addressing me. The red-headed woodpecker took part in the discussion in his own way from his pine tree perch.
The blue birds repeatedly turned their heads as they talked, “Are you listening to us?” I wanted to take a picture of the birds, the glistening sperm bugs and the setting sun through the pines, but I didn’t want my noisy digital camera to interrupt the moment. I sat, listened and watched.
Remembering The Birds, I got a teeny bit nervous when the blue birds and woodpecker abruptly left and an impressively sized raven flew in, sat on a big boulder in front of me and began to express his opinions very loudly. Being six feet from an amazing bird like that was an honor and a privilege.
I’m glad I decided to do nothing in the woods.
When I sat in peace, nature came to me, and it was profound.
It’s amazing how refreshing just a few days away from the heat and Internet can be.
Turn of your electronics and be with nature. It’s good for your mind, body and soul.
To be clear, I am not considering the van life as a fulltime lifestyle. I want to incorporate long and short get-away trips into my lifestyle.
It’s too bad the Dodge Grand Caravan has been discontinued. They should make a hybrid or an electric Caravan that is affordable.
I got this idea from YouTubers who wanted to use their vans or SUVs as passenger vehicles and camping vehicles but didn’t want the hassle of taking a giant wooden thing in and out for every trip. Some made hinged beds, which was my plan until I realized the section would be too tall to fold over inside of the van. Glad I measured! That is when I developed the sliding design. It works well. I can easily do it by myself.
You have to be nimble to be a vanlifer. Walking, crawling, lifting and climbing are all required.
These were tiny bugs with long tails. I tried hard to get a photo or video of them flitting about, but they just look like dust on the van in the pictures. The swarm hovered in the same spot for hours. They never tried to bite me. They were just interested in mingling with each other.
Take a good flashlight when you go camping. Tripping hazards are everywhere!
The blue birds were about the size of thrashers with dusty blue heads, backs and wings and cream-colored chest and stomach. The pictures on the Internet were all over the place and completely unhelpful.