These are the BEST No Build Campers

minivans are one of the best foundations for starting a minimalist no build camper van conversion in this video we'll look at what minivan camping is what the advantages and disadvantages are and dive into some of the frequently asked questions of minivan life in your everyday life driving down the road going into a parking lot at a giant store have you ever looked at a minivan and thought to yourself there's someone camping in there this is an idea that probably never occurs to anybody particularly outside of big cities this is because the modern minivan is virtually unnoticeable even with the small rack or in my case a solar panel the minivan never draws attention for this reason i prefer minivan camping over full size vans i have mentioned the solar panel and awning to my friends in casual conversation and watched their heads explode mind blown they never noticed it unless i pointed out to them one considering some of the advantages and disadvantages of minivan camping i will use a full size van as a comparison minivans can go anywhere a car can go including parking garages and as previously noted they are unnoticeable full-size vans with high tops sometimes have difficulty getting into parking garages additionally they're becoming more noticeable as potential dwellings for van lifers one big advantage is that minivans are typically much more efficient with some newer hybrids achieving as much as 40 miles per gallon minivans are usually much cheaper than full size vans overall in my experience this was a vehicle i already had and i'll discuss that a little later the number one disadvantage of a minivan over a full-size van is that space is limited and cargo requirements can increase exponentially with the size of your party if you are comfortable taking a minimalist approach to minivan life then this is not a big problem and as tyler durden once said the things you own end up owning you so from my perspective less is more if you are comfortable thinking of your cargo space in your minivan as more of a bedroom than a home then you can free up a lot of space i have never been in a situation where the lack of a sink has ruined my day if you are doing mini van life long term or have limited mobility this is a significant consideration there are plenty of minivans that do have sinks it's just not something that i currently have the desire for furthermore long-term minivan camping can be tricky with pets and children temperatures can reach extremes in the summer and winter and quickly become dangerous to our small friends if not carefully monitored and protected when my family comes along we always augment our space with a tent and other camping amenities you may ask yourself why would anyone want to choose this minivan life over living in a home or renting an apartment or in my case staying in a hotel while i'm traveling while for some this is not a choice but a reality that some many van dwellers have arrived to through financial necessity some of you already have your small vehicle or minivan from the demands of raising your children or shuttling your grandchildren around and now that the responsibility of raising children has started to diminish you have that block of clay ready to mold into your adventure wagon enjoy this gives you the flexibility to travel with a low budget and even visit those kids or grandkids in the dorm rooms when they're off to college if you choose you can forgo the financial drain of fast food and restaurants while you're traveling and in addition to that you can optimize your minivan for either solo travel or traveling as a couple and see many sites that if you were stuck in a hotel you would not be able to see in my case this is the perfect mode to travel at a low cost for short periods i can quickly set up my no build minivan camper conversion go on my trip and then return home and get back to business so where do i park pretty much anywhere a car can legally park the two things that come to mind are first being hidden in plain sight i don't have van life stickers and i certainly do not set up my awning on city streets from the outside it looks like just a plain family hauler second is out of sight out of mind i consider my arrival and departure times to minimize visibility i also typically park and take a walk around the block it's good to see and hear your surroundings before bedding down occasionally i stop in campgrounds these are the most comfortable because you can go full setup with camping accessories and really stretch out i frequently get asked what are the minimum requirements to go minivan camping well i would say you can start with a minivan and possibly even an suv or a large car you don't need a fancy bed you don't need anything fancy except for the vehicle itself try it out and if it is something that you feel comfortable doing then make those investments and more equipment and furniture for your setup thanks for watching and i will see you on the next adventure

Channel: Off Grid Adventure

Views: 270,537

Keywords: minivan camper, minivan camper conversion no build, minivan camping, camper van conversion, minivan bed, minivan conversion, no build van build, no build minivan camper, simple no build minivan camper, a truly minimalist no-build minivan camper, minivan camping conversion, no build minivan conversion, camper van, minivan camper conversion, toyota sienna, sienna camper van, van life, no build van conversion, sienna, minivan life

Id: 00fIX_q8tKk

Length: 5min 57sec (357 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 31 2021