I’m not a fan of minivans or SUVs. They’re just bigger than I feel I need or want. I currently have a small or medium sized pickup that’s manual everything and I love it.
However, after my road trip last week if I went to the camp site, it would have been too dark to set up the tent and it was a bit chilly and rainy and I was worn out, so I found a hotel.
Because I want to take more road trips, and take my dog with me, I’m thinking of getting a minivan and converting it into a camper. Not permanently but for when I take my trips. Also, I’d be able to stop in at camp grounds, WalMart parking lots or even neighborhood streets for a few hours without calling attention to myself and quickly getting to sleep. I’ve been looking for some used ones nearby and there are several in my price range.
Vans are great if you have one or more dogs, especially big ones. We bought a cheap used one since it wouldn’t be a daily driver, and it comes in handy not only with dogs, but for Home Depot/Lowe’s trips (a sheet of plywood fits perfectly!), and my husband (who is a teacher) can haul a few kids on his tennis team if need be as well.
I’m not going to stop you since I love our Toyota Sienna, and wish that we had bought a van when the kids were younger. Apart from the blind spots, it’s a very comfy easy ride and great for long distance driving. There’s loads of room in the back with the seats stowed and folded. I think that the Dodge Grand Caravan / Chrysler Town and Country seats are supposed to be very easy to stow.
Hertzcarsales dot com is a good place to look at used van prices.
How about not replacing the truck you love, and keep the van/SUV as a separate vehicle dedicated to camping? Then you can keep it permanently set up as a camper.
As for inspiration, I’m going to do something like this to the Expedition in the next couple of weeks in preparation for an awesome, upcoming, four week road trip.
I won’t talk you out of it. Once you get over the (undeserved) stigma of being a minivan driver/owner, you’ll probably love it. They drive well, come with some great bells and whistles, and are good on gas. They are the true and original utility vehicle.
It’d be a bit more work but a Mazda5 came with a manual, it’s smaller than a “normal” minivan, and it’d work for a human and a dog. Certain wagons might also suffice.
While I loved my Mazda5 it wasn’t that much cheaper to buy or operate than any of my full size minivans. They’re just that good now.
Get a minivan. They’re pretty good these days and they are perfect you. Most car owners with SUVs and CUVs would be happier with a minivan if they weren’t so image conscious.
We have a Honda Odyssey and the utility of that thing is far superior to a similar sized SUV. You can take the 2nd row of seats out and have way, way more storage. Or you can put all the seats up and haul around 8 people. From now on, we will always own a minivan.
I agree with the crowd here. Minivans don’t deserve the “man card revocation” stigma they receive. They are, hands down, the most efficient means of conveyance for large amounts of people, large objects or dogs. They’re incredibly versatile.
I have a 2009 toyota sienna, and while it is not our primary form of transportation now, I loved it. A lot of it’s then-swanky features are standard now and it is a bit outdated, but it’s absolutely fine.
The biggest draw to me is I have 4 kids, and with our 8 seats we could take everybody, plus a couple more (usually my parents). Great for car pooling. Plus you can transport a shit load of stuff if you fold out the seats. Sadly my middle row doesn’t completely go flat to the floor, and I would demand that out of a new one. It’s removable but a total pain in the ass.
Maybe it doesn’t look as hot on the outside, but a loaded one is IMO as good or better than any SUV can offer and is far more practical.
Yup, I have one. You do have to wrestle a bit to get them down, but it’s nice to have. Also, when the seats are up, you have big storage wells to stash stuff.
Another advantage of minivans is that they’re kind of invisible. There’s so many, and driven mostly by families, that nobody pays attention to them. I have one because I haul around a bunch of music gear including tubas and upright basses. It’s more secure than a pickup with a shell. I don’t put stickers on it that imply that I have it full of expensive music gear.
Anyone who thinks poorly of my masculinity because I drive a minivan by choice, can stuff it right next to their trailer hitch testicles.
The only caveat I would add is that if there is a chance that you’ll need to pull a substantial trailer (even a relatively small camper trailer – say, anything over 3,500 lb fully loaded), there is really no substitute for a full sized, truck-based SUV (or pickup for that matter). Minivans will advertise a 3,500 lb towing capacity, but I know from lots of experience towing that they are not well suited for pulling anything near that capacity (and neither are most any of the unibody “SUVs” on the market nowadays). Otherwise, minivans can be very good light duty utility vehicles.
Another satisfied Sienna owner here. Bought it when the 3 kids were in HS and more adult-sized. We’ve always like wagons, but couldn’t persuade ourselves to jam the 3 of them into a back seat. Also always had at least 1 golden.
The removable seats gave great flexibility, and with all of them removed, the back was cavernous. For years it was my primary car. Not at all sexy, but super reliable and drove and parked like a dream. I occasionally regret having gotten rid of that van - we bought smaller cars as empty nesters.
What you describe is something I have often thought of. As I envision it, I would have a sleeping mat and sleeping bag, and an ice chest. Every few days I’d want access to a shower - either in a campsite or a hotel. I envision placing some screen over one of the windows with velcro.
The idea of just bumming around like that with my dog has considerable appeal. Never heard a bad thing about Siennas or Odysseys. Personally, never understood the appeal of SUVs (at least for the vast majority of folk who NEVER take them off road.)
