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Show off your camping setup / camper / van!

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
I'm a big fan of tent camping, but DH has wanted a van for years and I finally have in. He bought a Sprinter van over the holidays and is mostly in the planning phase. So far he's upgraded the suspension and we added the ladder and spare tire carrier on the back.
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
I'm a big fan of tent camping, but DH has wanted a van for years and I finally have in. He bought a Sprinter van over the holidays and is mostly in the planning phase. So far he's upgraded the suspension and we added the ladder and spare tire carrier on the back.
Are you guys going to do the build yourselves, or hire someone to do it?
 

RachelV

Administrator
Staff member
I'm a big fan of tent camping, but DH has wanted a van for years and I finally have in. He bought a Sprinter van over the holidays and is mostly in the planning phase. So far he's upgraded the suspension and we added the ladder and spare tire carrier on the back.

Take pictures as you go (please)!!! Super exciting project.
 

DeeSki

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I’m so jealous. My childhood vacations were spent driving around Europe in an old Commer van. Our neighbours thought we were crazy but it was fantastic!
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
Take pictures as you go (please)!!! Super exciting project.
Definitely! Just the ladder rack, suspension and wheels/ tires so far. He is getting recommendations from some friends with Sprinter vans regarding the interior and I think he made some decisions this weekend. He is having the stereo upgrade done professionally, but likes working on vehicles and doing projects like this so most of the rest will likely be us. Haha there is a lot of work in the future but it's a good COVID project. I have something of a pile of hobbies and I'm glad he's got a project to keep busy with these days. And it's a good thing he built the detached garage so tall that it fits in there!
 

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TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
He's going to do most of it himself. I do some assisting in these projects but it's his toy.... :smile:
I discovered Ross Lukeman's Conversion Van Course after I had already done about 1/4 of the work, but it saved me a LOT of costly errors. The course was worth every penny! I wish I had found him before I started -- he lays everything out in order, and goes thru each lesson very clearly and step-by-step, unlike most YouTube videos, and gives downloadable materials lists. His electrical stuff is especially useful. Also, once you sign up for his Conversion Van Course all the other courses are included, and you can email him with questions, etc. I still contact him first whenever I run into a issue.
 

skinnyfootskis

Angel Diva
We pulled the trigger on one of the last Revels for sale in our area this past summer. Took it out west for a socially distant road trip boondocking around BLM land in Utah and Colorado, and made two trips to Killington this year already. It’s been a game changer to be fully self-contained. We did a lithium battery upgrade (DIY) and we’ve got power for daaayyyyyzz. View attachment 14486
More picts….
 

Eera

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
We fairly recently upgraded from a soft-floor camper trailer to a hybrid caravan. mainly because we have endless sport all winter and only get the chance to really go away in summer, a.k.a wet season, when its 35 Celsius and 90% humidity.

So I need the aircon, and a pack-up that doesn't involve wrestling wet canvas in the pouring rain.

It's one of the cheapest vans you can get, but it has a super-king in the slide-out in the back, two bunks in the front and en-suite, full offroad suspension and will go wherever we need it to, downside it's a bit porky due to the steel frame. Super happy with it so far.

1646704179749.png1646704246202.png
 

Eera

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Where the bed is in the slide-out section at the back, it's really annoying when it rains as you've got the plopping right next to your head. The roof has a sail track in it, so we got a vinyl awning made up with some eyelets and ran it through the track - perfect.

It keeps the rain off the roof, gives some sun protection and covers the washing line.

1648257924511.png
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
Where the bed is in the slide-out section at the back, it's really annoying when it rains as you've got the plopping right next to your head. The roof has a sail track in it, so we got a vinyl awning made up with some eyelets and ran it through the track - perfect.

It keeps the rain off the roof, gives some sun protection and covers the washing line.

View attachment 18403
Great idea!
 

geargrrl

Angel Diva
Where the bed is in the slide-out section at the back, it's really annoying when it rains as you've got the plopping right next to your head. The roof has a sail track in it, so we got a vinyl awning made up with some eyelets and ran it through the track - perfect.

It keeps the rain off the roof, gives some sun protection and covers the washing line.

View attachment 18403
Looks like a trailer, not a van? IE, it looks like a tow-behind, not something you drive, correct?
 

Eera

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Looks like a trailer, not a van? IE, it looks like a tow-behind, not something you drive, correct?
Correct - difference in local terminology; it's a caravan, which gets abbreviated to van because Australia and a sentence such as "there's a bingle on the Broady: towies on scene but it's still heaps chockers" makes perfect sense to us.

One that you drive would be a motorhome (if it's posh), or a campavan (if it's not). A camper trailer (or just trailer) are the ones that are tents with a kitchen that fold up.
 

RachelV

Administrator
Staff member
Minivan camper update: this thing still rules. Ridiculous luxury if you're using it by yourself, and surprisingly comfortable with both of us and a ~50lb dog. Really cannot recommend a similar setup highly enough if you want to be very comfortable while camping while also not owning anything bigger than a regular vehicle.

We're taking advantage of both of us being purposefully & temporarily unemployed to spend some extended family time on the east coast, so we drove the van from Colorado to North Carolina last week. First time camping in the southeast! Basically confirmed for myself that I don't love camping in humidity. :smile: It was very nice to camp in places with warmer water to swim in, however.

Near Kaw City, OK:
van-ok.jpg

Near Greers Ferry, AR:
van-ar.jpg

Lark watching DH go for a morning swim near Silver Point, TN (featuring the fan we have literally never used before because we always camp where the nights are chilly, but it worked like a champ):
van-dog.jpg

I also want to give a shoutout to recreation.gov, which makes it so easy to book campsites from the road, and has great campground maps to help you pick the best spots. DH likes nothing more than spots right on the water and we were able to go 3 for 3 on this trip.
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
Minivan camper update: this thing still rules. Ridiculous luxury if you're using it by yourself, and surprisingly comfortable with both of us and a ~50lb dog. Really cannot recommend a similar setup highly enough if you want to be very comfortable while camping while also not owning anything bigger than a regular vehicle.

We're taking advantage of both of us being purposefully & temporarily unemployed to spend some extended family time on the east coast, so we drove the van from Colorado to North Carolina last week. First time camping in the southeast! Basically confirmed for myself that I don't love camping in humidity. :smile: It was very nice to camp in places with warmer water to swim in, however.

Near Kaw City, OK:
View attachment 21337

Near Greers Ferry, AR:
View attachment 21335

Lark watching DH go for a morning swim near Silver Point, TN (featuring the fan we have literally never used before because we always camp where the nights are chilly, but it worked like a champ):
View attachment 21336

I also want to give a shoutout to recreation.gov, which makes it so easy to book campsites from the road, and has great campground maps to help you pick the best spots. DH likes nothing more than spots right on the water and we were able to go 3 for 3 on this trip.
Minivan camping is definitely a thing! Glad you're having a great time. I'[m sorry I didn't know you were headed this way -- you're actually not very far from my neck of the woods. Silver Point is only about 2 hrs from me! Which way are you headed next? I'm leaving Wed AM in my van for the Delaware River Sojourn, which starts in Equinunk, PA this yr., so it looks like we won't be able to meet up -- too bad!
 

Amie H

Angel Diva
@RachelV was your spot in Arkansas a campground deigned by Army Corps of Engineers? It looks like their signature cement/aggregate picnic table design.

I have a conversion van, only slept in it once (in my driveway!) to see if I would feel comfortable camping in it. I was unnerved all night so I canceled the camping reservation I had at an IL state park the following weekend. However, I might be up for trying one of those Army Corps-designed campgrounds because, of the ones I've seen, the facilities are really pleasant, and in shoulder season, aren't crowded.
 

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