Cathy and I are doing a $500 DIY minivan camping conversion on our 2023 Pacifica Hybrid for an upcoming road trip. camping. In September, we are going to camp our way through the Canada and US east coast.
Last year, we sold our Tear Drop trailer and Subaru Outback combination, that took us to the Canadian Arctic . An amazing combination that never failed us even in the mud, dust, landslides and potholes of the Dempster Highway. However it was time for us to move on.
We bought a Pacifica plug in hybrid (PHEV) mini van. Now we are doing a budget do-it-yourself camping conversion of the mini van for our September trip. A key design point is that the van can be easily reverted to everyday use after the trip.
I see some really nice conversion kits that are pushing $5000 with lots of features like indoor kitchens and toilets, however they look more like what you want if you plan to do stealth camping in Walmart parking lots. We are planning something way simpler that will meet our needs in national, state and provincial park camp grounds, and configured similar to a Tear Drop. Our DIY budget is $500 Cdn or approx $350 US.
So here is what we have sourced so far.
A do-it-yourself sleep platform is made from a standard 4 by 8 feet of 5/8 inch fir plywood, and a foam pad on t0p of that. I am raising it about 8 inches so we can slide bins of clothes and camp stuff under the bed. I am making 4 bolted together sections of 24 by 38 inches for ease of installation and removal. All in, the bed will be 76 by 48 inches. All cuts made at the lumber yard. ($180)
Two Ikea cabinets with pull out drawers for our rear kitchen, one configured to hold the camp stove, pots, plates, utensils and such, and the second to hold the 12V electric cooler, food preparation surface and food. Access to the kitchen is from outside through the van’s tailgate, a setup that we are familiar with in our Tear Drop trailer. ($200)
For our September trip, we have reserved sites with electricity. So for this trip, it will be a simple auxiliary battery that I already have, charged at our campsites at 110 volts, and providing both 110 volt and 12 volt power in the van for lights, fans, recharging devices and such. Of course, we will also be plugging in our vehicle to get the benefit of our PHEV range of about 60 km.
I am making black out window covers from Reflectix and a windshield sun screen from Canadian Tire. ($75)
I think these are the major diy setups to work on right now. I will share some project pictures as the conversion takes shape. Please share ideas if you have done a similar diy conversion.