Mini camper van ever came to mind? It's a perfect down to earth vehicle for an adventurous camping and outdoors experience for any couple or single. simple to drive, easy to park, get great gas mileage and have just enough room inside for a double bed and some storage space. And the best part of it? It can be easily made from your daily driver, so you don't have to jump on the debt-slavery wagon for an adventure vehicle.Today, you can find a wide variety of practical vehicles such as MPV's or mini-vans on the market, that can be used as aRecently the Ford Transit Connect makes an interesting base vehicle with it's elevated roof version, allowing lots of insideProfessional companies like Reimo can help you with your camper conversion, but you can easily build your own mini camper following these quite basic DIY tips. These are small vehicles and all you need is some basic equipment to convert it into a sensible camper van. The base vehicle can be either a passenger or a cargo
vehicle with or without the back seat. You may use the back seat when not traveling or just keep it inside if it folds down all the way. remember, there is a whole lot more storage room without the seats, so work it out to fit your needs to the best. Click here and share your Mini Van Conversion with other visitors to this page! Let's take a look at some different types of mini conversions here to get the basic idea... The basic framework seen from the side door. Note the storage room underneath and the comfortable bed on the top. A large and comfortable double bed in a cozy, well insulated interior all set and ready for a good nights sleep. On the above and below set of photos you van see the Ford TransitThis is quite a simple conversion done by using some basic frame work (wood or aluminum) and covering the top with removable plywood panels, enabling you to reach the storage room underGet a mattress cut to the right size and you're about done.
You can also organize your gear and add a small cooker and a portable refrigerator by using a camping box behind the rear row of seats. The optional folding bed is fixed on top of the box and neatly folds out over the folded rear seats for the night. If you really wish to have some more comfort, you can either buy or build yourself a small camping box with drawers, where you can install the cooler, keep the cooking stove and other camping accessories. You can also build a cupboard unit on one side and install some essentials such as a cooler, sink with running water and a cooker. Try to use a portable (alcohol or gas) cooker, which is much more practical in every day adventure life. The other side will most likely host a bench seat with an extractable bed and storage space underneath. Proper insulation ,lining and upholstery is not a must of course, but you should consider it for the final touch of the warm and cozy feeling. And a heater might be an option if you'll
use the vehicle in cooler climates.Remember that any framework and furniture can be easily removable if you wish so and only if your government transportation laws allow it, so you can use the vehicle either for work or everyday If a full-time mini camper van is what you're looking for, check out the video below... And check out this fun French video, perfectly describing the practical combination of a small van and a roof tent! is another smart addition for a small camper. Keep the kitchen and storage space inside the car and sleep on the roof of your camping vanEvery now and then some professional conversions come out with pop top roofs, adding standing height to the camper van. smallest current pop top mini van camper is based on the Citroen Nemo and made by the British RomahomeThe Germans have quite a lot of conversions to show and this one is based on a Volskwagen Caddy. The mini camper is a blend of a practical every day vehicle and a small adventure vehicle when needed.
As with all camper van conversions, you can use your imagination and try to be creative when converting a small vehicle like this.It really is a minimal and priceless conversion, so if you're using a camping tent for your adventures and have an appropriate vehicle on you driveway, give it a thought. It does make a whole lot of a Do You Have A Mini Camper Van Experience? Are you touring around in your own mini camper van conversion or does your friend or next door neighbor have one you would like to share on this website? If you do, I'd love to hear from you! And camping enthusiasts always enjoy reading about something new to get some fresh ideas. Enter The Title Of Your Review (ex," Ford Mini Camper Van) Click here to see the rest of the form and complete your mini camper van review.What Other Visitors Have Said Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page... RENAULT KANGOO WITH AWNING A very versatile vehicle, I use for my hobby of flying airplanes, going to work and monthly camps.
We sleep in the back with inflatable bed and erect a … Girl Traveling Full Time In Self Converted Renault Kangoo Not rated yetHi fellow mini camperists! A couple of months ago I've decided to give up my job and my home in North of England to travel with my dog Odie. Romahome R10 Solo Not rated yetI am a full time house sitter, filling in the void periods wild camping in a Romahome R10 Solo. This is the cheapest living option I can find and living … Subaru Libero vintage "Poldo" Not rated yetOur mini camper is the Subaru Libero from 1987, called "Poldo". Easy to drive, easy to park, easy to have fun with! With everything inside needed to travel …Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you. The night I took this picture, I became an uncle and my brother became a father. Meanwhile, my own first progeny is (hopefully) a few weeks away. An unplanned ten pounds of diaper ruination doesn’t have the Missus and me scrambling to shop for family trucksters yet, but it struck us as all too symbolic when the flat-pack crib wouldn’t fit in the WRX wagon.
The signs are all around: grownuphood is upon us. Thankfully, we live in a post SUV world. Ladder-frame truck based behemoths are on the wane, but their successor in the family hauler role has yet to be anointed. The amorphous “crossover” leads, but the last few years have shown it slowly melting into more wagon-like forms. That wagons are The Hoon’s Choice is a foregone conclusion, but when it comes to hauling more stuff than ass, for the price, there’s no beating a van. The question is, how do you get the utility of a van without feeling like you’ve given up on life? Our 2010 Mazda5 Touring arrived sporting a price tag of $22,480 and a hue we’ll henceforth refer to as press car red. It’s powered by a 2.3L four cylinder backed up by a five speed auto. 2011 will bring a Nagare-ized 5, but in the meantime we’re talking about a model that’s largely unchanged since 2006. Which, really, is fine by us. The Mazda5 is based on the widely praised compact Mazda3 chassis, a solid contender for hot hatch value.
The Touring trim gets you a solid “acceptable” in terms of feature load: power everything, cruise control, sunroof, and a six disc audio system with aux in and Sirius satellite radio. Leather, satnav and DVD entertainment are available in Limited trim. All-in-all, the controls, plastics and upholstery have a very Target feel: not especially high-end, but hardly bargain-basement. Value is the word. If we’re to evaluate this as The Hoon’s Family Hauler, we’ve got to take issue with a light beige interior (“sand” they call it). It’s a pleasant hue and a welcome departure from typical shades of gray, but was already showing stains with under 3500 miles on the clock. We’d consider it the interior of choice for two groups: those who are already walking around with stains on their shirt, or those with unrealistic expectations for their children. With segments busting left and right, the Mazda5 creates its own niche somewhere between compact wagon and minivan. It’s got three rows of seats, but only seats six.
Conversely, you could look at it as the smallest six-seater around. With the way-back seats down, the cargo area is huge, able to contain two rambunctious boxers with room for a third. With them up, the trunklet is good for one row of grocery bags and not much else. Thankfully, the back seats fold individually, giving room for five with their gear piled up one side. Just make sure to put the smallest member of your party back there; tell him it’s his special fort or something. Under the mini captains chairs in the middle row are decently sized storage bins and a cool flip-out center console/basket thing. The middle row folds flat as well, leaving room for bikes or surfboards up the side. Just don’t let your friends see it with all the seats folded down; you’ll spend every weekend from here to eternity helping people move. Ok, you get it. It’s got all the benefits of a van at 7/8ths scale, but how’s it drive? Knowing the 5 is based on the Mazda3 chassis, we came in with high expectations.
Regarding the chassis: satisfaction accomplished. Excluding sportwagons, the Mazda5 is the best handling people mover we’ve ever piloted. The suspension’s perfectly damped and as firm as it could be without earning a dreaded “stiff” label. It leans, but nowhere near what you’d expect. Essentially, it drives like a well-sorted budget hot-hatch, begging you to chuck it harder into the next turn. Just be sure to press the “DSC Off” button, which is bafflingly far away from the driver and close to the spouse. It’s especially baffling as there’s a row of unused switch blanks down and to the left of the driver. Should all this corner-chucking get out of hand, we’ve verified a mid-corner lift will get the backend to rotate in a surprisingly graceful fashion. While the chassis is top-notch, the powertrain is less so. Maybe we’re asking too much of a budget people-mover, but the 5 just doesn’t sound good. At idle the engine sounds grumbly and the power steering sounds like the Power Loader from Aliens.
Unlike some four bangers, the engine note doesn’t improve with speed. The market is thick with driver-friendly, quick-shifting, rev-matching paddle-actuated six or seven speed automatic transmissions. The Mazda5’s five-speed slushbox is not among them. It exhibits the frustrating, delayed cog-fumbling that leaves us opting for three pedals. Using the manumatic gate quells some of our gripes, but not all. Miraculously, you can get the Mazda5 with a stickshift. Seriously, like, even in the real world. 1,000 Hooniverse Points, right there. The transmission wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t backing up an engine that’s next to useless below 4000 rpm. The 153hp 2.3L four-pot works hard for its money getting the Mazda5 to do anything but plod. While the Mazda5 will never be accused of being a fast car, but it’s no slow, either; it’s just that you’ve got to keep the engine in a rev range I prefer to reserve for cars I don’t own. We pulled just under 20mpg in a mix of errand running and high speed freeway cruising.