Turn Your Minivan Into A Camper With These DIY Kits

Van conversions are all the rage these days. While the ways to convert a van seem to be endless, there is a certain amount of time, skill, effort, and money that goes into them.

Not everyone has all four in great abundance, so a plug-and-play insert system will give you nearly instantaneous results for a minimal investment.

Freeway Camper Kit sells not just one, but five different types of camper kits that can be installed into various minivans or the Honda Element, a favorite vehicle for camper conversions.

The Freeway Camper Kit company offers several different minivan and Element kits. Photos by Freeway Camper Kit

Freeway Camper Kits are made in Canada and can be picked up at the factory or shipped to your home. Each of the kits (except for the Westfalia side door camp kitchen) come with everything you need to cook and sleep on the road.

The basic, beginner camping kit is the Nanaïmo Kit. It is ideal for DIYers who don’t mind doing a little of the work themselves. The Nanaïmo can be adapted to newer minivans such as the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna, Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country, Kia Sedona, Hyundai Entourage, and Honda Odyssey.

The kits are made with interlocking parts

Each Nanaïmo kit fits together with interlocking parts. It is delivered disassembled and can be installed in about 30 minutes and removed if necessary. The kit has four options ranging from a tinted wood finish with the mattress and cover included, to a cheaper option with a raw wood finish that does not include the mattress or cover.

If you need to add a kitchen to your full or mid-size minivan, Freeway offers the Westfalia side door kitchen kit. It comes fully assembled and is made of Russian cherry plywood or melamine.

Freeway also offers a Westfalia style side door kitchen kit.

The kitchen includes a sink with a 4.5-gallon freshwater tank and a removable gray water tank. The sink also has an automatic water pump and a faucet with a retractable showerhead that can be used indoors or outside.

In addition to the sink setup, the kitchen has a 1.7 square foot, 12-volt refrigerator and a battery charger. Your minivan will need to have an AGM battery installed to run the fridge and pump.

The kitchen kits feature a sink with retractable shower hose.

Along with the pieces to create your own minivan camper, Freeway also offers three full kits. These all include a bed that converts into a dinette as well as a foldout kitchen that sits in the rear of the van.

The Sleeping Giant kit fits into a long-base minivan such as a Toyota Sienna or a Grand Dodge Caravan. It includes a full kitchen with an extendable countertop.

The Sleeping Giant kit has a queen bed and plenty of storage.

A battery box is included to hold your choice of battery. The Sleeping Giant is the most decked out of the kits, but if you want to keep it more simple, Freeway also offers the Malibu 2 and Malibu 4 kits.

The kitchens have a 12-volt cooler, sink, and water tanks.

The kit also comes with a thermoelectric cooler, USB port, and a 12-volt outlet. The bed includes a foam mattress with storage underneath. The entire bed transforms into a lounge area with a small dining table.

The sink has a retractable shower faucet.

The sink has a retractable shower faucet fed by a 6.8-gallon freshwater tank and a removable gray water tank. There is also a water level light indicator.

The Malibu 2 is best for couples and takes five minutes to set up. Along with the folding bed and kitchen setup, the kit also includes a 38-liter Coleman Powerchill thermoelectric cooler and a quick and easy water filling system. Most noteworthy, the side of the kitchen has a see-through freshwater level indicator.

The Malibu 2 fits two people and the bed converts into a dinette.

The Malibu 4 is made for families and can fit another mattress and two additional people under the main bed. The main bed can be raised up with its telescoping aluminum frame.

The Malibu 4’s bed can be raised to fit a family of four.

In addition to the interior van kits, you can squeeze even more family members into the Malibu 2 or Malibu 4 with one of Freeway’s rooftop tents.

The Freeway Roof Tent has an ABS shell with an aluminum and stainless steel structure. The fabric is made of polyurethane coated and UV-protected cotton/polyester.

Freeway also sells rooftop tents for even more sleeping space.

The tent can be attached to any rooftop crossbar system and hold up to 550 lb. The tent also comes with a 2.5-inch foam mattress with a cover and a telescoping ladder.

To make things even easier, Freeway also offers an electric rooftop tent with an electric folding ladder. The ladder opens by itself with the click of a remote control button.

The full kits start at around $1,850.

Freeway Camper Kits start at $750 for the Element Camper Van Kit and go up to about $4,400 for the fully decked out Sleeping Giant kit, complete with curtains, cherry plywood, and a solar setup. For around $2,150, you can build out your minivan with the Malibu 2 bed and kitchen kit complete with a mattress and mattress cover.

You can learn more about their camper kits on their website, FreewayCamperKit.com.

See also: 5 Amazing DIY Minivan Conversions