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Minivan camper build


crockett
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Dear God...I own a 2015 Dodge Caravan stealth camper, and you have gone light years beyond anything I ever did in term of modifications. I simply removed all of the rear seats, and I used the space to load up a massive amount of supplies. 

When my youngest daughter was six years old, she decided she wanted to visit all 50 states. As a good Dad, I was all like challenge accepted, and we worked on it for six years. We spent more than a few nights stealth camping in a dodge caravan. By the time she was 12, she completed all 50 states. 

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11 minutes ago, kerbie18 said:

Dear God...I own a 2015 Dodge Caravan stealth camper, and you have gone light years beyond anything I ever did in term of modifications. I simply removed all of the rear seats, and I used the space to load up a massive amount of supplies. 

When my youngest daughter was six years old, she decided she wanted to visit all 50 states. As a good Dad, I was all like challenge accepted, and we worked on it for six years. We spent more than a few nights stealth camping in a dodge caravan. By the time she was 12, she completed all 50 states. 

 

Doing these mods is half the fun for me. Keep in mind, I'm long retired. Besides these projects and going to the beach, I don't have much going on.

Did you and your daughter sleep inside the van or in a tent? Do you still plan to camp in it?

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23 minutes ago, crockett said:

 

Doing these mods is half the fun for me. Keep in mind, I'm long retired. Besides these projects and going to the beach, I don't have much going on.

Did you and your daughter sleep inside the van or in a tent? Do you still plan to camp in it?

We had an improvised bunk cot set up inside the back of the van. You can search for bunk cots on Amazon, they actually exist, and they fit in the back of a caravan. We slept in our seperate bunks, and stealthy, as we explored the country.

It doesn't hurt that if I get approached by law enforcement I have a badge to show them, so there is that....

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9 minutes ago, kerbie18 said:

We had an improvised bunk cot set up inside the back of the van. You can search for bunk cots on Amazon, they actually exist, and they fit in the back of a caravan. We slept in our seperate bunks, and stealthy, as we explored the country.

It doesn't hurt that if I get approached by law enforcement I have a badge to show them, so there is that....

 

I tried a cot from Amazon for a while. It was great for a nap but I couldn't sleep through a night. I tried it 5 or 6 times and came back in every time in the middle of the night. I need something wider, so the custom made wooden bed frame with slide-out is coming soon.

 

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52 minutes ago, kerbie18 said:

Dear God...I own a 2015 Dodge Caravan stealth camper, and you have gone light years beyond anything I ever did in term of modifications. I simply removed all of the rear seats, and I used the space to load up a massive amount of supplies. 

When my youngest daughter was six years old, she decided she wanted to visit all 50 states. As a good Dad, I was all like challenge accepted, and we worked on it for six years. We spent more than a few nights stealth camping in a dodge caravan. By the time she was 12, she completed all 50 states. 

The most challenging part of your 50 state coverall using your stealth camper would have been taking it to Hawaii. Driving it to/from Alaska might have been second.

Wife and I eventually achieved a 50 state coverall, and included a few Canadian provinces as well, but not that dramatically. Flying and renting covered a bunch of them. 

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5 minutes ago, railfancwb said:

The most challenging part of your 50 state coverall using your stealth camper would have been taking it to Hawaii. Driving it to/from Alaska might have been second.

Wife and I eventually achieved a 50 state coverall, and included a few Canadian provinces as well, but not that dramatically. Flying and renting covered a bunch of them. 

After spending a few years driving all over the lower 48 states, it was time for me to complete my promise to my daughters and knock out the last two states. We completed Alaska and Hawaii each via cruise vacations, neither of which were cheap. Never the less, I am extremely proud that I have a kid that touched all 50 states at the age of 12, very few can claim that.

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On 9/8/2021 at 8:03 PM, railfancwb said:

The most challenging part of your 50 state coverall using your stealth camper would have been taking it to Hawaii. Driving it to/from Alaska might have been second.

Wife and I eventually achieved a 50 state coverall, and included a few Canadian provinces as well, but not that dramatically. Flying and renting covered a bunch of them. 

Wasn’t AOC going to build roads across the ocean?  Or was it train tracks?  It was something green……/

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13 hours ago, 21 shooter said:

Wasn’t AOC going to build roads across the ocean?  Or was it train tracks?  It was something green……/

Several times, especially when the Chunnel was being built between England and France, proposals for an equivalent project to connect Alaska and Siberia surfaced. 

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3 minutes ago, DAKA said:

If what is on the seat is a bother...don't let your mind wander as to what else "happened" on a car seat...no less a MOTEL BED   

I usually only buy new, no matter what it is.

Never lived in a house or apartment that was occupied by anybody else before. Besides this minivan I haven't bought a used car in... I don't even know... 15 to 20 years?

But this time the purpose was to find a low cost beater that I don't have to worry about when I'm gone for the entire day or when idiots with shopping carts or beach chairs add new scratches on a weekly basis. And it works for me. When I hang at the beach with this minivan, I have zero worries about my stuff. Its finally about a good time, and not stupid possessions we worry about.

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I have this new car buying desire again, for a while now, but couldn't make up my mind. Another sports car makes no sense, you can't go fast anywhere anymore. A new fat truck makes not much sense, because I don't trailer much. On top of that, an open bed makes less and less sense in my book, because you can't keep anything in it. It gets rained on or stolen. A sedan is just a useless people mover. A large SUV offers less cargo room than a minivan.

Chances are I will sell my pickup later this year, and get a Sprinter cargo van. They come with V6 diesel, 4WD, and still can tow 7500 lb.

And I might turn it into a camper / multipurpose / bug-out / off-road vehicle.

Did a first build on their website:

2021 Sprinter Cargo Van
170" Wheelbase High Roof
6 Cylinder Diesel
4x4

Total: $61,596

Driver’s side front corner view of a Grey White SPRINTER Cargo Van

 

Would lift it, better tires, LED lights, winch.. along those lines...

 

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