SUV Conversion?

In Europe, they do RV conversions and slide-in packages on SUVs of various sizes, minivans, and MPVs in sizes that are called compact and subcompact here. Think a conversion on a Nissan Versa or Honda Fit, to get the picture. What you have is a camping support package, not a house on wheels.

There are firms in this country that do conversions on minivans, and on smaller commercial vehicles like the Ford Transit Connect and Nissan NV 200 (Fiat-Chrysler America has something coming).

What they do for these, you could probably do for a SUV. Comparing a van-like vehicle to a SUV, for the same exterior size, you have 20% to 40% less interior volume in most SUVs (MPVs do somewhat better). Most of that difference is in the height from floor to ceiling, so if you are just crawling around in the back, not standing up, who needs headroom? SUV versus van, the roomier van is no bigger, just a different image about who is driving it. I drive my van around, let people figure out who I am; definitely not soccer mom, maybe the guy from the church on an errand?

We used to do the same thing in the 50s and 60s in station wagons, put all the seats down, spread out sleeping bags. It worked. Daytime traveling to night time sleeping transitions were a bit of work, as was hauling out the camping equipment and putting it back in the morning, But it worked. SUV is really just a new name for what we called a station wagon,

Air conditioning? That's an interesting problem. When we were doing this, we did not yet have air conditioning in our cars. We did not have air conditioning in our houses. We opened the windows and did just fine. If you think you need A/C for survival, there are portable units you can set up outside; these are made to serve temporary housing like tents.

Those portable AC units aren't that small. Have you considered a small trailer (popup, travel trailer or teardrop)?

Yeah, 30" tall by 13-14" wide, 50 lbs. In a conversion van there would be space between the front and the conversion bed. This is where I put my dog crates and some of the equipment (link). Then there is space in the back for quite a bit of stuff, but for the bed to be flat stuff needs to be moved. We took the third bench facing backwards out first so the bed was a double, not a queen.
But I am sure every conversion van is different.

Those portable AC units aren't that small. This is one of the smaller ones that I'm familiar with. It will take up a lot of space in an SUV. Have you considered a small trailer (popup, travel trailer or teardrop)?



http://www.homedepot.com/p/LG-Electronics-8-000-BTU-Portable-Air-Conditioner-and-Dehumidifier-Function-with-Remote-LP0815WNR/205649871?N=5yc1vZc4m4

Thanks, I will look at conversion vans also. No, the units are still big and heavy and my husband will probably have to lift it but I believe this could be done where we can just pull it out of the vehicle and throw it in the garage between trips. And best of all I started talking about this with my brother and he already has a very nice AC unit sitting in storage that I can buy cheap.

My daily driver is an old beater jeep wrangler which I love and we inherited a honda odyssey for the kid car (which I strongly dislike, too many buttons, sits too low compared to the wrangler). Only having 1 car that the kids can ride in and both of us working has been pretty inconvenient so primarily this will be a car to haul the kids around in. Some versatility would be nice. I'm debating over whether I want a cheap mid-90s vehicle that is easier to repair or spend a lot more on a newer used vehicle with under 30K miles that won't need as many repairs for a while.

I love how easy and cheap it is to repair my jeep but it's not terribly safe and having to call my boss and tell her the car won't start today...is getting old. Also being stranded in the heat or cold with an infant and a toddler is not really fun. But I hate car loans. Still working that out. =)

Thanks for all of the advice though, this has been extremely helpful!

fiverish wrote:
vans are on the list of vehicles I am considering. However this thing will also be a daily driver and I'm having a hard time getting excited about driving a van around all the time, especially a cargo van...but I'll get whatever is a good deal. I would love to get 4WD.

Well, I dont think of them as that little, but compared to a window AC they sure are a lot easier to tuck somewhere and unload when not in use and much cheaper than adding an overhead.

You may want to consider a conversion van which gives you plenty of windows, overhead room and a bench that folds down into a bed at the touch of a button. It took me a while but I found one that already had a Coleman AC with heat strip on top and the electrical wiring set up to plug into shore power at a campsite. I got a 1992 GMC in 2011 with 80K miles on it for $5K on craigslist. Now plugging in at campsite can be as uncomplicated as tossing an extension cord out a front window. A benefit is conversion vans have a TV that can play dvds for the kids while you drive.

Now to driving. I LOVE MINE. When I took it for a test drive I was immediately sold on it. The cars I had been driving was a Miata and a Mazda protege and they arent as easy to drive as my van. They are easier to park, of course, in slots. I like being up high and having other vehicles on the road seeing me (I drive the Miata in paranoid mode!) I must admit I loved our all wheel when we lived in Minnesota, but gotta remember it only helps with traction because all vehicles have all wheel brakes all the time so it wont stop faster.

Wow, thank you!!! You have completely solved my AC issue. I didn't think of those little units with the hose, I always think of window units. To answer another question, vans are on the list of vehicles I am considering. However this thing will also be a daily driver and I'm having a hard time getting excited about driving a van around all the time, especially a cargo van...but I'll get whatever is a good deal. I'm also hoping to find something that is easier for my husband to repair, has better ground clearance, and I would love to get 4WD. Thanks so much for the forum recs, I'll check those out too.

fiverish wrote:
My parents had a big old van with a mattress in the back when we were very little and I still remember those trips.
I did not know you could just get an AC and put the hose out the window, I briefly looked at the rooftop AC units
We already have a window unit that might work then, I was just not sure about the mod where you hang the window unit out a window.

I'll probably get a small camp stove for cooking but I am fine with fast food and wanted to look for neat restaurants along the way (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives list would be a start). So a kitchen is not needed.

My parents had a tent (they say that is where I got a start..LOL) and we did a lot of camping, my father hunted, fished and my mother did all the grunge work cooking and taking care of two small children. I really want you to think of convenience for yourself while wanting to recreate your childhood experience... good for the child, not the mother usually.

Before we got the little tear drop for my husband he had a tent and we put the stand up AC in his tent when we went to Florida in summer (hot, hot, hot). Yes, the hose out the window is easiest because you can just cut some plastic screening to fit the window and tape it down or use magnetic strips to hold it down and cut a hole low on the screen/window to feed the flexible hose out(portable LG AC). Keeps bugs out. And is easy to remove and stow at home when you want your SUV back.. or even if you want to sell it. Rooftop AC is expensive, window AC are bulky and difficult to get it "right". Unless it is semi-permanent you cannot drive with that hanging out the window.

If you are going to boon-dock or camp where there is no electricity, then a camp stove is great. I use a deep electric fry pan for almost all cooking but I do have a microwave, a coffee maker, a toaster and a cheap, small Home Depot frig. Start with borrowed, second hand, cheap items and go for a week and see how it fits in with your expectations. I been RVaning since 2011 and every year go thru a rearranging where I toss something out, find a work around for something, find something smaller, add something to the point that my 17' van has plenty of room. I even sort thru stuff other people are tossing out.

Go for it! Be awate that some RV parks won't let you in if you don't have a 'real' RV.In my ecperience, that is rare but it does happen. Just ask first, nicely :)

I don't understand why an SUV over a van other than style but if that's what you must have, look at the Colorado Camper Van website and cheap rv living website.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My parents had a big old van with a mattress in the back when we were very little and I still remember those trips. They eventually took a fancy trip in a huge rented RV but my fondest memories are of the van. My goal is to keep it simple and sort of recreate that experience. I did not know you could just get an AC and put the hose out the window, I briefly looked at the rooftop AC units but did not know if that would work... We already have a window unit that might work then, I was just not sure about the mod where you hang the window unit out a window.

I'll probably get a small camp stove for cooking but I am fine with fast food and wanted to look for neat restaurants along the way (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives list would be a start). So a kitchen is not needed.