Prepping my Caravan for my Alaska adventure
My full-time home is a Class A RV. It’s very comfortable when parked and set up, but with its size and the 6-7mpg it gets, except for numerous month-long relocations, I explore in my 25mpg Dodge Caravan. This year I’m taking my Caravan explorations to a new level. I’m putting my RV in storage for two months and starting this May I’ll be driving to Alaska and back in my Caravan. To make the Caravan more camping friendly I’ve made the following interior modification.
I added a 4’x6’ sleeping platform with underneath storage accessed through three separate and removable 2’x4’ panels that make up the top surface of the platform.
Here’s a photo of the sleeping platform from the rear. I’ll be sleeping on two thick foam dinette cushions that I’ll borrow from my RV. The red cooler in the photo is where I store all my various cookware, spices, etc. As can be seen with my campstove, the rear of the platform doubles as a kitchen area. When not in use, the cooler is stored under the platform.
I’ve equipped one of my hydraulic rear lift gate supports with a sliding support lock (the hydraulic lift support doesn’t work well in cold weather). This way I can cook my meals or sit outside in a lawn chair even if it’s raining.
Building the platform was easy. I had all the wood pre-cut at the lumber yard and assembled it in about an hour back at the RV park. The platform cost about $65 in materials. According to my research, the exterior grade OSB I’m using contains a generally considered hazard free low out-gas emitting phenol formaldehyde.
Back in the 1980-90’s I equipped several Caravans I had exactly the same way to take my kids on camping trips and it worked out great!
Steve
I added a 4’x6’ sleeping platform with underneath storage accessed through three separate and removable 2’x4’ panels that make up the top surface of the platform.
Here’s a photo of the sleeping platform from the rear. I’ll be sleeping on two thick foam dinette cushions that I’ll borrow from my RV. The red cooler in the photo is where I store all my various cookware, spices, etc. As can be seen with my campstove, the rear of the platform doubles as a kitchen area. When not in use, the cooler is stored under the platform.
I’ve equipped one of my hydraulic rear lift gate supports with a sliding support lock (the hydraulic lift support doesn’t work well in cold weather). This way I can cook my meals or sit outside in a lawn chair even if it’s raining.
Building the platform was easy. I had all the wood pre-cut at the lumber yard and assembled it in about an hour back at the RV park. The platform cost about $65 in materials. According to my research, the exterior grade OSB I’m using contains a generally considered hazard free low out-gas emitting phenol formaldehyde.
Back in the 1980-90’s I equipped several Caravans I had exactly the same way to take my kids on camping trips and it worked out great!
Steve
