Our Books | Minivan Camper Conversion and More!

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Read how to create your own minivan camper conversion!

(That means there are no pictures yet, except the ones it will put in your mind!)

Update 4/15/12: Opting in to this list will only be for our ebook customers! If you wish to keep up with what's happening with the projects, receive money saving tips and other valuable information, you can subscribe to the blog posts separately by clicking here. However, if you only choose the blog list, you will not be offered the introductory price and other special offerings when the final paid version of the ebook, complete with dimensioned plans, photos, video links and more, is released! You will only receive information directly related to the book!

Those who have opted in here prior to this date for the ebook have also been added to the blog list, but you can opt-out of the blog list on the blog if you don't want to receive notice of new posts.

This has been done in an effort to automate things better and eliminate extra maintenance. We realize some people may want to read the free ebook without receiving blog updates every few days, so we are trying to accommodate you. Other people who already have RV's may not be interested in an ebook on building a minivan camper, but may be interested in other ideas. The blog is for ALL campers and RV'ers.

At the current time, we will be offering our first book on creating your own minivan camper during the summer of 2012. We will notify you of other ebooks as they are released.

Note for 1/11/12: I respond to opt-ins manually at the present time, and it may take a couple of hours for me to get back to you, but if you don't hear from me within that time, it may be because I can't send to the address you submitted. Please make sure it is correct. Opt-ins received late in the evening (CST) may be delayed until the next day.

Blatant Disclaimer: In adding your name (your real one, I hope) and email address to the form above, you are knowingly and willingly allowing us to add your name to our email list to be notified of new information and updates regarding the minivan camper concept in our book. As our privacy policy states, we do not share this information with any other companies. We maintain our own lists. If the information we have is not of interest to you, then please don't opt-in. If you decide later that you want off the list, a simple reply with "remove me" in the subject line is all you need to do.

Please... this IS NOT a log-in form to come back to every time to read the book! You need to save the .pdf book to your own computer, so that you can open it and read it anytime, even when off-line. If you lose the link, simply contact me, or email me, and as soon as I verify that you are on the list, I will refresh the link for you. This is done manually, usually within minutes (except overnight), but no more than four hours, at the most.

We aren't going to flood your inbox with countless offers. You might hear from us once every couple of weeks at the most FROM THIS LIST. (The blog is totally separate and notifications can go out daily on rare occasions.) If you already have the free book, then you will be notified when the updated version becomes available. The paid version of the book will contain detailed and dimensioned plans for the reclining couch/bed for the minivan, along with photos and video links to show you how to make it. The book will be updated as new components are created, but existing readers will get those updates free. Where we recommend specific products to go with your minivan, we will also provide links to pages on this site where those products may be offered. We like Amazon, and all the features that their services offer, but we also have many independent vendors available to you, in order to offer you the best choices at the best prices and with the best customer service that we can. All are very safe to work with, and we will not knowingly put up with a vendor who does not meet our standards of excellent service. In fact, we have already removed some because of poor customer service to us, even though their products were fine.

As far as the paid version of the ebook, for later publication, we are hoping to have it ready by May or June of 2012. You're getting a lot of good usable information in this free version. The only thing it's missing is detailed drawings and pictures, and links to "how-to" videos, but if you can picture it in your mind, it can happen. Once the paid version is released, the free version is going to be downsized drastically.

Testimonials

Thank you so much! This is what I’ve been looking for! We have gone back and forth about getting a travel trailer for years, but with the fact that we live in a townhouse complex and have no place to park it, plus the additional expenses of a motorhome or trailer, we have not been able to justify getting one. Converting our van would be a perfect solution.

I’m going to retire in December, so we’ll have the time to put some work into this (once winter is over). Thanks again and I will read everything on your site. Looking forward to seeing what you do with your van!

M.S.P.

Sounds like you have a good plan for your '94 T&C. I look forward to seeing pictures online.

H.G.

Thanks. I read through your draft and found it helpful of tips on how to put together the minivan camper conversion... ..I am particularly attracted to the idea of camping components which are removable. It doesn't seem reasonable anymore with technology advances (particularly in the camping industry) that these components have to be fixed in a vehicle.
I have been reading through your material and have already found it helpful in my thinking. I may shift my thinking to a minivan rather than a full-sized van. A used van or van conversion is what I have been looking at. Many of the van conversions lose their value dramatically. Several have a fold down rear bench, but some don't look very comfortable.

P.G.

I just read your wonderful book! Wow, it's jam-packed with great information. I have to go over the electrical chapter again because a lot of that went right over my head, actually it's inspired me to learn a little more about how things work. I'm sure I will have a lot more questions as the next year and a half roll by, but for starters, I wanted to know about insulation. I know your book is to give ideas on how to convert the mini-van inexpensively and without making any permanent upgrades. I guess the simple question is why do people go to the trouble to insulate? Is it mainly for winter? And do you think that me, going on a 5 month trip through hot summers and cool autumn nights, would be better off doing that?

I was talking to a friend of mine, and we're both so amazed at how much information you have, and grateful that you're sharing it!

I NEVER even considered the security issue, but loved the ideas of the motion detector lighting and the weather radio, that's definitely going on my list now too. I'm sure I will read your free E-book over and over, taking note of new things each time! Thanks so much.

R.F.

I’d be happy to purchase a copy of the book in advance, I have had lot’s of value from it already!

R.H.

I realize my "concept" isn't for everyone. If you would rather spend countless weeks building your own "perfect" full-sized van instead of being out enjoying the world, that's fine. That's your choice. Not everyone wants to do that. I have a pretty complete shop myself, and have always enjoyed building and creating things, but if I have my choice of whether to work in a shop or be out traveling, the latter will win every time!

Yes, we are "building" a few components for our creation, but mainly to get all the bugs worked out of the design, so that we can provide detailed and accurate drawings with dimensions for you in the full version of the ebook. Once that is done, all you will need to do is copy the dimensions onto your wood, and cut them out. Once built, the reclining couch/bed assembles into your minivan without tools, so once you get it built, it's yours for the rest of your life! You can easily remove it when you trade vans and put it into your next minivan or even larger van if you prefer!

Others may prefer to buy something ready made, and that's OK. You can find almost any kind of camper or RV your mind can imagine... "IF" you can afford it. There are many gas-guzzler RV's available at cheap prices right now, especially in older, used ones. But fuel efficiency is something that you are going to pay for in a larger RV, even if you save money in buying it. Most of the minivan camper conversions are few and far between, and Class B's and smaller Class C's come at premium prices, even for older ones.

I've had a whole lot more fun camping and RV'ing when I spent very little on fuel, and had flexibility to re-position things to suit my needs at the time. Even if you prefer "built-ins", I would suggest you try camping without them, to see what works in what position for YOUR needs, not the theories of some engineer who has no idea what YOU want.

I guess that's the difference between camping and RV'ing. Camping was meant to be done with basic equipment, where you can get out and enjoy nature. With RV's, you bring your whole house with you, take up as much space as one, and use even more space to get it positioned to park it, and then you pay for fuel to get it down the road, pay to heat it, cool it, and even more to maintain it, and then you have to pay taxes on it yet! (At least in most states you do). I still pay taxes on my used but "near-perfect" minivan, too. Under $30 a year for plates, and about the same for personal property taxes.

And worse yet, Lord help you if you ever get into soft ground and get it stuck with a huge RV! We buried our 40-foot motorhome up to the tandem rear axle in soft ground one time, and the park owner's backhoe couldn't even get us out! We had to call a HUGE tow truck and have him tie his truck off to a large tree across the street, and then winch us out! Not fun at all, especially in a pouring rain!

A comedian once said that he had to work all year, just to afford his huge RV, so that twice a year he could go out for a week at a time and pretend he was homeless! Such irony! If he didn't have the RV, he wouldn't have to work near as hard, could save all that money for other things, and STILL go out twice a year and pretend he was homeless! You don't have to work your butt off to do that! But anyway...

As a master electrician and designer of machines and their controls, I have created many things in my mind and on paper... some that others had to build, and that I have had to build for myself. They have always worked. Most people can't do that and won't understand it. So be it.

Have I built this van for myself? Not yet.. but I am working on it as I have time. And to do so without re-writing the book, I have pictured it as though it has already been created. And it has... in my mind. I've sat in it, slept in it. bumped my head on the ceiling (because I realized the bed was too high), packed it for travel, hooked it up to power, used the sink, the porta-potty, and every cooking and cooling device in it, and even hung the curtains.... in my mind!

But keep in mind, I am retired. I moved out of the cold of northern Indian because I didn't like the freezing weather, and then I moved out of Arizona because I didn't like the heat and traffic. Even here, in the "lower Midwest", where the temperature is more even, we still have some extremes, plus the high humidity. Therefore, I tend to work outside when it is comfortable to do so... not because I feel a need to meet any deadlines.

In between the comfortable temps and humidity I'm going to be working inside... editing the book, drawing up the plans, and working out all the other details that have to be done on the computer... and attending to the rest of life which so often gets in the way.

Every now and then I make a design change to it, like when I discovered that Toyota Sienna middle seats, when removed, still leave a sliding frame on the floor to trip over! (Way to go, Toyota Engineers!) And the Honda Odyssey, even though it has a folding rear seat, still doesn't lay flat! It sticks up almost two inches! (C'mon, Honda! If Chrysler can make them fold flat, surely you can figure it out!) All of these things create design obstacles! So far, I still think the Dodge Caravan or the Chrysler Town & Country are the best choices, and I like driving a luxury vehicle!

But I have not been "flying blind" because about 95% of what I reveal in the book I have already done... just not with a minivan. We have gone the route through everything from a tent to a pop-up camper, several Class B's, two Class C's, and two Class A's up to forty feet in length. The bigger the size, the bigger the problems, and the bigger the expense. We got smart, and down-sized.

We still have a small truck camper... the one in the header picture. All of the other RV's in the picture were ours, too, plus "many more which came before" and of which I don't even have pictures anymore. And from 30 years of past experience, I also have most of the other camping gear (not attached to an RV) that I need. All I need is the couch/bed, the cushions for it, and the cabinet, which will be custom made, plus a few smaller items unique to this minivan. Everything else that goes into the minivan is strictly stock merchandise that we already have, or is available anywhere. We have already purchased a rear tent, but the side awning can be added later. We seem to have nearly everything else. And with a little imagination, and this book, you can design your own system that will work for you.

As soon as I can actually build the special reclining couch/bed, and optional cabinet (to verify dimensions for the book) I will have a full set of plans available in the paid version of the book, along with pictures and how-to videos, for those who need the visualization and dimensions of exactly what they need to build. As I said above, weather and "life" influence my speed.

Many people have said that 94 pages is too big for a free book... that I should be charging for it! I probably could, but I believe in over-delivering on value. If the book is not of value to you, and you think you have better ideas, that's fine... for YOU. There is not one person on this earth that can satisfy everyone's needs. Most people will find value in this book in one way or the other, whether it be the electrical knowledge, a product revealed that you didn't know about, or a technique that might make your own process go quicker and easier. NO ONE knows it all.

Many people new to camping and RV'ing may want to know how they can affordably BEGIN the lifestyle from scratch! So some of what's in the book may be things that some people with previous experience have already figured out! Good for you! But nobody knows everything. Somewhere in here will be something of value to even you. It takes you from zero experience to thirty years of experience in 94 pages! You probably fit somewhere in between, and this book's for you.

Even the free version of the book will reveal how you can "create" (not build) your own minivan camper conversion and still have all the luxuries of home, including stand-up room, bathroom facilities and a shower with "on demand" hot water that will never leave you cold, a comfortable double recliner that makes (up to) a queen size bed (if you go over the wheel wells), TWO powered coolers for all the food you will need, a grill, a stove AND a microwave to cook with, an auxiliary battery system with 120 volt power, air conditioning and much more... all without ever making a single hole or modification to your minivan!

One of the comments on the forums was there's "not enough pictures". OK, that's good constructive criticism. But you have to remember, this is a CONCEPT. It hasn't been built yet, and because the site is NEW, no one has contributed pictures yet... except me! That particular person hasn't even bothered to read my book yet, and already wants pictures! "IF" I had put them in the book, rather than on the blog or this site, he wouldn't even know it! Most people READ and then form the pictures in their minds, but maybe that's a lost art! Everybody wants "visual stimulation" these days.

So here's a preview of what I am STILL working on, as far as providing working drawings to go with the future book, WHEN I decide to release it! This stuff doesn't magically appear! It takes hours to do these drawings, after days of experimentation to make sure all the measurements are right! The drawing below is only a rough draft. The more detail, the longer it takes. And by the way, for you who don't know how to use Excel, the little red dots are reference "foot markers" starting from the upper left corner. Each cell in the program is one inch, which is the extent of the accuracy on this program. Scaled drawings will be... well... scaled... on a different program!

Someone will probably complain because they can't read it. It represents only a small part of what I have intended for this site in the future, and the full size drawings WILL be in the paid version of the book! In fact, this is only my first idea for the concept! Since this was drawn I have changed things again... hopefully for something better! This is only a taste! I'm not going to all this work out of the goodness of my heart! Information has value. So do dollars. When I'm ready to trade, maybe you will be, too. That's the way marketing works. Nothing in history has ever happened without a sale being made first!

I'm a Taurus, 64 years old, slightly irreverent, tell it like it is, know what I have done, where I am going from here, and honest to a fault. Sometimes too honest. I don't play politics well. I am a good listener AND a teacher, and try to explain things very thoroughly so that even "slow" learners can understand it. (I used to teach remedial math to fifth graders!)

Any customer who has dealt with me knows that when someone brings something up that is wrong with one of my sites, I immediately reply and take action to fix it or make it better. That's part of proper customer service. I don't sit for days or weeks on my emails (or on the forums), nor do I ignore the comments on my blogs like many people do. Maybe I am "old school", but based on the stats I see about education in this country, and what has happened to proper customer service... I'll keep doing things MY way.

In fact, I already made changes and corrections to my site once already (6/27/11) based on good feedback from a reader that I received on 6/26/11, so I react quickly to suggestions. And the only reason it took me overnight was because I had to do some research first. I don't print speculation, I print experience and facts. If you find anything that can be proven wrong , or be done better, I will certainly change it as fast as I can... after I verify it.

Beyond that, I might make corrections several times a week, if I think it improves the site or blog. After all, it's only getting started, and is a work in progress.

And as we provide working drawings for our concept, we will be building the components for our own van to make sure that everything works as it should right down to every last detail, on this and (hopefully) EVERY minivan, so that we can answer any questions our readers have as they build theirs. I will be blogging and posting pictures there as I go. Maybe I'll even do some videos. Maybe I'll start tomorrow, maybe next week, or whenever I get this site far enough along that I don't have to baby-sit it anymore. I'm retired. I get to choose the time.

I may even decide to shorten the free book even further, and include even more in the paid version at some future date. I'm not going to stress over it. So grab it while you can get the most value out of it.

Technically, you don't "need" the fancy reclining couch/bed, or the cabinet. You should be able to visualize what you need to do, and find something that will do that job without "building" anything! For just the two of us, we're just as happy with a bed made up all the time, and use the front seats for sitting. We spend very little time in the van anyway. When we're stopped we're usually outside enjoying the fresh air in our folding recliners under the awning. If it's raining, we go to the clubhouse at any of our resort parks, to a mall, do our grocery shopping, or go to a movie. We pay maintenance fees so that we can travel full time, with no nightly camping fees, and stay up to two weeks at a time in any of our luxury resorts anywhere in this country that we want to go!

But they aren't "everywhere" we want to be at a given time, either. There are many times, when we might use a regular campground if we need services, but there are other times when we might prefer to save some money and boon-dock for the night. A minivan that shows no modifications from the outside is a perfect "stealth" vehicle. If we ever go back to a larger RV, we will certainly not give up on our smaller rig. Even if we want to stay parked for free for up to two weeks, the minivan camper will let us go on shorter overnight trips and stay anywhere we want!

All you need is a 75-inch long piece of plywood for the bed and a 3/4-size mattress (that's 48-inches wide, for you newbies) and something to support it, and you're ready to go! You'll figure out how high you want it, and where to put the rest of the stuff, and what works best for YOU! Like Nike says.... "Just Do It!"

Although my early books might mention plans or other books coming, they are going to be completed one at a time. The impossible I can do pretty quickly. Perfection takes longer.

As one who had worked along side crafts people and engineers and architects all my life, I am always willing to listen to constructive criticism or ideas and consider how they affect the overall project. The most polite thing to do is always to voice a concern in the form of a question. "Isn't there supposed to be something here?" or "Wouldn't this work better if this was done?" are normal polite ways to get along with people. Insults and demands NEVER work! I grew up on a farm and spent most of my life in construction. I can tell the friendly end of a horse from the other end.

The nice thing about MY concept minivan is that you will never lose your investment in your equipment OR your minivan because every component can be removed and put back into another minivan when you need to trade... without tools! Try that with other methods! I can build fancy cabinets and furniture with the best of them, but why would I want to waste my time at it, when I can be out traveling? And why would I want to waste time manufacturing them for other people to buy? I don't need to! I'm retired! I can draw the plans for you instead, on a computer, from anywhere I want to be! I can show you what to use, where to obtain it, and even whom to contact to make it for you, so that it can be thrown together in a weekend, and you get out there and see the world quicker!

You don't need to even lift a screwdriver to install or remove everything we tell you about in our book! Once two components are built, they are yours forever to move from minivan to minivan as you trade!

Don't waste money on van conversions where someone (even yourself) has decided to mount stuff permanently... and then have to stand on your head or twist sideways to use it! You have choices with our version!

You won't believe it, until you have pictured it or tried it. You won't believe it until you read the ENTIRE book and put the whole thing together in your mind... and then in your minivan. If you insist on detailed plans, I'll see what I can do about putting a set together later. But if you are still a disbeliever, that's fine.

This book was created by someone who can think outside the box, for OTHER people who can think outside the box. It's not for those who sit back and only dream from the couch, and then destroy other people's dreams because they have nothing better to do. You either have it in you to do this or your don't. And if you do picture yourself doing it, don't ever let anyone take those ideas or dreams away from you. We only have one "go-around" in this life, so do what makes YOU happy.

Some people think they have to have a full-size van to be comfortable and then spend all their money and time building it or buying it, only to waste precious travel time, and then lose most of their investment when they want something different. That doesn't even include the extra fuel costs they incur by driving a larger vehicle!

And some sites will show you all kinds of "pretty pictures" of projects that half their readers couldn't build on their own if their life depended on it! One look at some of the butchered up plywood and lumber is proof of that! It's like the blind trying to lead the blind! But there's nothing wrong with showing others what you have done. Many projects look very professional, and even the "not so pretty" ones sometimes have some good ideas we can all learn from.

But good luck with trying to resell some of those projects that are built into the vans! Some vehicles will be worth LESS than NADA wholesale value when they go to sell or trade! Not everyone is a carpenter, most people are afraid of electricity, and some can't figure out why water won't run uphill! They have no more business trying to "build" their own van than I have trying to do neuro-surgery!

Some people think they have to have a huge RV to be comfortable, and then they spend most of their time outside of it, while still paying for all that gas to get it down the road! They drag more "stuff" along, only to find out that they didn't need (or use) half of it, and then lose even more gas mileage from carrying all the weight! It's human nature to see a space and want to fill it with something. Sometimes the only way to avoid that is by not having the extra space at all.

I traveled by motorcycle "only" (no car), for a time when I was younger. (I've had six of them altogether over the years.) The best times I had were when I could travel with the bare minimum of supplies. I carried a pup tent, a sleeping bag, and a rain suit with me. People don't need "stuff"! Getting out in fresh air, getting exercise, and staying healthy is much more fun!

We will show you how to travel in luxury, at mileage that most RV'ers and even full sized van users could only dream about, and stay safe no matter where you roam! There are ideas in this book that can be used with ANY RV or camping, whether you hike with a back pack and tent, or travel in a luxurious motorhome! It is written from the point of your being a newbie to camping, but there is stuff in this book that even seasoned RV'ers haven't learned yet! Believe me, I've met enough of them to know!

EVERYONE can use the ideas in this book! But some will have more enjoyment in proclaiming that it won't work! As I said, don't let ANYONE steal your dreams!

If you don't see the value in this book, we can't help you. Offering the full version wouldn't help you. It's one of those things that you either understand it and can visualize it or you won't. If you can visualize it and make it happen, you will travel lighter, for much less cost, travel farther AND more often, stay safe while doing it, WORK LESS and save money on nearly everything you do in traveling.

I have a lot to do. I am so far behind on getting this site done, but if I don't promise it, you won't have anything to lose! In the meantime, it will change and grow. More and better information WILL come. This site was only started in April of 2011. It's in its infancy!

If you don't think this applies to you... the back button is in the upper left corner! Thanks for stopping by.

For all the rest, we're glad you took the time to read this, and maybe we'll see you across the campfire!

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