If the past couple of years of weirdness have taught us anything, it’s this: no matter what, you can always escape to the great outdoors.
It seems like the automotive world has been overrun by the overlanding trend, but we’re here to tell you that you don’t need an all-wheel drive truck with a giant cargo rack and a rooftop tent to have an awesome weekend camping with the family. Sometimes, you just have to make do with what you have, even if it’s your humble Honda minivan.
Check out our quick guide if you’re sitting there wondering, “Can I really camp in my minivan?” You’ll be roughing it with the best of them in no time.
Minivan Camping Checklist
First things first, let’s go through some supplies you’ll want to gather up if you plan to camp out of your minivan. First, we’ll start with some must-haves:
- Sleeping pad or air mattress
- Sleeping bag or blankets
- Pillows
- Water jug(s)
- Cooler
- Camp stove
- Table
- Chairs
- Plates and utensils
- Can opener
- Trash bags
- Flashlight/headlamp
- Tent
Additionally, here are a few things you don’t necessarily need, but they can absolutely make the trip more convenient and fun:
- Luggage carrier
- Window covers
- Storage organizers
- Camp sink
- Power station
- Rechargeable fans
- Tablet or projector
- Bluetooth speaker
- Interior lights
- Handheld vacuum
- Awning
- Hammock
- Outdoor mat
- Portable toilet
- Firestarter
- Firewood and kindling
The Art of Packing
Whether you’re just taking the bare necessities or full-on glamping, you’re going to need to find a way to load it all into the minivan.
Of course, your specific loadout requirements will depend on one key factor: how many people you’re taking with you. Since minivans like the Honda Odyssey are generally family vehicles let’s just go ahead and assume you’re traveling with two adults and two kids.
One of the best things about the Odyssey is that the third row folds into the rear storage tray, which gives you a completely level surface to stow gear. With the third-row seats stashed away, it has a whopping maximum of 92.3 cubic feet of storage, which should be ample space to pack all of your bedding, food and water, and any other supplies you might want or need.
When packing for a camping trip, a good rule of thumb is to make essential items accessible. Things like coolers shouldn’t be buried under a bunch of other things, if you can help it. We all know what it’s like to have a hangry kid, so let’s try to avoid that.
If you find that you still don’t have enough room—or, like many families, you need that third row for seating—you still have options. This is where a roof rack comes in handy.
Installing roof rails and crossbars may seem like a steep investment at first, but they’ll allow you to mount a storage box to the top of your vehicle, which will free up tons of real estate inside your makeshift minivan camper. They also allow you to transport other gear like kayaks and paddleboards.
One last point when the time comes to pack: it pays to stay organized. Honda offers plenty of OEM storage solutions like cargo nets and trays, but in a pinch, you can go the no-build route and buy some bargain storage organizers from the local department store. You can use these to keep dry food, games, toiletries, and other things you don’t want to lose. Trust us, things will get cluttered real quick if you just throw everything in the back willy-nilly, and setting up a couple of small plastic drawers in your space can do wonders to make it feel more like home.
Choosing the Best Sleeping Setup
Anyone will tell you that getting a good night’s sleep is all-important when you’re camping, so it’s best to make sure you’re set up for success. But just how many people can a minivan sleep?
As with storage, your sleeping setup will depend on how many people you have in your crew. With the third row folded down, the Odyssey has ample space to sleep the kiddos. You can also fold and flip the second row up, which creates plenty of room for two full-sized adults to lay flat. Unless you’re Wilt Chamberlain or something, chances are you can lay down in the back of a minivan with room to spare.
You may notice that this doesn’t quite cover the whole family though, and that’s where the tent comes in.
Tents come in all shapes and sizes, so picking the right one for your family camper setup is largely up to personal preference. However, we’ve gotta say, we’re partial to the dealer-supplied tent. Yes, that’s right, Honda actually offers a tent tailored to the exact dimensions of the Odyssey, which attaches right to the liftgate to keep the weather and bugs out. Essentially, this turns the back of your minivan into a full-on outdoor living room. It measures 10 by 10, so it’s guaranteed to have plenty of space for the whole gang.
Regardless of what tent setup you decide on, the next step is to figure out what you’re going to be sleeping on. The seats of the Honda Odyssey are quite comfy, but the rear cargo floor, not so much.
This is another one of those things where you can get as fancy or not fancy as you want. The children with their young, unburdened spines may be just fine with a makeshift blanket palette in the back of the minivan, but parents are probably going to want something with a little more back support. The tried-and-true air mattress works, but they’re also prone to getting poked full of holes after just a few uses. For our money, we tend to like sleeping pads, which are either self-inflating, or made of memory foam. These are much more durable because they’re made for backpacking, they pack up quickly and easily, and they can be found online or at any outdoor outfitter.
One more thing worth noting: if you find that it’s just you and one other person traveling in the minivan, it’s easy to remove the second row entirely for maximum storage space.
Setting Up Camp
Once you’ve arrived at your destination, setting up your temporary home is the first thing on the to-do list. Well, technically it’s the only thing on the to-do list until you have to leave, but we digress.
It helps to think of this like packing, but in reverse. It may take a bit of practice, but if you did an efficient job of storing and organizing your supplies, it should be a quick and simple process to set up your home base. First, set up any tables and chairs. Then, bring out whatever coolers and cooking supplies you brought along, making sure to put any coolers in a nice, shaded spot (hint: this is where an awning comes in handy).
Then, it’s time to put up the tents and set up the back area for sleeping. At this point, if you have a bunch of extra stuff lying around, you may have to move it to the front seats to clear room in the back. If you have window covers, you should also set them up now—they’re great for privacy, and they also let the kids sleep in, which is a win for everyone. The goal here is to make the rear of your minivan camper feel as homey as possible for whoever is going to be crashing there. This may not seem like a necessary step, but we promise you’ll appreciate the extra few minutes of work once it’s done and your camp is looking nice.
After that, all that’s left to do is take a moment to admire your work. You’re officially on vacation.
Making the Most of Your Space
Minivan camping offers you an opportunity to do some fun things you wouldn’t normally get to do in a regular ole tent, and it can be an incredibly fun experience for the whole family.
Think décor: adding a string of battery-powered rope lights around the cabin of the minivan gives a warm ambiance, provides a place to hang out and read, and can help kids sleep in an unfamiliar environment. Or, you can also install beads or curtains behind the first or second rows to make them feel like they’re in their own secluded little grotto. You can even set up a tablet, or use the Odyssey’s available 10.2-inch rear entertainment system to host a family movie night under the stars. Get creative!
Do a Test Run
So, you’ve got all of your supplies and you think you’re ready to tackle the great outdoors in your minivan. Not so fast, though.
Before you drive cross-country to your family’s favorite campsite, why not do a trial run? This can be an opportunity to get the family together for a night of fun to work out the kinks in your setup. You can drive to a nearby park for the afternoon and make an evening of it, or you can set it up right in your driveway—as long as you’re properly testing everything out so you don’t run into any surprises a few hundred miles from home, you can’t go wrong.
Now, Go Forth and Camp!
Summer will be here before we know it, and it’s never too soon to get started on your very own minivan camper build. Whether you need help finding the perfect ride, installing camping gear, or sourcing genuine Honda parts, Roper has you covered. Give us a call at (417) 625-0800 to ask about our specials on Honda Odysseys for sale near Springfield.