Micro Van Life

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Micro Van Camper Builder Cascade finds creative ways to remain profitable!

My last post was rather dismal in sharing bad news that Ram, Ford, Nissan, and Mercedes are discontinuing the manufacturing & sales of micro cargo vans; specifically the smaller Ram Promaster City, Ford Transit Connect, Nissan NV200 and Mercedes Metris gasoline models. Ram Promaster City vans are currently being replaced with electric Fiat Doblo versions in Europe only: https://www.motortrend.com/features/2024-fiat-doblo-ram-promaster-city-cargo-van-ev/amp/

Electric powered vans may work for city commuters, small businesses, and Tradespeople who have access to charging stations. And can tolerate the 200 miles or less daily driving range of electric vehicles before recharging is needed.

Automotive News reported that Ford, Nissan and Mercedes are eliminating their gasoline small cargo vans due to low sales. But are retooling for electric versions which will be more costly with less driving range. This makes no common sense. So logic would dictate in 2023, the value of my 2020 Ram Promaster City Cascade camper van would plummet in monetary value. However, the opposite has occurred. Prices have increased because of “inflation”. Cascade knows they will have to redesign some or all of their camper conversion package (if possible) to accommodate the lithium batteries needed for electric vans. In the interim, Cascade has found creative ways to stay profitable at their Nevada City California location.

Kitchen Pod for Sprinter Vans

Cascade is now offering a self-contained kitchen pod for sprinter vans. Their $1950 USD pod is specifically designed for mid-size and full-size vans. They do not offer a kitchen pod configuration for micro vans. Here is the website link if you’re interested in purchasing one: https://www.cascadecampers.com/kitchenpod

PMC Cascade Camper Van Rentals

Cascade Rental Partnership

https://www.cascadecampers.com/campervan-rentals

How to purchase a new or resale Cascade camper van for rental partnership and/or personal usage

Cascade has cleverly allowed current owners to advertise used Cascade camper vans for sale on their website. This is an indigenous way to circulate previous builds while keeping their business endeavors profitable.

Cascade will continue to convert empty Ram PMC cargo vans into micro campers in 2023. But this will eventually end for the gasoline powered Ram PMC cargo vans if they become too old and/or a safety risk for Cascade camper conversion (2015-2022 PMC’s).

Note: 2022 was the last year of Ram PMC production in Turkey with assemblies in the United States.

Cascade has also made improvements to their camper conversion package which now costs $9800 plus California sales tax. Still a huge bargain for what they offer.

Here is a features link of everything you get for $9800 in 2023. Note: California sales tax is not included in this price. Plus you must drive your empty PMC cargo van (2015-2022 Tradesman cargo only) to their build facility near Grass Valley California. It takes one day (8 hours) to convert it into a camper van. They only build on the Ram Promaster City platform. No other requests will be granted. https://www.cascadecampers.com/campervan-features#

Availability of resale gas powered, Cascade Camper Vans

As I predicted 2 years ago, when gasoline prices rose to over $3.00 USD per gallon, the bigger camper vans & RVs will travel less as prices increase. Meanwhile, I get 30 miles per gallon (highway) for my PMC Cascade Camper Van! I’m now retired and not driving to work each day. Which explains my low odometer reading. Before I provide the web link of advertised (resale) Cascade Camper vans…I have one small request. If you buy a used one, let the PMC Cascade current owner know you saw the resale information link on my blog (microvanlife.com).

I now have a favorite, new webpage: The Cascade Camper resale & sold listings. I cannot believe how much these micro vans are selling for used! I invested $38K in my brand new Cascade camper van in November 2020, build #167 including extra options. With less than 11K current mileage on the odometer, I could probably sell it to a third party for more $ than originally invested. Consumer demand & inflation have increased, not decreased!

PMC Cascade Camper Vans – Resale Marketplace

One of many resale listings

I picked the above listing (on 1/27/23) to highlight Cascade camper van resales currently available for purchase. It visually illustrates the monetary value maintained after purchasing a Cascade conversion package three years ago! Just like the older, Volkswagen Westfalia camper vans of yesteryear, I anticipate the same consumer desirability & resale longevity for Cascade camper vans. Anyone else think differently?

Cascade Camper Resale & Sold listings link: https://www.cascadecampers.com/campervans-for-sale

As an extra bonus, the above link shows Cascade Camper Vans SOLD at the bottom of the webpage. Seeing is believing!

Please leave a comment or “Thanks” if you personally benefitted from reading this blog. Written gratitude goes a long way for me as the sole writer & owner of this freely accessible, website location (self-paid to publish/maintain on a yearly basis). I really enjoy seeing different countries in my daily statistics of blog visitors!

DLM-Distribution stays relevant in customizing six cylinder AWD camper vans

**Inside Pacifica Mini-T camper van sleeps 2**

Owners Dave and Candy Mellon have found a way to remain financially solvent in the mini camper van market for 2026 & beyond…

Based in Lake Crystal Minnesota, they are now converting Chrysler Pacifica and Voyager mini vans into campers that sleep two adults. Mini-T campers are equipped with a sofa bed, sink, microwave, refrigerator, TV, water storage, inverter, and solar panels. Mini-T’s will be one of very few micro camper vans sold in the United States that can still fit inside a standard garage with seven foot clearances! Ram stopped selling the four cylinder Promaster City vans in 2022. Ford quit selling the four cylinder Transit Connect in 2023. Nissan eliminated NV four and six cylinder cargo vans from their new inventories. It will be even fewer micro camper van choices for 2026 and beyond. Where are the “all electric” micro vans promised by the Biden Administration? I can’t find them brand new under $70K USD.

So I purchased a used 2021 Chrysler Pacifica front wheel drive S Model, with cloth seats and 28K miles in 2024 for $26K USD including sales tax. It now has 38K miles. I can fit my 9.5 foot Perception Swifty kayak inside a Chrysler Pacifica van. Plus use it as a cargo hauler, weekend camper, or passenger van by raising and retracting the four “Stow-N-Go” seats from the floor. Most Pacifica vans are equipped with six cylinder engines. Enough engine power to quickly accelerate during lane changes and on-ramp merging.

9.5 foot Swifty Kayak inside my Pacifica van

2021 Chrysler Pacifica with bicycle on hitch rack

A used 2023 Pacifica AWD with 41K miles fully loaded equipped with heated/cool seats, 18” rims, entertainment center, and sunroof is currently selling on Autotrader website for almost $38K USD in October 2025. So paying $66K for a brand new 2026 Chrysler Pacifica AWD S package with a Mini-T camper conversion is less than all new sprinter vans and only $20K more than a used 2023 AWD Pacifica with 41K miles. And I often seen discounted, used Mini-T camper vans for sale on the DLM-Distribution website since I first discovered their affordable conversions ten years ago.

**Used Mini-T Ford Transit Connect Van**

https://www.dlm-distribution.com/camper-van-details.php?vanID=457

If you travel frequently or want to live out of a fuel efficient, micro camper full-time…consider purchasing a Mini-T camper van. Here is a link to their website. DLM-Distribution is veteran owned and operated van conversion shop in Minnesota. https://www.dlm-distribution.com/camper-van-inventory.php

Portable A/C units for vans & tents

It’s that time of year – Dog Days of summer. Where high humidity and outdoor temperatures make van life difficult. Not to mention deadly if leaving pets inside camper vans while taking restroom breaks. Luckily, my 2021 Chrysler Pacifica passenger van with keyless entry allows me to keep the van running with doors locked and my toy poodle inside with A/C turned on. Many states only allow service animals inside their rest stop buildings or “Welcome Centers” with vending machines and toilets in the United States.

Toy Poodle
Tilly inside Chrysler Pacifica van

My 2020 Ram Promaster City camper van is a Tradesman model with no keyless entry. It will not lock with ignition key turned on using a second key.

Today I purchased a portable A/C unit that runs on 110 power made specifically for tents and vehicles. It comes equipped with a quick release hose for venting outside on high humidity days. No drainage required. It weighs 32 pounds and uses 356-400 watts per hour. Great for camp sites equipped with electrical outlets.

Outohome portable A/C unit weight is 32 lbs

My Ecoflow Delta battery power station can run the Outohome A/C unit for 6 hours on a full charge, off grid use. I can also simultaneously use & charge my Ecoflow battery station with a portable solar panel made specifically for the Ecoflow during daytime hours.

Now restroom stops and overnight stays at the Cracker Barrel will be more enjoyable for me and safer for my poodle to be left inside a few minutes alone when I need a restroom stop. The Outohome portable A/C unit weighs only 32 pounds. And its lightweight, plastic hose can easily vent outside through my van window. I’m going to use a piece of heavy foam backboard and cut out a circle shape for the hose to go through. Place the backboard inside my partially rolled down passenger window for outside A/C venting on hot, humid days.

My portable A/C unit (resale item) cost $350 on Amazon. I can place it on the van floor. And use my Ecoflow power station to run it off-grid. A woman named June who cools her 24 foot diameter Yurt (tent) has used a 5000 BTU window A/C unit and a portable A/C unit powered by a Jackery 3000. She wrote a very informative review on Amazon in 2025 that convinced me to buy a portable Outohome A/C unit like the one she currently uses to cool her Yurt.

A few van lifers have purchased compact 3300-5000 BTU window A/C units for their vans for under $200 that also use 110 outlets. The main problem with this cooling solution is these units are specifically designed for home window use; weighing 50-65 pounds! That’s a lot of weight to rest on top van windows!

Please leave helpful comments on how you cool off your parked camper vans & tents!

Ram Promaster Low Roof Sprinter Van

I saw this news announcement today (8-14-25) on the Cascade Camper website using this link:

https://www.cascadecampers.com/

I still own a 2020 Ram Promaster City Tradesman van with Cascade camper conversion package. It’s four cylinder (2.4 liter) engine gets 28-30 miles per gallon on highways! I am still upset that Ford, Nissan, Mercedes and Ram DISCONTINUED their four cylinder, fuel efficient, gasoline engine vans. Ones that small businesses, the trades, and camper conversion companies used by the millions…Nissan NV200’s, Mercedes Metris, Ford Transit Connect, Ram Promaster City…all gone by 2023 when Joe Biden was U.S. President. Blatant Government overreach because these van models were slated to become Electric Vehicle vans; which has not happened yet!

It’s fantastic that Cascade Camper conversion company is still operating in Northern (Nevada City) California. And realize the low roof, six cylinder (gasoline) sprinter van is now the replacement demand, camper conversion preference. But not for people like me who need the “condo on wheels” to fit inside my garage with 7 foot door clearance! Only the smaller four cylinder vans fit inside a standard American garage! I’m not going to leave my $35K initial investment, camper van sitting outside in the snow, rain and sea salt climates! My PMC camper van spends most of the time in snow belt Ohio and coastal Carolina near the ocean. Always inside a garage when not in use! As a second vehicle, my 2020 PMC currently has 14K original miles in pristine condition with no rust, sun damage nor faded paint & seats. It’s still worth $25K for a fast resale! Check out these current four cylinder PMC vans for sale on the Cascade Camper website. The last Ram PMC van was manufactured in 2022. Thank the Biden administration for ending 4 cylinder gasoline vans in America before 2025!

https://www.cascadecampers.com/campervans-for-sale

Why I love Chrysler vans

I recently sold my beloved 2010 Chrysler Town & Country van for $5K USD cash. It had 130K original miles on the odometer. I purchased it used eight years ago in Sacramento California. I drove it 2400 miles across country pulling a small aluminum fishing boat in November 2016. I put my red kayak on top a Yakima rack.

My 2010 Chrysler Limited touring had cloth seats, no navigation features or DVD players. What it had was a powerful, 3.8 V6 engine that could pull a boat and accelerate off a highway ramp. And climb the Sierra mountains with ease!

I slept inside the van one night on a twin, inflatable mattress at a rest stop in Nevada. Temperature dipped below 40 degrees. The sound of nearby diesel trucks running all night kept me awake with little sleep. So the next three nights I stayed at motels. My favorite stop was at the Little America in Wyoming. It’s a favorite destination for truckers and travelers. Easy off ramp access and a large restaurant and hot showers. I couldn’t resist the 75 cent ice cream cones!

I nicknamed my van “Bubba”. I didn’t have animals or children to haul. Just myself, bicycles, water toys, and the frequent need for trips to Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards when remodeling homes I rented or lived in.

Bubba had no problems towing my boat across the Continental Divide in Wyoming. However, I got distracted on Interstate 80 in Illinois. My cell phone accidentally dropped from its air vent holder. I swerved to the right when I reached down to pick up my iPhone. And then a highway patrol pulled me over. I was already in the right lane so I didn’t cause any near accidents nor cut off another vehicle. But I looked “suspicious”. A 55+ female driving alone, pulling a fishing boat. The trolling motor was on the front seat inside a black carrying bag… strapped in by the shoulder & lap seat belt. I put a hat & sunglasses on the bag to look like I had a passenger with me. The patrolman asked me several questions about having any weapons or drugs in the van. I answered “No”.

A second Illinois patrol car arrived on the scene. And the patrolman had a German Shepherd dog circle my van and boat. Then they asked to search my van. I agreed saying I had nothing to hide. So out came the air mattress, bubble wrapped paintings, and luggage. Twenty minutes later, a perplexed patrolman said the drug sniffing dog alerted on my backpack, pillows, and blankets. I explained to him marijuana was now recreational and legal in California. I showed him my medicinal marijuana card that was previously required before the recent law change. Apparently my personal belongings still had weed smell on them. LOL…He told me to be careful driving to Ohio. And to have a nice day. Overall, it cost me an hour of travel time delay. I discovered later… online that California and Colorado license plates are specifically targeted by the highway patrol because I-80 is a known drug corridor. When I asked the patrolman, “Do I look like a drug runner to you?”. He replied: “We see all types of people on this highway. Grandparents driving RVs carrying drugs for extra money. Your mannequin in the front seat looked highly suspicious. That’s why the drug sniffing dog was brought here to search”. Luckily, I only had weed smells, no actual marijuana anywhere inside my van, gloveboxes, backpack or boat!

https://www.criminaldefensene.com/drug-busts-on-i-80-lead-to-record-seizures/

I also remember the weekend camping trip in September 2022 at a Bluegrass festival in central Ohio called “Ohiolina”. It was a name that combined Ohio Appalachian bluegrass with that of the Carolinas. Dennison University sponsored the weekend event. I bought a tailgate tent with rain flap on Amazon for under a $150. And cooked inside on my foldable table. At night, I lowered the tailgate and tent to the ground to keep the morning dew from dampening it. And the colder night temperatures from entering an open tailgate.

Tent for Camping & Hiking, Lightweight with Rainfly and Tent Stakes, 6′ x 6.5′ Universal Tailgate Tent for Cars, SUVs, Trucks, Hatchbacks.

I’m going to miss my spacious Town & Country van with stow-and-go seats. Room to bend over and walk between the two front seats without exiting the van!

All seats “stowed” away on 2010 Town & Country

Goodbye ole friend. It was a fantastic 21k miles together before you went to another home. Purchased by a grandmother in Marion Ohio with recent custody of her four grandchildren. May you have safe journeys and travels.

Last photo taken of “Bubba” van in Ohio

Is Van Life Coming to an End in 2024?

In November 2023, I came across an interesting article about the possibility of Van Life Coming to an End. The conclusion made by author Dalton Johnson is Maybe. He gave six reasons that can be summarized below.

Article can be found here: https://www.mensjournal.com/pursuits/adventure-travel/why-people-are-quitting-van-life#

As a micro van owner of a Cascade camper (built professionally on a 2020 Ram Promaster City cargo van chassis, #167), I can emphatically state our Cascade Camper Van community is still thriving in April 2024.

Yes… we have been negatively impacted by the Ram Auto Industry’s decision to quit manufacturing four cylinder Promaster City vans. Their main reason given was lackluster sales. This statement is disingenuous at best because consumers could not easily purchase new Promaster City vans during the two year, COVID-19 Pandemic. Due to automotive chip shortages in Taiwan! My sister drove to Illinois in 2021 to find a new Promaster City cargo van for her office cleaning business. She could not find a new Promaster City van at any Ram dealership in central Ohio!

The Biden Administration has been heavily promoting electric vehicles. And it’s no coincidence that Ram, Nissan, Ford & Mercedes are discontinuing the manufacturing & sales of their four cylinder, cargo vans in America. Connect the government overreach dots! Cascade Camper is now manufacturing Kitchen Pods for Sprinter vans since they are not currently on the gas vehicle discontinued list.

https://www.cascadecampers.com/kitchenpod

Full-time van life can be exhausting, especially if you’re attempting it inside a van you cannot stand upright inside the interior. And the higher cost of gasoline prices make Sprinter vans (larger 6 cylinder & diesel engines) more costly to drive. However, in 2024…I am still in love with the economical cost & freedom of using my 2020 Promaster City camper van as a daily driver. And as a part-time explorer! I average over 30 miles per gallon driving my 4 cylinder Promaster City camper van. And I’m never bored. I go to the beach, different camp sites, and can easily tow a kayak trailer or haul a bicycle on my trailer hitch rack. As a female solo driver, I feel safe staying overnight at Cracker Barrel restaurants and paying for a healthy breakfast there (as my gratuity) at 7 a.m. the following day. I also conceal & carry legally across several state lines for personal protection. Our Cascade Camper membership is free of charge. We share modification ideas, upcoming camp outs, and daily adventures with each other on our members only, Facebook page. Let me know in the comment section below, if you think Van Life is coming to an End? Or not.

Discontinuing Compact (gas fueled) Cargo Vans in America by 2023?

In Fall 2022, a Cascade owner posted a disturbing article on our private Facebook forum. The article states that small compact cargo vans like the Ram Promaster City, Ford Transit Connect, Nissan NV200 and Mercedes Metris will no longer be sold in the United States. Some, like the Ram Promaster City, will be discontinued by the end of 2023! It’s terrible, shocking news. What will replace these fuel efficient, four cylinder gasoline engines? An entire lineup of small compact, electric vehicles? Small, four cylinder, compact cargo vans may all eventually have the EV (electric vehicle) designations. No gasoline engine options will be sold in the United States for these lineups.

Compact cargo vans with gasoline engines will soon be a thing of the past – here in the U.S. Automotive News said Ram will stop importing the Promaster City van and recently reported that Ford will drop the Transit Connect from its U.S. lineup. When that happens, the compact van *gasoline* segment will be wiped out entirely. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ram-promaster-city-ford-transit-connect-compact-vans/

As an American citizen, military veteran, I find this automotive news highly disturbing. It could be a federal government, regulatory-based decision. Government overreach! In 2022, United States, as a country, DOES NOT have a flexible nor reliable enough power grid to give everyone equal access to overnight & hourly electric charge stations! Many people live in apartments and homes without garages. And harsh winter climates are not conducive to using outdoor charging stations. These future EV mandates appear like a climate control policy run amok. I would expect it in California. But not throughout the entire United States!

First Responders not prepared for EV battery fires after Hurricane Ian

For those of you who live in hurricane risk areas & flood zones…be aware of EV batteries catching fire after being exposed to salt water. First Responders in Florida were taken by surprise when six flooded EV’s caught on fire after Hurricane Ian devastated Naples Florida in September 2022. https://www.eenews.net/articles/why-6-flooded-evs-burst-into-flames-after-hurricane-ian/?fbclid=IwAR3UtITfLDw8WX7-YdefJuG0M8SQw8YNLegt3IXQTDhqaSmdQ2aXnOpUmCo

Before some accuse me of being anti-electric, I have installed solar panels on my last two homes. And I have a solar panel on-top of my Cascade camper van. But relying totally on electricity to power a moving vehicle? It’s not reliable enough in 2022. California is leading the way with its governmental mandates of achieving 100% electric vehicles by 2035! https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/08/25/california-enacts-world-leading-plan-to-achieve-100-percent-zero-emission-vehicles-by-2035-cut-pollution/

Gas Generators still the most reliable power source during storms & bad weather

Think about this reality…a natural gas generator is currently more reliable than big name electric companies like PG&E, and Duke Energy. My natural gas generator has never failed in high wind storms nor lightning strikes like my Duke powered home electric system. Without gas fueled generators, many EV’s will be waiting uncharged until electric companies restore the grid power! Which could be hours or days waiting for the electricity to be turned back on. My friend Judy had zero electricity in her home for 5 days after Hurricane Ian hit. But her gas fueled vehicle had a tankful of gasoline to go places! And some farmers are refusing to give up their diesel tractors. Why? Weight issues plus dawn-to-dusk demands pose challenges to electrifying farm vehicles. https://energynews.us/2021/08/18/weight-dawn-to-dusk-demands-pose-challenges-to-electrifying-farm-vehicles/

Political Action Needed

If you love micro camper conversions, or need to operate a fuel-efficient, 4 cylinder cargo van, please write or call your local & state representatives. Demand a halt on environmentally mandated, EV policies! Especially at the state level.

Seeing is Believing!

Count how many compact cargo vans currently travel on American roads per hour. And look around in your towns & cities to see how popular gasoline fueled, compact cargo vans are today. Ask yourselves… if consumer demand for gasoline powered compact vans is “too low for continuation of manufacturing”, why would Ford, Nissan, Ram, & Mercedes compete in the more expensive, EV markets? If they’re not being federally subsidized and/or environmentally regulated to do so in 2023 & beyond? It makes no logical sense from a business perspective.

***Businesses use gasoline compact cargo vans for better fuel efficiency***

I constantly see florists, tradesmen, couriers, painters, electricians, plumbers, food delivery services and many other businesses using compact cargo vans everywhere I go. Camper conversion companies typically prefer the larger size sprinter vans. However, like my previous blog posts have highlighted, several companies specialize in converting compact cargo vehicles into small, affordable, great gas mileage camper vans! And ones like Recon, Wilderness, DLM & GTRV have been doing so for the last decade and longer!

UHAUL Hitch Lights

After owning several vehicles, this is my third UHAUL hitch installed in the past 5 years. Everything was working fine before a 1200 mile round trip in July. I bought a plug-in brake light at Walmart since I wouldn’t be hauling anything on my hitch. As you can see in the photo, the Walmart purchased, portable brake light goes on when the vehicle’s brakes are activated. This slide-in-hitch light provides additional visibility to the back of the van.

After driving through a thunder storm, and heavy rain everything seemed fine. Until my return trip. I attempted to hook up a kayak trailer to my van and none of the trailer lights came on! I used another vehicle and discovered the kayak trailer lights operated properly and were not the problem. Because I received a two year warranty, I made a hitch light inspection appointment for my camper van at a nearby UHAUL location. A helpful technician named Shane performed several tests with his handheld DC electric meter. And instructed me to turn on the emergency flashers which apparently test most of the rear vehicle lights.

Driver side rear light assembly removal

The black transformer box in the photo above apparently quit working. It’s attached to a wiring harness and a 4-wire flat plug. The entire wiring harness needed replacement. Luckily, there was no financial cost because it’s still under warranty. This is the THIRD ONE UHAUL replaced on my vehicles since 2020. The other two replacements occurred on two different vehicles. Needless to say, this hitch light unreliability has left me frustrated, angry, and extra cautious! I realize I need to be extremely careful in using the van’s wiring harness for towing purposes only. I quit using the Walmart brake light plug-in on a daily basis. I was not allowed to keep the non-working, older wiring harness because it’s being sent to UHAUL headquarters for testing and analysis of what went wrong! Why it apparently failed under warranty? I suspect rain water somehow came in contact with the 4-wire plug during the storm I drove through. Who knows. This third, harness failure has left me with zero confidence of ever owning a teardrop or pull behind trailer for camping! Maybe a Ram dealership could have installed a more reliable product? Anyone experience failures of your UHAUL wiring harness or plugs?

**Brave but foolish bumper pull trailer**

While waiting at the UHAUL facility, an older Ford 4×4 truck with rusted out, rear quarter panel pulled up with a travel trailer behind it. I could not believe my eyes! The trailer was sagging low to the ground and compressing the rear of the truck. A young couple (pair of free spirit hippies) stopped here to buy a replacement, 2-inch slide with attached ball. The male partner did not have a current driver’s license according to a nearby employee. A female (i.e. girlfriend) was driving the truck. I asked the couple how much did their camper weigh? The man replied 7800 pounds! They are towing a camper near the truck’s maximum capacity to haul it. Not to mention they probably exceeded the recommended tongue weight. The couple proudly exclaimed they’ve already been to Florida with their rig and back again to central Ohio where this visual sighting took place. Scary! I told them they are brave for towing something that heavy with no sway bars installed! It appeared they have electric brakes installed on the trailer. I would not want to be driving behind this rig for any reason. Looks like they already lost part of their air conditioning cover. They used gray tape (painted to match the trailer) to hold together the front, left panel. At least they are creative and artistic! In addition to being extreme risk takers.

**Interstate Highways in the United States**

I copied this photo map from Facebook. I bet the hippies are driving across Interstate I-70 East and then going south on I-85 or I-95 to reach Florida. Maybe this map will be useful to some random travelers or reader(s) of this blog? I certainly hope so.

Toyota Sienna…a popular choice for camper van conversion. Equipped with limitations!

Next month will mark the one year anniversary of creating and maintaining this site. Be sure to leave a Like below if you learn anything useful from reading my free, online blog!

Looking at weekly statistics, my article on the 2022 Toyota Sienna Woodland van is the most popular one. Ram Promaster City cargo van was manufactured in Turkey and assembled stateside. Ram doesn’t have the same reliability ratings as the Japanese manufactured Toyota. However, for all you Toyota camper enthusiasts, know that removing the middle seats on the 2021 & newer Sienna is going to leave dual tracks and a sliding mechanism for each seat!

**Removing 2022 Toyota Sienna middle seat**

In the above photo, see that sliding bar inside both tracks? All you can do is move it forward or back as far as it will go. Any homemade bed will have to be designed around these sliding obstacles if both seats are temporarily removed to sleep inside the Sienna van! Full-time van lifers have complained about crawling underneath their Siennas to permanently remove these sliding mechanisms. For many families, that’s a big problem. Not to mention where to store the middle seats when not in use? Are you listening Toyota? Make a cargo version of the Sienna! Or at least make the middle seats latch & remove easily without anything left on top of the tracks! Stop ignoring your Van Life customers & camping demographic!

For a more permanent solution, you will need to have the tracks removed and a floor installed before adding a bed. However, I have a better suggestion. It will cost you $12K US dollars plus 8.5% California sales tax (not included). It solves 2 adult sleeping needs. Your kid(s) or pets take up less room and can sleep in the rear of the Sienna after the middle seats are removed or pushed to the front as far as they can go behind the front seats.

GTRV in Sebastopol California will install a manual pop-top that contains a 36” wide by 71” long bed with a removable foam mattress (bunk). The $12K cost includes matching the pop top paint color to the factory exterior color. A custom or metallic color match will cost more. GTRV currently has a six month wait time. It will cost $2000 USD extra (yikes!) if GTRV installers have to remove a sunroof. It takes a few weeks to install a pop-top bed with metal roof cutting involved. Afterwards, all you need is a cooler, portable propane stove and gear to go camping. This sleeping solution is perfect for a small family, a couple, or solo driver who likes weekend camping but needs a people hauler or extra cargo room most of the time. Just as I predicted last year when 87 octane gas was $4.50+ gallon in California…as gasoline prices rise, so does the popularity of mini and micro van camping!

2021 Mercedes Metris Camper Van

I saw an online ad for a 2021 Mercedes Metris camper van with pop-top for $90K USD. Now that’s almost what I paid for a two bedroom condo in Ohio 4 years ago. Add sales tax & registration fees and the Metris camper van will cost $95K or higher off the sales lot.

Why would someone want to spend nearly a hundred grand on a four cylinder, 2.0 liter turbo charged vehicle that gets 18-22 miles per gallon? Answer: It’s a family friendly, all-in-one passenger cargo hauler & camper!

Metris van seats 4-5 passengers

Passenger seats typically face forward in vehicles. I’ve yet to see a camper conversion van with a side, sofa bed that has shoulder harness type seatbelts approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). My Class C, Ford Escape RV had a dinette with forward & backward facing seats. Each one had a DOT approved lap seatbelt only.

You can buy aftermarket seatbelts online and add them to your golf carts, ATVs, van seats & sofas. However, should any of your passenger(s) become injured or killed while in motion, you (owner/driver) could become financially liable. And encounter lawsuits for negligence in not having DOT certified seatbelts professionally installed inside or elsewhere on your vehicle(s).

**Metris van with seatbelts for 3 rear passengers**

Shown above is a forward facing, convertible bench seat that converts into a sofa bed. Some manufacturers call it a smart “rock-and-roll” bed. This one happens to be mounted on a track rail system for easy sliding back & forth.

Dining experiences would not be complete without a table for camping & road trips. Most people want removable table(s) both inside & outside their campers.

**Metris equipped with removable table**

But wait. What about the two front passengers? Can they use the table without exiting the vehicle?

**Metris camper has 2 rotating front seats**

Now that Mercedes has solved the seating & seatbelt requirements, what about meal preparation? Is there a kitchen galley, sink or refrigerator inside the Metris?

Look inside this Metris camper; there’s no visible kitchen galley or cabinetry. There is a large sliding drawer for bedding & clothing.

In the rear end, there are three, pull-out drawers and a flat surface for cooking. The bottom left drawer has a camp stove inside. You can easily place it on top the flat surface above for cooking. A portable, DC operated refrigerator would be an extra cost.

Metris Camper sleeps 4-5 people

Another big advantage of the Metris camper is the amount of people it can sleep inside the van. There is a double bed that takes up practically all the interior space in fold-down position. It looks like it can sleep a giant over 6 feet 5 inches tall.

The large, folding bed backs up against the two front seats which also serve as backrests. There are storage areas on each side of the bed. Metris camper is also equipped with a curtain package inside.

Additional sleeping & storage area

As I stated in previous blog posts, one of the reasons why pop-top camper vans are so expensive involve cutting out most of the van’s interior roof when installing the pop-top. This will easily add a $10K-$15K expense for mini & micro van camper conversions.

Having front swivel seats is a brilliant idea. One can easily turn around to check on the kids, pets, or retrieve items from a portable refrigerator. Some vans with pop-tops also enable the passenger seat to be folded down to serve as a step to get access to the top portion. See the hard plastic shell on the seat back above the cargo net…Folded over, that’s where you typically step-up to the extra bed inside the pop-top area. The upper bed can easily sleep two adults or 3 kids comfortably!

Notice the two zipper side panels. Unzipped they allow fresh air inside the camper van with screens to keep out bugs & debris. The bed cushions match the van’s interior color scheme. Usually you can store a few items here like bedding, sheets, & clothes even when the pop-top is is folded down (closed). Removing the new cushions shown wrapped in clear plastic will provide more storage space if this extra sleeping area is not used.

Wrap-Up

This last picture illustrates the benefit of a mini van camper with a rear hatch door. You can stand outside and cook in all types of weather. This is why teardrop trailer designs are so popular. They provide a canopy or temporary roof over your head while tailgating or cooking outdoors.

In conclusion, I would consider buying a used Metris camper van once it reaches five years old, low mileage, and under $45K. However, for 1-2 people, my 2020 Ram Promaster City Cascade camper van ($37K new including sales tax, registration) is a more affordable bargain! It has a kitchen galley with Dometic refrigerator included. Cascade campers can legally carry 1 driver & 1 front passenger with DOT approved seatbelts (already installed in Promaster City vans by the Ram manufacturer).

If the 2021 Metris Camper Van interests you, please leave a comment below. Here are the key Metris camper van specifications listed that might convince you it’s worth $90K brand new: