The 5 Ultimate Minivans for Camping

If you’re interested in van life, you might be surprised to learn just how many people use minivans for camping.

Camping and van life are both on the rise, and minivans are perfect camping vehicles for those who aren’t ready for a full camper van or RV experience.

We put together this list of the five best minivans for camping that offer excellent fuel economy, plenty of cargo space, and fantastic features for camping. 

Let’s explore!

Benefits of Camping in a Minivan

Camping in a minivan has many benefits. Here are the top reasons why minivans are awesome. 

Maneuverability

If you’ve never driven a minivan, you’re in for a treat. These vans drive and handle like cars and can fit into any parking space. RVs and bigger camper vans don’t have this advantage.

Headroom

Minivans have more headroom than other passenger vehicles like cars and SUVs. This makes it easier to load kids and car seats, but it’s also great for camping. 

Storage Space

Minivans are genuinely versatile vehicles. They’re great for hauling multiple people, gear, and groceries. Some even have hidden compartments on the floor. This is excellent for camping and storing your equipment while still using the cab of the vehicle. 

5 Best Minivans for Camping

Just about any minivan is great for camping, but some are better than others. When compiling this list, we looked at storage options and ease of use. 

1. Toyota Sienna

Toyota is known for building long-lasting vehicles, and the Sienna is no exception. The Toyota Sienna is an eight-passenger, all-wheel-drive minivan with plenty of space to stretch out.

This minivan gets up to 36 mpg. With an 18-gallon fuel tank, you’ll save so much money on gas. 

Why It’s Great for Camping: First, this minivan is all-wheel-drive, making it fantastic for accessing remote campsites. The seats in the Sienna are easy to remove without tools.

You can easily clear them out and create a bed platform or make more room for storage. 

2. Chrysler Pacifica

The Chrysler Pacifica is a popular choice for professional minivan camper outfitters and DIYers alike. The Pacifica seats up to seven people. According to a report from Car and Driver, this all-wheel-drive minivan can go from 0 to 60 mph in just about eight seconds. 

This minivan has less fuel economy than the Sienna, coming in at 25 mpg on the highway. It has a 19-gallon tank.

Why It’s Great for Camping: This van has stow-and-go seating, which means the seats easily fold down into the floor to create a flat surface. This is an excellent option for those who don’t want to make permanent modifications but still need to remove seating.

Dual sliding doors and the hatchback make it easy to load equipment.

3. Kia Sedona

The Kia Sedona has more interior space than some other minivans, and it’s affordable, too. This minivan has exterior styling akin to an SUV. 

This minivan is a great option for van conversions, but it has less fuel economy than some of its competitors. The Sedona seats up to eight people and can get 24 mpg on the highway. 

Why It’s Great for Camping: The Kia Sedona offers a lot of interior space for cargo, which is great for campers. You can store a lot of gear or build a bed. This minivan has a flat roof that’s perfect for adding a roof rack where you can store camping gear or bring along your favorite toys like kayaks, canoes, or surfboards. 

4. Dodge Grand Caravan

The Dodge Grand Caravan is one of the most popular minivans on the market today. There are good reasons why.

This minivan is front-wheel-drive and can seat up to seven people. The Grand Caravan gets up to 25 mpg on the highway and has a 20-gallon fuel tank. This minivan also has a towing capacity of 3,600 pounds.

Why It’s Great for Camping: Choose between four and six-cylinder engines that offer either better fuel efficiency or more get-up-and-go power. The Dodge Grand Caravan has a lot of interior space, too.

It’s a long van, and you can use every inch of that space. It also has stow-and-go seating, or you can remove the seats and use the storage space inside the floor. Finally, Dodge vehicles are very common, which means parts are easy to find, and they’re easy to maintain. 

5. Honda Odyssey

Last but not least is the Honda Odyssey. The Odyssey is a reliable minivan that’s also popular for camping.

This minivan can seat up to eight people and has a fuel economy of up to 28 mpg on the highway. The Odyssey is a front-wheel-drive minivan and can tow up to 3,500 pounds.

Why It’s Great for Camping: The seats in the Odyssey are easy to remove. Most campers have no use for the rear seats in a minivan, so this is a major benefit.

Some Odyssey models come with a roof rack already installed, which gives you extra room to store camping gear or haul large toys. This campervan model has plenty of room to stretch out, and some models even come with a sunroof. 

Minivan Camping Changes the Game

Minivan camping is a step up from tent camping and a step down from RV camping. It’s like glamping with great gas mileage. Minivans are great daily drivers, too.

These versatile vehicles are an excellent choice for everyday driving, weekend adventures, and even full-time van life. Have you ever gone camping in a minivan?

Discover the Best Free Camping Across the USA

To be honest with you, we hate paying for camping. There are so many free campsites in America (with complete privacy).

You should give it a try!

As a matter of fact, these free campsites are yours. Every time you pay federal taxes, you’re contributing to these lands.

Become a FREE CAMPING INSIDER and join the 100,000 campers who love to score the best site! 

We’ll send you the 50 Best Free Campsites in the USA (one per state). Access the list by submitting your email below: