Hi, I’m Carla.

I hatched a dream about an easy, cheap, adventuresome way to go exploring and I found my answer in a 2011 Toyota Sienna diy camper conversion.

The fun thing about building a camper in a mini-van is that there is no “right” way. You just make it up as you go along. I am pretty handy with tools, so I knew I could build my vision.

I had a few priorities for my “build”:

• It had to be securely anchored to the vehicle.
• I wanted a twin size bed for me solo, that could pull out to a full size in case the hubby ever wanted to come.
• The kitchen would go in the back, where I could stand up to cook and have shelter under the lift gate.
• My access to the sleeping area would be on the driver’s side, so I could easily move between the driver’s door and the sliding door of the van.
• I could access a porta potty inside the van.
• There would be storage under the bed for my clothes and extras.

I built my van in the fall of 2020, and took it for a few test runs. In the spring of 2021 I took a few multi-day trips to build my van life skills. And then in May 2021, I took the Big Trip.

I drove 4000 miles in three weeks, from Washington to Kansas and back. I went to visit my parents. And I explored along the way. Boy did I explore! I hadn’t driven cross-country since I first moved to the west coast in 1987, and I wanted to feel the road rolling under me and see the country slide by my windshield.

I keep making little improvements to my minivan camper as I learn what works for me. But it’s still largely the minivan I envisioned in the beginning, and I still feel a tingle in my belly when it’s all packed up and ready to roll.

I treasure every memory from the road, and I love to share my stories and discoveries. I hope you’ll enjoy them too, and follow along on my minivan adventures!