This tutorial about my quick Honda Odyssey minivan camper conversion will have you on the road in no time.
The Idea: Minivan Camper Conversion
Once you get the itch to hop in the van and start traveling it is hard to scratch without actually getting out on the road and living the van life.You can look at all the Pinterest posts in the world and all they do is make you want to do that minivan camper conversion more.
However, the more you look the more you want to start filling out your van. Then you start thinking about how you are a novice, at best, with woodworking. Thinking that maybe cutting a hole in the roof of my Honda Odyssey isn’t the best idea. Maybe you being wondering how these people have made a used Sprinter van into a place nicer than your apartment. I had all those doubts, questions, wonders.
I can work a little bit with wood, but I have no space in the city to take on a monster project. I don’t want to cut a hole in the roof of my van. Do I really need solar panels, a shower, a toilet, a kitchen, a satellite dish? You get the point, I wanted to just get out on the road.
All the dreaming and pinning wasn’t making it happen. I wanted to get on the road as fast and as cheap as possible. So I set my mind to doing just that. Here’s how I did a quick Honda Odyssey minivan camper conversion.
Minivan camper conversion: Getting the Van
I settled on a Honda Odyssey for a number of reasons. Among them were reliability, fuel efficiency, ease of driving and the fact that this car was still going to be my everyday ride even when I wasn’t out on the road. As nice as the Sprinter vans look when they are all decked out, they are big, expensive and not nearly as reliable or budget friendly to maintain.
I wanted to get out on the road fast and cheap, so I wasn’t going to tear out the whole inside and make a moving apartment. I also had a good long talk with my mechanic and we settled on either an Odyssey, Toyota Siena or a Chevy Cargo Van with the small block V8 if I absolutely had to do the cargo van apartment thing.
I found a 2006 Honda Odyssey Touring in my price range and the project began to turn this into a minivan camper conversion fast, cheap and easy.
First things first: Starting the Minivan Camper Conversion With BEd & PRiVACY
I had to get everything out of it in order to create space in the back. The third row folds down and the middle row seats come out creating a relatively flat space with which to work with. The floor has various things sticking out of it such as the metal rods that hold the seats in, so my solution for that was a carpet. I threw some leftover reflectix from my window insulation project to even out the floor and provide some nominal insulation. Then laid down a 4 x 6 area rug. This one from Amazon fits the bill.
Next up was the most important part of this whole project, the bed. Every pin and every blog goes in depth about the bed, as well they should since the whole point of van life on the road and a minivan camper conversion is to not have to pay for hotels, motels, etc.
As I mentioned earlier making my own handcrafted bed out of pallets or reclaimed wood from some shipwreck was not going to happen. Laying a mattress on the floor, while seemingly efficient, was also a bad idea. The bed does need to be raised to create storage underneath it. As big as the back looks when all the seats are out it gets quite small when you figure that one or two people need to lay down and sleep back there. Go ahead, try it, go lay down in the back of your van and see how much space you have left around you. I’ll wait, go ahead.
So, raised bed won the internal debate in my head. I found this bed with the adjustable frame and I was on my way. This fit perfectly in the van, leaving a little room on one side and about 20 inches between the back of the front seats and the bed. Plenty of room to store stuff that I needed to get to quickly. Better yet, it was raised off the ground by 14 inches, giving me tons of room underneath the bed to store my camping equipment.
The adjustable frame on this particular model makes it almost like a trunk, just lift up and there is all my stuff. I could not have made something more efficient.
For the mattress I went with memory foam because I did not want it to be so thick that I was sleeping against the ceiling or so thin that I was sleeping on the metal frame. This 6 inch memory foam mattress has been a champion and I can still sit up enough to change rather comfortably in the morning. I even bought new sheets for it to match the interior of the van. Look at me all conscious of decor. Add some pillows and a blanket and I was good to go.
With the biggest obstacle out of the way, it was now time to figure out privacy. The Odyssey is all windows if you didn’t know. I have a separate blog post about DIY insulated window coverings that have been fantastic for me so far. In addition I bought a front window shade.
Minivan Camper Conversion: Luxury Items (Necessities)
Now that I have a bed and some privacy I could practically feel myself out on the road. At this point the two hardest parts of the quick Honda Odyssey minivan camper conversion are done. You really could take the van out on the road and figure it out as you go. You have a vehicle and you have a place to sleep, everything else could be considered a luxury item, I suppose. However, here are some of those luxury items that I have found to be incredibly useful on the journey.
- Power Inverter – Absolutely crucial to have, I charge phones, laptops, etc with this and it takes USB or standard 110V. A must have!
- Back of Seat Hooks – The more stuff off the floor the better. These routinely hold baseball caps, gloves, my garbage bag. Great item, great price.
- Clothes Rod – I bought it thinking I would put a curtain on it to separate front of van from back and it never happened. However, I got some hooks and I use it to hang wet towels, sweaty clothes and anything else that you don’t want on the ground or bed.
- Lanterns – These lanterns are absolutely amazing. The amount of light you get is incredible. One of these lights up the van enough to read comfortably before bed.
- Backup battery and jumper cables – You never know, plus I can plug the inverter into the DC of the battery for camping power all night long even in a non-electric campsite. Of course, I then need an extension cord to recharge the battery driving the next day off the 110V outlet the Odyssey has. I have the 50 foot cord just in case I do camp at a site with power hookups, then I have electricity in the tent on demand.
- Dashcam – Actually works really well for the price, remember to get the SD Card. Sometimes you catch something cool like these deer crossing the road.
- Flashlights, lighters, 1st Aid Kit, hand wipes, hand sanitizer, gorilla tape, batteries, toilet paper, kleenex, sunscreen, bug spray, tools, especially a hammer – Should go without saying that having these items is always a good idea when you don’t necessarily know where you will be sleeping on a given night.
Minivan Camper Conversion: Camping Supplies
Occasionally I like to camp as well. Especially with two people, the van can get cramped and stopping at a campground for a shower, a fire, some barbecuing, and a night in the big luxurious tent with the air mattress is just what you need to wake up recharged and hit the road again in the morning.
All my camping gear fits nicely underneath the bed and is always there when the need arises. Here is what I have and it has served us well.
- Tent – It’s big, but very roomy and I can almost stand up at 6’5″
- Sleeping Bag – Great two person bag, I’ve used at 29 degrees one night in Santa Fe, NM and was warm.
- Air Mattress – Sleeping on the ground sucks, trust me on that one.
- Tarps – Whether it be tent footprint, shade or some other as yet unknown need you can never have too may tarps.
- Tent Stakes – Always a good idea having some extra of these.
- Tent Table – Use it to hold all our belongings, great tent night stand.
- Camp Chairs – Nice for sitting around the fire.
I haven’t touched much on eating and I don’t really intend to, I travel with the van and when I travel I like to take in the local cuisines. Still, I keep Clif Bars, instant coffee, regular coffee, a french press and snacks on hand most of the time. There is nothing like a hot cup of coffee in your van or tent in the crisp morning air, it just hits the spot and makes you appreciate being away from it all that much more.
Eventually I will most likely make the foray into a Yeti cooler, but have not done so yet. People tell me it is the last cooler you will ever buy and it will eventually pay for itself with your savings on ice and fresh food.
Maybe it is just the Chicagoan in me but I like to have some self-defense stuff on me at all times as well The KA-Bar knife is pretty intimidating. I also always keep a utility knife on me, this one is cheap, but has been a workhorse. Lastly, I have pepper sprays all over the place.
Lastly, although I may never need these items I still like having them around. The lifestraw is pretty cool and if a zombie apocalypse comes then I have access to water. This is an interesting read and, I suppose, could help someday if I have to set up camp in a post apocalyptic landscape.
So that is how you can quick do a minivan conversion and get on the road as soon as possible with almost no permanent modifications to your vehicle. If you’re like me, sometimes you need to pick-up a dresser for a friend, grab a snow blower for your parents or pack a few more friends in the back for a trip. With the set-up I have explained, everything can come out and this van can go back to looking like it just came off the used car lot in less than an hour.
So get out there and have some fun, see you on the road.
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Very good, comprehensive list. Hadn’t thought of dashcam! Thank you!
It definitely is a good idea, never know what you’ll see out there on the road.
The Dashcam is s plus. Thank you. I learned some vital information. I am also buying the bear spray. Will not miss with that.
I like your frame bed. Where did you Get it? Do you have the name of the company Who is manufacturing it? Do you have the dimensions ?
Brand is Pragma, it is available on Amazon http://amzn.to/2EUw1T2
What are the dimensions of the frame you chose for the Odyssey?
I made a 2 piece bed frame from PVC pipe and half inch plywood and trimmed memory foam mattress…(nearly double size…or get 3 inch DENSE foam and have it cut to size) The pipe frame is easily glued together and lash the front and back frame pieces with velcro straps. The 1& 1/2 pvc posts are long enough and spaced enough to store up to 10 or more “sterilite” or other clicking clear storage containers. (the legs have to be shorter in the rear of the Odyssey because there is a nearly 6 1/2 inch difference between the rear floor of the car and behind the front seats…3rd row seats folded into floor)…
I love the simplicity of the twin bed frame, especially with the adjustable headboard. In the back of the van, what would’ve been the “trunk” space, how much distance is there between the bed frame and the passenger wall of the van? Thinking about pulling this idea and, in keeping with the budget theme, using some classic plastic Sterilite drawers from my college dorm—just not sure if they’d fit unless I had a narrow twin. Even if they won’t fit, though, that adjustable head is a major selling point.
Thanks for keeping it cheap and real. My van will be for city dwelling while in school to save on rent, so a budget minivan conversion is exactly what I’m looking for. Great resource <3
Ok I’m thinking about a twin bed in my Sienna. However I’m wondering if it would give me enough room. How do you make a twin bed work? Does it give enough indoor room for both of you? Right now I’m sleeping on the floor, plenty of room but not real comfortable. Any ideas?
My girlfriend and I have basically done the same thing with our 2010 Honda Odyssey… although we actually made our raised bed frame, and took out the 3rd row of seats so we have access to our “basement” storage
Have you had issues with your back hatch window covering coming out? We also have a reflectix/cloth window covering, but because of the slant of the back window, it keeps falling out
Thanks,
Sam
Sam, what I did for several years is use 3 plastic hollow rods held in place by 6 stick-em hooks. Think you can find them in the Home Depot plumbing section or electrical.
Create notches in the top ends of the rods, then insert the bottom rod in the corresponding bottom hook and then turn the rod notch to slide into the top hook, turn a little more and it stays in place.
Periodically the heat melts off the hooks’ adhesives so I keep some extra adhesive pads in the van.
Just match of sizing of rod with the hooks. Plenty strong. Just buy a rigid and not a flexi rod.
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1073025F/17006clr-es-command-mini-clear-hooks-with-clear-strips.jpg
https://images.thdstatic.com/productImages/b54896ed-b294-41bc-ab4c-ff6b7573784e/svn/red-formufit-pvc-dual-rated-pipe-p114fgp-rd-5×2-64_400.jpg
Good stuff!
How did you secure the bed frame to the van? Did you bolt it down somehow?
I’m having a problem getting the mattress link to pull up on Amazon. Could you give me the details and maybe I could search on it that way.
Thank you so much for your information. I’m going to convert my 2017 Nissan Quest and your tips have come in very handy. Will be using your ideas in my conversion.
this article is amazing and exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so so much. I will convert hopefully a honda odyssey soon as well
Very good article! My 2015 Odyssey floor has basically 3 different levels sloping through so I modified my original plan of building or buying a platform bed. Also, I really liked the idea of easy access to the deep well trunk for the cooler and about 4 sterilite containers plus a coleman stove and hatchet for wood trimmings. My alternative was folding forward my 3rd row seat-back forward as rear supports for a bedding platform and adding two plastic shelving units behind the front seats as forward supports. Two pine 2×4, 6-ft each, provided the support for three 2 ft x 4 ft finished birch plywood pieves. Added a 3 in memory foam mattress on top of that. Comfy bed. Later added another 2.5 inches of memory foam for our old bones. Ran string for curtains from the front seat backs to the rear of the van, using dual layer Hawaiian batique print for privacy and night darkness; ordered a front windshield sunblock large enough for the Odyssey; and made Reflectix cutouts for the driver and passenger windows and the rear tailgate window. Storage is under the bed, in the plastic bookshelves and in the trunk well. Also run a string with hooks behind the front seats for hanging odds and ends (mostly at night). I find that a folding drying rack is great for drying items at a campground plus laying on the rear of bed while driving, folded up, items can be spread out to dry up.
Thanks Joe – used various items you mentioned as inspiration for our conversion! Looking forward to swapping stories soon,
I’ve been looking into converting my 2003 Honda Odyssey into a camper Just for short overnight trips and such. So this is a great help! Thank you. One of my biggest concerns is that I live in Florida and the heat/humidity would be ridiculous. The middle windows and back windows of my van don’t roll down, so I’m trying to figure out if there’s some modification I can do because I don’t exactly want to sleep with the doors open constantly. Even if I were to put some type of netting up to keep the bugs out, I just don’t like the idea of sleeping completely open like that. Any ideas?
You are in a tough stop van camping in the Florida heat and humidity. I assume you also don’t have a moon roof that opens. My best advice is to keep the front windows half open and cut out enough of a solid mosquito netting to cover from window-to-window over the top. Strong 1/2 inch diameter magnets will secure the mosquito netting rather well. The mosquito netting using can be trimmed from a bolt. Just measure out enough length and width. Rolls up easily. When not being used I roll it up and stuff it behind the front seats.
Also recommend a battery operated small fan to hang (you can now obtain USB rechargeable fans which will be one of incremental van camping Santa request list items).
The back of my Honda Odyssey slopes. Is your bed flat or does it slope? My brother made a bed for the back of his Odyssey and the part behind the seats is about six inches up and the bottom of the bed is flat on the floor, to keep it flat. How does yours work? thanks
The van definitely slopes. The bed I have adjusts so I can do that to create a comfy surface, otherwise if I want the mattress completely flat I slide a few books under the legs of the bed at night.
Look at my comment up above, April 26, 2021 at 2:53 am, Begins “Very good article! My 2015 Odyssey floor has basically 3 different levels sloping …”
Rodndtube I would love to see a picture of that! So the very back seats can also come out? Is it difficult? Thank you!
Dawn, hopefully these images will load. Some of these are “proof of concept” images from my first year build out of my Ody CamperVan in 2015.
It is rather complicated to remove and reinstall the rear seat of the 2015 Odyssey, certainly not a one-man job and I did want to retain seating in the vehicle. The middle row seats are immediately removed from all my vans and kept in shed storage wrapped up.
In this photo you see the rear seatback folded forward which provides the rear bed platform support. Two 6-ft lengths of 2×4 or 2×6 support 3 sheets, 2×4 ft finished plyboard. The blue sheeting provides abrasion protection for the leather seats. In another photo you will see a large silver tarp, double-folded which covers the entire rear seat with about 4 feet extra (provides bedding protection and rear truck well cooler insulation from the sun while driving.
http://www.rodndtube.com/images/__Honda2015Conv/01b-VanBed_ProofOfC_RearView_sm.jpg
This photo shows the proof of concept bed platform forward support. On the left you see the rear seat seatback folded down with the bed platform structural support. The blue Rubbermaid container (used for surf gear) was replaced in 2016 by small plastic heavy duty shelving units that provided plenty of support and accessible storage space (e.g., a “shoe box for shoes, sandals, hiking boots; small containers for utensils and high use items).
http://www.rodndtube.com/images/__Honda2015Conv/01c-VanBed_ProofOfC_SideView_sm.jpg
Photo 3 shows the 2015 trunk well space, silver tarp, a cooler, camp stove, and 3 Sterilite containers (with room for 2 more). I have since moved on to better Sterilite containers, slightly smaller but squarer versions with better seals that free up space for a larger cooler. I eventually found my old Coleman stove from deep storage and fixed it up which replaced the poor quality Primus used in 2015.
http://www.rodndtube.com/images/__Honda2015Conv/03a-TrunkWellSemiLoaded_sm.jpg
This next photo shows the under-the-bed storage space: one of the two plastic shelves that provide forward platform support (and the cardboard wine box cutout for footwear).
http://www.rodndtube.com/images/__Honda2015Conv/UnderBedPlatformClearanceDims.jpg
Rubberized shelf liner on the plastic bookshelves prevents slippage. Half-inch pipe insulation is duct-taped to the plywood sheets that provide mattress bedding support (with camping pads adding some barrier and cushion). Taped pipe insulation keeps the 3 sheets of finished birch plywood together, protects the vehicle from wood abrasion, and provides a tight fit (true to Odyssey design the width is about 48-1/2 inches, so the plywood sheets 48 inches wide and insulation are firm and protective). I will also mention that the camping pads are about 8 feet long so the overlaps of the 6-ft platform provide protection for the front seat backsides. The zippered covered bedding mattress is from Cabela’s. Nice to launder after a camping trip. After a couple of years our older bodies prompted us to add an additional 2.5 inches of memory foam topper — tighter clearance for sleeping but very much worth it!
Thank you very much for your help! The pics all loaded in the email notification. This is really helpful! Thank you. So many people with so many amazing ideas!!!
Dawn, we all learn from others, build upon we learned and share what we learned. I’ve been taking an annual road trip of 2 to 5 weeks since 2015, from Maryland to the California coast, or to the Rockies (Montana to Arizona but maybe not all of those on one trip), and to New England or New England + Quebec/Ontario. Normally half of the trip is camping in the van and half in motels/hotels. I also have a Sr. Lifetime National Park Pass which provides free admission to most National Parks-Monuments-Forests, etc., and half priced camping.
My first foray in 2015 was very primitive. The basic concepts were in-place, but each year brought along minor improvements. One thing very worthwhile is insulating the van via window coverings. My 2015 window coverings for the sides were shower curtains and operating room bed covers (unused by contaminated by being opened). My windshield cover is commercial WeatherTech which does a great job covering the entire windshield (purchased when I bought WeatherTech floor coverings for the front, middle areas and trunk well). My upgraded curtains from behind the front seats to the rear side windows are now made of Hawaiian print that is held up by ripcord style sting running from front seat ceiling door entrance hand holds to a notch in the truck sidewalls. When the camper platform is installed the curtain bottoms stay close to the windows.
My initial front driver and passenger window sunblock/privacy covers were Reflectix cutouts. Ditto for the truck/back window. I used these for several years but went commercial a couple of years ago when I learned about HeatShield (https://www.heatshieldstore.com/), which are sturdy reflectix style that roll-up and use suction cups. They have been working great for the driver/passenger and rear trunk lift gate windows. Highly recommended as an “upgrade.”
THanks! I just got the car last week, as a retirement present (one year early though to get used to it) so I can do road trips and camping also. I do the same, part in motels and part camping. I have a lot of people I want to visit and places to see when I am retired! I want to work on getting it just right over the next year. Thanks again for your help!
What year and model is your Odyssey? The different generations have some different internal layouts. My 2004 EX-L had a relatively flat floor from the rear tailgate to behind the front seats (when the rear seat was recessed). My 2015 EX-L had more “curve” in the flooring as in 3 different levels of about 2-3 inches each. For me, the best option which also utilized the trunk well was the rear seat back folded forward.
It’s a brand new 2023 i.e. 5th generation. It has a big bump where the middle seats go. NOt sure if that’s removable. There are so many possiblities and configurations, I might leave one seat in and work around the rest. On the other hand, that’s 50 pounds and some space. I want to try the chair layouts, and then decide how much to remove. I love the idea of removing the back seats as well and having that trunk space. It’ll be primarily for road trips and hauling, I have a CRV already that I can use if I need to transport people. Which I rarely ever do. If ever.
You were lucky to pick-up a 2023. I’ve been wanting one but availability has been extremely limited and the last month I have not seen any available in the greater metro area at all. I wonder about those bumps… sound like middle seat anchors. Those bumps really get in the way for stowing luggage and such. Unfortunately the minivans are increasingly becoming too stylish and crosses between SUVs and curvy cars with too many creature comforts. But utility vans are hardly what I want to drive around but are better for van camping.
That’s why I grabbed it while I could. THe Honda dealer near me knew I wanted one and when they called and said they had one I could test drive I went right over and bought it within the hour. THey had gotten two “extra” ones in addition to their orders. I knew if I didn’t take it, it would be gone. I had envisioned waiting 6 or more months…and the best part is, as a repeat customer, I wasn’t charged the “market adjustment fee” which was $7000 for a Sienna and $2000 for the Odyssey. Yes, that “big bump” is the middle seat anchor. I haven’t removed them yet, it all happened so fast and I haven’t had time to figure it all out yet. I wanted to get a minivan before they all went hybrid. I’m hoping it’ll last me a long, long time. You mean metro by NYC? I got mine in the Hudson Valley.
Jealous you got a new one, my 2006 Odyssey is going through a transmission problem so it’s days could be numbered. It had a good run, though, 228,000 miles.
We just purchased a 2020 Honda Odeyssey. I outfitted the bed by using plastic shelving 24 by 36 inches. So used four of the five pieces fit perfectly across. Got my husband to sit on platform and had about 9 inch clearance from floor to platform. Cut all the legs different heights to level bed. Do hate those bumps. We tried it out seems to be okay. We wanted headroom. Using two 6 inch foldable mattresses. We plan to use the 7 inch Costco heavy duty fruit boxes underneath the bed for storage with fridge, battery and plastic cupboard at the back. During the day we should be able to convert it like a couch, light weight and easy to move. Will be using it come February for a trip to Florida and cruise.
Hi, this is amazing, finally a non-intimidating van conversion! Thank you! Do you by any chance have a brand name or a different link for the mattress on Amazon? I’m having trouble with the link.
I think this one is similar https://amzn.to/3CZ1JiO
Thanks so much! That looks great.