YES! The GoneCamper will fit EVERY minivan!
The Number One question I receive is: I have a (new/old, Toyota/Honda/Chrysler/Dodge minivan. Will the GoneCamper fit my minivan?
The answer is always YES!
Every manufacturer has designed their minivans to provide a 4-foot by 8-foot "cargo floor". This was a design constraint to appease the home handyman who occasionally wanted to haul a standard sheet of plywood. Of course, you need to fold down and/or remove the rear seats to open up the cargo floor.
The GoneCamper for minivans was designed to take advantage of this cargo space. (The 4 by 8 footprint is also used by many "tear drop" camper trailers. Both the front bed area and the rear kitchen area fit inside the 4 by 8 rectangle. But with the GoneCamper minivan you have all the same features but never have the hassles of towing a trailer - or the $12,000 to $20,000 expense!)
The original GoneCamper was designed specifically for the Dodge Grand Caravan. Dodge has the patent on the front and middle "Stow and Go Seats". These folding seats allow you to form an open cargo area in a few minutes. In a few minutes more you can insert the GoneCamper conversion. Likewise, removing the GoneCamper takes only minutes. You can go from people hauler to camper and back in less than 15-minutes with NO modifications to the minivan (or any damage to the minivan for later resale!)
Regardless of brand, every minivan has either folding seats or removable seats. And EVERY minivan has the required four-foot by eight-foot floor dimension for a GoneCamper. But their are TWO other dimensions that need to be considered to make sure the GoneCamper fits your minivan perfectly.
One of the features that makes the GoneCamper unique is the folding bed. There are three sets of legs under the bed. Because the floor of the minivan is slanted, these legs must be staggered in length to support a flat bed platform. Different brands and model years have different floor peculiarities. When you order the GoneCamper to fit YOUR minivan, we will confirm a few dimensions.
The best way to confirm the slope of the floor in your van is to park on a level surface. Fold down the rear seat and fold or remove the center seats (although this isn't necessary with second row bucket seats.) Next you will need a straight 8-foot long 2x4 or other straight board or length of rigid pipe or tubing plus a level.
With the back seat pressed down completely, place the straight 2x4 on edge at the back of the cargo area and then raise the opposite, front end of the 2x4 until it is level. Now use a ruler to measure from the bottom edge of the board to the van floor:
1. Measure out 18-inches from the back end of the board at the rear hatch. This will be the back edge of the kitchen box. The bottom of the kitchen box is flat and it is sometimes necessary to add a spacer underneath to level it. As shown, a 3/4" spacer will level the kitchen box in this van. This is also the position of the rear set of legs under the bed.
Measure the slope at 18" from rear edge of cargo floor
2. Measure out 54-inches from the back end of the board. This will be the front edge of the fixed rear bed section. As shown, the floor drops 5.5" over this span.
Measure the slope at 54" from rear edge of cargo floor
3. Measure down at the front end of the 8-foot long board to the floor, up near the center console. If this measurement and measurement #2 are different the legs of the bed must be graduated to complete a level sleeping surface.
Measure total slope at the end of 8-foot cargo floor - using a level
Note that the standard GoneCamper has 8-inch legs under the front half of the bed. This provides plenty of storage under the bed without sacrificing headroom while in bed or sitting on the couch. But since each GoneCamper is custom-built, feel free to specify more or less space if your needs require a different design. You should also note that adding a floor mat does not change these proportions, but raises the entire GoneCamper from front to back. We especially like to lay down a rubber mat when camping in sandy areas or woods with seeds and burrs that get ground into the carpet.
The next critical measurement is near the rear hatch opening. Inside the rear cargo area, measure up about 20-inches.
Measure up 20" on rear side wall of minivan
Then measure across the cargo area to about the same spot on the opposite side wall. The width of the cargo floor is just over 48-inches, but we need to confirm the width at the top corners of the GoneCamper kitchen. Most minivans are still over 48-inches at this 20-inch height. Some newer minivans (Chrysler Pacifica, for example) are more tapered and we need to build the kitchen only 47-inches wide to fit easily without damaging the interior plastic side walls. As shown, a 48" ruler fits easily between the side walls at 20" off the floor.
Measure across at the 20" height to confirm width of at least 48-inches
That's it! With these measurements confirmed, I can build YOUR GoneCamper to order. Contact me with any questions or special design requests. Contact us today to schedule the delivery of your GoneCamper!
Camping Comfortably, Traveling Efficiently, Living Frugally
