One couple converted their 2006 Sienna minivan into an RV Lite. By removing the middle and back row of seats, they freed up a space of 4 feet 6 inches wide and 8 feet long.
At night they used two flip-out foam beds for sleeping. “For lighting, we found solar lanterns that use D batteries as storage cells. Leaving them near a window in the daytime kept them charged up for nighttime use,” writes Barbara Ireland on Trailer Life Resources.com.
They carried a Coleman cooler and small camp stove, put ate out most meals.
As for the bathroom facilities — “Behind the area where we made up our beds, our van has a shallow well of space where the rear seats normally fold down,” Ireland continues.
“We chose to view this as a separate room: the bathroom. Fortunately, the technology of portable toilets is now impressive in two vital respects: ease of cleaning and discretion, both visual and olfactory. We purchased something called an Envirolet, from Sancor Industries of Toronto, a tad pricey but on the cutting edge of these advances. We also found a portable plastic sink, folding to briefcase size, with separate compartments for clean and gray water and even a tiny mirror.”
Photo: A 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan can be converted with minimal effort from soccer-mom special to RV Lite. Source: Trailer Life Resources.com