I upgraded to a huge awning that supports a tent room. This is one of the best purchases I’ve made. It has extending my van’s living space and gave me some additional privacy.
Mini Van build? There is a simpler way
A larger awning pros and cons
As I said earlier my desire, in 2019, was to go camping and sleep in my van. I owned a 12 x 16 foot screen tent which made a great extension to my van. But it had other issues I wanted to overcome, such as, if it rained, I would be packing a wet tent inside the van.
Then I upgraded to a cheap awning under $100 bucks, used it for a year and upgraded to a much larger one with an attachable tent.
Using the screen tent has improved my van life and camping experience 100 fold.
Pros:
- Lots of fresh air and sunshine
- I have enough room to entertain others
- I could cook inside the tent area
- I could sleep inside the tent or jump inside the van
- I have lots of privacy
- I’m protected from the rain
- My dog has more space
- Built in LED strip light/multi-color.
- All the wall have zipper windows for more air flow
- The front cover doubles as a sun shield
Cons:
- Heavy rain can leak into the room
- My van is not tall enough for the tent size (sagging)
- 1 Person assembly/disassembly requires skill
- Had to dry set it up at home after camping trips to let it dry
The screen tent lead me to a different idea, the awning, my diy project lead me to purchased a awning that I can mount to my van and add tent walls to extend my living space.
Space in a mini van is limited. To enjoy van life follow this simple technique to build your van.
Custom Roof rack
My final camper van conversion - 2021
Space in a mini van is limited. To enjoy van life follow this simple technique to build your van.