Michigan to Seattle, the Process of Getting Ready

If you’re getting ready to get on the road I imagine by now you’ve watched hundreds of videos and read hundreds of blogs. That’s what I had to do in order to figure out what I needed for my epic journey. And by epic I mean about 6000 miles, BY MYSELF. My son and his wife, along with a daughter, live in Seattle. I’ve driven the Michigan to Seattle route before. My son married someone who lived in San Fransisco and they bought a house in Seattle. He had to leave his car in Michigan but once he settled in Seattle, he needed it. So me, in my infinite wisdom, decided to drive all the way across the states and deliver it, again, BY MYSELF.

Driving All the Way and Stopping Everywhere!

On the first trip I drove the freeway all the way across and stopped to see various sites along the way. Mount Rushmore, The Badlands, huge Serenity statue, and a few other places that were within striking distance of the freeway. The worst part about that trip was staying at motels, I tried not to get the cheapest, but my budget doesn’t extend to the Ritz! I have to say the state of motel rooms today is not what it used to be. In some places I was scared to take my shoes off the carpet looked so bad. In one place I sat on the edge of a bed, and the mattress collapsed to the base so many people had sat on it. I said I would never do that again, if I’m gonna go on a long trip, I’m taking my own bed with me!

In my previous post, I talked about the rig I finally decided on, a Pacifica Limited minivan. This time when I set off on a long distance trip, I did have my bed with me!

Tennessee as a Proof of Concept!

When I did my trip to Tennessee as a proof of concept, I had a camp bed on blocks to make it level with a 3 inch foam topper. It seemed really comfortable every time I laid on it at home, and even sleeping on it to start with it was great. The trouble with a camp bed is it’s not completely flat, it usually has a canvas area that sags a bit like a hammock. At my age, I needed a flat bed, so after a week in Tennessee, and a sore back, the camp bed was removed.

Tim was more than willing to build me a bed and kitchen but I knew it would be 6 months in the making at least. He’s very meticulous and has wonderful woodworking skills but we run our own business plus he hates to make things if there’s a time pressure. He likes to take his time and get it 110% bless his heart. Needless to say, I wasn’t willing to wait. Plus, I knew what I needed to live in it, but designing it so it contains everything needed in a compact space? I’d never get it right.

More research. There’s loads of videos of women who just get in there and make stuff and kit out their van. Unfortunately, that’s not my skill set. However, because we had sold the motorhome, Tim was very happy for me to use the proceeds to build out my rig. And this is where VanPackers comes in.

I saw it demoed in a video and was hooked.

Here’s how it arrives at your house:

VanPackers Delivery.

VanPackers ‘RV’ kit being unpacked.

Here’s the other side of the VanPackers kit showing how they stack it all together for delivery.

This is the base of the couch which sits right behind the kitchen, loads of storage room and the cross base for the outside table is affixed here.

Here’s what it comes with:

• custom made cushions in 3 or 4 inch depth (4 inch costs a bit more)
• 5 gallon water container
• gas cooker (comes with the attachment to secure the gas bottle, I paid extra for the extended hose and am glad I did)
• 2 sizes of table leg with a base for setting up a table outside and a holder that slides onto the wooden bed base for an inside table

You can also purchase a set of shelves that fit securely into the cup holders next to the back windows which I did.

This shelf unit for the drivers side by the back seat is now full of all those things you need easy access to. I put up Reflectix with black fabric facing out before installing the shelf. It fits like a dream with no screws or bolts.

This shelf unit for the passenger side by the back seat is now full of all those things you need easy access to. I put up Reflectix with black fabric facing out before installing the shelf. It too fits like a dream with no screws or bolts.

Is it Worth it?

I was very impressed with the quality. They are a bit pricey but I have to say they’re worth every penny. After this kit is installed you have an ‘RV’ that will really last. And because it isn’t ‘built in’ it can be removed and you have your car back. It fits like a dream, gives you loads of storage, and makes everything so organized.

VanPackers make them to custom-fit the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Pacifica and Voyager, Toyota Siena, Honda Odyssey, and the Kia Carnival. They also do smaller kits that don’t include the bed and other pieces that are more generic if you don’t have one of the minivans listed.

I’ve put the link here but I am not affiliated with them in any way. I just think they make a really good product. They are located in Canada and their customer service is second to none. Rarely am I super impressed with a company but this one gets 5 stars in my book.

https://vanpackers.com/en-us try not to get sticker shock lol, it is pricey but to make this yourself, with the quality of wood they use, plus it is sanded, varnished, and precision cut, it would take you forever to get it so right, plus the cost of your time. You really would spend almost as much and take waaaay longer than the couple of weeks I waited to get it delivered.

I have now been living in my van for 6 weeks and can attest their kit is amazing and works really well.

As for how I have it set up, see my next post: With all this installed, how much room do I have?