The ranks of minivans on sale in America today aren’t as thick as they once were, but the options that remain are arguably stronger than ever – safer, more comfortable, more versatile and more efficient. After testing them all, however, we at Gear Patrol have determined the best one to buy: the Toyota Sienna. Combining a standard hybrid powertrain, available all-wheel-drive and a bevy of smart features, it’s the best overall package on sale for the widest assortment of buyers.
Still, as excellent as the Sienna is, there’s always room for improvement … especially if you like car camping. Just ask Nevada-based conversion company Unicamp —which, as New Atlas first spotted, is taking our favorite minivan and turning it into a camper van thanks to the addition of a motorized pop-top tent.
Read More
Unicamp’s pop-top is a good deal more advanced than the ones seen on those old VW Type 2 Westfalias of yore. For one thing, it’s powered. Thanks to electric motors, it opens and closes in a claimed five seconds flat at the touch of a button — either one inside the van or one on the Sienna’s key fob. (If the idea of that hefty lid slamming shut so quickly sound unnerving, know that Unicamp says the lid has an obstacle detection system that’ll freeze the action if it detects something in the way.) If you prefer to do things the hard way, you can also open it manually.
Unicamp hasn’t released any images of the interior of the Sienna camper van yet — in fact, the first pictures are clearly ‘shops based on Toyota’s own PR pictures from the minivan’s launch. However, the brand does have images of its completed Kia Carnival camper van builds that, presumably, provide a good guess as to what the Toyota version will look like. Admittedly, the images are a little on the crude side — they seem to be shot using the wide-angle lens of a potato — but they reveal what appears to be a well-executed setup, with integrated vents and lighting and quilted leather trim that matches the rest of the Carnival’s interior.
The bed is able to support 485 pounds, according to the brand, so it should be capable of holding two adults with ease. Should that not be enough sleeping capacity for you, there’s also an available folding mattress bunk that slots over the second and third rows of seats when they’re folded flat; this comes as a package with a cargo-area camp kitchen with a two-burner stove, portable sink and water jug.
