How many people and their stuff can a minivan accomodate?

gattomatto · Post by **gattomatto** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:36 pm

Hi everyone.. Heading out to the playa for the 5th time this year! Really looking forward to it.. Have a bit of an issue right now tho. We had a minivan reserved for 3 people, and now we're trying to fit 4 in there (with all of our stuff of course). None of us are bringing art installations or anything like that, but a decent amount of clothes, costumes, air mattresses, tents, chairs, blankets, pillows, some cooking gear, and normal sort of playa gear beyond that. Is a minivan big enough?? Like this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Uplander

If anyone has knowledge of this, I would love to hear it, so we can plan for it. Thanks!!

MrMullen · Post by **MrMullen** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:48 pm

It's not the amount of stuff you put in but the weight of it that is the problem. If you fill up the minivan, make sure to check the tires and the suspension to make sure you don't have problems going to BM.

tetonshawn · Post by **tetonshawn** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:04 pm

I shared a minivan last year with another person, for 2 of us it was enough room. One thing to remember that will take up a bit of space is water for all for people. @ the conservative end, no showers, minimal cooking, you are looking @ about 45 gallons of water or so. Just something to think about when you are planning your space.

wrong trousers · Post by **wrong trousers** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:21 pm

We fit 4 people into a minivan in 05 & made it work. Although we had to take out the last row of seats & put a huge mountain of stuff tied down to the roof of the van. We also didn't bring anything like art projects, just the usual basic playa gear. We were cramped (probably half the back was filled with just water!), but we made it. It never ever would've worked without the space on top though.

nocturnal_steve · Post by **nocturnal_steve** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:12 pm

...on the way in last year we picked a hitch hiker, "John" decked out in black cowboy hat, tall boots, long black leather cape, at Twin City Surplus in Reno, He had a ticket , some figs and dry rations and 15 gallons of his own water. He staked out a dusty 8 x 4 rectangle on the edge of our camp near the road and very modestly, proudly self sufficiently refused to share our rations, extra water shade etc. until the last couple of days.

He slept during the day with his cape covering his entire body and supplies( it was warmer ) he woke and played at night. "You see" , he said referring to his cape ... its a jacket, it's a sleeping bag, a tent and a tarp ! Put Dickie to shame, as well as the guy came in naked a few years back and relied on the gifts of strangers..... he was truly self sufficient and refused gifts till the very end and would have been OK without them. I think you cold fit about 8 of him in a mini van !

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:24 pm

It's not just the people, it's the stuff. Louise and I fill up a full-size cargo van with all the crap we take. As another poster has said, you need to consider weight, too. Our full-size van is 3/4 ton. I don't know what the cargo capacity of your mini-van is, but think about your passengers' weight, and the weight of your gear. Water weighs over 8 lbs/gallon, so do that bit of math. If you're too much overweight, your tires can fail and you may be top-heavy, tending to lose control on curves.

gattomatto · Post by **gattomatto** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:33 pm

Thanks for the insight everyone... I suppose I'm going to do some more calculations and we might just take another car for driving and use the MV for most of the gear.

Post by **trilobyte** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:34 pm

You've been there several times before, you should be able to answer this one for yourself!

Pack creatively, and pack minimally. Use the roof rack if you've got one, and don't forget the space you're going to need for water... for 4 people, that's a lot.

~Trilo~

gattomatto · Post by **gattomatto** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:46 pm

The other times I went the situation was different.. 3 of the times, there was a moving truck going up that collectively we put all our extra camp stuff in that wouldn't fit in the car, and the other time it was just two of us in an SUV. So... Never been an issue before now :-)

karr · Post by **karr** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:08 pm

it really depends on how much stuff each person has. last year, we had a chevy uplander for 2 people and things just barely fit. no art installations.

food, 2 big coolers, shade structure, clothes, lots of water, tents, supplies and a whole bunch of other stuff.

we did pack too much and if we pack like we are packing this year, we could fit 3 people.

Clar-i-ty · Post by **Clar-i-ty** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:58 pm

Seriously, vacuum bags are my new best friend. I was shocked at how small I was able to make my sleeping bags. I am investing in a small 12V Vacuum for the trip back though.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:48 am

It also depends on how far you're going- I could probably be one of the Forty Clowns In A Tiny Car if it was just from Reno, but a Grand Caravan can be snug for four (or even two, depending) if you're coming from Chicago or Austin. If it's going to be a long ride then every bit of room you can make helps. This year I somehow managed to bring practically NO bulky, lengthy or weighty objects while at the same time packing a three-story geodesic play structure. It and all my life-support stuff and art supplies are going into an Element, with room left for the copilot's seat to recline for naps, but I STILL think I'll put a stack of tarps and light junk on top.

How many people and their stuff can a minivan accomodate?

How many people and their stuff can a minivan accomodate?

Well...it all depends...a story...

Ok

Well u never can be sure..

Vacuum Bags are my new best friend