Reading Time: 10 minutes Class B Camper Van Upgrades for a Family of 5: What We Changed and Why
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Over the last few years, my family and I have rented RVs several times. We’ve done short trips, longer trips, and everything in between.
One of the bigger ones was a 5,000-mile road trip when my son was five and my twins were three. Earlier this year, we rented an RV again and took it to Colorado.
Those trips made one thing clear. RV travel works really well for our family.
I had been interested in RVs for a while, but I didn’t like driving big vehicles and I didn’t want to tow anything. Then a few friends of mine went on a 100-mile bike ride, and I drove one of their camper vans to pick them up. After that drive, I knew what I had to do. I had to get one.
The problem was that I didn’t just want any camper van. I needed a very specific one. I needed five seat belts and I needed to sleep five people. That combination is rare, and finding the right van was only the first step.
After buying it, we quickly realized that the stock setup wasn’t enough for how we planned to use it. Some things worked fine out of the box. Other things needed to change right away.
This post is a roundup of the upgrades we made after buying our Class B camper van. Some of these upgrades are simple. Some of them are more expensive. A few of them will eventually become full standalone reviews. For now, this is the master list of what we changed, what worked, and why.
If you’re a family of five considering a Class B RV or camper van, this should give you a realistic starting point.
Table of Contents
The Problem: Finding a Camper Van That Seats and Sleeps Five
Most camper vans are not built for a family of five. Very few have five seat belts. The few that do generally aren’t setup to sleep five people.
There are only a small number of camper van models that can seat and sleep 5. One of them is the Winnebago Solis, and even that only works if it has the sofa bed option.
Those configurations are rare. At any given time, only a few are available across the entire country.
I needed five seat belts. I needed to sleep five. That was non negotiable.
So I went hunting for one. I even reached out to a lot of RV modification companies and van builders. They all said the same thing. To just build one (for well over six figures).
After a lot of searching, I finally found a van that checked all the boxes. I flew from St. Louis to Boston to buy it and then drove it back home. It was the only way to get exactly what we needed.
Once we had the van, the next phase started. Figuring out how to make it actually work for our family.
Related Video: My Complete Review Of A Cruise America 25 ft Standard RV #rv
Why a Camper Van Made Sense for How We Actually Use It
Our use case is not traveling across the country for months at a time. Most of our driving is within 10 miles of home. The camper van is going to be used locally far more than it will be used for long road trips.
I’m a distance runner. Having a bathroom and shower means I can finish a run, clean up, and head home without sitting in sweaty clothes. It’s also useful when I travel for races or longer runs away from home.
My son has all day sports tournaments, often in the heat. Instead of sitting outside all day, the rest of us can go sit in air conditioning and recharge between games.
We recently went to a state fair about 50 minutes from home. It was 95 degrees outside. If we had the van then, we could have taken a break at the end of the day, cooled off, and decided whether to go back out, drive home, or stay the night.
Our son loves mountain biking. Now we can ride trails 20 minutes from home on a school night, take showers, sleep in the van, and still get to school the next morning. It turns a regular weeknight into something that feels like a vacation.
And then there’s the bathroom. Our twins seem to need to use the bathroom every time our son has a sports event. A lot of times, public bathrooms are closed. Now they can just use the van bathroom. Yes, they can go at home, but this is more fun.
Related: 9 Essential Tips for Family Travel with Teens and Older Kids
We’ve turned our best tips into quick-read books, and we’re publishing new ones every week. See the full collection here: amazon.com/author/chachingqueen.
Buying the Van Was Only the Beginning
Out of the box, the van was good. But it wasn’t set up for five people long term.
Driving it feels roomy. Sleeping in it does not.
Once everyone is inside for an overnight trip, space disappears fast. Storage becomes an issue right away. Comfort becomes an issue. There were also a few safety things that stood out almost immediately.
After using the van for a short time, it was clear that some upgrades were optional and others were not. If we were going to use this the way we planned to, changes had to be made.
Some of those changes were small. Others were more involved. All of them made the van more usable for a family of five.
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The Most Important Upgrade Areas for a Class B Camper Van
After using the van for a short time, it was clear that a few areas needed attention right away. Some things were fine out of the box. Others were not.
Every upgrade we made falls into one of these categories.
Storage: Five people are tight in the van for sleeping. It feels roomy when driving, but once everyone is inside for the night, space disappears fast. Storage becomes the limiting factor very quickly.
Safety: Some factory features were not good enough to rely on. A few things needed to be upgraded to make the van safer and easier to use.
Comfort and Convenience: Sleeping and daily use needed improvement. These upgrades focus on making the van more comfortable and more practical for regular use with kids.
Apps: A few apps help with planning and flexibility when traveling or staying overnight. They’re not required, but they make using the van easier.
Everything that follows builds on one or more of these areas and explains how each upgrade improved daily use of the van for our family.
Related: My Review And Tips For Renting a Cruise America RV (With Kids)
Storage Upgrades
Five people are tight in the van for sleeping. It feels super roomy when driving, but once everyone is inside for the night, space disappears fast. Storage becomes the limiting factor almost immediately.
For us, another storage challenge was bikes. We needed to carry five bikes and still be able to use the back of the van normally.
Hitch Upgrade to 750 lbs Tongue Weight
The factory hitch had a tongue weight limit of 250 lbs. That wasn’t enough for a bike rack that could safely hold five bikes, especially if we also wanted a swing-away arm to access the back doors.
To solve that, we upgraded the hitch to support 750 lbs of tongue weight. This made it possible to safely carry the rack and bikes without stressing the hitch or limiting access to the rear of the van.
This upgrade was required. Nothing else worked without it.
JB Racks 6 Bike Rack
We chose a JB Racks six bike rack so we could carry all five bikes without crowding or awkward positioning.
The rack is built for heavier loads and works well with the higher tongue weight hitch. The extra slot gives us flexibility and keeps everything more stable when driving.
This solved the problem of hauling bikes without turning the van into a mess.
JB Racks Swing Away Arm
Access to the back doors matters in a camper van. A fixed bike rack blocks one of the most important entry points.
The JB Racks swing away arm allows the entire rack to move out of the way so the rear doors can open fully, even with bikes loaded. This keeps the van functional when parked and makes daily use much easier.
Safety Upgrades
After a short time using the van, it was clear that a few safety features needed attention. Some factory components were not good enough to rely on in real-world use.
Rear Camera Upgrade
The factory rear camera was very low resolution and difficult to use, especially in tight spaces or low light. We actually backed into a tree in our first few days of owning it.
Backing up and parking a camper van requires clear visibility, and the stock camera didn’t provide that. This made it harder than it needed to be to judge distance and surroundings.
Upgrading the camera improved visibility and made driving and parking feel more confident.
More details on the specific camera and installation will be added later.
Comfort and Convenience Upgrades
Another weakness in the van was comfort. Driving was fine. Sleeping was not.
The stock beds were very uncomfortable. These upgrades focused on making sleeping and daily use actually work.
Zenbivy Bedding for the Pop Top Bed
We upgraded the pop top bedding using Zenbivy components, including sheets, a quilt, and pillowcases.
Zenbivy bedding is designed for camping and packs down well. Everything fits with the pop top closed, which makes setup easier and avoids removing bedding every time the roof comes down.
Approximate cost for our Zenbivy setup at the time of purchase was around $400, depending on configuration.
Link to Zenbivy
https://zenbivy.com
FreeSpirit Cloud Topper for the Pop Top Mattress
We added a Cloud Topper designed for rooftop tent mattresses from FreeSpirit.
This topper sits directly on top of the existing mattress and adds cushioning without adding much thickness. It was an easy upgrade that noticeably improved comfort.
The Cloud Topper cost around $50, plus shipping.
Link to FreeSpirit Cloud Topper
https://FreeSpirit.com
Mattress Pads for the Sofa Bed
The sofa bed converts into a mattress, but the factory cushions alone were not enough.
We added memory foam mattress pads and bought two of the 75 by 30 inch size. They fit the sofa bed perfectly and noticeably improved comfort.
Link to the mattress pads we used: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DYCBT7N7?ref_=pe_125775000_1044873430_t_fed_asin_title&th=1
Luna Mattress for Sleeping Five
To reliably sleep five people, we added a Luna mattress.
This mattress gives more flexibility with sleeping arrangements and helps make sleeping five possible without crowding.
SOG Toilet Vent System
We added a SOG toilet vent system to improve bathroom comfort.
The system activates a fan when you flush and vents gases from the cassette toilet to the outside of the van.
Link to the SOG toilet vent system: https://vansandcamper.com/products/sog-typ-h-doorversion?_pos=1&_psq=sog&_ss=e&_v=1.0
EcoFlow Wave 3 Off Grid Air Conditioner and Heater
The built-in propane heater works well for heat, but there is no air conditioning without running the van.
The EcoFlow Wave 3 is a portable air conditioner and heater designed for off grid use. We bought a refurbished unit with a two-year warranty and an add-on battery.
City Water Hookup Modification
The city water hookup design required leaving the back door open or pinching the hose through a closed door.
We added a system that routes the hose through the back door cleanly, making city water much easier to use.
More details will be added later.
Apps We Use
These aren’t required to own or use a camper van, but they make planning trips and overnight stays easier. We use these apps to add flexibility and reduce friction when we’re on the road.
Harvest Hosts
Harvest Hosts is an app that provides access to unique overnight parking locations.
It allows you to stay at places like farms, wineries, and other private properties, which can be a good alternative to crowded campgrounds or last-minute hotel searches.
Making a Class B Camper Van Work for a Family of Five
A Class B camper van can work for a family of five, but it usually doesn’t work well without changes.
Out of the box, most vans are designed for fewer people and lighter use. Storage gets tight fast. Sleeping arrangements need help. Comfort and convenience upgrades aren’t optional if you plan to use the van regularly, especially with kids.
The upgrades in this roundup weren’t about luxury. They were about making the van usable for how we actually live. Short trips. Local use. Sports tournaments. Bike rides. Overnight stays that feel fun instead of stressful.
If you’re looking at a Class B camper van for a family of five, this shows what we actually had to change to make it usable day to day. What you change will depend on how you plan to use it, but these upgrades show what mattered most for us and why.
More updates to come as we keep using the van.
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