The Van Lifestylist
The Conversion Kit
I've Lived In for Three Years.
Roadloft Conversion Kits — The Complete Guide from a Full-Time Owner
Roadloft makes removable, non-permanent camper conversion kits for minivans, SUVs, and pickup trucks — precision-cut for your exact year, make, and model, and installed without any construction experience. I've lived in mine full time since September 2023, in a 2006 Toyota Sienna. Like many of you, I started van life facing a wall of contradictory, confusing information — and the conversion decision was the most overwhelming piece of it. This page pulls it all together: how the kits work, what installation is really like, and what three years of full-time use has taught me.
Why I Chose a Removable Kit
Over a Custom Build
When I launched full-time van life, I didn't have the budget, the tools, or the desire to build out a van from scratch — and I didn't want to destroy a perfectly good vehicle to make it livable. A kit that installs with a screwdriver and removes the same way keeps every option open. And options are what keep you on the road.
- No Construction. Period.
No drilling, no wiring, no cutting into your van. The kit arrives precision-cut for your vehicle and assembles easily with only a screwdriver.
- Your Investment Moves With You
Change vehicles, and the kit concept moves with you. Roadloft builds kits by year, make, and model — the system adapts as your life does.
- Your Van Stays a Van
If you sell the vehicle, the kit comes out and your minivan goes back to being a minivan — full resale value, no explaining holes in the floor to a buyer.
The Installation
Thirty Minutes. One Screwdriver.
A 2006 Toyota Sienna.
This is my actual van — before and after the Roadloft minivan kit went in.
The installation was genuinely simple. I unpacked everything, laid it out, read every instruction, and had the kit installed in about half an hour. My only tool was a screwdriver.
Full disclosure: I'm a methodical, read-every-step person, so some of that half hour was me double-checking. A less careful person could likely do it faster — though I wouldn't recommend being a less careful person.
You may notice Roadloft advertises a 5-minute installation — and that's true, too. The thirty minutes is your one-time initial assembly. Once the kit has been assembled, it can be removed or reinstalled in as little as five minutes. Camper on Monday, minivan on Friday, camper again for the weekend.
The kit fit my Sienna precisely, which is not a small thing when the vehicle was nearly twenty years old at install time. That's the year/make/model ordering system doing its job.
Order the kit for the vehicle you own, not the vehicle you're shopping for. The kits are vehicle-specific, and "close enough" is not a phrase you want anywhere near the platform you sleep on.
My very first YouTube video — recorded the day I installed the kit.
The Lineup
Kits for Minivans, SUVs & Pickup Trucks
Every kit is built to your vehicle's year, make, and model. Minivan kits come in Solo or Duo configurations; pickup kits come in Mid-Size or Full-Size.
Minivan Kits
The Full Home Base
Solo & Duo Options
Current pricing on Roadloft's site
- Bed platform, storage benches & table system
- Precision-cut for your exact van
- Fit my 2006 Sienna perfectly
- Room for a collapsible toilet
- Lightweight, waterproof marine-grade wood
SUV & Hatchback Kits
The Lowest-Cost Door In
Most Affordable Kit
Current pricing on Roadloft's site
- Same removable, no-construction approach
- Real, engineered sleeping platform
- Test the lifestyle in the vehicle you own
- Far beyond plywood-and-prayers DIY setups
Pickup Truck Kits
The Truck Bed Transformed
Mid-Size & Full-Size
Current pricing on Roadloft's site
- Same year/make/model precision fit
- Turns a truck bed with a cap into a genuine camping setup
- Organized storage throughout
Roadloft sets pricing and runs seasonal sales throughout the year — check their site for current prices before you order.
Three Years In
What Living With a Roadloft Kit Is Actually Like
Marketing tells you what a kit does. Three years tells you what it's like. A few things I've learned:
- The marine-grade wood matters more than I believed.I dismissed the lightweight, waterproof wood while researching — I wasn't planning to get water on my furniture. Then I moved in. I spill water constantly. The wood shrugs off every bit of it.
- Two ways into every storage space.I can reach the bench and under-bed storage without opening the van doors. When you'd rather not advertise that a woman is living in her vehicle, that's a safety feature disguised as a convenience feature.
- Room for a toilet was my deal breaker.Space for a collapsible toilet was a requirement, not a preference — and the layout accommodates one. If you're a woman evaluating kits, make this a requirement too.
- I don't use table mode often — but I like having the option.The table comes with the kit, and I expected to use it constantly. I rarely do. When the need arises, though, it's there — an honest report you won't get from a product page.
Function Over Fashion
How I've Adapted My Kit
(The Three-Year Configuration)
There's the way the Roadloft kit is designed to be used, and then there's the way I use it — and the fact that both work is the strongest endorsement I can give a system.
Because I travel solo, I never put the kit in full bed mode. I removed the library unit and moved the bench to the back of the front seats, which opens up the middle of the van. My refrigerator lives in that middle space, where I can reach it easily when I'm being stealthy. And I added one piece of my own: a spacer board, cut to the size of a pillow, that sits between the main unit and the bench. It slides side to side, and when I sleep lengthwise, it's where my feet go.
None of that required tools, modifications, or violating a warranty. The kit is a system of pieces, and pieces can be rearranged. Three years in, my setup fits me the way a good pair of boots does — broken in, adjusted, mine.
Ready to Order
How to Order — and Save $100
- Visit Roadloft's site and select your vehicle type — minivan, SUV, or pickup truck.
- Choose the kit listing that matches your vehicle's exact year, make, and model.
- At checkout, enter coupon code RLVLS for $100 off your kit purchase.
Coupon CodeRLVLS$100 off your kit purchase
As a Roadloft Ambassador, I earn a commission when you order through my link and code — at no extra cost to you. It saves you $100 and supports the free resources on this site. The code applies to kit purchases only.
Questions
Frequently Asked
Quick answers before you order.
Do I need construction experience or special tools to install a Roadloft kit?
No. My initial installation used one screwdriver and took about thirty minutes — and that's a one-time assembly. Once the kit has been assembled, it can be removed or reinstalled in as little as five minutes.
Will the kit fit my exact vehicle?
Kits are built to your vehicle's year, make, and model — that's how you order. If your vehicle isn't in Roadloft's catalog, it isn't supported; don't try to adapt a kit meant for a different vehicle.
Can I remove the kit myself later?
Yes. Nothing is drilled, glued, or wired into the vehicle. The kit comes out the same way it went in, and your van returns to being a van.
Is there room for a portable toilet?
In my minivan kit, yes — space for my collapsible toilet was a requirement when I chose this system, and the layout accommodates it.
Can one person sleep comfortably without setting up the full bed?
Yes. I travel solo and never use full bed mode — I've reconfigured the pieces for more living space, and I sleep lengthwise with room to spare. (Details in the configuration section above.)
Does the RLVLS code work on accessories?
No — the code applies to kit purchases only, for $100 off. Accessories and the camp kitchen module aren't included, so if you're ordering both, the savings come from the kit.
Three Years. One Screwdriver.
Zero Regrets.
The kit that made my van life possible — and the code that saves you $100 on yours.
Get $100 Off With RLVLS →
Want to see the kit in daily life? Read my full Roadloft review →
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