Overland by minivan

[Tvo]

Hi everyone. Me and my 15 years old son are greenhorn on camping and overland. Right now I can't get a 4x4 grid. I want to lift my 2006 Toyota sienna 2wd for round clearance and go camping. Is any easy trail and camp ground around Southern California for the Rockies like us and 2wd van. Thank you very much for any suggestions.

 

[Billiebob]

2wd used to be what we all had 60 years ago when the baby boomers went family camping. Most of us did it in station wagons. There are millions of miles of easily accessible back country in a mini van. Don't sweat it, just turn around if the trail turns into feild of stones. Don't look for challenges, look for experiences.

In the mountains with a minivan, the weak point is the transmission, stop often so it can cool and recover. We used a Pontiac wagon with a 2 speed automatic, we often stopped against a tree to let the engine, brakes and transmission cool. An idiot can break anything. With some mechanical fortitude a wise man can get a minivan anywhere.

This was our family adventuire vehicle 55 years ago. It went everywhere man.

 

[MMc]

You don’t even need to lift it. You can drive it plenty of places in So Cal just as it is. It will take you a bit to get used to driving in stuff you aren’t sure of, but you’ll learn. I grew up camping in So Cal. We didn’t have a 4x4 and that never stopped us. For a first time maybe go to Black Rock campground by Idlewild. It’s a state campground near the end of a dirt road. It’s a dry camp but very pretty. As this stuff gets over I’ll do a quick trip with you. PM me. I know of plenty of place you and the kids can go to. I drove a Honda mini van with scouts for 10 years.

 

[rgallant]

2 excellent replies here.

Just to add be willing to get out, walk and look at the road.
If in doubt turn around, as @Billiebob said it is about the experience not the destination.

 

[slomatt]

Hi everyone. Me and my 15 years old son are greenhorn on camping and overland. Right now I can't get a 4x4 grid. I want to lift my 2006 Toyota sienna 2wd for round clearance and go camping. Is any easy trail and camp ground around Southern California for the Rockies like us and 2wd van. Thank you very much for any suggestions.

There's nothing at all wrong with a minivan, I spent 4 days bombing around on dirt roads in Baja in a minivan and had a ton of fun.

Regardless of the capabilities of our offroad vehicles, there is always some obstacle that is too big for them to get over. Even the biggest rigs get stuck sometimes.
In my opinion the really important things are:
1. Use solid common sense. If something looks shady, it probably is, error on the side of caution.
2. Bring lots of water.
3. Bring appropriate clothing for any weather conditions you might reasonably expect.
4. Let someone know where you are going, and when to expect you back.
5. Use a GPS or your phone to track where you go, so you know how to get back.
5. Have fun!

I'm not very familiar with trails in Southern California. But if you are just getting started I recommend looking at the website for your local national forest and (when they are open) check out the maps and find the major feeder dirt roads that lead into the forest. These are often well graded and appropriate for a non 4x4.

Also, there are several national parks within a reasonable driving distance from you. Joshua Tree, Mojave, and Death Valley all have miles of graded dirt roads. But, you can also get pretty remote in these places so keep recommendation #1 in mind, and stay well within your vehicle's limits and your current experience level.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

Those old Dodge Caravans were legendary for dependability. My wife had one when our daughter was young and she was a soccer Mom. That thing would haul everything and go anywhere she wanted to go. They were used a lot by musicians hauling amps and gear as well. Ask how I know.

I never got the stigma associated with them, I still think they're cool.

But I'm an old Hippie...