Going Kayaking in Our Camper Van
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When we built our camper van we knew we wanted to be able to take our kayaks with us while we traveled. Our biggest concern was where they would fit in the van. We have inflatable kayaks so they don’t take up as much space as regular ones, but we knew we wouldn’t have enough garage space since we were doing a convertible bed instead of a fixed bed. Our solution was a combination of rooftop storage and under floor storage.
We have Sea Eagle 300X Explorer inflatable kayaks. When they’re deflated these kayaks measure approximately 24 inches x 16 inches by x inches. They each come with a paddle that breaks down into 2 halves, a seat, a fin (for flat water), a repair kit, and a pump. We also bought life jackets to either wear or keep in the kayaks while we use them, a rescue whistle (required in some areas), and a dry bag to keep things dry. These are all the items we had to find storage for in or on our van.
Rooftop Storage
Cargo box with kayaks and life jackets inside
We have a Thule SideKick Rooftop Cargo Box on the roof of our van that we can access from the ladder on the back door. In this cargo box we can fit both kayaks, our life jackets, the fins, and the repair kits. It’s a tight squeeze and we have to make sure all the air is completely out of the kayaks, but they both fit in the cargo box. The kayaks aren’t heavy so they are easy to get on and off the roof with 2 people.
Under Floor Storage
Under floor storage area
In our storage and organization post, we mentioned that we put under floor storage underneath the bed/table in our camper van. In this area we store both paddles, both seats, the pump, and the dry bag.
Setting Up the Kayaks
When we go kayaking the first thing we do is get everything out of the cargo box and the under floor storage in the van. Then we inflate the kayaks, attach the seats, and assemble the paddles. We put the life jackets, dry bag, and fins in the kayaks. Once we get them to the water we attach the fins if needed. We always use the fins on lakes or other calm water. Then we hop in and head out onto the water!
It took us awhile to set up the kayaks the first couple times we used them, but now the whole process takes less than 10 minutes. It’s not as easy as having regular kayaks, but having inflatable ones gives us the ability to take our van on kayaking adventures without needing a special kayak rack for the van.
So far we’ve mostly used them to enjoy lakes and calmer water, but we do plan to go on a river rafting adventure with them one day. The Sea Eagle kayaks we have are designed to tackle whitewater so we can definitely have some fun in them on a river!
Want to see more of our van? Check out our full van layout here.