http://www.dodge.com/sprinter/
It's hard to get everything you ask for in 1 vehicle. My choice that
would cover the items on your wish list would be A Dodge Sprinter. It
will cost more up front than the mini van you suggested, but with the
durable diesel engine getting over 20 MPG & 10,000 mile service
interval, you'll be a lot cheaper at 100,000 miles and it'll most
likely keep you going for 500,000 miles. Depending on the
configuration you select, it will have everything on your wish list.
There are a few used Sprinters out there, so if you don't want to buy
new, look around.

Tom J

I don't have specific vehicle recommendations, just some thoughts about it.
You'll want to consider an extended lenght minivan, which would leave some
makes and models out. For sleeping, consider something like a fold up army
cot in the back. That will give you extra permanent storage space underneath
the cot, meaning that you might not need to move stuff around every night in
order to bed down. Other than that, you'll need to "try them on for size" to
see which one you like the most, keeping in mind that unless you sleep at
attention, you'll be fine with a shorter one.

Robert, I'd strongly suggest you consider a full-size passenger van, not
a minivan. You'd have a LOT more cargo/sleeping room and could almost
stand up (well, bent over, but at least you can straighten your legs).
In a minivan you're going to be able to kneel at best, and that gets old
in a hurry. BTDT. (We camped a couple of times in ours and it was a
hassle.)

You'll get fairly respectable gas mileage, as long as you keep your foot
light, and they're reliable as heck (same vehicle is used for cargo and
work vans by the millions, it seems) and hard to break. I would imagine
there are lots of used ones available.

If you still want a minivan, the only direct experience I can share is
with our '96 Plymouth Grand Voyager (virtually the same as Dodge Caravan
and Chrysler Town & Country). It's an extended length ("Grand") model,
and with both rear seats out it will hold a 4x8 sheet of plywood -- on a
completely flat floor -- between the wheel wells, with all the doors
closed. There's a bit more room on both sides fore and aft of the
wheels. It also has a roof rack that would easily handle a canoe.
Sliding doors on both sides, a MAJOR plus. ('96 was the first year for
that.)

We bought ours new and have put 200k on it with two transmission
rebuilds and a couple of thousand in other miscellaneous work (fuel
pump, etc.). The engine is all original and uses virtually no oil. Not
bad for 10 years and some hard usage at times. I didn't even replace the
original platinum spark plugs until 121,000 miles, and they still looked
like new. It has the 3.3-liter V-6, the preferred engine for that model.
The 3.8 isn't as efficient, and you won't need the extra power. (You
wouldn't believe some of the hills I drove that car up regularly when we
lived way back in the NC mountains.) The 3.0 will leave you wishing for
more, I believe.

There are LOTS of these available used, in all price ranges and
conditions. The newer models have features like fold-down rear seats. If
you actually unbolted and removed the seats instead of folding them
down, you could the under-floor compartments for a LOT of out-of-sight
storage. Maybe even lock them.

Ours consistently gets between 22 and 24 mpg (I have checked it at every
tankful) and is an excellent ride -- very smooth and quiet.

As long as you know you're going to need a $1300 transmission rebuild
every 80-100,000 miles or so, you should be fine. Everything else should
last a LOT longer than that, and you can get it worked on anywhere.

It's by far the most versatile vehicle I've ever owned -- like a station
wagon on steroids. We've hauled seven adults in it on numerous occasions
and all were comfortable. As I said, it rides almost like a limo. And
you just can't beat it for usable cargo space.

But DON'T pull a trailer with it.

GB in NC

I also meant to suggest you read "Blue Highways" by William Least Heat
Moon. Written in '73 (IIRC). He bought a used van to sleep in and set
out to see the country on the back roads (blue highways on the older
maps).

I read it way back then and just recently bought a hard-back copy on
Amazon.com (first edition) for our home library and am re-reading it
now. A fabulous book for people like us. It makes me want to hit the
road....

GB in NC

In a MINIvan?  Not likely.

Yakima rack on faux gutter plates on cab-high fiberglass topper
covering the box of a full-size pickup.  (my pickup)

Mercedes Benz 450 SEL

Caterpillar, Detroit or Cummins.  (Cab w/sleeper is extra)

My pickup

Nothing mentioned above.

What about folded wheelchair space?  (Latest P.C. Consumer Reports new car
criteria.)

You MIGHT be able to get a night or two of CRAMPED sleeping in a LONG minivan
(oxymoron, I know...) but, at 6-ft tall, you won't be happy with its reduced
size over the long haul.  It sounds like a (horrors) FULL SIZE van would be
better - except for the fuel consumption hit.  (Note I didn't say fuel
"economy".  Good gas mileage and full-size vans do NOT go together.)

Good luck!