Automotive

Unicamp Kia minivan camper grabs baton as affordable US pop-up RV

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The $16,000 Unicamp pop-up roof turns the Kia Carnival from a SUV-inspired minivan into an MPV light camper
Unicamp USA
Unicamp's Univan RT CL pop-up roof sits a bit higher and more prominent when closed than some camper van pop-tops, reminding us of a rooftop cargo box from the likes of Thule or Yakima
Unicamp USA
Unicamp brings its Kia Carnival pop-top kit to the US with help from Caleche Customs
Unicamp USA
The $16,000 Unicamp pop-up roof turns the Kia Carnival from a SUV-inspired minivan into an MPV light camper
Unicamp USA
The Unicamp pop-up roof adds double-occupancy sleeping quarters to the versatile, family-moving Kia Carnival
Unicamp USA
The integrated bed measures 40 x 85 in
Unicamp USA
Unicamp arrives in the US to help fill the gap being left in the small pop-up camper van market
Unicamp USA
The Kia Carnival comes with the option of a versatile folding, sliding, removable second row
Unicamp USA
Measuring out the Unicamp roof bed
Unicamp USA
While the Univan RT CL doesn't have an indoor kitchen or bathroom, the bed still lifts out of the way to open up headroom inside the van
Unicamp USA
Unicamp bed lifted out of the way
Unicamp USA
Unicamp USA is also offering a Ququq camper kit to add two lower sleeping berths and an outdoor kitchen, making the Kia Carnival Univan a more complete camper van
Unicamp USA
Ququq bed set up over the Carnival's folded rear seats
Unicamp USA
The Ququq kit comes with a simple but functional tailgate kitchen set
Unicamp USA
The Unicamp roof comes with a five-second automatic open/close mechanism with manual backup
Unicamp USA
View gallery - 14 images

With the American compact van market fast going the way of the dinosaur and dodo (maybe not the dodo), small, affordable pop-up camper vans like the Free Bird and Cascade Camper are soon to be no more, if not already gone. Las Vegas-area conversion shop Caleche Customs is helping fill the void by bringing over the Korean-designed Unicamp Univan RT CL, a Kia Carnival minivan-camper pop-top kit. The company is now offering hardware to create Carnival light sleeper vans and more complete campers.

Caleche previously focused its conversion efforts solely on Mercedes-Benz vehicles, offering both Sprinter and Metris camper van offerings. But then, Mercedes joined the wave of auto manufacturers discontinuing their smallest van products with its plan to pull the midsize Metris off the North American market in 2023. Nissan kicked the trend off when it canceled the small NV200 (and full-size NV3500) following the 2021 model year, and Ford and Ram have followed suit, announcing plans to wind their respective small vans down this year.

Like that, the American small van market has disappeared.

If there is to be a small, affordable camper van market in the North American market near-term, then, it falls on the minivan segment and conversions like the Oasis Sienna. Caleche Customs has turned to a different minivan model for its new small camper van offering, but instead of fabricating its own floor plan, it has sought out tried-and-true products from other global markets, starting with Kia's home base of South Korea.

Unicamp arrives in the US to help fill the gap being left in the small pop-up camper van market
Unicamp USA

Unicamp was founded in 2011 and offers several Korean-market camper vans based on domestic models from Hyundai and Kia. The company introduced its latest Univan RT CL following the fourth-generation Kia Carnival's Korean launch in 2020.

The Carnival came to the US as a 2022 model, replacing the Sedona. The American-market Carnival offers seven- and eight-seat configurations, providing plenty of space for the entire family. In fact, while it technically qualifies as a minivan, the 203-in (516-cm) Carnival measures longer than any of the aforementioned discontinued compact or midsize vans, providing ample space for in-vehicle camping. All that's needed is a higher roof.

The Unicamp roof comes with a five-second automatic open/close mechanism with manual backup
Unicamp USA

Caleche brings that high roof option over the Pacific with the formation of its Unicamp USA subsidiary. The Univan RT CL pop-up roof expands the Carnival's interior space upward, adding "light camper" to the versatile minivan's hat collection. Made with a durable, weather-ready thermoset plastic shell, the roof sits a little higher and more conspicuous when closed than some pop-up roof designs, but it ultimately just reminds us of an MPV carrying a roof box.

The Univan RT CL's electric lift operation fits nicely with a base vehicle that offers hands-free and single-button sliding door and tailgate operation. In fact, Unicamp says it can even be opened and closed with the same Kia Smart Key that also opens the doors and tailgate. The roof opens and closes in a mere five seconds and includes a self-locking feature for click-and-go convenience. A manual backup system ensures it can still open and close if the electric motor fails.

The tent-like open roof area includes a 40 x 85-in (102 x 216-cm) mattress designed to sleep two people. The mattress also lifts away to clear headroom over the van floor below.

The integrated bed measures 40 x 85 in
Unicamp USA

Unicamp USA recently installed its first Carnival pop-top and is now offering the sleeper roof at an introductory price of US$16,000, a $2,000 discount off the planned $18,000 retail price. The Carnival itself starts between $33,100 and $46,200, depending on trim and not including $1,365 destination fee, so buyers can walk away with a brand-new sleeper MPV starting just over $50,000. The pop-up roof allows the Carnival to remain a versatile everyday driver and family hauler while always carrying dual-sleeper capabilities for an impromptu overnighter. Available seating options such as the removable sliding second row and floor-height-folding third row add to the sleeper-MPV's overall versatility.

Unicamp has also added a more complete four-sleeper camper van package with an outdoor tailgate kitchen and second bed. This $4,000 add-on originates from Germany, the Ququq camper-in-a-box with which we've become quite familiar over the years. The 110-lb (50-kg) tailgate-mounted kit includes a box with three compartments, a fold-out bed with three-piece 43 x 77-in (110 x 195-cm) mattress, and kitchen amenities such as a dual-burner gas stove and two 10-L water canisters. The fold-out rear face panel doubles as a kitchen counter and table.

The Ququq kit comes with a simple but functional tailgate kitchen set
Unicamp USA

Sadly for those who like a little more all-weather and all-terrain capability from their camping vehicle, while Kia took care to give the Carnival strong, SUV-inspired proportions, it did not add an all-wheel-drive option. So the MPV's 3.5-liter V6 engine sends all 290 available hp to the front wheels alone. None of those other US-market small or midsize vans offered an AWD or 4WD option, either, but the Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica minivans do.

Source: Unicamp USA

View gallery - 14 images
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2 comments
pbethel
Might have been okay when I was 25. maybe even thirty five or forty. Maybe.
BlueOak
“Like that, the American small van market has disappeared.”

Huh? What about the - very much still available - Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Pacifica, and Toyota Sienna… in addition to the new Kia Carnival?

BTW, the Ford Transit Connect (tiny) and Mercedes Metris ($$$ and barely available) were never serious “small van” (most folks call them “minivans” in the US) players in the US. Literally nobody cross-shopped them with the above mainstream models.