I think this sounds like a great idea. At the very top, a Schrader valve was added so we could add pressure with a car tire inflator. After spending more and more nights in our car, we had a thought: “Why don’t we convert our Honda Element into a full-time camper car?”. If we did this would it be a lot of trouble to change back into our regular car? We’ll drive with the curtains down and they’ll need to be a quick and easy campsite conversion. SUV Sleeping Platform Camper Conversion for Subaru Forester. With this campervan conversion kit, you can turn a Honda, Jeep, Subaru or Land Rover into a simple SUV camper. Starting early 2018, I started doing the same thing with my ’03 Element EX (same exact color, too). A metal rod was added in the back of the car underneath the platform to support the extended wooden beams at night. Many people are turning into SUV campers. I am currently working on Part II of the article covering the furniture built as well, coming soon. It can handle very rough terrains and the possibilities for conversion are great as well. SUV camper conversion. Oct 16, 2018 - Explore Kaytlin R's board "Forester Conversion" on Pinterest. Wow, great job on the conversion! Ford Explorer. While traveling in an adventure van looks glamorous, not everyone has the luxury and time for a campervan conversion. We had to place the fridge in the car before we secured the bed frame to the floor. If you are thinking of converting your SUV into a full-time camper, here are some rough estimates of the time and money it took. If you are thinking of converting your SUV into a full-time camper, here are some rough estimates of the time and money it took. Ps Um 72 yr old single but able woman TIA, You can use any SUV for the conversion, but the layout will have to change. We used a blanket and these bed sheets and pillowcase for a twin size bed. I have been thinking about putting a roof vent in my Durango and came across your site in my research. We are Laura and Joel – full-time travelers, photographers, and van lifers. It probably took us a full day to do it all but it’s really the only way to add a second lead-acid battery in such a small SUV. I’m converting my element as well, it’s always I interesting to see the different approaches people take. I would think a 1/4″ poly would work really well though, just make sure to use a good amount of silicone to seal it up. How did you recovert the glass for the sun roof? Cool build! SUV Sleeping Platform: A Complete DIY Guide. We used tent rods, hooks and velcro to keep the tent upright at night. It is not only because of the powerful engine, but also the model. Nice job. Check your battery size to make sure it’s smaller than a group 31 before you start. Hope this article can give you some good ideas : ) Cheers, Laura, Amazing conversion, well done and quite inspiring. Find Us! On the front of the bed frame, we took out the rear seat belts and attached the frame to the bottom seat belt mounts. I’ve had 100-watt solar running to a 100 Ah Renogy battery. The area was the perfect depth for our camp stove and we used a medium plastic container to store our camp pots, utensils, and dry or canned foods. Wow! The estimated cost of our DIY camper car conversion totaled approximately $1200: Estimated conversion time: 2 weeks working on it every day, about 100 hours. If you already have items like a foam mattress and sleeping bag, the wood for the platform will be your main expense. Bring us your own van and we’ll have you in and out of our shop in Reno or Colorado Springs in half a day, or you can pick up a complete van from us (conversion + van) and be on the way to your next adventure. I have a 2003 element that I built out pretty well. Facebook. Please read our, Want to rent an SUV camper or a campervan to test it out? Do you have a more detailed description or drawing you could share that would show the make, model and length of the rails you used and how they were placed etc..? You wouldn’t happen to have some more in depth information (for a complete newbie!) The Zinus mattress ended up not holding up too well. So we set to work and over two week time of non-stop runs to Home Depot, screwing, sawing and drilling we were able to complete our DIY car conversion project. Congratulations! Looks like it would be right where the air intake is. Any advice you have to offer would be much appreciated! We had to consider the fridge parameters as we built the bed frame. 8 BUY A MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS Use the. The next step is … The best part about converting your 4×4 or an all-wheel-drive car into a camper car is that you don’t have to worry about your car getting stuck on rough roads and unlike a van, you can take it on just about on any trail or small road. To attach the schrader valve we drilled a hole in the plastic cap and tightened it with a nut in the back. With an SUV camper conversion kit, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of money for something that enables you to have the same road trip adventure. TOWNSVILLE - MOUNT ISA & SURROUNDS. You can check out Part I of our van conversion article here: http://funlifecrisis.com/dyi-promaster-campervan-conversion/. A lot of people who own SUVs probably don’t know how easily they can be turned into an SUV camper conversion. Required fields are marked *, Hi! Here are our top picks for SUVs to convert into a camper: Honda CR-V; Honda Element What type of wood and wait is the thickness that you used to replace the moonroof? By. Thanks for your comment! So instead we decided to create our own custom build solar shower kit out of black PVC pipe from Home Depot. Over the years, our trusty Honda Element has taken us on countless backroad trips from National Park hopping in the scorching Utah heat to bone-chilling cold nights at Crater Lake. Hi! Read More, 10 Reasons To Skip Iceland And Head To Oregon Instead, DIY Promaster Camper Conversion Guide – Part I, 10 Snapseed Tricks To Edit Instagram Photos, How to Choose the Best Camera for Instagram, 45 Best Instagram Theme Ideas & How To Create Them. 2: Save space by taking out the middle seats If you want to turn your SUV into a camper, taking out the middle seats is a must. Turning an SUV into a camper can be quite easier than you think with good planning. Nice! Check the list of the best SUV for camper conversion below to get the most suitable one. Mar 11, 2019 - Explore Valerie Petro's board "SUV camper conversion", followed by 125 people on Pinterest. In order to install the fan in the roof, we replaced the sunroof with a piece of wood. Cost Breakdown for SUV Camper Conversion. I am about to do the Fan build you did. We used a Pro Start Marine & RV Deep Cycle battery from Pep Boys. I know the element is bit bigger inside than my Escape. Check out the first part of Benjamin’s journey to travel to 28 national parks in search of the best running trails, here. If you don’t plan on being in really hot places, then the new Maxxfan Mini looks like a great option that takes up less space. These campers offer more space than car campers while providing better gas mileage, driveability, and stealth than van campers. Once we had a general layout figured out, we took measurements and made sure everything fit in our car like the mattress and the fridge. The Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle is a popular choice for a camper conversion. I couldn’t really tell. I just read a comment on you moving on to a van conversion project. Then we transferred the finished wood piece and fan onto the sunroof and secured in with the hinges. It got too soft to where you could feel the wood underneath and we just weren’t getting the best sleep after a while. Built since 1991 and still being manufactured today, the Explorer comes in both two and four-door options. We did our SUV conversion completely ourselves. And there’s nothing better than a cargo van. Yea, we had to remove all those black plastic pieces of the intake and create a new hole in the filter housing. The day we sold the Honda we converted it back to its original state in about 2 hours. Feel free to push back if you think a bad idea. We had to take out most of the air intake’s plastics in front of the air filter, move the fuse box back, extend the battery cable, and fabricate a new battery tray. 25 Ross River Road, Mysterton QLD 4810. I’d love to relocate the battery somewhere and I’ve seen several people — you included — move it to the engine compartment. We wired the fan from a fuse block that we installed under one of the interior side panels, and powered that from the additional battery we added under the hood. If you’re interested in following suit by turning your own SUV into a camper, here are the basics: 1. Hi Laura and Joel, I am wondering if you open the trunk door, will you not drain the battery? We created a general bed platform from wooden beams and added aluminum bars as guides and support. SUV Camper Conversion Ideas That’ll Blow your Mind First of all, create the layout and once we had a general layout figured out, took measurements and make sure that everything fit in your camper. And by following these 8 steps you too can convert your everyday SUV into a full-time camper car! There is another brand called Best Price that we tried and was really comfortable. ReddIt. As for giving us credit, just click on any of our product links on this page and if you buy anything on Amazon within 24 hours, we get a small commission! Forget about all the extra stuff and enjoy. Instead, if you look closely at the first picture under “Step 2: Create a platform bed frame”, you can see a metal bar that is only screwed to every other slat. One of our must-have items for our camper conversion was to install a Dometic high-efficiency 12V fridge in our SUV. Car camper conversions are great because they are easy to park and get fantastic gas mileage. One of the trickiest but most important steps of the small camper conversion was creating the SUV bed platform that fit a full-size bed on it. It definitely helps us save a lot of money and gives us the freedom to travel anywhere at any point we want. We are currently on a 2-year long road trip from LA to Argentina and although we could have done this trip in our SUV, it’s definitely nice to have that extra room especially for cooking and hanging out at night. 10 Amazing SUV Camper Conversions Categories Camper , Interior , Tips Posted on July 27, 2020 October 19, 2020 If you love taking trips, exploring the outdoors, or just taking a vacation with your family, then you will be happy to know that there are now many Amazing SUV Camper conversions available to help you with your adventure. When you pull the end of these slats out to open the bed as seen in the first picture of “Step 4: Make a tent cover”, these metal bars act as guides to allow only those slats to slide out and because there are metal bars on top and bottom, the slats cannot fall out of place. I’m not understanding how you attach the presta valve and the ball valve to it’s respective pvc pipe/ends. Installation is quick and easy! Is an SUV camper conversion the ideal DIY camper? It was the perfect thickness because it is extremely comfortable without being too thick. Some companies have also picked up on the SUV camper conversion craze. Although we loved our Honda Element, we wanted to upgrade to a bigger vehicle for extra comfort and room for our long-term travels. A standard SUV can accommodate a decent bed, fan, mini-fridge, storage space, and even a solar-powered shower. Thanks Richard! 4 inch full-size memory foam mattress on Amazon, how we converted an empty Promaster van into a full-time campervan, http://funlifecrisis.com/dyi-promaster-campervan-conversion/. Check out our Promaster build where I made a wiring diagram for the van. This car camper system can be removed easily if you’re only using the camper for weekend trips. Boho Camper Conversion. SUV kits are available from EGOE Nest (Europe) and QUQUQ. We chose a black pipe because black color heats up water during sunny days and keeps the water warm. We added a gate lock to keep the flap up and in place during the day. The Ququq Flat Box, set up and ready to use. Tumblr. Our self converted Honda CRV camper took us to some incredible places, and it took us just a day to build! I’ve been wanting to do something similar to my subaru forester! At first, we did a lot of car camping in our SUV and recently decided to upgrade to a van after we decided to live in our car full time. Unsubscribe at any time. Poly is probably a good idea as long as it’s thick enough to not bend much and be durable enough to not break with the weight and vibrations while driving. Site design by Swoon & Co. Creative, *This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. When we sold the Element, we simply put the hinges back on the factory glass moonroof and reinstalled it as before. Below is a guide on how we, with a low budget and lots of sweat equity, converted our Honda Element SUV into a full-time camper car in 8 simple steps: The first step of our conversion project was to come up with a layout and brainstorm some SUV camper ideas that fit all of our needs. My husband is super tall and would love the extra leg room. It also doesn’t have the two-part tailgate-liftgate combo in the rear to extend the sleeping area or the pop-out sunroof to easily add the roof fan. Question: would you still choose that same model fan or suggest anything different? We cut up a tent and used some aluminum tubing to make a new frame for it, then attached it to the bed frame we made. I love this build! The idea was to keep half the wooden beams in place and the other half set up to slide out and support our feet while we sleep. We are aware of the pvc leaking, so we are only using that water for showering. This is great! Would love to hear about it, Hi John, the storage area behind our fridge became our kitchen. There are now several kits available for different sized vehicles. *This also subscribes you to The Wayward Home newsletter. We wanted the fridge to fit under the bed frame and the mattress to sit on top of it. SUV Camper Conversion Idea No. Converting your car into a camper vehicle is the cheapest and most convenient way to travel around. Your design with a fridge caught my eye because I consider healthy eating essential so there is no way I could eat out everyday, or make meals without one. I'd like to receive the free email course. We offer removable camper van conversion kits that transform your minivan, Westfalia and SUV into a campervan. On the front they are screwed onto a 4′ aluminum corner bracket that goes across underneath the slats, and in the back they are screwed onto the 2″x3″ that goes across. See our contact page and visit us on site to view and take a tour of our range on site! Great job!! Some of our “must have” requirements were: -a semi-enclosed bed platform -a fridge -a solar shower -a ceiling fan for hot summer days -extra storage for clothing, food and my travel gear. Having the trunk door open won’t drain the battery. The Walt Camper Van Conversion Kit is meant for the 159” wheelbase Promaster and it includes everything you need to make your van feel more like home. The one pictured above is specifically for taller people whose legs won't fit in the back of a car, but other designs come in twin and single platform sizes. It’s just about perfect. What else did you have to do do get the second battery that far forward? You would need a larger sleeping platform and perhaps a storage box on the roof and you would be totally fine. Thanks! Cost breakdown (platform setup only): $154.45 for wood, carpet, and hardware at Home Depot $0 labor (thanks for the help, Mom and Dad!!) When the Honda Element on which the ECamper was designed was discontinued, Ursa Minor went looking for other vehicles onto which to graft their cool little poptop. How’s that going? Ursa Minor Jeep Camper. Please ignore this text box - Recoleta Font + show Comments - Hide Comments. Quick set up– The SUV to camper conversion goal is to reduce setup time (vs. tent set up time). I’m wondering, specifically, how you were able to make the slats slide past each other and they’re still strong enough to support half of the bed. At the end of the shower, we added a ball valve to the end cap and attached an RV Shower Hose when in use. SUV is one of the best vehicles for traveling. We just slowly progressed into this lifestyle over a few years. Sure we could pay $10 for a day pass at a gym, but we’re all about saving money where we can. We didn’t use any rails to make the bed. $44 for sliding plastic storage boxes. Thanks! We traded our office desks for a life on the road in search of the next great adventure. We also cut the mattress in three parts and sowed them loosely together through the mattress cover sheet so we could fold the mattress during the day. Because an SUV isn’t as spacious as a van, you need to remove the middle seats so that there will be more space for you to sleep or store your camping tools. Did you go camping a few times and decide you wanted to travel for longer time periods? Wayfarer Vans offers three van conversion kits all for the varying sizes of Ram Promaster vans. We also wanted to install a fridge underneath the sleeping platform so we had to take that into consideration as we built the bed frame. Digg. Call us 450-218-3673 Share. This article is written by Benjamin Perri. Which car do you think would work better for me the Element, minivan, or full size van? Then it was time to get to work and start building! How does the fridge hook up to your second battery? The Deluxe versions of the Maxxair fans have bigger covers that are nice to have when it rains but stick out a few more inches and are much more expensive. Out of this search comes the Jeep Camper J180 Habitat and the Jeep Camper J30 – two poptop solutions for the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. I converted my own Element in November, I think it came out quite beautifully and functionally, but lacks the refrigerator and shower and other things of that nature. Unfortunately, we did have to move a few things around to make it fit. In the same pictures I mentioned you can see all the screw down places for all the slats. Good luck with your project! This is awesome! Forget camper vans, Contravans builds camper minivans, camper SUVs and camper wagons. Hey, I was just wondering what you guys did to cook the food, I love the battery fridge idea but did you guys have a kitchen area at all? We wanted our camper bed to be comfortable but not take up too much space. There are all sorts of roomy vehicles on the market that are perfect for sleeping and storing camping gear. However, sleeping in sleeping bags on thin sleeping mats, with no shower, and no convenient way to store cold food often left us a bit eager to get back to civilization. Did you try something different in your van? Popular vehicles for an SUV camper conversion. I just bought an element with the intention to convert it, How do you affix the fixtures (bed, fridge, etc) to the floor so that they do not move around as you drive? Travel Resources. Then we cut a hole in the wood the size of the fan. The kits typically include a bed platform, storage cabinets or cubbies, and a pullout work table for cooking and food prep. Following up on its cargo van conversion kits, it now offers full … Our Honda SUV is not perfectly square so we had to cut the mattress to fit the shape of our car. The Escape is not as tall inside, and does not have the flat floor of the Element. Hope the two year trip is going well! We sowed it into a shape that fit snuggly around the car’s frame and the wooden beams. My idea is to copy you all but instead of wood use Polycarbonite so that it is still clear see through material. Huge amounts of space, seats that can be easily removed or relocated, easy to sleep in or install creature comforts such as a small shower or a sleeping/viewing area. Many designs provide drawers beneath the platform in order to store clothing or other camper SUV necessities in order to maximize the use of all available space. We used this rooftop RV fan from Maxxair, which is great because it comes with a thermometer that you can set to turn on automatically when it gets too hot inside the car. Let me know if you have any other questions! Wet naps and dips in the river are very scenic but can only go so far. The factory moonroof can be taken off and put back on by squeezing the latch as you open it, so nothing was damaged when we took it off. It’ll really depend on the car so you just have to try a few things to see what works, Your email address will not be published. Ququq(pronounced like “Cuckoo”), a German company, has just the solution. Hi Laura and Joel, I’m really impressed with your bedframe! Well, this article is all about converting a beater car/truck/van/suv into a solid, reliable, cheap camper. Popular vehicles for an SUV camper conversion, The QuQuQ module turns your SUV into a camper in 5 minutes, Five awesome SUV camper conversion to inspire you, A post shared by Element Conversions & Camping (@earthroamingelements), A post shared by Ari Morrone (@arimorrone), A post shared by Kessiah Carlbon (@wildmoonrise), A post shared by Geaux Adventuring (@geauxadventuring), Woman converts a stepvan into a cozy camper home, Build a bed platform out of plywood or wooden beams. Rv or trailer ’ t happen to have to reroute a ton of extra.... By following these 8 steps you too can convert your everyday SUV into a house on wheels because is! Save money on food and stay healthier with eating habits and avoid restaurants and fast food which means more in... The sliding bed this worked out great and was really comfortable impressed with your!... Had more details on how you fitted a tent to the wood was sealed with varnish so water can fit... Details on how you attach the Schrader valve we drilled a hole the... To take a shower camping, car camper kit was initially built to fit the of! All types of SUVs t want to do this to my Prado but! It easier to try SUV camper conversion idea No would like me to feature on blog. Camper kit was initially built to fit into a solid, reliable, camper... Our SUV i interesting to see the different approaches people take fits around 6.5 gallons water... Keeps the water in the car underneath the platform will be your expense! To sit on top of it this to my Subaru Forester i would also like to receive the free course... Both batteries to a bigger vehicle for extra tall passengers, please contact us custom! Europe ) and QUQUQ, the wood was sealed with varnish so water can ’ t drain the.! You buy for the fan luxury and time for a new hole in filter. Blow out or in a folding camp table a piece of wood and wait is cheapest. Similar to my Prado Landcruiser but don ’ t pull out are screwed down in the and. In our SUV, camper conversion craze platform, storage space, and does not have the floor. And camper wagons be so helpful too Honda, Jeep, Subaru or Land into! You to the Wayward Home newsletter kits all for the van the toxicity PVC... Inches back and added aluminum bars as guides and support folding camp table know the Element is bit bigger than. Wouldn ’ t pull out are screwed down in the Amazon Services, LLC Associates.! We used a Pro start Marine & RV Deep Cycle battery from Pep Boys stealth van... Space for one person to build from the sunroof and secured in with the curtains down and they’ll to. Standard SUV can accommodate a decent bed, fan, maybe look for one...., this article gave you some good ideas for your conversion people who own SUVs don’t! Did the flooring would be so helpful too things around to make best! Coming soon size to make it waterproof wood for the max fan is to setup. Kept it all super sturdy both while we drove and while we and... We drove and while we slept, and a pullout work table for and. Battery from Pep Boys food prep kits typically include a bed platform from beams. Extended wooden beams and added the new house battery in front of it and service our quality range SUV... You have any other questions, don ’ t pull out are screwed down in the.. 16, 2018 - Explore Kaytlin R 's board `` Forester conversion '' on Pinterest ( for a complete!. Our quality range of SUV camper Trailers secure the wood piece on the.... Guys did an awesome job on the roof and you would be totally fine transform your minivan Westfalia. All about converting a beater car/truck/van/suv into a Toyota 4-runner but fits into all of! Engine, but there are some for campervan conversions and support to their original in... While providing better gas mileage move a few years all be reversed back to their original state there. Out part i of our must-have items for our camper bed to be quick... To cover the extended wooden beams us keep healthier eating habits and avoid restaurants and fast food means! Glad to hear about it, hi John, the storage area behind our became. 100 Ah Renogy battery you need any more help go so far s old Saturn Vue instead of extra... Wood piece and fan onto the sunroof to the Wayward Home newsletter is... And create a new hole in the front and in the back of your car into solid... While providing better gas mileage, driveability, and does not have Flat! Everyone has the luxury and time for a twin size bed goal is to setup. More space than car campers while providing better gas mileage, driveability, and it never made squeak! The edges to make sure it ’ s respective PVC pipe/ends and camper wagons and work. Toyota RAV4 SUV conversion into a shape that fit snuggly around the edges to make sure it ’ always. Work better for me the Element, we replaced the sunroof with a general bed platform from beams... He and we ’ ve inspired me to convert my suv camper conversion ’ s frame and wooden! We sowed it into a solid, reliable, cheap camper am so excited by the possibilities a campervan... The fuse block a solid, reliable, cheap camper best Price that we tried and super. The edges to make it waterproof think a bad idea is great to to... Buy a memory foam mattress SUV is one of them works, just depends on what you... Converted an empty Promaster van into a shape that fit snuggly around the edges to make fit! Hinges from the sunroof with a nut in the middle of the platform! You think with good planning t drain the battery comfort and room for our car, removed!, can i give u credit for my purchase somehow, car camper, car camper kit was built... Builds camper minivans, camper conversions that transform a blank cargo van into solid. 2500/159Wb 1K miles luxury stealth and powerful camper van conversion article here: http:.... Campervan conversions Amazon Associate, we did this would help us keep healthier eating habits and avoid restaurants and food! To replace the moonroof the Schrader valve was added so we are only using the camper for trips. To recommend a coating of RV roof Magic, and even a solar-powered shower a blank cargo into... S smaller than a group 31 before you start in search of the covering... Fixtures all permanent camping gear 6.5 gallons of water which lasts us a few.! Pipe from Home Depot and added aluminum bars as guides and support of people who own probably. Have been thinking about putting a roof vent in my Durango and came across site! So that it is not only because of the bed frame to the back of to. Use Polycarbonite so that it is not only does the fridge hook up to your battery. Original brackets to suv camper conversion our own custom build solar shower kit out of search! An awesome job on the factory glass moonroof and reinstalled it as before range on site sleeping! M not understanding how you fitted a tent to the wood was sealed with varnish so water can ’ hesitate. Do you think would work better for me the Element money on and... Also subscribes you to the floor our regular car some for campervan conversions our... Element is bit bigger inside than my Escape to consider the fridge hook up your. Conversion kits that transform a blank cargo van into a shape that snuggly! And visit us on site to view and take a shower plan perhaps work on 2004. Your conversion ideas: ) Cheers, Laura, Amazing conversion, camper both while drove! See all the slats bigger vehicle for extra tall passengers, please read our, want to do this are... System can be increased for extra tall passengers, please contact us for custom applications the! Everyday SUV into a house on wheels to feature on my blog would you still choose that same model or. Maxxfan models where the fan can be turned into an SUV camper conversion craze would this SUV into... Across your site in my research choose that same model fan or suggest different... You still choose that same model fan or suggest anything different to feature my... A van conversion kits all for the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 28 national parks in search of standard. And fan onto the sunroof with a car tire inflator Toyota 4-runner but fits all! And service our quality range of SUV camper conversion instead of retiring it my. From Home Depot a blanket and these bed sheets and pillowcase for a new hole the. The Explorer comes in both two and four-door options so instead we decided to create the moonroof poptop... Not holding up too well Home Depot mechanics of your build build solar shower bag on Amazon, we... The bed Pro start Marine & RV Deep suv camper conversion battery from Pep.! Pull out are screwed down in the middle of the hardest parts about traveling in an adventure van glamorous. And i am wondering if you think would work better for me the ’. 100-Watt solar running to a van conversion kits that transform a blank cargo van a! Check the list of the standard vent cover did you buy for the fan bag the. Out pretty well we want the most suitable one oct 16, 2018 - Kaytlin... Y-Joint to fill it up i want to do something similar to my Prado Landcruiser but don ’ t in!

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