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Living large in a RAV4 "Camper"
The Ramper
Converting a compact SUV into a living space takes planning and the eagerness to embrace a minimalist lifestyle. You can't take it with you when you go. And, you definitely can't take it with you when you live in a RAV4.
My vehicle is a 2015 that I have owned for four years. A couple of a years ago my then partner and I removed the back seats, built a platform, and traveled for six weeks, living primarily in the car. That experience taught me a number of things. Mainly I learned you don't need nearly as much stuff as you might think for life on the road.
Finding info online on how to retrofit a specific vehicle model can be challenging. From one layperson to another...here goes...
1. Have a couple of tape measures on hand. You will ultimately keep misplacing them. Everything gets measured twice. And then gets measured again. Take notes on everything. Record measurements.
2. Stand around and look at your vehicle a lot. Ignore neighbors who wonder what you are doing.
3. Visualize and prioritize, but try not to romanticize. Imagine yourself doing your day to day living at a campsite or BLM land or Aunt Nettie's driveway. What is it you're doing? How cold will it get?
4. Be realistic about what you can live without. Make a list of what you MUST have. Everything else is gravy.
5. Be realistic about needing to pee in your vehicle. It's a reality people.
6. Squishy storage items such as quilted bags or packing cubes are easier to mush up and make fit than hard plastic bins. Although you will need those, too.
7. Know how much room you really take up when you sleep. Measure yourself. Invest in a good quality mattress or mattress pad that aligns with your sleep needs.
8. Draw some kind of schematics of where everything will go. Measure everything, including the space where things will go.
9. Commit to removing your backseat/s.
10. Plan for some kind of raised bed or platform, preferably one that both allows storage under and enough head room above to sit up all the way. This space will be your bedroom, kitchen, den, and possibly bathroom.
Planning Your RAV4/SUV Conversion
Ten Tips - Plan Before You Build
Think about investing in...
Portable power unit
Solar panel
Camp stove or burner
Collapsible toilet
Rain guards for windows
Think about making...
Window coverings
Window screens
Plywood platform for bed
Think about taking...
A camp chair
Table
Tent
Awning