My No Build Amazon CAR CAMPING Setup... 🚘
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ค. 2022
- See how I turn this Acura RDX into my home on wheels for a big car camping adventure using no-build techniques and my trusty Amazon Prime account!
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............... 🚗 CAR CAMPING ADVENTURES ...............
• My No Build Amazon CAR...
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#carlife #carcamping #suvcamping - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Love it! “Run away from home” and go live! 👍🚙
For anyone else struggling with reflectix window covers. You don't really need a template, just cut a piece of reflectix slightly bigger than the window then offer it up and score around the shape of you're window with your finger nail or a pencil then cut with scissors. Any small gaps will probably be padded out when you attach fabric or you can cover one side with duck tape and use that to correct any gaps. Covering in fabric? Please DON'T use adhesive spray in your campers, it's usually carcinogenic and dangerous to your health. You could hand stitch, tape or staple. 💜
Thanks for the additional tips!
Why don’t you 1) move the bed to the other side and pull the passanger seat all the way to the front, so you can have more room; 2) if you take the head rest off of the seat that is folded down you have easy access to storage space behind the passanger seat and 3) you can then add another piece of wood to extend the bed platform 😉
Yaya, good ideas, thanks for the suggestions. That passenger side back seat is now broken and won't come down, so something I'll have to fix when I get back!
That sucks on it being broken
When the window tinters make patterns they use the outside of the glass , than put it on the inside .
Clair, thanks. That's an interesting idea!
Good luck to you !
Just watched your latest video, so now I have to go start at the start because this is exactly what I am doing! I'm doing my first trip away from home car camping in my Outback. I have a lot to do yet. Have the mattress but it needs cut down, have the stuff to make my window covers, just need to find some time in a good frame of mind so I don't get frustrated and mess them up. First trip is going to be six days, going about 200 miles from home, and want to get a good cross section of situations. I don't *need* to do laundry and could survive washing up, but I even want to do the chores. I have my little dog with me, so we need to learn how to cope with that. Just all the things! I think I'm going to take your advice over the next two weekends though and sleep in my driveway a night, and maybe just around town the next weekend. Amazon Christmas at my house yesterday, but also trying not to go crazy with it. Sorry for the long post, but I bet you understand the excitement! Thanks for the vids, subbed.
That's awesome that you're getting out there like this, just go for it one small step at a time... 🚗
LOL! I started to make a template to make reflectixs and it didn't take long for me to know that I was going to get custom made ones. Weather Tech. Worth every penny!
Believe me, if they made them for my make/model/year, I would have bought them too... :)
All the best out there Diane! The world awaits you!
Finally, someone else with second row SUV seats that don’t fold flat and no plans to remove the seats. Fortunately, WeatherTech sells window coverings for mine, and worth every penny. Best of luck in your explorations! I’m looking forward to seeing more.
Ted later discovered that the seat bottoms pull out super easily (by reading the owner's manual, who would have thunk... 😂) so yeah, new configuration happening as a result in videos to come.
@@dianeschmiane that’s great!
Such a great lil video. I bought a Matrix and low and behold the passenger
seat folds alllll the way down to a flat table! Who knew! I will purchase a board and place over the gap area and put my 4" and 2" laytex down. Yay!! You have convinced me to go with Weather Tech for windows. Lol 😂😂😂
Yes, Weather Tech = worth the money!
I like the word levelish- I’m taking it 😉
That's it. That's exactly 💯 it. You use what you have until you can do better. The Jackery was a great purchase. Will make life easier. I used Power packs until I got mine. Also a small Cheverlot Spark for the journeys with stuff purchased that I later found out was unncessary. Just got rid of the Spark. Have a MPV now, also the stuff I didn't need is coming in handy as I venture out further. Enjoy the experience with what you have to start and the things you have purchased. 🇬🇧 solo female car camper.
Thanks, Happy Days. I appreciate your support!
"big fuzzy comforter " :-)
Enjoy your adventure.
Thanks video showing your build it's complete now .Bed I did differently passenger side is the bed platform,rear deck seats in hatchbacks fold flat remove all headrests but driver's side is it's flat platform then rear bumper to front dash .
Actually, on my latest trip that's how I ended up configuring mine as well!
@@dianeschmiane there really is no other option in these types of vehicle and it all goes back to normal with seat up and head rest reinstalled.
It was so challenging for me too, to DIY those window insulation covers 😟
For sure! Would totally buy them if they made them for my car!
Doing a build is a lot of fun and younlook like you are having a lot of fun. Well done
you look so happy getting ready for your trip, part of the fun is preparing to be ready, so many things to put together
Yes, I love the prepping stage, it's fun to think and plan everything through (as best you can). Much happier here than the last video. Action cancels depression... :)
You give great simple advice on car camping. I believe that, like a lot of cars, that the sitting part of your back seat lifts up, to give you a larger flat area, for your bed.
I later learned that the seat bottoms pulled out easily to make the whole thing flatter, but that was months later... :)
Love This!!!
Here from Caravan Carolyn's channel, and subbed right away!! Your channel looks like something I would enjoy binge watching while avoiding work, lol!! I can't wait to dig into it!!
Very cool, thanks for coming along!
That dog is gorgeous x
Right??? She's such a sweetie, too!
Good Luck, I think it's great that you are working with what you got and keeping it on the down low.
Wow! You’re really going for it! Looking forward to following along. 😊
Thanks, Deb, me too, haha!
I think if i make my window covers i'll use a measuring tape, im not sure if you did but maybe the process will go faster
Hi Diana, Carolyn sent me. Checking out net so fare.
Great video, well put together. I love your late life adventure, fantastic. I live in the UK and occasionally go to California, which I love. I hire an SUV and sleep in it, to save on costs. My dream is to one day have maybe a year travelling around the States, doing just this. I’ll be following your adventure! Much love across the Ocean to you! x
Very cool, and how brave of you to travel that way! Keep working on that dream, there's always a way to make it happen... :)
You might have a hard time realizing that dream. Foreigners are permitted a max of 6 months stay in the US in any calendar year. Could be one straight shot or in segments.
@@sandrakramer1520 I think you are able to apply for an extended visa. Though at my age, it’s pretty much just a pipe dream anyhow.
I hope your dream comes true.
Came over from another channel and subscribed. Sounds like quite the adventure you’re setting out on. Stay safe!
Thanks for following along. It should be fun!
So proud of you. I too will be setting out on my journey. Heading up the coast of CA. Looking forward to sharing your adventure with you.
How fun, the California coast is amazing. Let me know when you get started!
I'm getting ready to go on journey to find myself.
Yay, good for you! Just be prepared to roll with the punches and you'll have a blast... 🎊
@@dianeschmiane I'm going to prepare as much as possible. I have stocked up on alcohol for a few burner's for some light cooking I'm too afraid of propane. Butane is a bit overpriced but I will have one of those too. I'll learn more as I become more experienced. I'm getting a small Joe bbq with thermometer for an oven. I get all these brilliant easy ideas. I'm just waiting to pick up my box truck. I already picked it out. Thank you for being you. Maybe we can meet up sometime in the future. Your such a good inspiration and happy with your life. I can't to feel that change in my life where I can feel carefree and happy as ever. Good luck 🍀 for us both on our journey 🎉
Amazing! Super inspiring adventure! I'm planning my truck bed build out & will definitely check out that shoe rack as a bed platform. Might be the solution I've been looking for. Thanks!
Thanks, hope it works out for you!
Congratulations ❤
You have convinced me to give this a try! I will be going north in a couple of months to escape the heat of the Arizona summer. I love Bend, Oregon and will check out some of the places you visited on your first 30 day adventure but will go further north. I love your videos and thanks for the links to the Amazon so I know what to buy.
Colleen, that's awesome, you should have a fantastic time. Such a beautiful part of the country... :)
Caravan Carolyn recommended your channel and so glad she did.
She's my channel angel, thanks for coming along!
Very cool! The no build route is the way we went with our van too! We wanted to spend more time and money on adventures, rather than a "build"!
Yeah, I just wanted to cheaply try the whole thing to see if it's worth further investments. Let me tell you though, I'm loving it so far and having serious van-envy here on the road, LOL!
I would have suggested taking out the rear seat, it can easily be re- installed when you decide to sell it.
Or maybe even the right side passenger seat.
As it turns out, the hubby later discovered that the seat bottoms easily remove so that the whole back area can be flat. So, I'll have to rethink everything for the next trip... :)
Wow , lol just crazy . Good for you
Thanks for sharing your car set up journey. I have been working on mine's for awhile as I wait for my new SUV to arrive.
A new SUV sounds exciting! Hope it works out the way you envision... :)
@@dianeschmiane It isn't about being new, although still very exciting if you can. I started out in what I had, a small tiny Cheverlot Spark. I tried it out many a journey, it was tight but worked. I only just upgraded when the car was struggling to cope with uphill journeys and I was throwing money at it with repairs.
I wanted a new van, but it wasn't practical or stealth. I bought a a MPV. It has been great. My point is, you work with what you have until you can upgrade comfortably within your budget. Nothing else matters up to that point. It is about getting out and about.
🇬🇧 solo car camper. Enjoy the experience, you bought enough of the new to get started, I did too then realised a lot I bought wasn't necessary. But the Jackery was. No builds are the best because you can move things around. Take care and stay blessed.
👌enjoyed
Thanks ✌️
Remove the headrest and fold the end of the mattress down between the seats.
Awesome!!!👠🚌👠
Carolyn recommended another channel about a lady making shade reflectics and she put black tape around the edge and used the tape folded on itself for the mistake areas. Sorry to tell you this after you went back and did them all over again!
Yeah, I actually watched that video after the fact, and it was a good idea. Not sure it would have saved the reflectix from the fate they have in store for them, coming up in a future video... :)
Your channel is very cute!
I would love to get out and go (at 73 yrs.), but I have the same problem as you; the husband that wants me home. I wish I could live my life for me like you are doing for you. Good luck with that!
This is going to be a fun adventure.
Are you watching the Travel Grandma? She has great videos on car camping.
I've seen one or two of them and have more to see, but honestly I'm super-behind on my TH-cam watching as these trips are all-consuming! But fun... :)
I bought weather tech window covers special order for my RAV4 worth the $$ 150 total and works perfect👍
I wish I could have done that, but they didn't make them for my make/model/year vehicle... :(
Very nice.
Thanks Qande, and thanks for subscribing!
Good lord, what a process 😆I was thinking through this entire process, there has to be an easier way!
I'm sure there is, but if you want to be comfortable, it takes some forethought... :)
vanlife4ever!
Love your channel! Great no build rig. Can you lean the driver front seat forward and move your plywood up? Probably not but I'm rooting for you. You are a brave soul!
🌟🍀👩🦰✝️🙏🖖
Yes, but then I lose foot support at the bottom. I keep tweaking the setup as I go along.
Good luck.
Thanks!
I would love to run away for a month, however I'm a caregiver to my disabled father...so I'm looking to start car camping at least one weekend every month.
This was entertaining to watch your build gave me some ideas about my seats. How many miles did you start with on your odometer?
I had about 81K starting out. The car is old but fairly low miles for its age. Even getting out for the weekend will do wonders for your soul. Here's hoping you get out there soon!
I think I would have used duct tape to make the trim around the window coverings so It is like one continuous long tab all the way around the reflextics. That they would slightly bend going in, still fit and cover up the little spots that were not perfect. I wonder if that would work?
Yeah, I'm thinking about ordering some black duct tape to do just that!
You live in beautiful place
Yes, I'm super lucky to be here... :)
I subscribed.
Yay, thank you!
Caravan Carolyn sent me. I am now your problem as well.
I have a few different RV's lots of sewing machines and window covers have got to be the largest pain.
One easier wa6y is to rough cut the paper or cardboard to fill most of the space, then use a hot melt glue gun or glue stick to glue pieces to the parameter. Still a pain, but easier.
Good idea, thanks for sharing that! Trouble is, they've all shrunk now due to extreme heat, which you'll see in an upcoming video. So, back to the drawing board... :(
@@dianeschmiane You can sew on a boarder. to them all., Problem with making new ones out of the same material is they may shrink as well.
@@DannyB-cs9vx And I hate sewing, haha!
I have a 2008 Acura rdx & the seats do fold flat
What I later learned for mine, is that if you pull out the seat bottoms (easy to do), then they fold flat.
❤️❤️❤️
That was a lot of work! Maybe rent an RV? 😆 New subscriber, I'm looking forward to watching your adventures
I would except that I need to be a super low budget traveler at this point, gotta work with what you've got!
I have an RV 12 miles to the gallon or 30. Car or van far easier to manoeuver. I'm heading out in my car as soon as I finish jury duty.
@@vlynn8816 Very cool, hope you get out there soon!
When making reflectics you want to use PAINTERS TAPE to tape the wrapping paper to the OUTSIDE of the glass and let it hang to get the shape.
You want the piece to be slightly bigger than the inside because then it will be tight enough to not fall.
It’s a very cumbersome process but it can be done.
Thanks for the tip, that sounds like it might have been easier.
Omg! No one ever talks about how annoying it is creating reflectix covers.
Wait till you see the video where they tragically shrunk in the heat... Now I'll have to fix/redo them. Oy!
@@dianeschmiane Girl I know! Mine became flimsy after 2 weeks so I had to make another set from sturdy foam board. Not the best in terms of saving space but at least I don't have to credit card them into the windows every night! 😂
I am about to make window covers for my Outback and not looking forward to it :(. I bought black contact sheet to blacken one side. I hope it works (vs. fabric and spray glue).
Jen, contact paper is a great idea, I hadn't thought of that. Maybe that would help prevent it from shrinking so much in extreme heat? People have also suggested that I line the edges with tape to keep everything together more securely.
@@dianeschmiane contact sheet shrinks when using a heat gun (some said hair dryer in low heat is tolerable). I have not heard of Reflectix shrinking in heat though. But I am sure it does (crocs shrinks exposed to sun). Black duct tape may be good to cover the raw edge like a bias tape. Now the weather is gonna turn. Perhaps only use window covers at night to stop it from sun exposure.
I feel your pain on making those window covers! 😫 Can I ask what specific fabric you used for the blackout side that doesn’t fray when you cut it? I used a blackout curtain from Walmart and the second it’s cut it starts unraveling so I have black fabric pieces falling off the shades at all times. Thanks for any help or tips you can share! 💚🚙💚
It was some flannel from Walmart that will fray, but so far not so much since it's glued down pretty firmly with that Scotch spray-on adhesive.
Hem the edges, and they won't fray. Fold the fabric twice at the edges and sew it right up. Gotta have a machine for this!
Campervan Carolyn just suggested a new channel called Honey and Me where she showed VERY detailed instructions on making windows coverings.
@@knellwal Very cool, thanks. I'll check that out. The ones I made actually shrank in the extreme summer heat!!
I have the Reflectix in the garage but after watching so many people agonize through the process (and seen many less than stellar results) I’m glad I bit the bullet and went with Heat Shield (gold one side and black the other). They have suction cups and are custom made for my 2019 Outback. It was a very painful $270 (including sunroof) but I convinced myself that it was equal to a couple of trips to Costco.
It’s a fact of life that Made in USA is going to cost a lot more than Made in China.
Another question LOL. How important do you feel the plywood is?
I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand it's great for leveling out the bed more and providing really valuable storage underneath. On the other hand, I sometimes hit the shelf with my legs turning over at night and I can't sit up on the bed. I need a van... :)
@@dianeschmiane the plan is the trade the Altima in a year or so but use it now until I decide if this is the route I want to take in life but I feel SO trapped in my current life. Stale and just numb
Hope you follow Modern Day Pioneer for great van build ideas!
That's a new one for me, I'll have to check it out. Thanks!
Yeah he got some wood for you 😂
🥴
But I thought this was "No build"? What's with the woodworker and building stuff?
I could have easily gone into any local hardware store, bought a piece of plywood, and had them cut it to whatever dimensions necessary. But I had a wonderful friend willing to do it all for free, so I went that direction. Either way, I built nothing. No nails, no screws, just a piece of wood on a shelf.
If you have any great ideas for car camping hacks, let me know. Here's another video you might enjoy: th-cam.com/video/84OLXaET2KM/w-d-xo.html
Can you move your front seat forward so it’s not such an incline for the head?
So I do those relectix shaded for customers all the time. If you want to buy precut ones, weather tech makes them. But if you don’t want to spend that $125 , here is a tip for the next set. Get packing paper from lowes, tape it to the outside of the doors, etc, then shine a light from behind and then make your cutout patterns by tracing the lighted paper. Plus, you only have to do it on one side of the vehicle, just flip the template and do the other set.
@@watching-and-judging-you Great idea, thanks for the tip!
Thinking of doing this in my Nissan Altima. HOw tall are you?
I'm just under 5'4", so that certainly helps.
@@dianeschmiane I am 5'2 so I know that will be a bonus.
Can you tilt your front seat forward? Or your passenger seat?
Yes, which I later discovered (after a couple of uncomfortable nights, LOL).
Definition of a no-build conversion: DIY conversion without carpentry.
Given that carpentry was involved with this conversion obviously makes the no-build title of this video inaccurate. However, as long as she's happy with her conversion is what matters, yes? Cheers!
You can go to any hardware store that sells lumber, buy some plywood and ask them to cut it to whatever size you need, so no building required.
@@dianeschmiane thanks for your response, you have a point. I'm new to your channel. Congrats on taking the plunge into the vehicle dwelling lifestyle. I'm currently on the research phase and I'm learning from your suggestions. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Wouldn't dark tinting windows help for privacy
They help during the day but at night with lights inside the car, you can see right through... :)
@@dianeschmiane makes sense
If you're adding anything but supplies you are building.
men always have some wood for the ladies
😂😂😂
Why are you calling this an Amazon car???
Because almost everything I bought to set it up for car camping came from Amazon!
I'm so glad someone asked... I was waiting for that part to come up. I thought maybe she was an Amazon delivery driver & was going to work while on the road. Lol... I'm going to be trading my car for a van and kinda got excited thinking that would be a great source of income while traveling 😆
Video says “no build” and two minutes into the video her woodworking friend is building a bed platform
Anybody can walk into a local hardware store, buy some plywood and ask them to cut it to fit. I just happened to have a friend who did all that for free!