Volkwagen Alltrack 'Car Kit' Camper Conversion
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 มิ.ย. 2021
- The car kit is for sale! If you're interested, let me know at hi@cameronhrussell.com - willing to deliver within a 2-3 hour radius of Vermont where I live! I'll install in your alltrack or golf wagon!
Website: cameronhrussell.com/
Instagram: / cameronhrussell
Gear in video (plus some extras):
*Yes, some of these items can be purchased on Amazon, but I prefer not to support any more of their world domination, so I won't link to their site.
Exped Megamat Duo 10 M - (they have many options): bit.ly/3gC7t5B
Big Agnes Chair: bit.ly/3gHOh6N
Camp Stove: bit.ly/3wyisDR
Origami Bowl - sorry, it seems these bowls are no longer available! - close replacement: bit.ly/3cIoBFK
MSR Dromedary Water Bladder: bit.ly/3xofbXS
Snow Peak Titanium Spork: bit.ly/35pzOXK
Morakniv knife: bit.ly/35tQihI
Window Shades/Bug Nets: ebay.to/35GaFIF
LED Motion Sensing Lights: ebay.to/3cP05Tk
Ecoflow Portable Battery Pack: bit.ly/3xtoA0y
Camera Gear:
Camera: bhpho.to/3zpsVDw
Favorite Wide Angle Vlog Lens: bhpho.to/3wJOUDH
Favorite Portrait Lens: bhpho.to/3pYqnYT
Zoom Lens: bhpho.to/2SFavxZ
Zhiyun Gimbal: bhpho.to/3cMgesC
GoPro: bhpho.to/3q0y68z
Drone: bhpho.to/3wyuUUn - บันเทิง
The camper is for sale if anyone is interested - sadly it's time to part with my Alltrack and I would love for the camper insert to go to someone who will put it to good use! Shoot me a message at hi@cameronhrussell.com if you're interested! Will deliver and install within a several hour radius of Vermont!
Very interested....what are you looking for....?
@@ericcarlson3499 hey, do you want to connect off of TH-cam? My email is hi@cameronhrussell.com - I was thinking $1500 would be pretty fair for the amount of labor and materials and design work.
Do you have the blueprint for making this?
Still for sale?
Thanks for posting - great use of plywood layers, piano hinges, router, etc - looks solid, functional, and fits nicely in the Alltrack, which is a great choice, also.
Hey Cameron, this is the most entertaining video I’ve watched in a very long time, THANK YOU! Your design is brilliant ! I just bought a used 2017 Alltrack and love it! But the reason I love your video so much is that my dad built a version of your system for his brand new 1964 VW bus… in 1964. I pretty much grew up in VW busses (as we called them), it was our only family car from 1962 on. The middle seat of those old VW’s was simple to remove, they were benches just bolted to the floor, so that came out, the third seat remained, and my dads convert-able wood compartments would fill in. They could rearrange for seating, storage, a table, and a completely flat sleeping platform, topped with foam pads that my mom sewed covers for. Dad bought new busses in 1970 and 1974, and because the VW design was unchanged over those years, the ‘system’ moved and morphed along with them. Lots of long family vacations with 5 kids.
Thanks for channeling my dad!
Thanks for watching and for sharing your story!!!
I literally just bought a sportwagen for this and your video is so incredibly helpful thank you!!!!
You got it! Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions!
Very cool, would love to see similar walk throughs with future kits you customize for different cars / different users. Also really appreciate the tips on other camping items like stoves and water bags!
Thanks Ben! Really appreciate it - would love to do more of these!
Wow, awesome craftsmanship. Goes to show if you have carpentry skills you pretty much make anything for any situation. Awesome finished product.
Nice build, man! I camp out of my Jetta Sportwagen as well. I pulled the entire sub-floor out of a wrecked Sportwagen at a junkyard and used it to rig a little platform where the back seats were. It's pretty shoddy, but cant beat the carpeted hard plastic lightweight materials. I wish I had some skills to cut them up and make some storage cubbies like you've got.
Honestly though, if I could ask for any advice it would be where the heck do you find huge open fields with nice views where you can be alone like that?! I tend to end up at a lot of Cracker Barrel parking lots when it comes time to set up camp.
Sorry for the delay! That field was up in northeastern Vermont, just outside Craftsbury. A beautiful area worth exploring if you're within driving distance!
Love this, will be playing with some of these ideas on my green Alltrack in SF!
Nice! Thanks for watching
Awesome. Great video
Great build. Love the craftsmanship and attention to little details.
Thanks! Appreciate it!
@@chrussellvt you doing VT Pilgrimage this fall? Would love to meet up and see your AllTrack. I’ll be bringing my 200 LandCruiser, but I just got an AllTrack too and LOVE it.
@@CantSitStillforREAL Good question! I should check it out, thanks for the tip!
@@CantSitStillforREAL looks like a great event - my dream has always been to import a Hilux :)
Came across your vlog months later Thanks TH-cam ! nice car, shots and info, whoa ! your craftsmanship is wonderful will definitely spread the word I don't have a need for the unit since I carry my bike inside, I love all your detailed elements for your build. Im sure you've seen the OEM sun-privacy screens VW makes I have them installed on my 15 GSW TDI and work well. Nice to see a Vermonter showcasing our state, your super excellent work and your VW ! rock on ! SW Rutland Co. at the Bennington Co. border ✌
Thanks Dennis - really appreciate the kind words! It's a cool car. I took the 'camper' out for the winter, but almost ready for it to go back in!
Just awesome, wow
This is amazing!! Also a fellow Waldies lover! We sold them when they first came out and miss them dearly! Such wonderful people to work with!! So sad that they are no longer! ☹️
They are the best! I think I've had mine since 2005 or 2006?
Very cool setup! Well done 👍🏼 And i like the manual
Thanks so much Chris! And yes, love driving stick - and the Alltrack is one of the few all wheel drive wagons that still offers a stick shift. (Or at least did in their short 2017-2019 run) :)
@@chrussellvt i just bought a 2019 SE manual in November . Already did an IE stage 1 tune. Awesome car! I’m in northern mass 👌🏼
@@mcwendel8066 right on - mine is a 2017 SE. Did a unitronic stage 1 this past summer - wakes the car up nicely :)
thank you so much for showing. I also tried camping in my car, similar to yours. but in germany i could not find a spot to camp without being noticed. everything is so cramped here.
Awh yes, I can understand how that would be difficult.
Would love this in Australia. Idk if you’re open to shipping or if you could provide the blueprints/dimensions for people who want to make on their own
Awesome work! I would love to do the same to my Alltrack in the future. Do you have any plans /drawings to share for the construction of the rear sleeping platform? Any guides to follow? Thanks!
Thanks so much! I may being making plans this winter that I could share, but the camper has stayed in my car all summer/fall :) If you're interested in being kept up to date on any developments and wouldn't mind filling out this simple google form that I made to track interest, that'd be great! - forms.gle/Srhxiv4fBwrApEMc8
@@chrussellvt Form submitted! Thanks so much for taking the time to respond, looking forward to updates. Cheers!
Did you take the back seats out for more space or did you just lay them down and then build the table?
I took the seats out because I wanted the space for storage. I built the platform/storage box at the front with enough height that the table pull outs would just clear the tailgate at the back.
Thanks so much for posting this. Looking to buy an all track for this exact purpose. Fantastic build, and good to see tall people can sleep in it! I dont suppose it’s STILL for sale?
Unfortunately no :) went to someone who bought the camper with it
That is fantastic!!!!!!
Impressive! Nice work.
Thanks so much - really appreciate it!
Hi Cameron, firstly, love your work/joinery in the golf all track, looks very OEM.
Could you tell me a way that you lock the car when you’re sleeping inside of it where the alarm doesn’t go off when you move?
Hey - thanks for the comment - I have never had an issue just using the door lock or key fob and then opening with the door handle. My rolling over in bed has never set off the alarm. I think the car needs to get a push of some sort to set the alarm off. Hope this helps!
Just wondering what your bike rack setup is and if you needed a specific tow package or anything
Hey Keegan - thanks for the question - it's just a 2in ecohitch with a 1UP brand rack. I did install the hitch myself with a TH-cam video as a guide, as the rear bumper does need to be removed first, but no special tow package is necessary. Pretty sure this is the video guide I used... music is pretty repetitive, but I remember it being a good overview other than that :) th-cam.com/video/M9fPNTigEy0/w-d-xo.html
How easy is it to remove alltrack seats? I am yet to try it. Also do you have to take them out all at once, or can you leave the one behind the driver’s seat?
It's not too bad to remove them, but you do need to make sure to take out all of the plastic moulding that supports the floor of the trunk area. I think you could probably keep one of the seats in - basically there's an attachment point between the seats, where they hinge. You should be able to uncover that, remove one side, and reattach the cover, keeping the other seat in place. There are plenty of videos on seat removal for MK7 golf that should show most of the steps!
Hi Cam, please can you guide me, in how you made that wooden floor? I really like it and want to do the same... Thank you Lia from SA.
Hi - I'm not sure exactly how to best guide you, but I'm happy to be a resource if you have any specific questions!
Hey, beautiful build! Just pickup an alltrack and hopefully going to build something similar (with less skill though). What crossbars are you running there?
I think they are just Omac brand or something? Only like $120 or something
I love your work and ingenuity in making tremendous and inspiring solutions. I have the 2016 Passat Alltrack and I wonder if the solution could fit in the back? I refer to the sleeping platform you did🙂
I'm sure it could be adapted to fit! Actually making a CAD drawing now in order to be able to recreate and modify the design more easily. If you're interested in updates, I have a form to collect contact info for people - docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXMIbpV3T1z0t5qrG0MSmvxGDp9GmZfziy4-xvDrWg6Bm-OQ/viewform
Thanks for watching!
Dude... This, is, awesome!
Thanks man!
Hi Cameron,
Fellow Vermonter, here. I just bought a 2019 VW Golf Alltrack this past week (it's a manual, which was a huge reason for buying the car). I'm going to turn it into a full-time camper, as I'm planning to travel throughout North America, shooting nature photography.
I found your build very interesting, and well done! Mine is going to be a bit different, but I am curious how you access your spare tire?
Hey - sorry that I missed this! This spare tire is still accessible under the kit and just requires removal of two hex bolts to access.
very cool, nice work man. off topic but what are your wheels.. make & size?
Thanks - they're Konig Runlites 18" - same size as Canyons that come on the SEL
Somewhat related question, what hitch did you end up putting on your Alltrack? Looking for recommendations, thanks!
I put a 2 in ecohitch on there - only really needed a 1 1/4" hitch, but the 2" just seemed worth putting on while I was doing it. You may want to put the video on mute due to looping tunes, but this youtube video is what I followed when I did mine: th-cam.com/video/M9fPNTigEy0/w-d-xo.html
@@chrussellvt this is super helpful and thank you for the quick response. Looks like I can get uhaul to instal a 1 1/4” hitch for half the price of the 2”. Any noticeable drawback to the 1 1/4”? I don’t think I’ll ever be towing much, just looking to instal a bike rack like yours. Thanks!
@@evanhoward2891 no, you should be totally fine. My hitch rack actually is an inch and a quarter and I just use a 2-in adapter for it.
Wow that's great. I like it very much. Greetings from Germany
Thanks!
Hi :) fantastic video. What exact dimensions is the Exped Megamat and how wide is the boot of your car? I have a 2012 Skoda Superb Estate and the boot is exactly 100cm wide.
Hey - the one I have is the Duo 10m - it's listed as 40.9 inches wide / 103.9 cm - this model (www.exped.com/usa/en/product-category/mats/megamat-duo-10-m-green)
I think my interior dimensions are 39 in / ~99cm and I simply squeezed the mat in and it gets tight when fully inflated, but works fine.
Hope this helps! Also have the other items in the video linked in the description below. Cheers!
@@chrussellvt oh, that's fantastic. Thanks so much
Sweet interior decking. Did you make that or did you purchase..if so how could I purchase..I live in Vermont... thank you
Thanks Eric - I built the kit here in VT. Thinking of making more soon. Shoot me a message at hi@cameronhrussell.com if you're interested! Thanks for watching and for your kind words!
Cameron, any word yet on your Alltrack platform as far as purchasing one of these. Touched base with you a while back... are you ready to sell this set up? If so place let me know. Thank you, Sir
@@ericcarlson3499 still interested? :)
@@chrussellvt yes Sir...what are you looking for....?
I wish i had the craftmanship to do that !
Thanks for the kind words :)
Hey Cameron - Very impressed with this build. I also have a grey 2017 VW Alltrack and I have been dreaming of building a platform like this for some time now. I would be very interested in purchasing a version of your platform if you would be willing to make one. I’m also an east coaster so I would gladly come scoop it when ready 😁
Thanks Tyler! Good to hear from you. I'm actually in the process of sketching up designs (possibly simplifying a bit by doing away with the 3rd seat in the video and making more storage compartments.) If you're interested in being kept up to date, I actually made a Google form to track interest, and it'd be great to get your response to that if you have the time: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXMIbpV3T1z0t5qrG0MSmvxGDp9GmZfziy4-xvDrWg6Bm-OQ/viewform - Lastly, I think I can definitely make copies of the kit, but with time and cost of wood these days, I'd prob need to charge ~$2,000 - this would include everything, including coating with a natural polyurethane, installation in the car, etc., but wanted to be transparent about that!
@@chrussellvt Sounds real cool, I’ll def sign up to follow along, I would love to see where you take this idea! Good choice on leaving the third seat alone, this was one of my main critiques on the original design. Keep up the great work, can’t wait for the next video👍🏼
@@chrussellvt Hello , Is there a place where I can get/buy the designs for this? Very nice build, I would like to have the same in my car. Greetings from Slovakia !
😮 this is amazing do you still do this? I have a GTI and I'd be willing to take the passenger seat out to be able to stretch out full length. They're basically identical Dimensions just shorter behind the rear seat
Hey! Thanks for the comment - I do photo and video work professionally, but happy to chat about the build. I do now have CNC plans for it that could likely be adapted to the GTI - I'm sure you could sleep in it if you were serious about getting rid of the passenger seat :)
@Cameron Russell I don't know about fully removing the passenger seat. If there was a way to make it modular so I could have the seat in sometimes and take it out other times that would be optimal! Making this set up to where I have to remove the passenger seat wood probably be more hassle than it was worth (Autobahn Edition with some electrification) especially if I want the car to look normal while I'm driving around town. 🙃 the idea of sleeping in my car is appealing if I'm on a day trip and decide to spend the night somewhere (planning ahead) or if I'm out in Chicago and I could just leave my car in the parking ramp to go back and crash in the car and head home in the morning (nearly 4hrs). The rear seats are relatively easy to remove. I think I'm just going to push the seat as far ahead as I can get it and lay a piece of plywood in the back that goes up to the back of the passenger seat and see how much space it gives me. I've tried to lay in there before but that Gap I couldn't really get it to where I could lay down and really feel the space out 🤔 the end goal would be more likely to include a hitch and a small cargo trailer conversion 😁. Having 2 seats wouldn't be something I'd really want to compromise for overnight trips, I just want something I could put in place of the back seats, plug and play kinda
Hey Cameron - Really great build out. I also have a VW alltrack and have watched your video a few times. Do you have any updates or modifications you've made after using it for a bit?
Thanks so much! I honestly haven't really made modifications, but the one thing I'd love to maybe change is the fold up mechanism for the platform that holds down behind the front seats. I think these hinges might work at least for the larger passenger side section: www.amazon.com/Sumnacon-Sturdy-Folding-Shelf-Brackets/dp/B07BT44C1D/ref=sr_1_19_sspa?crid=1JSX6V3VS8GTO&keywords=table+hinges&qid=1642720747&sprefix=table+hinges%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-19-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEySlJLRDVWUlIzUk02JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjk4MTMzM083NDg2MUQ5U0VNQSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTUyOTc4Mk0yWk9QNVVJUVlRNCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
@@chrussellvt Thanks - super helpful. Those do look like good hinges. Have you kept the camper in the vehicle or have you removed it and replaced the back seats? Did you sketch this build up first or did you just design and build as you went?
@@SuperHiggy123 Hey Paul - I took it out and put the back seats back in for the winter. And I basically designed/stenciled as I went. It's all made with circular/jig saw and the kreg jig system to hide as many screws as possible. I may measure it and sketch up some drawings to be able to cut out parts on a CNC router, before re-installing it in the spring.
The other thing is the spare tire. That compartment is quite deep. I'd been thinking of removing those covers and utilizing that space for storage (or water) under the bed platform and moving the tire and jack to the roof.
@@SuperHiggy123 yea, that could be cool! I just removed all the pieces of trim to allow for the storage space just above the tire, but wanted to keep the tire in it's spot below the kit.
wow wow wow this is incredible. how much do I need to pay you to help me build this out for my 2019 all-track lol. I’m planning a PNW road-trip with my dog this summer and this set up would be so key
Haha - well, you're writing at the right time! I'm planning on making my first refined copy of the kit in the coming weeks.
Where are you located? If you're interested in a kit, feel free to shoot me an email at hi@cameronhrussell.com and I see what I can do!
I just need a place to store my rear seats 😂
haha - yes, I guess that is a consideration :)
You still making these??
I could maybe! Where are you located?
Hi nice video I would like to purchase if it’s possible I have vw alltrack as well
Where are you located? Feel free to email me at hi@cameronhrussell.com if you are interested!
What wheels are those?
Konig Runlite 18x8