Nice to see a practical cheap camper. Much of the 'conversions' seem to want to become space capsules, totally self-contained units, suburban houses on wheels. I recently got a Mazda 5 mini-minivan, very similar to the 2007 Pontiac Vibe (rebadged Matrix) I owned. The Vibe had worn out too much for road trips (240k miles), always liked the flat platform with the seats down, etc. The Mazda is about 10 inches longer, sliding side doors, and removing the middle and rear seats creates a nice space. Enough room behind the passenger seat for a mattress. Nowhere near as reliable as the Toyota, but should work out ok. I think of the Mazda 5 as a tent on wheels, not an apartment on wheels. Not sure why people are so focused on having it all inside when traveling. I thought the idea of travel is to see new places and people, be outside, etc. Oh well... Spending $500 rather than $50,000 buys me a lot of camping sites and truck stop showers if I want :) The slide out cabinet organizers are a great idea. Might be just what i need to finish the storage on mine.
@@12DanDaniel yes, cheap and minimal is what I was going for. I don’t need to have everything-just enough to have basic comforts and get a good night’s sleep. For me, there is a kind of zen to traveling with just the essentials that bring me a lot of peace.
@@pompoms404 good idea, but I think my next step is going to be to build a box out of wood instead of just using the cardboard box again. But I want to build it so I can take the box apart and store it when the car isn’t in camper mode.
Thanks! And yeah, having the slide-out capability for the water and stove meant that I didn't have to set up a table outside my car in order to cook and access to water was super simple as well. It may not sound like a big deal, but in terms of ease of use it is huge, and it allows for much easier functionality in "non-camping" camping locations.
This is great! thanks for sharing your ideas. I have a matrix too. Can you share a link to the the slide out cabinet organizers so I can know the size you used? Thanks!
I did a camping setup in my Mazda CX5 which is a very similar size, but I'm not happy with my Exped mattress because of the wheel well. Love your ideas! Can you provide Amazon links for the mattress and cabinet insert? Don't forget to sign up as an Amazon affiliate (if not already), so you can get a few pennies for anyone like me who is interested in getting the same (or similar) products you've got!
I too keep my snacks next to me when I am driving. But I learned by a driving instructor that the police can ticket if noticing someone driving while doing a "non-driving" task. Now when I'm passing a state trooper or police in town I make sure hands are on the wheel and not one on my sandwich😉.
Great job. That cabinet organizer gives me some ideas for my current build. You must’ve had a great time camping with that setup.
@@AdventureGearTV Thanks! Yes-It was fantastic!
That’s very clever! Thanks for sharing!
@@tzengoddess Thanks!
Nice to see a practical cheap camper. Much of the 'conversions' seem to want to become space capsules, totally self-contained units, suburban houses on wheels. I recently got a Mazda 5 mini-minivan, very similar to the 2007 Pontiac Vibe (rebadged Matrix) I owned. The Vibe had worn out too much for road trips (240k miles), always liked the flat platform with the seats down, etc. The Mazda is about 10 inches longer, sliding side doors, and removing the middle and rear seats creates a nice space. Enough room behind the passenger seat for a mattress. Nowhere near as reliable as the Toyota, but should work out ok.
I think of the Mazda 5 as a tent on wheels, not an apartment on wheels. Not sure why people are so focused on having it all inside when traveling. I thought the idea of travel is to see new places and people, be outside, etc. Oh well... Spending $500 rather than $50,000 buys me a lot of camping sites and truck stop showers if I want :) The slide out cabinet organizers are a great idea. Might be just what i need to finish the storage on mine.
@@12DanDaniel yes, cheap and minimal is what I was going for. I don’t need to have everything-just enough to have basic comforts and get a good night’s sleep. For me, there is a kind of zen to traveling with just the essentials that bring me a lot of peace.
Loved my Mazda 5!
Thanks for the video. What a fantastic build .🎉🎉 If you find your cardboard box weakening you can paper mache to add strength. Thanks Gaylene
@@pompoms404 good idea, but I think my next step is going to be to build a box out of wood instead of just using the cardboard box again. But I want to build it so I can take the box apart and store it when the car isn’t in camper mode.
WOW you did a great job with a small vehicle. Nice the slide out shelves for kitchen and water storage, well done!!
Thanks! And yeah, having the slide-out capability for the water and stove meant that I didn't have to set up a table outside my car in order to cook and access to water was super simple as well. It may not sound like a big deal, but in terms of ease of use it is huge, and it allows for much easier functionality in "non-camping" camping locations.
Nice job! the slide out for the kitchen looks great, with water! Enjoy your tripsl
@@5inSUVtraveling thank you! 🙏
Genius cabinet idea! love your set up!
@@judylowe2688 thanks!
Cabinet organizer, great idea
@@suzannezivari9203 thanks!
This looks very simple, organized and doable. Thanks for sharing.
It is doable, for almost anyone! Glad you found this helpful.
Awesome ideas! I have a Tacoma I’ve been using for same purpose and always looking for new ideas to fit into the space and are affordable! 💕
Glad you got some value from this! I spent months planning this build, and hope I can save other people some time and headache.
This is great! thanks for sharing your ideas. I have a matrix too. Can you share a link to the the slide out cabinet organizers so I can know the size you used? Thanks!
@@joystream thanks! Yes I will post links soon! 😊
@@unadrake wonderful! thanks!
The links are now posted in the description--thank you for your patience!
I did a camping setup in my Mazda CX5 which is a very similar size, but I'm not happy with my Exped mattress because of the wheel well. Love your ideas! Can you provide Amazon links for the mattress and cabinet insert? Don't forget to sign up as an Amazon affiliate (if not already), so you can get a few pennies for anyone like me who is interested in getting the same (or similar) products you've got!
@@mkatyo yes I will try to get the links up within the next couple of weeks. Glad you enjoyed this!
The links are now posted in the description--thank you for your patience!
I too keep my snacks next to me when I am driving. But I learned by a driving instructor that the police can ticket if noticing someone driving while doing a "non-driving" task. Now when I'm passing a state trooper or police in town I make sure hands are on the wheel and not one on my sandwich😉.
@@joanndavis4843 I will keep that in mind! 👍
Links to items I used in the build and on my trip are now posted in the description. Enjoy! Thanks for watching.