I had a RAM Promaster City that I camped out in. It died and I needed a car, quick. Got a Kia Soul, but my heart still yearns for my City. The idea of successful car camping in my Kia never seemed feasible. Until now. Thanks so much!
Oh this makes me so happy that camping can once again be possible for you! Although smaller, the Soul is very capable...and super stealth too! Happy Camping! 🙂 Also, we had the opportunity to see a very cool company that specializes in building out the Ram Promaster City. Beautiful build. I can see why you miss it. Hoping the Soul brings you joy too. ❤️ th-cam.com/video/YBJl93q0ofE/w-d-xo.html ~Teresa
This is by far the best tutorial. Thanks for being so thorough and easy to understand. You’ve given me a starting point when I can see success at the end. Happy camping ❤🎉🙏🌼
Oh this makes us so happy! It is always our primary goal to entertain and share helpful tips. Have fun with your buildout. I still camp in my Kia occasionally and LOVE it. If you have any questions etc, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're always happy to help! Happy Camping! 😊 ~Teresa (& Mark)
Oh nice! It makes me so happy when folks watch my video and it gives them inspiration. Hope you enjoy many camping trips in your Soul! Thanks for watching and subscribing! Happy Camping! ~Teresa 😊
I have a 2010 Kia Soul too! I'm not going to 'live' in it but I'm getting more accepting of the idea of sleeping in it. Warmer than the tent, for my October camping event! One thing, I've thought about removing the seat but I'm not sure that's a good idea because who knows, someday I might want to have passengers in back.
Hi! I love my Soul! And I agree...it will be a bit more comfortable than a tent. Yeah good point...if you ever plan to have passengers ride in back, you would want to keep your seats installed. At the moment, anyone who rides in my backseat needs to sit criss cross applesauce! LOL! Thanks for watching! ~Teresa 😊
I have the exact same2010 and color . I love this build ,very well done I have wanted to travel and get a van or an RV but I can't afford any of those. I'm70 years old . If I don't do this now who knows what could happen . I also just found your channel and I subscribed this was perfect. Thank you and I hope you are having fun and enjoy it
Hi! And welcome! It always makes us so happy when viewers find our content interesting and useful! This build was pretty easy and very affordable. (Especially if you have materials you could repurpose). Have fun with your build and happy camping! 😊 ~Teresa
Awesome job, love seeing what can be done in a small vehicle. Removing seats in the back really opens up the space. Like you I didn't want to adjust my driver's seat so sleep on passenger side. Nice tip about using part of belt to open back storage area. I want to be able to do everything from inside the vehicle.
Oh thank you! I'm so happy you were able to find some tips useful! I agree...being able to access things from inside is nice. Safety and comfort from outside weather keeps me inside often. Thank you so much for watching and happy camping! ~Teresa 😊
Hi! Actually on my build, the materials we used were a bit heavier than maybe some other choices. It kind of ended up a wash. But luckily it did not go up. LOL! And I love having all of that room for other things. Like hauling grain and bagged shavings for our horses. Win Win! Thanks so much for watching! ~ Teresa
Oh you are very welcome! We hope you found it helpful. We want folks to know that you don't need a fancy rig, or expensive buildout to have a great adventure. Thanks for watching! ~Teresa
We're so happy you found our information helpful. It's definitely a simple concept. Check back in to let us know how everything goes with your build! -Mark
😂 Hey, whatever works for you, right? This works the best for us, plus we can now use the platform for hauling grain and other farm supplies. Having a dedicated platform is definitely more versitiital for us. A folding camp bed with a little packing underneath would be a heck of a lot more messy and not practical at all for our application. The usable space would be difficult to slide bags of grain in and out. So, if this works for your camping setup, that's wonderful! That's all that matters is that we all can get out and camp more with what we have! -Mark
@OutOfOfficeCamping yes mate whatever works I don't need it for anything like you do so it's spot on for me and I've just got a boot tent that's great in warm weather can leave boot lid up and obviously the private extra room for changing etc cheers
Teresa also picked up a boot ⛺️. Totally agree really gives some nice added space with out braking the bank. Nice to be able to stand up or just expand the space. Her's takes a little bit of time, but for what you get at that price, it's hard to complain. She does enjoy having all the space with the plateforms. When she goes to the feed store, they get a kick out of how much stuff she puts in the back. She always says it's like a clown car because people don't realize how much space is inside. 🙂
I have the exact same car so finding this was… perfect. What are the dimensions of the back seat and trunk space after removing the seats? The area of the boards you bought at least
Hi! I'm so happy I have inspired others to try this. I promise you will not be disappointed. The overall sizes are 64" length, 42" +/- wide, 36" +/- height. Removing the rear seat gave us the extra headroom. Not to mention the weight savings. Thank you for watching! ~Teresa
@@OutOfOfficeCamping hi! So I finished the boards and wrapped them completely in carpet. I used the door hinge method for storage and reclining and I gotta say it turned out pretty well! My Kia soul is electric and I also incorporated a solar panel which is mounted using a roof rack. This charges a generator that powers a mini dryer, fridge, freezer, plug in induction stove, and car charging. I have a water tank with an air pump that creates water pressure, a filtration system, and a stick that heats the water to my desired temperature. I just refill the tank with river water! This really helped me create storage and space to sleep. My only expenses now are car insurance (working on getting a legal car insurance exemption using an emergency fund,) and local+organic foods. Just gotta food prep once a week to keep my Tupperware containers full for when im not near civilization!
How do you disable the interior lights on the soul while the hatch is open? I have a very similar floor build but sure would love to add space like you show here without draining the battery.
Hi! I am able to disable my interior lights by switching them to off (Dome light) and push the "door" button for the front cabin lights. For the hatch (trunk light), I removed the bulb. No bulb, no power drain. For me, it wasn't a necessary light. Hope this helps! And thanks for watching!
Yay! Happy I could help. I plan to do more videos. We have a full tour video coming soon, but also think a "Soulo" venture video is due. Small but mighty are we! Thanks again so much for watching! Happy Camping! 🚙 ~ Teresa
@garyhind1405 Nice, did you do the RaceChip, Dimsports, or the DTE? We did do a 3 inch lift on Teresa Kia with a spacer kit from Amazon made in Russia. Really helped give some better clearance. Have you done any shock up grades? I did some with my 2012 when I first got it. I put on the KYB not bad definitely gave the car a more grounded feeling in the curves. Heck of a lot more options now than then!
@OutOfOfficeCamping to be honest I don't know what it's called just remap it's now 150bhp and extra 40 torque goes well,was getting about 60mpg now near 70mpg not had any shock upgrades but thinking of wheel spacers take wheels out wider think would look cool,there good cars and I've had loads of motors
Hi! I tried to use small 3m hooks. The little clear ones. But they kept popping off, so I used a hot glue gun to affix the hooks and then hung the lights. So far they are holding well. Occasionally one will pop and I just reattach it. Hope this helps! Thanks for watching! ~Teresa
Hi! I use the Gaia Loop mattress. It rolls up easily and is super comfortable. It is also very reasonably priced. Here is a link to the product which has all of the information. Gaia Loop Thick Memory Foam Camping Mattress Sleeping Pad 72"×24"×3" fits perfectly! amzn.to/3vcqBTl We also put the link in the description below. Thanks for watching! ~ Teresa
Hello Jack, Yes, you sure can! I slept in 2012 Kia Soul a few times. It wasn't super conformable since the seat doesn't exactly fold flat. For Teresa, this setup works the best for her since she never needs the rear seat. By removing it, she has a completely flat space great for when she goes to the feed store to pick bags of sawdust and horse feed. Also, you may have missed it in the video, but the seat and plateform weight the same, so no weight was added. This was a complete wash. She also gains head room and storage space. For vehicle camping, this is a better solution than keeping the seats in for her. She has really enjoyed owning her KIA Soul for over 14 years. Happy Camping! Thanks for watching! Mark
@svsouthernstar The Kia is a super nice car. It's definitely a very affordable vehicle. Good MPG, lots of space in the back. Maybe not the best for off-roading, but as a daily driver, there's a reason you see so many of them on the road. Thank you for watching. ENJOY!!! - Mark (& Teresa)
@joonchoi3549 Keep in mind that the platform is 64" Teresa actually has a sleeping matress, which is 72" long. So when you push the passenger seat forward, you have more room. Teresa is 5'7". She said with her seat pushed up and forward towards the windshield, she would have about 6" of mattress running back up the seat back with pillow on that. She said she had plenty of room, plus you can also sleep on a bit of a diagonal. She did pick up the Nissan Xterra, and that has a bit more length. Plus, you can pick those up at a good price with low miles. - Mark
I'm confused by your comment. Please tell me you're joking, right? I really find the ProCarpenter Lefty/Righty amzn.to/3LjhYuw great to work with since you can read it from both sides. I also prefer to see all the smallest numbers since most tape measures don't have them. Not to mention, when I don't have my readers, I can remember the #. Plus, since I'm dyslexic it really helps me be better at my math. So if this is your reason not to take my advice, you should simply go with what works for you! - Mark
I had a RAM Promaster City that I camped out in. It died and I needed a car, quick. Got a Kia Soul, but my heart still yearns for my City. The idea of successful car camping in my Kia never seemed feasible. Until now. Thanks so much!
Oh this makes me so happy that camping can once again be possible for you! Although smaller, the Soul is very capable...and super stealth too! Happy Camping! 🙂
Also, we had the opportunity to see a very cool company that specializes in building out the Ram Promaster City. Beautiful build. I can see why you miss it. Hoping the Soul brings you joy too. ❤️
th-cam.com/video/YBJl93q0ofE/w-d-xo.html
~Teresa
This is by far the best tutorial. Thanks for being so thorough and easy to understand. You’ve given me a starting point when I can see success at the end. Happy camping ❤🎉🙏🌼
Oh this makes us so happy! It is always our primary goal to entertain and share helpful tips. Have fun with your buildout. I still camp in my Kia occasionally and LOVE it. If you have any questions etc, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're always happy to help! Happy Camping! 😊 ~Teresa (& Mark)
I love it. I have slept in my kia soul before. This is awesome.
Thank you so much! I actually really love camping in my Soul. It's very roomy considering its size. So cozy! Thanks so much for watching! 🙂 ~Teresa
2019 KIA Soul owner here. I love your KIA setup! Gives me some great ideas. Now subbed...
Oh nice! It makes me so happy when folks watch my video and it gives them inspiration. Hope you enjoy many camping trips in your Soul! Thanks for watching and subscribing! Happy Camping! ~Teresa 😊
I have a 2010 Kia Soul too! I'm not going to 'live' in it but I'm getting more accepting of the idea of sleeping in it. Warmer than the tent, for my October camping event! One thing, I've thought about removing the seat but I'm not sure that's a good idea because who knows, someday I might want to have passengers in back.
Hi! I love my Soul! And I agree...it will be a bit more comfortable than a tent. Yeah good point...if you ever plan to have passengers ride in back, you would want to keep your seats installed. At the moment, anyone who rides in my backseat needs to sit criss cross applesauce! LOL! Thanks for watching! ~Teresa 😊
You are a good speaker!
Oh thank you! I try really hard to be concise and not annoying. 😊 Thank you so much for watching! Happy Camping! 🙂
I have the exact same2010 and color . I love this build ,very well done I have wanted to travel and get a van or an RV but I can't afford any of those. I'm70 years old . If I don't do this now who knows what could happen . I also just found your channel and I subscribed this was perfect. Thank you and I hope you are having fun and enjoy it
Hi! And welcome! It always makes us so happy when viewers find our content interesting and useful! This build was pretty easy and very affordable. (Especially if you have materials you could repurpose). Have fun with your build and happy camping! 😊 ~Teresa
@OutOfOfficeCamping thanks Teresa
Awesome job, love seeing what can be done in a small vehicle. Removing seats in the back really opens up the space. Like you I didn't want to adjust my driver's seat so sleep on passenger side. Nice tip about using part of belt to open back storage area. I want to be able to do everything from inside the vehicle.
Oh thank you! I'm so happy you were able to find some tips useful! I agree...being able to access things from inside is nice. Safety and comfort from outside weather keeps me inside often. Thank you so much for watching and happy camping! ~Teresa 😊
Doing this to my kia,the back of the seat is heavy i think your car is probably lighter now,love the build
Hi! Actually on my build, the materials we used were a bit heavier than maybe some other choices. It kind of ended up a wash. But luckily it did not go up. LOL! And I love having all of that room for other things. Like hauling grain and bagged shavings for our horses. Win Win! Thanks so much for watching! ~ Teresa
Love it! Thank you sooo much for this brilliant concept! :)
Oh you are very welcome! We hope you found it helpful. We want folks to know that you don't need a fancy rig, or expensive buildout to have a great adventure. Thanks for watching! ~Teresa
We are so doing this !!!!!
We're so happy you found our information helpful. It's definitely a simple concept. Check back in to let us know how everything goes with your build!
-Mark
I didn't do any of that mess on just take out back seats and put folding camp bed in little packing underneath to level up job done
😂 Hey, whatever works for you, right? This works the best for us, plus we can now use the platform for hauling grain and other farm supplies. Having a dedicated platform is definitely more versitiital for us. A folding camp bed with a little packing underneath would be a heck of a lot more messy and not practical at all for our application. The usable space would be difficult to slide bags of grain in and out. So, if this works for your camping setup, that's wonderful! That's all that matters is that we all can get out and camp more with what we have!
-Mark
@OutOfOfficeCamping yes mate whatever works I don't need it for anything like you do so it's spot on for me and I've just got a boot tent that's great in warm weather can leave boot lid up and obviously the private extra room for changing etc cheers
Teresa also picked up a boot ⛺️. Totally agree really gives some nice added space with out braking the bank. Nice to be able to stand up or just expand the space. Her's takes a little bit of time, but for what you get at that price, it's hard to complain. She does enjoy having all the space with the plateforms. When she goes to the feed store, they get a kick out of how much stuff she puts in the back. She always says it's like a clown car because people don't realize how much space is inside. 🙂
So impressive!!
Awwwww! Thank you so much! And thank you for watching! 😊 ~Teresa
I have the exact same car so finding this was… perfect. What are the dimensions of the back seat and trunk space after removing the seats? The area of the boards you bought at least
Hi! I'm so happy I have inspired others to try this. I promise you will not be disappointed. The overall sizes are 64" length, 42" +/- wide, 36" +/- height. Removing the rear seat gave us the extra headroom. Not to mention the weight savings. Thank you for watching! ~Teresa
@@OutOfOfficeCamping hi! So I finished the boards and wrapped them completely in carpet. I used the door hinge method for storage and reclining and I gotta say it turned out pretty well!
My Kia soul is electric and I also incorporated a solar panel which is mounted using a roof rack. This charges a generator that powers a mini dryer, fridge, freezer, plug in induction stove, and car charging. I have a water tank with an air pump that creates water pressure, a filtration system, and a stick that heats the water to my desired temperature. I just refill the tank with river water!
This really helped me create storage and space to sleep. My only expenses now are car insurance (working on getting a legal car insurance exemption using an emergency fund,) and local+organic foods. Just gotta food prep once a week to keep my Tupperware containers full for when im not near civilization!
How do you disable the interior lights on the soul while the hatch is open? I have a very similar floor build but sure would love to add space like you show here without draining the battery.
Hi! I am able to disable my interior lights by switching them to off (Dome light) and push the "door" button for the front cabin lights. For the hatch (trunk light), I removed the bulb. No bulb, no power drain. For me, it wasn't a necessary light. Hope this helps! And thanks for watching!
Thank you so much! I’d love to see more videos of your soul adventures!
Yay! Happy I could help. I plan to do more videos. We have a full tour video coming soon, but also think a "Soulo" venture video is due. Small but mighty are we! Thanks again so much for watching! Happy Camping! 🚙 ~ Teresa
@@scoutsweeney9794 8:51 Enjoyed video, you mentioned 3 inch lift in another video would love to see that with product list. Thanks
Also got remap now 150hp even better on fuel
@garyhind1405 Nice, did you do the RaceChip, Dimsports, or the DTE? We did do a 3 inch lift on Teresa Kia with a spacer kit from Amazon made in Russia. Really helped give some better clearance.
Have you done any shock up grades? I did some with my 2012 when I first got it. I put on the KYB not bad definitely gave the car a more grounded feeling in the curves. Heck of a lot more options now than then!
@OutOfOfficeCamping to be honest I don't know what it's called just remap it's now 150bhp and extra 40 torque goes well,was getting about 60mpg now near 70mpg not had any shock upgrades but thinking of wheel spacers take wheels out wider think would look cool,there good cars and I've had loads of motors
Sounds like you're having too much fun 🤣. I definitely enjoyed owning my Kia Soul. Great car at an amazing value.
how did you hang the string lights?
Hi! I tried to use small 3m hooks. The little clear ones. But they kept popping off, so I used a hot glue gun to affix the hooks and then hung the lights. So far they are holding well. Occasionally one will pop and I just reattach it. Hope this helps! Thanks for watching! ~Teresa
@@OutOfOfficeCamping I love the use of them. Makes it more homey :)
So true, and that's why I did it. Plus, it's really nice light when you're in there doing stuff. Not to mention, simply fun!
- T
What do you use for a mattress? What are the dimensions of that?
Hi! I use the Gaia Loop mattress. It rolls up easily and is super comfortable. It is also very reasonably priced. Here is a link to the product which has all of the information.
Gaia Loop Thick Memory Foam Camping Mattress Sleeping Pad 72"×24"×3" fits perfectly!
amzn.to/3vcqBTl
We also put the link in the description below. Thanks for watching! ~ Teresa
You can soulander without removing the seats and adding all that heavy wood the seats fold down and you can easily put a matt inside and sleep
Hello Jack, Yes, you sure can! I slept in 2012 Kia Soul a few times. It wasn't super conformable since the seat doesn't exactly fold flat.
For Teresa, this setup works the best for her since she never needs the rear seat. By removing it, she has a completely flat space great for when she goes to the feed store to pick bags of sawdust and horse feed. Also, you may have missed it in the video, but the seat and plateform weight the same, so no weight was added. This was a complete wash. She also gains head room and storage space. For vehicle camping, this is a better solution than keeping the seats in for her. She has really enjoyed owning her KIA Soul for over 14 years.
Happy Camping! Thanks for watching!
Mark
Ima do this to my Kia - actually ima do this when I go shop for me one soon !!!!! So excited now !!!!
@@jackhollandjr6445 I’m keeping my seats in. What if I want passengers?
You are funny! Do you do stand up?
LOL! Ummmmm...thank you! That was nothing...you should see when I really get going! Thanks for watching! ~Teresa 😊
Independent Women!
LOL! Yes! Although I do still have Mark camp nearby...just in case. 🙂
I’m 5ft and just got rid of my Jeep Wrangler JKU and have found the Soul a better vehicle
@svsouthernstar The Kia is a super nice car. It's definitely a very affordable vehicle. Good MPG, lots of space in the back. Maybe not the best for off-roading, but as a daily driver, there's a reason you see so many of them on the road.
Thank you for watching. ENJOY!!!
- Mark (& Teresa)
64”… I’m 5’8” gotta find a longer car. Thx
@joonchoi3549 Keep in mind that the platform is 64" Teresa actually has a sleeping matress, which is 72" long. So when you push the passenger seat forward, you have more room. Teresa is 5'7". She said with her seat pushed up and forward towards the windshield, she would have about 6" of mattress running back up the seat back with pillow on that. She said she had plenty of room, plus you can also sleep on a bit of a diagonal. She did pick up the Nissan Xterra, and that has a bit more length. Plus, you can pick those up at a good price with low miles.
- Mark
I take no advice from a man who uses an easy read tape...
I'm confused by your comment. Please tell me you're joking, right? I really find the ProCarpenter Lefty/Righty amzn.to/3LjhYuw great to work with since you can read it from both sides. I also prefer to see all the smallest numbers since most tape measures don't have them. Not to mention, when I don't have my readers, I can remember the #. Plus, since I'm dyslexic it really helps me be better at my math. So if this is your reason not to take my advice, you should simply go with what works for you!
- Mark