Attempting to Live in my TINY Car - Cheap Car Camping Conversion
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- I’m converting my car so I can live on the road! This is Car Life...
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Attempting to Live in my TINY Car - Cheap Car Camping Conversion
Would highly recommend getting some wind deflectors for your front windows. When sleeping you can open the windows without water getting in, but allows air flow in and out the car. Saves you getting so much condensation on the inside👌🏻
Good thing you don't live in canada.
Deflectors Don't help for bugs lol
- You can't sleep in a Polo, it is impossible!
- Hold my tea mate.
G'wan Alex, properly branching out on your own. Was weirdly pleased to hear you'd met a nice girl, and a very international relationship too! Vienna is a nice city, you're right. I'm like you and prefer the countryside, but went to Vienna many years ago when a friend's parents were living nearby and it was one of the nicer cities I've been to. That cabin in the Alps just looked amazing in the snow. Be wary of the leisure battery, they do emit hydrogen when in use, and make sure it always stays upright: Many years ago when I worked on the roads installing and maintaining weather stations, I used to have 4 of the buggers in the back of the car as spares for the solar powered stations and one of them tipped over somehow. The acid leaked out and ruined the interior of the car. I know the modern ones are better sealed but still worth being careful. You could also add a small solar panel to your setup to top up the leisure battery when you're not using it.
How to adjust volume
Get a double memory foam topper then fold it in half for a mattress, should help not getting a bad back. Also maybe black out your rear windows for some privacy and no sunrises waking you up to early. You can also pick up moisture dehumidifier from the £1 shop that are small which should help a bit. Looking forward to your journey 😁
What you need is a battery isolator solenoid(from the 4x4 accessories places) and battery cables from the cars starting battery all the way to the leisure battery. Then it will charge really fast off the cars alternator while you drive. An added bonus is that you can start your car from the leisure battery in an emergency by engaging the solenoid without even opening the bonnet, from the drivers seat.
Thanks James, that's helpful info!
Alex I would suggest that if you intend to leave a permanent leisure battery in there then have it wired up correctly with a split charge relay or you risk flattening both batteries when using the leisure one
And get an AGM or Gel battery as they are sealed and designed to be used inside a vehicle
@@tomt6020 Good point.
@@tomt6020 👍🏼
Hey, I've been sleeping out of the trunk of a car while going on adventures several times and learned some things along the way. Hope it can help you!
First off, if you are planning to sleep with all doors closed etc it is very well worth it to get a vent or similar that lets air in and moisture out of the car without letting rain in.
If you plan to sleep with doors open (probably trunk) when it's warmer, create some sort of tent/awning solutuion that applies to the trunk door itself. Mosquito nets can be implemented here as well, a real life saver when summer camping here in Sweden atleast.
Also, you should probably look into the possibility of carrying a water tank. Maybe behind the drivers seat under the folded back seat?
Excited about the vids to come :D
Cheers for all the info!
@@just_alex This guy said a whole lot of stuff that I totally agree with and have learned from experience! I bet you go to a van eventually though!
@@patchthesinclair5896 Thanks! It's all about being able to sleep well, and air quality combined with too warm or too cold temperatures make out alot of it. The moisture is something most people don't think about initially.
@@imraduin It soon becomes clear though! 😳
Alex, I don’t think you realise your charging needs. Get your self a usb socket for the battery, build it into the cabinet. Charging is going to be a problem, get a SPLIT CHARGE RELAY and take power from the alternator. Your inverter will use plenty of your battery amps. It might be an idea to plug your inverter into your cigar lighter and only use it when the engine is running. Although your battery might be 100 amp hours you can only use a maximum of 50 before it will need charging, these batteries don’t like getting drained down too low too often. Even mains charger you have will take a long time to get a fully drained battery to full as in 24 hours.
Hi Alex, You can always add a roof tent or roof box to the polo if space starts to become a issue as I had a corsa many moons ago and travelled Scotland fishing with a roof tent on my car it was amazng especially in the summer, all the best in the journey ahead 🙂👍
Love this new journey Alex, wishing you the best of luck. Im sure a lot of the ‘Carl and Alex’ followers will join you on this journey, not just because they are interested in the content but just because you are such a genuine likeable guy with a passion. Keep up awesome work
Thanks so much!
Along with extra ventilation, securing the battery, fire extinguisher etc I would highly reccomend tinting the windows for some extra pivacy at night.
Really enjoying these new vids where you are branching out and doing your own thing. I love this sort of content!
Very cool vid Alex, I recommend a nice rooftop tent for your car, they make travelling a lot easier and are also very easy/convenient to put up.
I came to post the same suggestion!
i was thinking that myself make things much easier i think,,x
I've been a TH-cam creator and consumer for years, and I'm quite picky in what I watch because I don't want to be mindlessly consuming. I just got off work after 9-10 (overworked today in tech) and googled "living remotely" cause I once saw a TH-camr living off the grid and me being from Mumbai, India and recently moving to NYC, USA. I'm so used to crowds, and this USA tech is beyond scary. I came across your living in mountain video (day in life) and you are VERY CALMING and are literally me as I was before becoming somewhat chaotic. I feel grounded seeing you and wanna get back to YouTubing too
Alex what a brilliant video mate. I know easier said than done, but I wish you had more confidence in yourself! Embrace life because you’re smashing it, over the moon to hear you’ve got a girlfriend. Loving this channel already 👏🏻
All the comments here are really good but this one is the best.
100p should rip the seats out completely and put a cheap plywood base in and get some cut foam to size then build cheap cupboards to fit
Nice idea, I just don't want to make any permanent changes to the interior as I will still need to take passengers occasionally.
Great to see you come up with a plan and figure it out. Waiting to see how the camping goes!
Austria looked incredible!!
I know this is 2 years ago and you've probably figured it out by now. I just wanted to see how you made a flat surface to sleep on but I have a few tips, some repeated I'm sure. I use rechargeable batteries, similar in size to a car battery, bit smaller and much lighter, called Jackery Batteries. They are all digital and more powerful when it comes to electronics. Also, not a fire or burn hazard. I also use a sheet of plastic bug netting and strip magnets, pull them out of an old fridge, so you can have the window open for ventilation and not get bugs. You can also add a roof rack and container to store stuff.
Get your self a split charge relay kit basically one end attaches to your car battery and the other end to your leisure battery. That will automaticing keep your leisure battery topped up.
Loving the videos Alex, and at least I don't need to remember who is who any more 🤣 keep it up, you're doing great things
I admire your enthusiasm, Alex. As a couple of others have said, you definitely need to:
1. Get a fire extinguisher.
2. Secure that battery so it can't move around.
3. Get some window vents or your bedding will get damp with condensation over time.
Well done Alex your enthusiasm is a breath of fresh air good luck and so pleased to hear you have a lady in your life can't wait to see all the adventures and videos to come take care and stay safe 😊
I imagine it going something like this,
mum: how nice of you to come for a visit
Alex: I need to use your hoover, my car is dirty
mum: 😶🙄
Good look with the adventure looking forward to the next installment
I've watched you and your brother for years, and will now watch you both as you've both become part of my life, just like many others. If you don't get on with your blow up bed, try a caravan franchise, they have small sized mattresses to fit caravan s mate. Wish you all the best in your adventures, and ps a little bit of fly fishing for survival meals wouldn't go amiss lol
The bedside table is a reason to rewatch this year in and out.
Loved the part about the hair , your girlfriend and the traveling to Austria / Vienna. The car transformation was simple but made everything allot better if you wanna do this challenge. Can't wait to see the adventure. Wish you the best Alex ;)
Glad you liked it!!
put a rack on the top of your van with at least 300W of solar, and put a small herb garden on the top of the van. Make a streamline green house for herbs that sits on the rack .
You are the only one I have notifications on for thanks for the great trip
I went to Walmart and bought a king size 6 inch foam pad that I cut a mattress out of for my Vee berth on my boat. You need a plywood base and a foam mattress from Walmart. Cut it to the size you need.
You need one of those Jackery units you can plug into the cigarette lighter and charge as your driving.
Hey Alex a good idea to give you more storage is get some roof racks for your car so you can have storage on top of your car.Aswell if you got a foldable table to go on top of the roof racks so you can do your cooking outside of your car just and idea for you your doing amazing!!!
road is better when there is also a home return to!
You can set up an automatic watering system for your vegetables. My grandfather has one for when he goes away. They aren’t too hard to set up and it’s super reliable!
If he went for Hydroponics he could grow many interesting plant, lol.
I did 3 months birdwatching\hiking on the outer Hebrides sleeping in my old style fiesta, I also spent 6 weeks in a Renault Cleo again birding\butterflying\hiking in Bulgaria and Greece. It's a great way to keep costs down..offers great freedom as well, but you do want to feel safe and comfortable (I never thought I'd be happy about being short!) I didn't bother cooking, I lived on cold tinned peas, tomatoes bananas, bread and stuff bought from road side sellers, I must've hit Bulgaria in cherry season, awesome! Good luck man. And that's why they call it electrickery in Cornwall!
I'm the kind of guy who likes to prepare thoroughly before starting anything, but I found out that if I'm delving into something completely new which I know little about, it's usually better, for the most part anyway, to get a solid base and don't go overboard with expensive equipment and all sorts of gear, because only experience will teach you what you will actually need and what is going to be superfluous, which in a situation such as yours with limited space can quickly turn things into an annoying mess.
Once you get an idea of what's important to you, what you don't really need, what might help you stay more comfortable/safe during your trip, you can engineer better suited living arrangements if you will!
Too bad you couldn't get on straight away with your trip, but as you say, things such as sleep are massively important and to make the whole experience enjoyable you'll need proper arrangements.
Glad you found someone to share your adventures with aswell and Austria is a beautiful country, rather close to where I live too.
Thanks for the update mate, looking forward to more, take care!
Thanks for the message. I agree with you on that!
Nice one Alex .something really different to watch & interesting 😄 can’t wait to watch more 👍
Plenty more coming soon!
Man... I was sceptical at first when you started your own channel but you really bring an interesting vibe. I like it, the videos are interesting and almost scary at times 🤣 And the production is just next level
I appreciate that. Thank you!
If you get a 12v battery you'll need to get things that run on 12v or buy an inverter that converts 12v into 240w (I think that's right?) Then you can use your usual electric items on the battery. Also you can connect the spare battery to your car battery so it's always charged. It will charge when the cars running with all the extra power put into your car battery from the alternator. Hope that helps. I lived off grid in a large caravan for years. The battery part is pretty simple.even for a girl like me. 😊
Loving your new videos Alex 🍻
I know I’m miles too late, but if I was doing this (and I’ve come so close), the easiest way to get decent electrics, battery, and mains is just to buy a Jackery or similar. Ok, not cheap, but an all in one (safe) solution. 🙂
2022 is going to be memorable year alot of change and it looks very promising for all the best
I ditched my wee citroen for a megane estate, Had the windows blacked out professionally for sleep and keeping the dog cool and perfect for my wild camps in Scotland. I don't even have to bother with a tent, have a cool box for the milk & grub, two stoves etc etc. Remember, don't overthink it or you'll end up with the kitchen sink, just take what's needed for the first two nights and pick stuff up on your travels. All the best Alex.
Thanks!
Cracking vid Alex can't wait for more adventure's 👍🏴
Thanks!
12:08 I feel u bro
Awesome, freedom awaits...I’m sure someone has probably already mentioned this (can’t find my glasses to read comments) but the little red cap on sides of battery is for a ventilation pipe to be plugged in.. batteries need to be ventilated 👍
Good luck with the future. Looks like it will be a steep learning curve!
Great video
I would recommend
A fire extinguisher
Move battery behind the driver's set to get more space
A split charger to charge the leisure battery from car when driving
£100 max installed
An finally some insulated window covers
All the best and looking forward to future videos
Thanks for the info!
Here is a better idea for you. 1, get a roof rack for your car
2, get some 12mm hard bord that is longer than your self and the width of the roof rack
3, cut wood into three along its width and fit hinges so you can fold the timber into three
4, get some 1x1 timber and cut four equall lengths same length of the hight from the floor to the timber place one on each corner these make the out rigger l legs
5, erect your chosen tent ontop of the boards and screw a mug hook in the pegging points
This makes a great car tent simler to what they use in Africa safari.
Vienna and it's school of art have a lot to answer for!!
Great video
Loving this channel Alex good luck on the adventure.
Thanks!
Trade your car in for a small. Vw caddy van it will have much better space buy a normal single mattress to sleep on in back and seat on
some old plates will do as a bed frame Alex
That’s a good idea. Thanks!
Smart thinking Alex
Great watch and love the enthusiasm
Nice and have fun. Don't forget to secure the battery 😉👍
Brilliant Alex .love your Bee hive
Your mushrooms ect This channel is going to be something special too..ripping the seats .
OCD @ the mess .drove me mental I wanted to hoover it out properly for you
Keep up the great stuff .I can't wait for more
Sorry about the dirt, I really didn't do a good job of cleaning it out! haha
This is content I can get behind! Keep doing this!
Thanks!
Investing in a bigger car, like a vw caddy maxi like i have, is a good choice.
I have a full size bed in the back(140x200cm), made a table that is across the bed end, i can pack my fishing gear with me, even a bike on the trailerhook.
I can even have a top case on the roof if i want.
Many options for a comfortable way of travel and sleeping😉 maybe you should concider it?
I use foldable boxes to carry my stuff...
So if they get empty (like the box with food), i can fold them
Big respect alex 👏 just a council estate boy from London watching your vids 💯
Cheers!
Love it got Carl for my fishing and u for the adventures
i did my first car camping in November, drove from south england > lake district then to scotland John o Groats, car camped at john o groats car park, best sleep ever aint lying, iv got a estate so room wasnt an issue! am so buzzed cant wait to do more this year and NC500!
Ok, I've started watching from the wrong end so I already know about the bed build, but if you wanted to, you could have left the front seats in: with the passenger seat as far back as it goes it will fold forward and tuck under the dash. The back seat bases are able to fold into the footwells and your boot floor has two positions so would come up. It's not totally flat but the bed build would be easy, and the car goes back in a few mins.
Just something for anyone else looking at doing this...
So I have just got to this channel as we have a small travel campervan channel and wanted to take back up fishing so now subscribed to this and your brothers channel …. Weird how paths occur … you need a campervan lol. Watch life is too short they will give you loads of tips
Thanks for tuning in!
i absolutely love your creativity i bet i could sleep and eat there.good luck!
You could have just reclined your front passenger seat and kept the boot for storage. I have slept in that position several times. You can plug the battery in your cigarette lighter port to keep it charged up. Good luck on your adventure.
Hi Alex! I knew we lived close to eachother, but I didn't realise how close until I saw the train station and Halfords! I've been watching you a while now, I'm a big fan, and I was re watching with video as I am going car camping tomorrow :)
What a rad drone shot to start the video off right!
Cheers.
Ok so the first comment i posted was around 5 minutes in to the video but now after watching it all Alex I'm slightly worried, that battery should be secure in a vented area and especially not so Close to where you are sleeping, also you need it wired up to the car or connected to a solar panel to keep topping the charge up or it will die quick with the things you are going to use it for. Another thing is utilising the space you have properly, in the boot of the polo you can see it has slots and ledges on each side where you put that piece of wood because that's for a false floor to sit in and bring it level with the back seats dropped so if you buy one of them not only will it mean you can get rid of the wood and the bed will be perfectly flat the amount of storage you get underneath it you could fit so much and its all hidden out of site. Please have a look mate "polo false boot floor" i promise you will not regret it.
Can you tell I don't have a clue what I'm doing! Thanks for all the info! Appreciate it!
Love the video! I would recommend laying with your head towards the front of the car. If you sleep with you head below other parts of your body, you’ll have a lot of blood flowing towards your head. Pretty uncomfortable and you might pass out when getting up too fast. You can always try to level your bed, that’s never a bad thing. I would love see this as a video series!
Thanks for watching and cheers for the info!
That hair look is the best you can get. I am cutting my hair for over 10 years now and as you said, it is super quick to wash, no need for hairdryer or anything. And while you dont have to go to the barber you are even saving money and time.
and good look on your adventure. had to laugh when you came up with the idea with your polo transformation. I also do car camping with my girlfriend in my VW Tiguan where we kind of camp like you.
Stay safe, keep being yourself and a lot of fun for your journey 🤘
Hey dude, for a half decent mattress, you could get a single memory foam mattress and cut it to your desired size 🤟🏻 keep rocking it geez ✌🏻
ALEX, BUD. You deserve a camper. Grab one. Drive it to Austria and surprise the Mrs. The van will pay for itself. You’ve worked relentlessly since 16 years old.
Cheers, I might do that at some point...
Really quick and easy conversion, I like it! I would have bought some wood and built my own interior, but it doesn't seem necessary at all. :) But instead of the battery you could buy something like a Jackery with a solar panel and you don't even need to know anything about elictricity. It's a bit expensive but totally worth it.
Cheers for the info.
Love the accent and relax spoken makes the story telling like listening to a polm
I respect one of those last camera shots because your head is gone back and get the camera lol the one where you drive out of that corner you don’t like 😀
Definitely need a van ! Live comfortably, solar panel on the roof for the battery more storage double bed built on top of long pull out draws ext
Looking forward to these vlogs bro! 👊
Some excellent comments already made so I'll just have to throw my quids worth in. First: ALEX!.......with a GIRL!......just teasing. When it comes to space for your gear and you, you don't necessarily have to go for a van. I'm 6'5" tall and so I could use my car as a quick overnight 'bivvy' I bought a Ford S Max. I'll tell you this, I have never regretted it. The seats all fold flat in seconds, they have tons of room in the back and if you leave the back set of seats down it gives you the capacity to transport 4 adults in comfort with all their luggage. Just another idea for you to ponder. Keep up the good work my friend.
Cheers for the comment and info!
Loved this instalment Alex. Hope this adventure goes well, and can’t wait to hear how it goes. Stay safe and enjoy!
Thanks!
Awesome buddy…. Looking forward to your camping trips ..I’d get a Ridgemonkey for cooking, they take up no room as the handles come off &go inside …I use them on our camping channel . We have 3 different ones plus cast iron Dutch oven .. all the best cheers Chris & Sam
" i went to my parents cuz they have a vacuum cleaner" isn't that something everyone should have ? and the way you said it sounded like it was something extraordinaire xD
I don’t do much cleaning you see.
I'd add some privacy screens that would stop people peering in as your sleeping! Would also help keep out any ambient light from streetlights and reduce heat loss through the windows!
Nice idea. :) Although I'm going to try to find places to camp away from busy places. :)
Good luck with your new branch I will be support the whole way through 👍👍
Thanks Tristan, appreciate it!
@@just_alex no problem hope all is well and goes well 👍
Great stuff Alex, thanks👍
I work in a hospital and the perfect mattress would be a mattress for a patient trolley. They are removable and have a fold near the middle so you can sit up with back support
Kettlewell national trust car park Cumbria you can park right next to the lake best view I've ever encountered on opening my eyes !!
I've seen a car camping vlog about a guy sleeping in his beatle. And you are doing really well
You can buy custom size pieces of memory foam from Dunelm Mill. Just grab a piece and cut it to size and wrap a bedsheet around it
Cheers for the info!
Possibly converting it not into a van, but a truck? There us a lot of truck conversions on youtube, you can also go to a foam store and get foam for the matress cut to your specifications
So if Glamping is a thing are you Cramping.. 🤣 u are a legend i will definitely be watching. Go on lad
If you look at the polo boot floor you'll see it can be raised to a higher position to make your boot floor flush
I have a powerbank that has 12v AND 220v output, i can charge it with a solar panel.
So i can charge my phone, drone , laptop etc.
I also can power a heat blanket for the freezing nights, cook water with it
You should put your battery behind the drivers seat footwell. it will be much more secure there.
Hi Alex.
Quick tip for you: when your ribs&back will get tired of that uncomfortable inflating matress you can simply buy a 100 cm topmatress fold it in half and use it for sleeping. I think it will make a huge difference for your longterm spine health conditione.
Wishing you all the best and all the fun in the world for your future adventures.
Cheers, Adrian!
Cheers for the info Adrian!
Good luck Alex on your new adventures☺
Thanks!
You need to make sure that battery is tied down somehow, if you crash and that is loose it could kill you or kill someone else if it’s exits, it’s basically a cannonball
nice to see your black trainers and lovely black socks too trainers had nearly no tread left on bottom was lovely to see how worn they are
:D
Roof tent Alex. Some great suggestions 👍
I was living in my corsa for a month. 😁 You need back and side tinted windows. My corsa, just take back seat out and turn it perpendicular. It acts as bed. I sleep with my head next to the back boot and feet rest on the front seat folded forward. I am shorter, a mere 6''2.
Tinted window film, limo dark. Put the film on window yourself. £8. 😁
My landrover had a sleeping accessory bed thing where 2 people could sleep very comfortably in the back. Great car for camping
This is indeed impressive
I love it
Thxs for sharing
Yep, 'slept' in many an airport, bus shelters, under bridges, in chilly tents etc. etc. Uncomfy is bad, no mattress, no sleeping bag, cold, hungry, wet, lost yep done all of the above.
Liking the car tent suggestions too. A whole new World opened up to you Alex, like I knew it would be. All the best mate. Cal
Oh Alex, you could have made a storage lift up bed and used the small gap as storage.