Camp in subaru forester

With a little creativity and some elbow grease, you can convert your little daily driver into an off-road adventure vehicle.

For an entire year I worked as the in-house photographer for a custom camper van company and wow did the vanlife bug hit me hard — but I had absolutely no way of affording a van. I had even got a chance to try out vanlife, and I loved the idea of being able to road trip for longer, sleep WAY comfier than camping, and having all my things with me. I decided to embark on a Subaru Forester camper conversion — making my car into the ultimate cozy camper. It was a WHOLE lot cheaper than diving into vanlife and it has easily become my preferred method of camping. Disclaimer: This blog post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and make a purchase — at no extra cost to you! I only share things I genuinely love and think my audience would love too!

Camp in subaru forester

Log in. Sign up. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I'm looking to use the car for solo - hopefully with some new equipment and potentially mods - and couples camping. I'm looking to take a tent and things to camp, but also to sleep inside the car itself. I know roof tents are a thing, but they're still prohibitively expensive from what I've researched. Does anyone have any experience with this? I've measured up the back on the Forester with the back seats down for space and I fit perfectly at an angle; I'd be looking to get a double roll mat to soften the floor, and the obvious camping gear. I appreciate this is a pretty niche subject and area of interest, just wanted any input if there was any knowledge here or any input from others. Thank you for your time.

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The idea was planted several years ago when we met a couple road tripping through East Africa with a rooftop tent perched atop their Land Rover. We never stopped talking about it — the possibility of exploring off the beaten path and setting up camp wherever we wanted was too enticing. So while it seemed like everyone we knew was converting a camper van and loving that vanlife, we went another route: We turned our daily driver into an awesome overland vehicle! We went with a Subaru Forester Limited Edition. The key to getting a good deal? Getting a rooftop tent took all the worst parts out of camping! We went with the High Country inch rooftop tent from Freespirit Recreation.

Join us Here is how to do it easily with the gear you may already own , and a couple of other cool accessories. If you get a bike roof rack carrier, you can mount the mountain bikes on top and you are ready for the trail this spring. You can easily turn your Subaru into a campsite. We found a company that makes cool gear for your Subaru that helps you turn your vehicle into a comfortable and convenient sleeping spot within minutes. The company is Luno Life and their signature product is an air mattress that is made specifically for your Subaru Forester, Outback, or Crosstrek. The mattress fits perfectly behind the front seats when the back seats folded flat. They are made of durable Oxford Nylon fabric and you can take your furry friends with you on the camping trip as they are pet-friendly for easy cleanup. Get away from the madness.

Camp in subaru forester

While swank resorts and roadside motels have their place, a lot of adventurers are choosing to go to sleep and wake up in the wilderness they planned so thoughtfully to get to. And the numbers of campers are growing, year over year. In , Kampgrounds of America Inc. KOA released its fifth annual camping survey with findings that camping has exploded in popularity over the last half decade. An estimated 7 million new households have started camping since , with about a million new households packing a tent in alone. New campers are more diverse than ever: For the first time in five years, campers from multicultural groups represented the majority of newcomers to the camping scene. While the survey shows that traditional camping — in a tent, RV or travel trailer at a campground — still represents the biggest group of campers, the future of camping is pointing in the direction of those who want to push beyond the conventional campground farther into the wilderness, and they want to do it with the help of their vehicle. Shelter, for our purposes, includes anything that can provide cover for a night spent in the wilderness. One step closer to a tent is a bivy sack , which is kind of like a sleeping bag with a tent with mesh covering for your head and padding to make sleeping on the ground a bit more comfortable. This type of camping also allows you to camp in areas that would be too small for a traditional tent.

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For his bed, James created a wooden platform in two pieces. Honestly, the roof is your only limit Log in. When she is not writing or traveling, Breanna can probably be found at home reading with her cat, exploring and photographing different places in Central Florida, or continuing her search for the best coffee and tea shops in the Orlando area. Having an extra battery extends both how long you can stay out on any given trip, and the seasons in which you can comfortably camp. Our second battery is hidden away in a compartment behind the back seats. Our particular tent will fit on any Subaru that has roof rails and most other SUVs, trucks, and station wagons as well. I have seen posts here on the forum, where people have decked out the cargo space for sleeping, and it seems to work well for them, but I always wonder where they keep their stuff when they go that route. Join Us! For the bed itself, Nicole and Matt used a foam mattress topper. Planning a van build? He outfitted the SUV with all-terrain wheels and tires and a one-inch lift kit, amongst other updates that help protect the Forester while off-roading.

This article is written by Benjamin Perri.

JavaScript is disabled. We also installed heavy-duty rear springs King KSRS that allow us to carry more weight without the vehicle sagging. Read this next! Home Blog Toggle child menu Expand. Check out our comprehensive guide to the best small camper vans on the market. They cost a bit over bucks US. All Years - Sleeping in the back merged thread Mike. First Name Email Join the Newsletter. I was thinking I might flip the sleep rotation so that I can dive in the side. The Rhody Foody wanted to dip his toes into the vanlife lifestyle before investing in a van or an RV, so he took his Subaru Forester and converted it into a camper. I have a friend that made a storage drawer set up for the back of his Crosstrek and - while it was removeable as needed - it was secured in place with straps and hooking up to other cargo tie-downs in the rear space. On top of all the previous modifications, Aaron also installed:.