Subaru Forester Camper Conversion: How I Built My Car Camper
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.
I made a video on how I built out my Subaru, and I had a ton of comments asking for more details, so I’m sharing how to build a car camper – everything from materials, cost, car camping necessities, and more so you can live your best car camping life too!
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! This is one of the ways I’m able to keep making these free resources and guides for you. Thank you so much for your continued support! Learn more about my affiliate policy here.
Subaru Forester Camper Conversion: How I Built My Car Camper
Why Build a Car Camper
If you have an SUV and you can just lie the seats down flat, why bother with a car camper conversion? For me, it came down to a few key points:
Build Goal: Have More Storage Space
The Subaru Forester is a smaller SUV and it’s actually a lot shorter than similar SUVs so maximizing storage was a huge goal for my camper conversion. I wanted extra storage under the sleeping space so I could fit my camping gear. Bonus, my camp gear basically just lives in my car now so it saves me time packing on my next trip!
Build Goal: Full-Size Bed
If you’ve ever tried to sleep in the back of your Subaru Forester as a tall human, you might have realized you don’t quiiiiiite fit. I was constantly putting the front seats forward, but then having this awkward gap under my head, so I needed an extending platform that would ensure I had a full-size bed I could fully spread out on.
Build Goal: Keep it Cheap & Simple
There are a TON of different builds you could do for a Subaru Forester camper conversion. I personally had limited tools, woodworking skills, and budget, so keeping the build SIMPLE, effective, and cheap was the way to go. I wanted the build to not take a lot of time so I could get out on the road sooner, and I wanted it to be as cost-effective as possible so that it made sense to build it out.
Materials & Cost for My Subaru Forester camper conversion
- Build budget: $200
- Materials: $174.78 at Lowes for plywood, carpet, staples, screws, staple gun, hinges, & Shellac
- Bins: $19.18 at Target for two clear storage bins
- Tools: measuring tape, sander, sanding paper, drill, saw, 2 sawhorses, safety glasses, gloves, ear protection, pencil (all already owned, so double check if this will factor into your own build)
- Optional: foam
- Other costs: see list of car camping necessities below
Build Layout
I kept the build very basic: a large platform supported & lifted by columns of wood underneath, with two hinged pieces that could fold back. Underneath the platform would be three vertical columns of wood, between which the plastic bins would sit. I added two extra horizontal columns under the platform that would sit on the folded down seats that would run perpendicular to the other columns (just what worked best to be sitting on top of the seats).
On top of the platform I’d add carpet to have a bit of a softer surface and help protect the wood and my gear from splinters. I kept the seats in my car – honestly for ease of having my car be fully and quickly functional if I pull the platform out. If you take the seats out, you’ll have more room on the sides to store things, and you will just have to modify the columns.
Build Process
I measured the space in my car and created a little sketch to keep track of the design. Next was heading to Lowes to buy the materials I needed. I was lucky we already had the tools I needed, so I just had to get plywood, carpet, staples, screws, hinges, and Shellac. I ended up buying long hinges to add some extra support to the hinged pieces.
Back at home, I lofted the platform piece on the sawhorses. I measured, measured again, and marked where the cuts would be in pencil. I used a hand saw to cut the wood but if you DON’T have this and you are super organized with your measurements and plans, you can have them cut the wood at Lowes. I cut out the two hinged pieces and made sure the length and width were correct on the platform. I had thicker pieces of wood for the columns, so those got cut down to the correct size as well.
I sanded all the edges after cutting – which is optional, but it definitely makes it nicer so that your gear doesn’t get caught on wood splinters, and in case anything shifts in your car, those rough edges won’t scratch up the inside of your car.
Next, drilling pilot holes (also optional but helps the wood not splinter and makes screwing easier). I screwed in the 5 columns, and then attached the hinged pieces. I made sure the hinged pieces were working the way I wanted, and then I Shellacked the entire platform build to protect it from any potential water damage from going in and out of the car on adventures (water damage can cause the wood to swell). I let the Shellac dry for 24 hours before continuing with the final steps.
The final step was putting the carpet on. I used a staple gun and long staples. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped and in the end I had to use a mallet to get the staples in properly. Once the carpet was set, I checked the fit of the platform, made final adjustments, and made sure the hinged parts were working properly. I ended up putting in a layer of foam on top of my back seats to protect them from damage from the weight of the platform, so I had to adjust the height of the two horizontal columns.
Not pictured: I ended up adding some extra support to the hinged pieces a few weeks after completing the main build since I was worried about how much weight they could handle. I got eyelet screws and put two on each of the ends of the hinged pieces (eyelets face up when hinged pieces are folded back). I tied heavy duty string to the eyelets and threaded the ends through a little piece I found that clips to the two metal parts of my head rest. This piece tightens down, so when I’m ready to sleep, I unfold the hinged piece and clip each piece to the headrest (two clips per hinge), and tighten the string. In the morning, I just unclip, fold the hinged pieces back, and I’m ready to go!
And that was the build! I tacked it in two separate weekends, but you could definitely jam it out on a weekend if you are ambitious. I had help with the build since I was less familiar with some of the tools, and it was definitely helpful to have an extra set of hands to hold pieces together. You could definitely do this build on your own, although some parts would definitely pose more difficulty than others.
An extra option for this build would be to divide the platform into two pieces horizontally, so that the middle piece can stack on the back piece to allow you to put the seats back up without fully taking the platform out. I don’t usually ever need more than two seats in my car, so leaving the platform in one piece (+ hinges) made sense for me.
Read this next!
Car Camping Gear Necessities
- Window covers/shades: these are the ones I use, highly recommend paying the good-quality Weathertech ones (make sure they fit your car make/model/year!) because they help immensely with insulation, as well as privacy.
- Sleep pad: I bought two one-person sleep pads from Exped (you and your adventure buddy/partner can inflate to their level of comfort), SUPER comfy! But there is also a two-person size as well if that’s easier
- Sleeping bag and/or blankets like this one or this one (the more, the better; car camping can be very cold at times!)
- Pillows: you can bring some from home but I’m lazy and I like my pillows to just live in the car eternally so I got these camp pillows
- Table: I use this small one since I didn’t need much, and it folds up flat so it takes up hardly any room, double bonus!
- Camp chair(s): I have 1-2 in my car depending on whether I’m traveling solo or not. Nice to have somewhere to sit outside the car!
- Cooler: especially nice for longer trips
- Camp stove / Jet boil / cookware / knife / etc
- Optional (but HIGHLY recommended): Jackery portable power station (pictured above) + solar panels – this has been an absolute GAME changer for car camping for me. I can charge my phone, laptop (yay remote working), a heated blanket, cooler, hot water heater … the possibilities are endless
- Optional: lights
- Optional: car roof box for more storage on top of your car
Want a the ULTIMATE car camping pack list? Read this blog post next:
Read this next!
I hope this answered all of your car camper build questions but if I left anything out, leave me a comment below! And let me know if you end up doing a car camper build too, I would love to see it!
TL:DR: here’s the Subaru Forester camper conversion build video:
18 Comments
Submit a Comment
More adventures
Where to Stay in Dublin, Ireland: The Ultimate Neighborhood & Hotel Guide for First Timers
Wondering where to stay in Dublin? Discover the best neighborhoods and my favorite hotels for every budget, plus essential tips for visiting Ireland's capital!Dublin is one of those cities that absolutely enchants you! One minute you're wandering cobblestone lanes...
Ultimate 5 Day Costa Brava Itinerary: The Best Beaches, Hidden Coves, & Medieval Villages on Spain’s Underrated Coastline
Hidden coves, medieval stone villages, and Dalí's surreal seaside town – this is the ultimate Costa Brava itinerary for anyone craving Mediterranean magic without the crowds of the Balearics. It’s truly the MOST underrated coastline in Spain!Let me tell you a secret:...
Hey I’m Rebecca!
I’m a travel & outdoors photographer, blogger, and content greator living in the US but you can find me adventuring around the globe! On this blog I share tips to help you improve your photography, inspiration and advice to explore the outdoors, destination guides, travel tips, and more to plan your own adventures!
Categories
Photography
Destinations
Travel
National Parks
Recent posts
2 Week New Zealand South Island Itinerary: The Ultimate Road Trip for Adventurers
The ultimate New Zealand South Island itinerary for adventurers – two weeks of epic hikes, jaw-dropping fjords, turquoise lakes, and more waterfalls than you can count.If there's one place on Earth that lives up to ALL the hype, it's the South Island of New Zealand....
Where to Stay in Dublin, Ireland: The Ultimate Neighborhood & Hotel Guide for First Timers
Wondering where to stay in Dublin? Discover the best neighborhoods and my favorite hotels for every budget, plus essential tips for visiting Ireland's capital!Dublin is one of those cities that absolutely enchants you! One minute you're wandering cobblestone lanes...
Ultimate 5 Day Costa Brava Itinerary: The Best Beaches, Hidden Coves, & Medieval Villages on Spain’s Underrated Coastline
Hidden coves, medieval stone villages, and Dalí's surreal seaside town – this is the ultimate Costa Brava itinerary for anyone craving Mediterranean magic without the crowds of the Balearics. It’s truly the MOST underrated coastline in Spain!Let me tell you a secret:...
Hey,
This looks incredible! Looking at doing a similar build for my Forester, which I think seems to be a similar model (same colour too!). Can I ask – do you just climb in and out through the side doors?
My car doesn’t seem to have a way to open and close the back. I was thinking I might flip the sleep rotation so that I can dive in the side. Bonus is that the hinged part doesn’t have to support my heavy head.
Hey, thanks so much for the comment! I can and do use the side doors to climb in and out (in addition to the back but I use the side doors more often). It can be a little tight so you can consider building the platform lower to make entry & exit easier. Either way swapping the sleeping rotation is also an option! Good luck with your build, I’m excited for you!
Hey, where do you put the cooler? Do you use the big yeti cooler or do you find a smaller one to put in the front seat?
I’ve got the RTIC Soft Pack Cooler for shorter trips and a large hard-sided cooler, both of which do fit in the front seat, or on top of the platform while traveling with two people (which is then moved to the front seat at night).
Inspiring build! Gonna try something similar on my 2013 Forester. Thank you.
So glad you found it helpful! I’m excited for your build 🙂
Great intel here! Wondering what year your Subaru is? I’m thinking they may change a bit year to year. The little extra piece at the top of the bed looped to the headrest is genius.
They definitely do change a bit year to year, usually nothing too dramatic but sometimes Subaru does add or subtract features, and measurements & sizing might vary. So for reference; mine is a 2018. I just saw the 2024 and I think the measurements should be similar or VERY close, so I would recommend doing a quick measure on your own to double check. Hope this helps!
Hello! I just got a 2024 Forester and I am wanting to do a build out. I have slept in my car on just a mattress on just one side needing the other side for storage. I am wanting to do a build out so i can store stuff under a platform and create a full sleeping area but I feel like it might be cramped. Just wondering how much space do you have between the top of your mattress and the roof of the car? Thanks!!
Hey, depending on how thick your mattress pad + blanket set up is, it’s around 21 inches (a bit shy of two feet!). It definitely can feel cramped so one option could be to do a half build – use half for storage and half for sleeping (sleeping half just being the seats folded down + sleeping pad, while storage half is the platform). You’d be able to store both on top and below the platform in that situation if you divide it in two and sleep on the non-platform side. Hope that helps!
How about access to your spare tire?
It’s now basically inaccessible unfortunately. I’d recommend getting a hitch spare tire mount, something like this one.
The spare tire compartment is just a flimsy board material in my forester. How did you not have to reinforce the trunk bottom to accept more weight? I thought of this but fears the board in my trunk would give out. Did you build a floor reinforce from plywood that we can’t see?
Nope, so the boards running underneath the platform distribute the weight across the ENTIRE back of the car, so both on the seats and in the trunk area
Awesome build Rebecca. Do you think this would be doable for 2 people and 2 medium sized dogs? How much extra space you have in the bed?
Thank you! It definitely fits 2 people but I think it would be quite cramped with 2 medium sized dogs as well :/ I’d recommend measuring out this duo sleep pad that fits the build – might be a good way to visualize the space better! But there’s honestly not a lot of extra space on the bed (that being said, if you are used to camping with the dogs and they fit in the sleeping bag space with you, it could work!).
Hi Rebecca, I used the same basic design as yours, and it works great in my 2018 Forester! However, I split the assembly into two separate pieces length wise so I have two identical sections that lie side by side inside the car. This enables easy removal and set up and most importantly, allows the two sections to fit inside each other for storage, taking up a lot less room in the garage.
The carpeting is loose so I just lay it on the top of the two sections when the system is installed in my Forester. I also have a T-shaped support for the folding head rest extensions when they are in use. I had a 2-piece foam pad made for sleeping that fits on the passenger side, and I load the cooler, tent (for on-site storage), portable table and other gear on the driver’s side. The Coleman stove and 5-gal water jug live on the floor behind the passenger seat, and my inflatable kayak fits behind the driver’s seat. An awning mounted on the roof rack serves to provide shade and rain protection. Super-perfect camper conversion! Platform build was under $100 in 2018.
That sounds AMAZING! Literally the best setup, well done! So glad this helped and that you could take it and make it even better to fit your adventures perfectly!