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.

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!

• 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

Stay tuned for full car camping packing list, coming soon! In the meantime, check out my full list of recommended car camping gear here.

Winter Road Trip Adventures in the National Parks of California – Yosemite, Sequoia, & Death Valley

Spring Break Destination Guide: Photograph the Beautiful Landscapes & Beaches of Charleston, South Carolina

Northern Florida Travel Guide: The Underrated, Adventurous Corner You Need to Explore