Has anyone converted their Nissan Xterra for camping? Taken the seats out and made a sleeping area with small kitchen? I want to take my Xterra traveling and camping and think it would be cool to use it as a camper.
Converting Xterras for Camping
bewitched76
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A friend sent this link to a Swiss company (SwissRoomBox) that builds equipment pods that you can place inside darn near any vehicle to turn them into a camper replete with sink, stove, hot shower, tables, chairs, and bed.
http://manneli.com/movies/tech/Swiss-RoomBox.html
http://www.swissroombox.com/swissRoomBox-home.html
The first link has a video that shows it in action (unfortunately the hot Swedish girl does not come with the unit). This would be a fantastic addition to the X....that is until you see the price. If my math is correct, you would have to spend between 8 and 9k to get this setup.
http://manneli.com/movies/tech/Swiss-RoomBox.html
http://www.swissroombox.com/swissRoomBox-home.html
The first link has a video that shows it in action (unfortunately the hot Swedish girl does not come with the unit). This would be a fantastic addition to the X....that is until you see the price. If my math is correct, you would have to spend between 8 and 9k to get this setup.
Ok here are my 2 cents to this threat: I use my 1st Gen. Xterra mainly for camping & fishing these days and figured out my systems over the years.
I use a "stock" xterra (no lift) for my camping trips and I do not have any problems getting into remote camp sites in British Columbia and I mean remote - remote.
I do not sleep in my truck because the 2nd row seats are not really flat, doesnt matter if you remove the seat or not. I use a marmot 3 person tent (it works only with 2 persons) with ThermaRest slipping mattresses. This provides me the ability to have the tent away from my campsite / truck due to possible bear issues. I actually do not have anything in my tent except sleeping bag & mattress and the BIG cans bear spray. I leave my day clothing in my truck because of the smell. Any smell including toothpaste could attract bears into your tent.
I keep all my gear in rubbermaid boxes (only rubbermaid believe me), that provides me the ability to move my gear around during the day and to lock it up during the night.
I usually have my canoe on the roof, my gear for 3 - 7 days wilderness camping, stihl chainsaw etc in the truck and my hitch cargo carrier for the rest. The cargo carrier works great for gathering large amount of firewood outside of your camp site!
My only modifications to the roof rack are 2 used extra cross bars, this provides me an almost flat area to tie down chairs etc. if I head out without a canoe.
In my experience a more flexible light system works better in remote camping spots because you never know the layout of your camp site. Light is King and believe me my truck is loaded up all the way to the roof. I guess the replacement leaf springs with 5% increased strength are in favor to me
Adrian
I use a "stock" xterra (no lift) for my camping trips and I do not have any problems getting into remote camp sites in British Columbia and I mean remote - remote.
I do not sleep in my truck because the 2nd row seats are not really flat, doesnt matter if you remove the seat or not. I use a marmot 3 person tent (it works only with 2 persons) with ThermaRest slipping mattresses. This provides me the ability to have the tent away from my campsite / truck due to possible bear issues. I actually do not have anything in my tent except sleeping bag & mattress and the BIG cans bear spray. I leave my day clothing in my truck because of the smell. Any smell including toothpaste could attract bears into your tent.
I keep all my gear in rubbermaid boxes (only rubbermaid believe me), that provides me the ability to move my gear around during the day and to lock it up during the night.
I usually have my canoe on the roof, my gear for 3 - 7 days wilderness camping, stihl chainsaw etc in the truck and my hitch cargo carrier for the rest. The cargo carrier works great for gathering large amount of firewood outside of your camp site!
My only modifications to the roof rack are 2 used extra cross bars, this provides me an almost flat area to tie down chairs etc. if I head out without a canoe.
In my experience a more flexible light system works better in remote camping spots because you never know the layout of your camp site. Light is King and believe me my truck is loaded up all the way to the roof. I guess the replacement leaf springs with 5% increased strength are in favor to me
Adrian
Something like this http://www.campingshowerworld.com/helton-vehicle-shower-kit.html for showering and a good filter for potable and a jet boil or good ole Coleman stove small tent a box to put it in/ use as table. Bang ready to go
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I was just searching the forum trying to figure out the best place to post a FREE giveaway of a custom made storage box/camping kitchen setup for a first generation Xterra when I came across this mention. Hey, that's US!
Yep, we drove our 2004 from San Francisco to Panama (10,000 miles) without a single problem (with the truck, hehe) and blogged about it at http://www.advodna.com/p/sf-to-panama.html. She served her purpose admirably, but alas, we bought an Airstream trailer for a little more room for our first kid and the V6 X just wasn't up to the task. So, the truck's been sold but we still have this camping kitchen gathering dust and would love to see someone make some use out of it. Instead of copying and pasting, I'm gonna link over to Expedition Portal for some pics and info. Feel free to get in touch with questions.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...um/threads/112262-Sold-the-Xterra-Anyone-want-my-kitchen-storage-boxes-(1st-Gen)
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How much could you have?! We had everything we needed for 5 months on the road packed in there!
Just kiddin'. Everyone's got their own "essentials" and different goals for their adventures. I certainly learned a lot about traveling light(er) and packing efficiently having to fit everything in.
Just kiddin'. Everyone's got their own "essentials" and different goals for their adventures. I certainly learned a lot about traveling light(er) and packing efficiently having to fit everything in.
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That swiss box is pretty cool
But its really geared towards one specific type of travel. Swiss travel maybe.
It doesn't look very rugged, and i wonder how much weight it can hold
Like is the bed strong enough for two heavier people and is it long enough.. And can the table hold a 7 or 8 gallon water container, and the style of cooking is limited..
The best shower ive ever seen was in a new Chinese "bread van", that was showcased as a travel van at an auto show.. it was a container of water mounted to the back lift-up gate with a circular rod over it with a plastic curtain on the rod that folded up and bundled up against the gate like a package.
All you did was lift the rear gate up, unsnap the curtain and it would fall almost to the ground and then open the water and gravity would feed the water through the shower head and you could stand under your gate and shower in complete privacy. Not sure if it was heated though.
I converted mine to live out of, I took the seats out (Which is extremely simple) and added a bed with storage underneath. I do not have a stove set up but I do have a stove I take out to cook. I live out of it full time. If you are interested I made a video the other day touring around the whole thing.
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I love the cabinets you built! They would be great to have even just to keep in the back of the truck if you don't live in it. I love the custom sewing jobs. Trying to learn how to do that myself. All in all, you did a great job of fitting a whole lot of stuff in a relatively small space!
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Sweet ride, I love it
What happens when you take the entire back seats out? It lays so flat with just the bottom of the seats out. What did you do with the rear cargo area?
And how did you attach the pipe bracket to the bed? Is it just screwed straight in with sheet metal screws without bolts?
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Have you thought about a roof cargo box to store extra outdoor gear etc?
I have the skinny Kuat roof Rack that is great for keeping a couple giant dry bags in while you sleep, or firewood covered with a tarp + shovel, paddles etc, and you can fit a skinny Yakima roof box right beside it.
If I slept alone I'd totally go for the side cabinets you've built.
Do you have screens? I just made some for the front and back side windows, just in the process of sewing them up for the final step. I'll post how I did those, essential in the summer man. I'm about to go pick up a couple of tent fans for the inside that just need batteries
Also, I have a 5-in-1 portable power pack I got from Harbor Freight you might consider so you can jump your own car. Just supposed to charge it once a month but I've had mine in the X for over a year without charging and its still fully charged. I just charged it again. Started my dead X in about 5 minutes of charging it. You can get a car charger for it so you have a way to keep it continuously recharged on the road. Also has Air, lights, Inverter, etc. I have it right between the two front seats just behind the center console. Might be worth finding a place for it.
So when you take the seats out there is just more space. It comes off with a few bolts. The rear cargo area is still accessible and has jumper cables and some emergency things in it. To access it I just take the drawers out, remove a pipe that helps support the bed and the panel slides right out. The pipe in the front is screwed onto a piece of metal that is screwed onto a piece of wood, which is screwed to the bed. The piece of wood is angled. The piece of wood makes it so the pipes are more out of the way and the pipes sit nicely in a little crevice in the corner. I can remove the entire set up by unscrewing the pipe from the metal piece and sliding the whole setup out the back.
I hope that all makes sense, I am going to take more pictures of my set up pretty soon and I will try and get some close shots of those pieces.
I have a roof storage box at my parents home in NY but I decided not to bring it because I had more than enough room for my own things. If I had more stuff though, that would be a great option for more storage, almost like a gear closet on top! I do not have screens because the bugs aren't bad here in Salt Lake City. I may make some though just incase. One note is that I do have rain guards on my windows which are super nice if it rains I can still keep my windows cracked for ventilation. I do have a car charger in the back right section, I point towards it in the blooper part at the end. It has, like you said, air, lights, inverter, etc. It is also nice because I can plug it in to the lighter plug in the back to charge it when it needs it.
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Ah I'm in Salt Lake, I thought you looked familiar, I've seen you somewhere, I swear I've talked to you before.
Mosquitoes are going to be bad everywhere this year, apparently. I've heard people at Yellowstone are recommending the head mosquito nets just for walking around.
I don't go south much though, I'm mostly around the Unitas. Then you have moths, and those giant flying ants that crawl in your mouth etc.. Turn on a lantern for any amount of time and everything that flies will be in your car/tent.
Mosquitoes are going to be bad everywhere this year, apparently. I've heard people at Yellowstone are recommending the head mosquito nets just for walking around.
I don't go south much though, I'm mostly around the Unitas. Then you have moths, and those giant flying ants that crawl in your mouth etc.. Turn on a lantern for any amount of time and everything that flies will be in your car/tent.
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I got the O2 Cool 10" fan. Its pretty huge, reviews say it runs close to the 40 hours it claims. That's like 5 days.
I hooked it up through the front side cargo hook I replaced the overhead handle with, then ran it up to the roof rack then ran another cord from the back to the roof rack to angle it downwards. This way it can draw from the cooler outside air. I might get one for the other side, but its a huge fan and I think it'll probably be plenty.
I hooked it up through the front side cargo hook I replaced the overhead handle with, then ran it up to the roof rack then ran another cord from the back to the roof rack to angle it downwards. This way it can draw from the cooler outside air. I might get one for the other side, but its a huge fan and I think it'll probably be plenty.
I am at Liberty Park slacklining a lot or I climb a bunch too, maybe you saw me at The Front (Where I frequently sleep) or Momentum (Just got a job at the Sandy location).
Do you live out of your X full-time as well?I got the O2 Cool 10" fan. Its pretty huge, reviews say it runs close to the 40 hours it claims. That's like 5 days.
I hooked it up through the front side cargo hook I replaced the overhead handle with, then ran it up to the roof rack then ran another cord from the back to the roof rack to angle it downwards. This way it can draw from the cooler outside air. I might get one for the other side, but its a huge fan and I think it'll probably be plenty.
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Maybe Liberty Park? i go there sometimes to watch the slackliners... fall from epic heights.
and by "slacklining" we mostly mean the drum circle, right?
And by "drum circle" we mean smoking pot, right?
And by "pot" we mean marijuana, right?
Are you just living out of your X because you just came from NY and are getting situated?
Why not go stay up the canyons?
hard staying in the city.. Are you going to still stay in it now that you're working at momentum? Or is it a minimalist lifestyle?
We only live in it on vacations, maybe a month total a year, plus most weekends, except winter
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And what do you have going on with your front passenger seat? Is it a fold flat? Have you thought about taking it out and putting in some tower storage or something?
My front passenger seat goes from being fully functional to folding down and is the same height as the bed. I haven't thought of changing that because it is nice to be able to have passengers.
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