Decked-Out (and Affordable!) Car Camper Conversion (Car Camping/Vanlife Tours)
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2024
- In this video we take a look at Lance's 2003 Pontiac Vibe (which is the same thing as a Toyota Matrix) to see how he took it from regular compact car to an adventuremobile with all the trimmings!
► Lance has a few videos showing the Vibe on his channel: / @lance307
DATE FILMED: January 2020
► Adventure Know-How: adventureknowh...
► The SUV RVing Website: suvrving.com/
► My online store (SUV camping/vandwelling/overlanding accessories & SUV RVing merch): KamchatkaGear.com
GEAR LANCE USES
** Renogy 100 watt solar panel (on Lance's roof): amzn.to/2SqRXOm
** Flexible 100 watt solar panel: amzn.to/3d0ralv
** RoadShower: yakima.com/pro...
** Yescom awning: amzn.to/2HZo0mF
** Window deflectors (sun visor shades): www.autoanythi...
** Window shade socks: amzn.to/2F8XFl6
** Coleman 1.5-inch self-inflating mattress: amzn.to/2I2EuKV
** Walmart's Ozark Trail 10 degree sleeping bag: www.walmart.co...
** Reflectix (cut to size to cover windows): www.homedepot....
** Little Red Campfire: amzn.to/3d8OrSs
** Dometic CC 32 fridge: www.dometic.co...
** Dometic CDF 11 freezer: www.dometic.co...
** House battery (not sure if this is the exact one Lance uses): www.walmart.co...
OTHER LINKS
** Gear I use: suvrving.com/gear
** SUV RVing the Book: amzn.to/2SUrtme (Affiliate link)
** The blog: suvrving.com
** The company I use for my web hosting: www.a2hosting.com?aid=5dd04ea50f139 (Affiliate link)
** Instagram: / suvrving
** My other UA-cam channel: / tenkaraaddict
#adventuremobile #vanlife #carcamping
Big thanks to Lance for sharing his rig with us! If you'd like to see more of his rig, he has a few videos over on his channel: ua-cam.com/channels/Y4q_ly-VQSa4ppWe9VhgDg.html
I have a 2007 Vibe in an America with $3+ gas it compliments my Toyota Sequoia perfectly.
How much room from the bed to the roof of your car when sleeping?
I like seeing these affordable rigs, especially a vehicle you don't see out there as often. Thanks for sharing.
Vibes prior to 2009 had a Toyota engine. We had three of them. They were the best cars. When our 2005 vibe was retired it had over 500,000 km on it and no rust on the underside even though it was never rust treated and dealt with Canadian road salt. It never required any major work. It was an awesome car for camping trips and traveling. The back went completely flat with no slope. Unfortunately, they no longer make the Pontiac Vibe or the Toyota Matrix :(
Pretty sure every year the Vibe was manufactured they used Toyota engines and drivetrains. In 2009 they offers that crappy 2.4 liter engine with the mis-designed cylinders/rings and consumes oil. The 1.8 liter engine is a tank. When searching used models always look for it
@@thebriarbee1610 2.4L is a very good engine and many many people have got well over 300K miles out of them. They just burn a little more oil, that's it!
They still make the corolla hatchback which is similar
This car is basically a Toyota Matrix, with a few styling changes.
Great information and inspiration for someone who only has a car but wants to get out and travel without spending large amts of money. Thanks
Love the road shower tubes...makes people ahead of you think you have bazookas on your vehicle, XD.
Robin Crook
Paint warheads on the ends. One facing back for tailgaters, the other forward for left lane hogs.
@@timdowney6721 lol, yeah!
Thanks! Another great video. Scotty Kilmer says the Vibe is exactly the same as the Toyota Matrix so that would make it an awesome dependable vehicle. Great simple build with solar!
That's an efficient and organized set up. I have a 2005 Pontiac Vibe with 150,000 miles on it. I'm either getting rid of almost everything I own and hitting the road or finding some kind of middle ground where I'm home six months and travel the other six.
Bravo.
I have a 09 Vibe which I have driven across Canada , rout 66 and many tours of the SW. Next tour will be the Dempster Highway to Tuktaktuk on the Arctic Ocean. I love my Vibe. In 11 years I have spent $900 in maintenance. (It's bullet proof.) People think I'm crazy. It's the price of freedom. George,Vancouver,BC
Why do they think you're crazy?
I'm impressed how the pallet worked out for aligning the bed, and provides an unexpected amount of storage.
I was too, I kept looking at it while at work and was like, that looks like it'll fit. I took it home and BAM it fit perfectly. Just had to screw on a flat piece so it would be more stable and works perfectly.
btw im a master mechanic and thats one of the best engines u can have the trans will go 500k the engine will go as long as u want it too for cheap
I agree. Only problem is these engines start to burn oil. I'm at 1quart of oil every 1000 miles. But I'm at 299,000 miles now and climbing
It's a Toyota matrix rebadged right?
The Vibe is a collaboration between Pontiac and Toyota. They were made at the NUMMI factory in Fremont California. I've owned 2 and have been driving a Vibe since 2004!!! Great cars 🥰
Agile Woodsman, my son in laws car died, my wife said why don't you give him your mint 05 Vibe and just buy a new Toyota? I did but still-miss that car. It's still going great.
My 03 Matrix is over 169K, and it still performs flawlessly. The only engine issues is the intake gasket, it needs replaced after 150K. It is a easy owner fix (if you have wrenching experience).
What a sweet guy.
And a pretty sweet set-up (although not really how I'd do it)
I especially liked the spare tire solution - that looks like a real game changer for a small living space
The electronics solutions were great too - some great tips there!
I'd have loved to see the underside, around that spare tire rig. I have a Vibe myself, and have often dreaded getting a flat, 300 kilometers down some back road, and having to limp to the nearest garage on that weenie little donut. I miss the days when full-sized spares were the norm, rather than the exception!
I love seeing the ingenious ways people set up their vans and SUVs. Nancy
Thanks for the video. I own a vibe AWD w/208k and a matrix w/232k. Great spacious vehicles, I can see how they make a great solo adventure rig. Lots of great ideas in this video. Thanks!
Thank you. If you need any ideas or tips how I did mine. Feel free to message me.
He's a young guy he can live like that. When you get up into your fifties you'd rather just have a van at least. But he does have a nice setup I really like it
Wow he certainly makes it work! Looks good. Thanks!
I love these tours! Thanks!
Oh, and First!
Great idea for the spare tire holder, it gives more storage space, plus that spare is a full size tire, not the smaller one supplied.
I have a Toyota Matrix that I want to turn into a camper. I plan to take the rear seat out to give more storage space under the sleeping platform I’ll need to build.
Hey that sounds awesome! You should upload a video when it's done. :)
This is a little undercover SUV 🎯✅🎯 affordable and spacious for me okay 👌😎👍 Thanks
Excellent build Lance! Thanks for all the inspiration. Upcycling pallet from work, awesome. Sunroof is cool, and you did creative, awesome problem-solving Lance.
Btw Pontiac Vibe is the twin car to Toyota Matrix. Same frame, same factory but Pontiacs were cheaper (but just as good as the Matrix!). Just like Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona.
After some dedicated YouTubing, trying to forget some personal sorrows, I'd settled on a Promaster City for 1/2 time "vanlife". But today I realized that I own a paid off Ford Escape, a small SUV. And my physical health requires 3 - 5 medical appointments a week, so "#vanlife" is too much, right now.
Since I'm disabled anyway and all I need is a bed (and my manual wheelchair fits in the front passenger seat) I've suddenly realized that this next year I oughtta just SUV camp before making drastic changes to my vehicle. And my life.
So I'm going to keep it simple, do a no-build like Lance, Tristan and Linda, while downsizing the belongings in my 500 sf studio until I can go full time. Now if only I can convince my boyfriend to go camping with me ;-)
I'm glad I was able to help in one way or another. :)
As someone who always carries a full size spare, I admire his spare tire rig! I'll be leaving S. Florida for Wyoming next week in a Kia Soul "camper".
Talk about getting it together and working for him wow.
This is a great video thank you so much! Some great ideas.
I've just checked on line and a national parks pass for 12 months is $140. That looks like a good deal!
The RTR is already on my bucket list.
A Jackery is a much easier system to use.
Those window things are called vent visors. I have them on my van.
My domedic is a combination refrigerator freezer all in one unit.
Awesome tour and setup, thanks!!!
Thanks for the bonus video. Lots of great ideas.
Nice job Lance, cool to see hatchbacks and SUVs that arnt the popular ones adventuring like this!
Thanks! Maybe I can get some propane from ya in the future
Awesome. I used to camp in my two Toyota Matrix (2003 & 2010). I'm watching all these videos to see what to do with all the extra space in my SUV. Thanks for showing the "car" camping model. =)
I’m doing this w a matrix rn!! There’s a matrix in the bg of this vid lol
Good ideas, especialy the 12 volt light switch!
I have a Pontiac ride that I converted into a camper I do like the roof rack water supply . I have a different setup.
ive camped and traveled in my 2006 pontiac vibe .. i have a bed a spare battery in the back and it was lifed 1.5 inches
I'm setting up my 2008 vibe to start camping by the end of the month, it really is a good car for this purpose in my opinion! Spacious enough, yet efficient
Cool. I’ve been tempted to get a “Four Wheel” pop up truck camper (the only obstacles being cost and availability). The awning and road shower would be great low-cost options compared to the factory installed hot water heater and awning.
I love the Pontiac Vibe/ Toyota Matrix. Especially, the AWD version. It's a practical car and fuel efficient. It's a very reliable car. You could get over 200K, easily with the right schedule maintenance.
Right I found one for under $4k might look into it
Nice setup. Enjoyed this video.
Thanks , was a very nice video , very well explained with details , I like his setup , I want to buy a vibe too , to built a micro van not exactly like that ,I caught some good idea
Perfect build. 👍👍
Really enjoyed this video! Thank you! 😉👍🇨🇦
I love my road shower!
Amazing what you can get to work.
Thanks to Lance. But I would really like to see what your own SUV is decked out like by now!
Thank you for the video. Have a blessed day.
I drove a Vibe as a company car, then the company switched to a Toyota Matrix (similar car). Both cars drove great. That was from 2009-2013.
I enjoyed watching this tour. I have a Honda CR-V.
Do you have any videos? I've got a 2006 CRV that I'm gonna use as my camper now
I have a 2008 Toyota Matrix which is pretty much the same vehicle as the Pontiac Vibe. This is giving me some ideas. I was thinking about upgrading to a cargo van. Maybe now I won't.
Based 100% Matrix and Corolla chassis, wheels even interior bits and bobs. Toyota 1ZZE 1.8l for the base and a 2.4l mill for the GT model. That and either a 5 speed manual or a bombproof 4speed auto trans. I just bought a 2005 with AWD.
I used to dismiss these cars til I made note of how many were still on the road ..
Smart move for Pontiac back in the day…I guess
This car(Matrix) was the second best set up I ever had. Toyota Previa awd was #1.
Pretty Neat!! Quick and concise!
Very nice! Such ingenuity!
Hey guys as an update. I do still have the Vibe and it currently has 324,000 miles on it. Original engine and transmission. I've converted it back to stock and only use it as a daily driver now. I have bought a 2006 Honda CR-V to use as my new cross country camper.
Wow. I have a 2006 Vibe at 188,000 and was thinking it was nearing the end of its life. Maybe not!
Wow, impressive, found an '07 stick shift with 110k miles, it's just a baby.....
You can make your own solar shower if you're on a budget
Friggin cool! Super reliable haha
Very nice set up. Your window visors are commonly referred to as window deflectors or rain deflectors. I recently bought a set for my Jeep Grand Cherokee. When I'm sleeping in my Jeep, they allow me to crack the windows for ventilation while keeping the rain out. How effective is your bug screen that you put over your windows? I bought a pair but have not had the opportunity to try them out.
They work pretty great. Not many flys in Arizona when I was there but occasionally they would come out of no where and the screens kept them out.
Tristin I'm currently building out a 2005 Vibe. My 04 Z71 just drinks to much gas.
I hope your little vibe gets lots of miles! My vibe in this video now has 325k miles. I only us it for daily driving. No more camping
🙏✌🇺🇸💞 Hope they can hold RTR this year. May God bless
Did he remove the back passenger seats or fold down? Does the front passenger seat fold down flat backwards or forwards? Thanks. This guy would be a great handyman.
The back seats fold forward to be flat all In the back. The passenger seat can recline back or fold forward to be flat as well. I modified my driver seat to do the same as my front passenger seat.
@@lance307 Wow! That was fast. The reason for asking is that I want to do the same bed setup as yours in my Jeep, but the front passenger does not go full flat. Have been considering removing the front seat. Thank you, and good luck on your travels.
If you don't ever plan on having a passenger, go for it. I got lucky and was able to keep all my seats. Although I could only have me and 2 passengers with my set up. I always try to keep it where I can travel with the option of 2 passengers. You never know who you may pick up.
@@lance307 how did you convert driver seat to fold forward/flat like passenger? Did you unbolt and replace with an actual passenger seat?
@@davidmason1043 yes and no. The passenger seat would not bolt up to the driver seat spot. I had to cut one of the legs off from the driver chair and weld it onto the passenger seat in order for it to bolt into place. On top of that had to swap the seat belt on the chair to the other side and some of the wiring and other stuff for the air bag to still work properly.
The Vibe uses a Toyota engine so you know it's good !
and a light bar on the front
When car/rv campers have vehicle maintenance issues, how do you handle service (assuming you have to take it to a shop)? What do you do with all of your "stuff"?
Luckily my Vibe has never left me on the side of the road. If I have maintenance issues, I'd just tell them "hey I'm traveling. My stuff is staying in the car. Do what you gotta do". Majority of the time maintenance issues are outside of the car, not ever really in the car.
Genius set-up!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Gosh, looks like he would be hella cramped in the back of that rig with all the stuff he has. And I'm glad he's having good luck with that Ponitac Vibe. I would never go with that. I would go with a more reliable Honda or Toyota. But thats just me.
Trust me, it was cramped in there but I was using what I have and made it work. :)
@@lance307 gotta do it. Way to make it work brother!💪🏾👍🏾
Its Mindset and Attitude over Vehicle every time. There are whiners in RV's not matter what the size.
It IS a Toyota....
The Pontiac Vibe was made by Toyota sold as a Toyota Matrix at the same time as it was sold by Pontiac
Welcome to 21st Century America: How To Live In Your Car
That's a cool rig! So, I'm definitely not being critical when I wonder why he didn't just remove the back seats. Lots of useful space occupied by cushions.
Ease of convenience and I honestly had no need to remove the rear seats. So it made it easy to turn back to normal driving after camper.
@@lance307 Makes sense to me. Each rig should ultimately serve the owner's use.
Whats the ground clearance on his SUV? I've been obsessed with that lately.. hope my 7.3 inch is good enough
Google says my vibe stock is 8.1 inch ground clearance. I have a little taller tires and a 1.5 inch lift kit on in this video. Of course with my Vibe packed like it is, it always squats lower in the rear.
Cool set up.
One thing I've been trying to do is buy everything that would change or run by USB so you would not need all those converters.
Honestly. I rarely use the inverter in my middle console. I have there just in case and because one happened to fit in the spot. Haha. Both of the fridges are ran off of 12v in the back.
I was going to convert my Windstar, but it died prematurely thanks to being totaled while parked at 3am one fine Sunday.....Next best vehicle for such adventure would have been a KW T-2000, but there are way too many places a 10 ton vehicle should not and cannot go....
Thank you for sharing! 👍😊
it isa great car, actually a Toyota Corolla under the hood, and is great mpg!
Excellent
How does he goes to the bathroom
Local trick stops. I try to park within reasonable driving distance. But as a guy for #number 1 I just go in a bottle when I'm in a crowed area
That's a lot in a little suv.
Is the Quartzite Yacht Club bar still there?
I'm in a explorer and I swear I spend 2 hours a day organizing. I think a van could cut it down to 10 minutes. I'd buy a van but I dont really know what I want to do with my life i don't want to be in a vehicle but I panic by day 3 with every apt I rent on airbnb lol
I traveled extensively in two vans and three SUVs. Yep, much better organization and space in a van. Thinking about another van if I start traveling again. Currently have an SUV but I'm not traveling and camping much.
I'm glad you said this. I was debating between an suv and van. Why is a van better?
@@monicathebeautiful6483 i rent mini vans at times when In san diego. The van is better because you can sit in the van and have access to all your stuff. With suv or car you spend whole day walking around car openingndoors to grab things, stuff falls out, wind blows stuff put, risk getting hit by a car in parking lots when you keep getting in out of the car walking around the car every 5 minutes, also less room in the suv
@@joelincolnlincoln6315 thank you. That confirms what I thought.
what size tires here man?? wanna do something similar to my 07 vibe!
With the snow tires on its 215/60/16
That's a bit too small for me. Nice set up though.
I’d like to get instructions on how to get an extra battery set up. My Jackery 500 was at 9% left after running my 45w fridge for 13 hours : ( . I use Solar panels for 2 hours but that only recharged it 2% - wow that’s slow. So I drove 6 hours and that got it charged up to 56%. I can’t let my fridge quit running !! It might have been on Max or something & it’s. a 45 quart fridge OR freezer ( it’s one or the other type). 18 hours and drained doesn’t seem right, is it ? Can anyone help me out ?
I hear people say it's best to use the 12v connection and then plug the fridge into the jackery. I, myself, am just starting suv life and will buy a seperate battery solely for a thirsty appliance if need be.
👍👍👍🉐
It's an alarming trend in 2019-21 when genuine American people are starting to live in campers.
wtf are "genuine American people"?
are people who lived in vehicles before 2019 not genuine American people?
@@gregorsamsa1364 the ones that didn't just cross the border illegally and got their citizenship handed to them along with all the financial aid at the expense of others.
@@lexbrusb.1821
There are many homeless natural born citizens, and that's been the case since long before 2019.
People aren't stepping across the border and being handed citizenship and a check.
Undocumented immigrants pay taxes and are a net benefit- they pay more in taxes than is spent on them.
You don't seem to know what you're talking about and you also seem to be a very low quality human being. I can only figure you must be a miserable one as well, to have the twisted perspective and focus you obviously have
👍👍👍👍🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Same car as a Toyota Matrix
its not a PONTIAC its ALL TOYOTA inside and out 100% built by toyota
Good to know
Mostly true, however a/c systems were different, I believe also the alternator. Of course GM used the cheaper/inferior parts 🙄
Interesting rig alright, but not very stealthy when in town.
I lost all stealth when I added solar. This is my weekend warrior cross country/daily driver. I travelled from Pennsylvania to be there.
I have travelled with my dog all across Canada and the US stealth camping in my 2008 Pontiac Vibe. I have nothing on the roof and the windows tinted as dark as I could get them. I do have the rain guards so can leave the windows cracked for ventilation and from outside it looks like my windows are closed. Because I am only 5'2" I can sleep in the back with the passenger seat still up but as far forward as possible. I have a black curtain that goes across behind the front seats to give me privacy. At night looking in, it just looks dark and empty. I have my bed on one side in the back and a Yeti cooler and the dog crate on the other side. Set up is perfect for me. It has been a great vehicle for the past few years.