I turned my car into perfect home on wheels… I doubled its size with sheet of plastic & £10 essential keeps me toasty
A ROAD tripper has revealed how a sheet of plastic helped her double the size of her car-turned-camper.
Jennifer Sheahan says it takes some effort to put together – but the extra space means you won’t regret it.
Writing for the Irish Examiner, Jennifer revealed her favourite micro-camper accessory has long been a drive-away awning.
The awning extends out to the size of her living room, making for a handy bit of extra space when pulling up at a destination for the night.
Jennifer also points out that it provides cover for the inevitable rainy days on tour.
She wrote: “Drive-away awnings take a little effort to set up but it’s worth it as the need for additional living space in a micro-camper is even more pronounced on a rainy day.
“Not only to while away the wet hours but to have somewhere private to change out of your sodden clothing.”
But Jennifer warns campervan travellers to be careful about selecting the size.
She explains: “My awning (the Vango Tolga) is a wonderful piece of equipment that I still fully recommend, but it’s one of the smaller awning tents available and it still takes up my entire living room when spread out.
“Before purchasing any awnings or tents, make sure you have enough space at home to dry them out.”
Ensuring the tent has a waterproof base and groundsheet – particularly if you plan on sleeping there – is also vital, she adds.
And £10 essentials, including a jacket with a hood, trousers, shoe covers and gloves, can keep you dry in rainy weather, she continues.
Jennifer said Decathlon has a range starting from £10.
It comes after YouTuber “Kent Survival” sang the praises of his Hyundai i10 – a notoriously little car – for camping.
Despite being nearly 6ft, he said: “It’s cosy. I can sit up without banging my head. Plenty of space.”
Andrew spent most of time in the camper bed instead of outdoors due to inclement weather.
Footage shows Andrew connecting the corners of a tent to the corners of the tailgate.
He deploys various hooks for extra attachment.
He then uses two large sticks to hold up the awning before setting up a table underneath, where he eats his meals.
He said it was all “very comfortable”.
How to convert your car into a camper
AMERICAN traveller Annie Agnone became accustomed to life on the road in a 2008 Honda CR-V and revealed how she converted it.
She told National Geographic that the first step was removing the back seats.
Annie says to then clean the inside of the car, and it then allows for proper sleeping and storage space.
She cut a tarp to then place over the area the sleeping platform would sit.
It’s worth then scouring around for different designs for a sleep platform, before buying the supplies to build it.
In Annie’s case, they built an “ugly” plywood cabinet with a big storage space and ability to extend to provide sleeping space when seats were pushed forward.
The next challenge is to find a mattress – thick enough to be comfortable, yet thin enough to fold up and store away.
Annie opted for a futon mattress but says foam camping pads could be other viable options.
It’s worth then getting a tarp to keep out the rain, windshields for privacy when needed, torches and lastly, a sense of humour, Annie says.