Car Camping: Honda Fit Sleeper Conversion
Converting my 2009 Honda Fit into a sleeper was surprisingly easy. The great thing about this car is the ability to lay the back seats flat which makes a huge 4’ x 3’ open space. A few years ago, I slept overnight curled up in the back on a rainy camping trip. (I’m 6’ tall and I like to sprawl out when I sleep: it was an uncomfortable experience.)
After a quick Google search, I realized the easiest solution would be to remove the front passenger seat and build a plywood platform which extends into the front.
Conversion steps:
Lay back seats flat
Remove front passenger seat
Build plywood platform with a hinged portion to extend into front
Cover plywood with fabric
Attach privacy screens to windows
Removing the passenger seat was a simple matter of unscrewing 5 bolts and 3 sensor plugs. Thanks, YouTube.
Building the platform was equally simple. For $25, I bought an 8’ x 4’ plywood sheet (¾” thick) and Home Depot cut the pieces for free.
I decided to put the extension on a hinge so I could get it out of the way during the daytime hours. This way, I can place a large cooler on the passenger side for long driving days. At night, I slide the cooler over to the driver seat and lower the extension. To brace the extension, I put my hard-sided carry-on suitcase underneath. This has the added benefit of getting the suitcase out of the back so I can sprawl out even more while I’m sleeping.
I covered the plywood’s edges with duct tape since I was too lazy to sand them. I also covered the platform with a cheap fabric sheet, since the plywood was rough and I didn’t want to worry about splinters.
All in all, I have 6' 7" of sleeping length. The body portion is roughly 3' wide x 4' long. The leg extension portion is 21" wide x roughly 2½' long.
For my bedding, I will have several soft layers of blankets, a thick yoga mat, and a top-of-the-line air/foam mattress from Cabela's. I've already tested it out and it's as soft as my own bed. :)
To create privacy, I applied a static-cling style window tint to the rear window and small rear-side windows. For the four main windows, I founds handy, over-the-door black mesh screens. They are meant to be sun shades, but they act as perfect privacy screens at night. Plus, I can have my windows rolled down to let in airflow and no one can tell I'm in there from the outside.
