Any SUV dwellers?

[Morgana]

I keep changing my mind about removing the back seats.
Still looking for ways to have what I need and still look a little neat.

FWIW, I took the back seats out of my SUV a few weeks ago. I had some qualms beforehand, but I haven't regretted it a bit. It doesn't look messy. (Unless somebody comes right up and stares in your windows, it's not going to look that different to other people.) And it immediately started feeling like an adventuremobile.

I don't plan to sleep in it on my next trip, but it will hold all my stuff (defined as "everything that fits in the car" -- I blocked out the dimensions in masking tape on the living room floor and spent a few days playing three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle) (now crossing my fingers that my math isn't too far off .

Just b/c it worked for me doesn't mean it's the right thing for you to do. Among other things, SUVs vary a lot in terms of how much space you can get just by folding seats down, so if you haven't yet researched this for your specific make, model and year (year is important), it's worth a try. Also, if you have someplace to store the seat, it doesn't have to be a permanent choice. On the other hand, if you regularly drive with people in your back seat, you might miss that option (or they might!).

Stuff does slide around, if that's what you mean by messy. Bungee cords can reduce the sliding; also the foot well for the (former) back seat is deep enough to keep e.g. grocery bags wedged in (as long as you don't go on any high-speed chases). I also bought a cheap "mover's blanket" to throw over the top of things, which can help with neatness and with keeping any belongings less visible (since there's no longer a semi-invisible trunk-like area in the back).

So if you're worried about how it's going to look and feel while you're still in the not-yet-nomad phase, all I can say is that for me it has turned out delightful. YMMV, of course.