hatchback traveler saying hi :D

[namenlos86]

Hi there! Currently searching this great website for ideas on how to properly setup my little hyundai accent hatchback for long term travel.

I am in my early 30s and have lots of experience traveling in diff basic setups, but this time around I want to put in a bit of extra effort and thought into how to do it right and be more comfortable.

Hope yall have a great day!

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums namenlos86! Please post photos and descriptions when you get everything set up!

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[eDJ_]

There have been tents that fit hatch back cars for some time now.  Many have a large flap that covers the mosquito net entrance to the sleeping area,  so that you have an awning to sit and relax under.  Or by using a "camp kitchen" to prep a meal and eat under that same awning. 

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]For a small kitchen, here is a neat little kit. (you [/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]tube video) On Pinterest.[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]If you are traveling alone a small ice chest with food and beverages may[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]take care of you from day to day. [/font]

 

[SheketEchad]

That little camp kitchen deal is cool as all get out! Great link. I never thought of using the crafting bead stacks for spices, that was worth the entire video for me!!!

 

[namenlos86]

thanks to all for the replies ! (^-^*)/

Having a tent on the back of it like that is def something that I have thought about. The seats in my hatchback lay down at an angle and not completely flat, and for a while I thought I needed to do some kind of conversion work to make it workable, but ive found that a much easier solution is to just take some old towels and fold them flat to even out an awkward indention in the back. cover the whole thing in nice comfy blankets and the angle is actually perfect for any sleeping position.

A tent would be soo nice for when I am on blm land ect tho.

When I leave my current apartment I will be on the move a lot spending time in both cities and in remote areas so debating what to bring and leave behind since space will be at a premium.

Need to figure out a nice, neat looking window curtain situation too.

I know someone back in my great home state of alabama that lives in an econoline that was professionally converted by a retired engineer and she keeps a storage unit in Birmingham and kind of uses that as a home base of sorts, sometimes staying there in her van but mostly keeping things there and using it as a work space. This is something that I have been thinking of doing for periods of time that I know I will be staying around a certain city or area. I am honestly wondering if I can can find one that I can pull my car into occasionally as well. I am music producer and musician and it would be nice to just have a bit of space to work in even if I am not staying there. I would not be stupid enough to try and post up at a storage unit for months at a time. Anybody done anything like this before?

Thanks to all for the welcome and have a lovely day out there

 

[bullfrog]

There are some seasonal jobs that furnish housing that might work for you several months of the year. You could use them as a base camp and travel on your days off while producing in the off hours during you work week.

 

[namenlos86]

yeaa this is starting to look like the route i'm going to go. after 10 minutes of browsing coolworks.com i found a ton of interesting seasonal job postings. thank you for the suggestion

 

[BrooklynGalTravels]

I've been looking at these little motorcycle campers.  They are small enough to tow with my 2004 subaru forester. They are actually pretty big. I'm trying to find a used one. Not too cheap but might be worth it. I saw it on an interview video Bob put out.                                                 https://www.timeouttrailers.org/Deluxe-p/camper_deluxe.htm

 

[eDJ_]

These tents that mate up to the many types of vehicles are around but it seems the real competition for them are the pop up tent trailers.  Singles, young couples, seniors, or part time nomads will tend towards car tents of some kind.  For those with young kids when in their later 20's thru 30's the popup tent trailers may hold more intrigue.   (this is what most RV sales people have explained to me)  By later 20's they are with enough money to purchase new or used pop up tent trailers.  

The nice thing about the pop up is that it is a separate entity that can be cleaned out, preped, & maintained (after returning from a camping weekend) and made ready for the next excursion  But how well they translate in the needs of a full timer may be questionable. 

Amazon is with a lot of car tents listed.  Some new stuff is listed on ebay.   

But this site list a lot of car tents:

https://www.autoanything.com/truck-tents/20A50606A1.aspx

 

[namenlos86]

those little motorcycle tents do look really cool. i wonder if it would be worth having a trailer hitch installed on my car. my brother had this little "burro" camper from the 70s that is really that i could prob use if I asked...i actually towed it with a my old crown victoria years ago, but this would impair my ability to be nimble.

i think my favorite thing about having a small hatchback is the agility. i can fit and park anyway and can just as easily navigate a city as I can remote areas.

I think a car tent would be a better fit for me bc it would allow me to have more space and comfort in blm areas but i could put it away when i am in the city.

Oh and a thought on "stealth" I have found that just having a clean car with no body damage goes a long way toward blending in. a crappy looking car always sticks out a like a sore thumb and makes ppl assume the worst about whoever owns it....not saying this is right or fair but its how it is I think. Im about to repair a dent and do some touch up paint work to make my car look fresh n clean.

Again thanks for the input

 

[sephson]

I'm not sure how much would work for Accent, but here's a link to the build thread for my Kia Soul.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=9848

Hopefully it'll at least provide some inspiration for your own ideas.

 

[namenlos86]

This is awesome thanks for sharing the link. I immediately searched hyundai accent camper and got a bunch of stuff including old posts on this forum.