My Road Tripper

[sephson]

Right now I'm at the Mojave National Preserve on a short trip. I'm finally beginning to get a handle on how to organize my gear. It's taking a bit of trial and error, but I think I'll have the kinks ironed out on my next trip.

 

[shadon]

Sephson, thanks so much for showing so much of what you've done to set up your Kia. I love seeing all the details you thought of and paid attention to. You really packed a lot into a small space!

 

[Awntehloose]

This thread has really inspired me. I was looking to a Prius but I don't want to have higher payments than I have to. I've only bought used since 1996 I am used to sub 200 payments. Heck, some of the trucks and SUVs I've looked at are more per month than my mortgage! I have an appointment at the Kia dealership for a test drive an new Kia soul exclaim (2.0 liter w/ 16inch rims) tomorrow. I am testing a white one for heat properties. I am only 5'9 so I think I can sleep in this car ok.

Next year Yakima has a roof top tent that only weighs 75lbs so that is a future option. Having a good daily driver that can convert into a mobile camp is what I want to see if being more mobile is something I want to do for real vs something I am only fantasizing about. Win win.

 

[sephson]

Well, a daily driver that easily converts into a good mobile camper is what I have with the Soul. It's not an ideal road trip vehicle by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a decent and relatively inexpensive option. Probably the best description I can give is the Soul is not the best at anything it does, but you can do a lot with it.

 

[DannyB1954]

A friend used to stealth camp in a 4 door sedan. He did it by using a car cover. leave a window open, put the cover on, then get under the cover and jump into the window.
Spray paint your licence number on the outside. Thieves will not want it then, and the LE can run the plate easy and see it is not stolen.

 

[Awntehloose]

Well, a daily driver that easily converts into a good mobile camper is what I have with the Soul. It's not an ideal road trip vehicle by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a decent and relatively inexpensive option. Probably the best description I can give is the Soul is not the best at anything it does, but you can do a lot with it.

I am the proud owner of the 2016 White Kia + I fell in love with today and you really helped finalized the decision. Now I am going to save up and retreat to the dungeon ( garage ) and start planning.

 

[SoulRaven]

Well, a daily driver that easily converts into a good mobile camper is what I have with the Soul. It's not an ideal road trip vehicle by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a decent and relatively inexpensive option. Probably the best description I can give is the Soul is not the best at anything it does, but you can do a lot with it.

I agree with you on the importance of versatility of combining daily driver with a good road trip vehicle. I have my 2014 Ford Escape set up similar to your Soul. Although I would never consider living full time in it, using it as a road tripping camper is great. It gets great mpg and I can go anywhere with it. I made it as comfortable as possible but at the same time have everything I need and it saved me lots on lodging. I did a month road trip out West from Florida to California and it served me well. I am thinking on going on another RT to the Blue Ridge Parkway National highway Park in mid Oct for the fall mountain color trip. That is really beautiful and they have about 8 or so campgrounds along the 460 mile journey. I am going to try to trim things down a bit from what I had on the CA trip. I don't need alot of the things like the tent, potty, shower tent, and a few more things I can get along without by staying at developed campgrounds. No need to rough it this time.

Oh, just as a suggestion......I put a 2 inch memory foam topper on my Coleman cot air mattress (mine is exactly the same one you have). It made a world of difference for comfortable sleeping. I sleep like a baby on it.

 

[sephson]

I have initiated step one in upgrading my power system to a more permanent solar setup. I've ordered roof rails to provide a base from which to mount a panel. Even though they cost a bit more than I wanted to spend, I've opted for the SSD Performance roof rails primarily because they are made specifically for my vehicle and will be much easier to install than other available roof rails. I will not have to remove the car's headliner or drill holes in the roof. I just have to make some minor modifications to some trim pieces in order to attach to existing mount points.

Here is a photo from the manufacturer's web site:


I'm along way from actually installing solar, but I think it's a good start. I'll continue to add to the ground work as time and budget permit.

 

[DannyB1954]

Found an interesting cot idea for cars. http://www.doityourselfrv.com/hanging-cot-idea-sleep-space-rv/

I don't know about the ropes going through the door gaskets. I might bend up some stainless steel brackets to hang from the top of the door.

 

[sephson]

It's an interesting and totally feasible idea, but better suited to a wider vehicle than mine.

 

[DannyB1954]

You could also use it as a storage shelf when you were sleeping in the back.

 

[sephson]

I picked up a tri-fold 2 inch thick foam mat and two new water containers at Walmart today. I've never been particularly happy with my air mattress, so hopefully this will be an improvement. With the two new, 2.5 gallon water containers in addition to the two I already had, I can now carry ten gallons of water between the front and rear seats.


Here's the mat that I bought. I paid $39.97 plus California sales tax.

And here's the water container. I paid $7.26 a piece plus tax.

 

[sephson]

I installed my roof rails today. I think they'll make a good foundation for my solar panels when I;m finally able to work them into my budget.

I had to remove my tail lights in order to access the roof trim.


I removed the trim pieces.


I had to drill holes in the trim and remove the brackets for the retaining pieces that held the trim in place.


Then added threaded studs to the existing mount points under the trim.

 

[sephson]

On to the driver's side.

Rinse and repeat on removing tail lights and trim.


Then the threaded studs.


And on to the finished product.

 

[sephson]

My rig gets a brief walk around in this video.

[video=youtube]

 

[sephson]

The upgrades continue. I just purchased the Renogy 200 watt, polycrystalline solar starter kit.



I should have it in my hands in a week or two. I'll have time to install them in September when I'm no longer working seven days a week.

As for why I picked polycrystalline over monocrystalline, I can fit two of the polycrystalline panels on my roof, but only one of the monocrystalline. Realistically speaking, 200 watts is likely more than I need, but the time of year I have to travel is fall/winter, so there's less sunlight available and I'd really rather have more than I need than not enough.

 

[rvpopeye]

Looks factory !

 

[TampShawn]

This looks great. Would love to see some updates on what worked well. What you wish you had done and advice for newbies doing their own. I have a 2017 Honda CRV that I am starting with. Wanted a new SUV since I am not handy at all.

 

[Stretch]

I'm so glad I stumbled on this thread! I'm inches away from pulling the trigger on a Soul+ on Carvana. I was pretty sure a set up like this would be possible, but it's great to see it "in person."

Great job!

 

[sephson]

I'm contemplating a redesign of the setup when I finish the installation of the solar. I hardly ever carry passengers, so I'm thinking of removing the rear seat and moving the bed to the passenger side. Unfortunately, I'm just too busy right now to work out the details.