Custom Camper Microvan

It has been a busy month! Before heading up to Hokkaido for the Sapporo Snow Festival and the Otaru Light Festival; and between ski trips to Shiga Kogen, hiking around the Miura Hills, and planning a ski road trip to Akita and Iwate Prefectures I have been doing some work to build my very own custom camper microvan!

Last summer I purchased a 1995 Daihatsu Atrai Kei car, which for me this is a perfect vehicle. However, storing gear for Tenkara and skiing adventures quickly filled up the interior. So I began to brainstorm ideas to maximize the interior space while not detracting from the driveability and low key nature of the vehicle.

First I assembled the necessary materials from Homes (which is quite possibly one of the most amazing stores in the world! Imagine if Ikea, Home Depot, WalMart, Crate & Barrel, and Sport Chalet were combined into one store – and you’d have a pretty good idea what Homes is!)

Next I compiled measurements and layout composites to ensure that everything was going to fit and line up – my motto is “Measure twice (maybe three times) and cut once.”

I have access to a wood hobby shop that has pretty much every tool you could imagine!

Then over two days (I miscalculated my material needs and had to make another run to Homes) I created the first components of my camper interior!

And here is the (mostly) finished creation! I built it as two modules to make it easier to remove them (and because the battery compartment is under the non-factory carpet).

The next phase is building a removable headboard to protect the back window, adding a mattress/foam, and adding in removable bike mounts so that I can transport a bike which I frequently use to access remote backcountry rivers like the one in the video below.

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