so i saw this in my email and wanna ask...
WHO WANTS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS SO I CAN NEXT??? lol
Folding bed for car camping

 

That's awesome.

 

I was thinking about a really nice mattress topper (size?)
be nice to sleep in the FIT

 

I imagine a Double size that was modified would probably be best do you know the width and length measurements of the inside?

 

I just bought a Big Agnes Clear view Inflatable sleeping pad. It is 2.5 inches thick, and 60' long which is damn near perfect length for the back area of the Fit. It rolls up to 3"x10" so it will fit in the compartment in the rear door. It was $33 (backcountry.com), but shipping bumped it up to $40.

In general, this pad got good reviews, but durability was a complaint. Shouldn't be a problem on my premium Mexican upholstery inside the car though!

 

what is this "compartment in the rear door" you speak of?? lol

 

I guess "cup holder" may have been more accurate. I just mean the spot in the rear door that holds crap. Ya know, the compartment.

 

You mean the cuppartment?

 

Exactly. The cuppartment.

I was measuring the back of the Fit last night with the seats down and it really is mind blowing how much flat space there is. The pad I linked above will fit so perfectly. Without moving the front seats forward, there are ~78 inches diagonally between the rear corner and the outside back edge of the front seat, meaning my 5'10" self can stretch out fully with room to spare without even moving the front seat forward. The 60" pad will also fit behind either front seat, so you could have half of the trunk packed with crap and still have a place to sleep.

I'll take pictures when I get the pad in the mail tomorrow.

Honestly, the ability to sleep comfortably inside was a huge consideration when I was looking for new cars and one of the primary reasons that the Cave-on-Wheels Fit caught my attention. I camp a lot and have some extended road trip plans for this thing, so a comfortable sleeping arrangement was a must. Having a nice thick pad that can conveniently store in the car at all times will be great. You never know when you might be sleeping in a car...

The link in the OP is one of the coolest projects I've seen. The Element is an impressively practical vehicle and that dude took it to the next level. It would be a lot of infrastructure to add to the inside of the Fit though.

 

The CoW? I thought the my first gen kind of looks like a bottle-nosed dolpin.

 

I can see the Dolphin... But even your dolphin is a cave on wheels.

I'm not homeless bro; I drive a Fit...

 

If Honda hadn't discontinued the Element, I would have purchased one over the Fit in a heartbeat. I was actually thinking about buying one when I was car shopping earlier this year, but couldn't bring myself to buy used. I've been enamored with their versatility ever since seeing one at a farmer's market with the rear open, holding a virtual grove of fruit trees and flats of plants. The fact that you can get a bed in there makes it even cooler.


Can't wait to see how the pad fits inside. We have a couple of REI camp pads that are 72" long, so I think they're probably too long to fit without moving the seats up or butting up against the back at an awkward slant. Even still, I plan on trying it once camping season rolls around again. We also have a full sized piece of 3" memory foam that we've used to pad the rear that should add to the comfort factor. When stuffed into the car with the seats up, it has to be folded over at the top, but it creates a nice makeshift bolster pillow to lean up against.

We've never spent a night in the back of a Fit because we always bring a tent when camping, but I'm with you, you never know when you're going to need to be able to sleep in a car. I've always said that if I ever became homeless, I'd be fine as long as I had my Fit. At 5'1, there's PLENTY of space back there for me to live and sleep!

 

I went through the same thought process on the Element. I always thought it was ugly until I rode in one and saw how functional the interior was. After that, I had true respect for that ugly two-tone box. I thought of buying one and I know you can find a nice used one, but I wanted more fuel economy than it would have given. The dealer said he sees two types of used Elements: those that have been babied and look showroom new, and those that have driven the continent 10 or 12 times and have been thoroughly utilized (and probably just as loved) by their owners.

As for the pad, I was excited to find a 60" length (it's 20" wide btw). Most of them go 48", 66", 72", and some are even longer. 60" is probably the max length you could put in there and still have some flexible cargo space in the back. I also think the mummy shape will allow some options as far as how the backseat can be configured and how much floor space will still be available with the pad inflated. Plus, at 2.5" thick it should easily smooth out the small ridge the seats make when they're folded. It should arrive in the mail today and I'll definitely play around and post some pics.

I will always bring a tent as well because you can't beat a tent on a nice night. Sometimes it's 10 degrees though and I will definitely make a sweet nest in the car. I'm not selling my house just yet, but if you had to live in a car, you could do much worse than a Honda Fit

 

YES! The fuel economy was a deal-breaker for me, too. I keep hoping against hope that Honda will reintroduce the Element and figure out some way to make it more fuel-efficient. And ditto on the ugly-factor. When I first saw them on the road, I kept wondering why car makers were going for this ugly, boxy design (like Scion), and then I saw the inside and was like... . The camping accessories and mods that can be put on that car are mind-blowingly cool.

My fiance and I have talked about getting an Element as a spare car to tool around in. His parents have one, and we've been trying to figure out how to get them to sell it to us. Only problem is that it's in North Carolina and we're in California. If it ever happens, I guess we'll get our first big road trip in it right off the bat!

 

thats perfect wordage!!

Going through my feedly news feed today i found this!
swissRoomBox-home they have a version for the fit(under jazz moniker) even!
here is some pictures of it set up! anyone wanna buy and try it out for us??
http://singletrackworld.com/2014/06/...-car-a-camper/

 

Amazing product, high price. I wonder how many they'll sell.

 

WOW! Yes, amazing product, but with the exchange rate, it's pretty costly.

The sleeping pad I talked about came in the mail with a hole in it... The company was great though and sent a new one immediately. It fit pretty perfectly in the back of the Fit but I couldn't inflate it to really give it a try.

The new one will be here tomorrow so I'll post pics then.

 

swissRoomBox-home
I *wanted*, until I saw that price!
Guess I'll be sticking to folding down the seats when I need to. I have been meaning to get out to the car with a measuring tape - I want to size the gap between the folded rear seats and the front seats folded forward, and look for a storage box that will come out level with the back "bed"

 

post those measurements when you get them!

 

I have some measurements. What I really want to do is find a storage box that matches them and then post a link to the box.
But if any one else wants to hunt:
7Wx11Lx13H would fit between the feet for the front seat. Probably the 7" could be anything from 6-8", and the 11" length could also be shorter (but not longer)
8Wx20Lx8H would sit on top of the front seat feet, so you would need to prop up the back of the box. The 8x20 part could be smaller, but you want the 8" height.
Mind, this is with a measuring tape, the real test would be with a real storage box. I think I'd prefer the 7x11x13 as it should just sit there with minimal messing around :-)
If you find something let us know.