Have been car-camping on my road-trips for over 9 years now. In the first couple of years, just ripped out the rear seats and literally slept on the floor of the gypsy. The only creature comforts in the first iteration was a reading light and a charging point for the phone/tablet in the back cabin. The second iteration saw the addition of the hinged-plank idea which allowed for a proper bed for 2 and storage. Plus it allowed for regular front facing seats in rear cabin for city use. Takes just around 2 hours to prep the gypsy for a trip now.
My Ride:
With the Gypsy going in for a scheduled overhaul next week, I was thinking of upgrading the setup to allow for more creature comforts on longer trips.
Wish list:
1. Storage for tools, spares & misc items.
Storage is always at a premium when car camping. Want to provide ample storage space for tools & spares.
2. Better thermal insulation.
Another must have. The Gypsy Hard Top cabin theoretically has a sandwich molding which should help with insulation. However the 2 large windows are the weak spots. It can get freezing in there at nights. And not just in the Himalaya's. Once woke up freezing in the middle of the night in the middle of a Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Brrrr! Thinking some kind of Thermal Curtains fixed to the Windows with Velcro. Will help with privacy too.
3. Better circulation.
A major bugbear in current setup. To be honest, its fine if I am sleeping alone. But with 2 people it can get stuffy in there. Leaving a crack in the front windows helps but its not an option when travelling north of the Vindhya's in winter. There are solutions available in the US like the FAN-Tastic brand of vent fans which might be too big for this setup.
Someone suggested using a number of powerful 90CFM CPU fans used in high-end gaming rigs. Need to look at how this will actually fit in and whether it will work.
4. Better electricals.
It would be nice to have a charging point next to the bed. A little entertainment wouldnt hurt. My friend mounted a 12" dropdown LCD in his Mahindra Invader which he uses for camping and while not essential, it might be a nice-to-have item.
A nice LED light for the rear cabin is a must however. Wherever possible, I prefer to sit outside in the evenings before sleep. But in practice I often have to sit inside the rear cabin, because its too cold & windy outside. The stock light mounted on the b-pillar is just not enough.
An additional light at the rear tailgate area will be a useful addition too to help with the cooking.
5. Cooking fresh food.
This is the biggest item on the wishlist. So far I have carrying pre-prepped meals which can be quickly put together using my humble electric kettle. Its not bad, but its a compromise. The option to have real meals would be nice to have and would also make trips less expensive. Nothing too fancy - just Dal, +Rice, basic curries or Pasta and ofcourse Eggs for breakfast!
The 2-things that will convert this regular gypsy into a camper will be a CHUCK BOX and a foldable "bed".
My Ride:
With the Gypsy going in for a scheduled overhaul next week, I was thinking of upgrading the setup to allow for more creature comforts on longer trips.
Wish list:
1. Storage for tools, spares & misc items.
Storage is always at a premium when car camping. Want to provide ample storage space for tools & spares.
2. Better thermal insulation.
Another must have. The Gypsy Hard Top cabin theoretically has a sandwich molding which should help with insulation. However the 2 large windows are the weak spots. It can get freezing in there at nights. And not just in the Himalaya's. Once woke up freezing in the middle of the night in the middle of a Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Brrrr! Thinking some kind of Thermal Curtains fixed to the Windows with Velcro. Will help with privacy too.
3. Better circulation.
A major bugbear in current setup. To be honest, its fine if I am sleeping alone. But with 2 people it can get stuffy in there. Leaving a crack in the front windows helps but its not an option when travelling north of the Vindhya's in winter. There are solutions available in the US like the FAN-Tastic brand of vent fans which might be too big for this setup.
Someone suggested using a number of powerful 90CFM CPU fans used in high-end gaming rigs. Need to look at how this will actually fit in and whether it will work.
4. Better electricals.
It would be nice to have a charging point next to the bed. A little entertainment wouldnt hurt. My friend mounted a 12" dropdown LCD in his Mahindra Invader which he uses for camping and while not essential, it might be a nice-to-have item.
A nice LED light for the rear cabin is a must however. Wherever possible, I prefer to sit outside in the evenings before sleep. But in practice I often have to sit inside the rear cabin, because its too cold & windy outside. The stock light mounted on the b-pillar is just not enough.
An additional light at the rear tailgate area will be a useful addition too to help with the cooking.
5. Cooking fresh food.
This is the biggest item on the wishlist. So far I have carrying pre-prepped meals which can be quickly put together using my humble electric kettle. Its not bad, but its a compromise. The option to have real meals would be nice to have and would also make trips less expensive. Nothing too fancy - just Dal, +Rice, basic curries or Pasta and ofcourse Eggs for breakfast!
Plan.
First thing to do is to build storage options. I was thinking of getting rid of the front facing rear seats I have there now and build 2 custom made boxes to cover the wheel wells which would cover the irregular shaped wheelwells and provide lockable storage. The top surface would be hinged to allow access. They could also have some basic padding on top to allow them to be used as side-facing seats. This will be the setup in use like 50% of the time when the car is being used as a regular run-about city car.
DAY TIME LAYOUT
The 2-things that will convert this regular gypsy into a camper will be a CHUCK BOX and a foldable "bed".
CHUCK BOX
A Chuck box, also called a patrol box or grub box is a device used by trekkers for storing & carrying many of the items used for setting up a camp kitchen. Basically a kitchen in a box. Very popularly used by car-campers across the world.
Planning to build one out of wood after studying existing ideas online. This chuck box will be sized to fit the area behind the side facing seats. Roughly sized (WxHxL) : 14"x18"x36". The basic idea here, is to keep the box at home and bring it down to the jeep when I think I might need to cook on a trip.
This is how the Gypsy layout looks in Day Time with the Chuck Box loaded.
The final piece of the puzzle will be a 12mm ply measuring 62"x42" (LxW) when opened out. It will be placed folded-in on top of the Chuck box in Day Time. For night use, we slide the front 2 seats all the way forward and fold out this "bed" and lay an air-mattress on top to get a bed like shown.
Other ideas being evaluated. Water storage. Garbage segregation & disposal. And so on.
EDIT: (Sep 24 2017)
EDIT: (Sep 24 2017)
Finally have some time next week. I think I might get the chuck box done.
1. Have been struggling to source a small propane stove for past 6 months. Want to avoid the small LPG cylinder stoves that some other Jeep campers have been using. Is it feasible to use a small induction stove instead with an inverter? I did see one camper use a small 900W induction stove on one trip and it worked wonderfully. Eggs come out best with an induction stove! :P Is this feasible?
1. Have been struggling to source a small propane stove for past 6 months. Want to avoid the small LPG cylinder stoves that some other Jeep campers have been using. Is it feasible to use a small induction stove instead with an inverter? I did see one camper use a small 900W induction stove on one trip and it worked wonderfully. Eggs come out best with an induction stove! :P Is this feasible?
2. Any ideas on a Dual Battery setup? There is place under the bonnet on the left side for an additional battery. How feasible is this option?
Invite your suggestions! :)
Lighting:
ReplyDeleteUse 6V / 12V LED Lighting Tubes / Strips along the entire Top along the Sides.. That way even distribution of Light.
Power Outlets:
I believe that most of your entertainment system will come out of a Laptop or Phone. So hardwire a few USB Ports and for the Laptop, buy a similar adaptor, and Modify the Plug to join the main wiring directly. Only the Laptop Pin will be visible and accessible.
Entertainment:
You can use a cheap Foldable LCD TV. which come with a DVD Player, USB Ports, and all the JizzBang. those that fold up and can be stowed away. Else get a cheap Pocket Projector, and keep a spare White Sheet in the Car.. Home Theater in the Forest.. Tie the Sheet between Trees, and sit on the Bonnet of the Car under the stars to enjoy some Dinner in the wild. Use Headphones to save energy. Get a Projector that works on WiFi, so you can stream Videos from your phone or Laptop. and get a suction cup for the Projector.
Bed:
Best to make a Foldable version.. many ideas exist online.. choose one..
Kitchen:
If your rear Door is a Side Swinging, then Make a Foldable Table Built into the Door to accept a simple 2 burner stove, and connect it to a 5kg Gas cylinder that you can buy and refill at majority of Gas Dealers.. Else you can build a cheap wood stove. and store charcoal / wood. you can get ideas for rocket stoves, clean burn wood stoves, made out of household items on YouTube. check them out.. Storage of Spices, Oil, and raw material is best done in rectangular boxes, and bottles.. that way they consume less space.
Carry a spade to dispose into the earth (Ditch) of Green waste, like veggies refuse etc. and keep a lidded bin for the Non-Biodegradable, and empty the bin in a Corporation Bin.
Water Storage:
Get a Tank custom Built to fit the Wheel Wells. That way you get a Flat Top, and the weird shape is utilized. and the Weight of the Tank will be on the Axle, so no imbalance. Build Baffle Plates into the Tank, to minimize Swishing, which can lead to poor handling.. you driving a car, not a tanker.. get a small Battery / foot powered Water Pump. As the Level of the Tank is Low, it can also be filled by normal taps available at Petrol Bunks.. Make sure the Tank is Air Tight.. And add a Hand Pump to Pressurize the Tank , so when you operate the Tap, you will get some pressure to wash hands / utensils.
Barbecue Grill:
You can make use of the Spare Tire Cover to make a Metal Grate that will fit over the Spare Tire and can double up as a Grill to be used over Open wooden Camp Fire.. Carry a lot of interlocking sticks and rods, to make makeshift Gantries to keep the pots and pans aloft.
Expandable Porch Shades:
Either Foldable or Expandable as seen in many Restaurants nowadays. That way you can still sit out and cook or relax under the sun, or even rain if you use Vinyl Sheets. Cheapest ones are the Leftovers from Political Hoardings, and Birthday Wishes.
Meet up and I will give you a Tonne of ideas more.. and probably some sketches to help you out..