Fullsize SUV interior setups

[Jimmy the Heater]

I'm in the process of hunting for a new expo rig and am looking for some input on a idea I have. I'm contemplating getting a Suburban/Excursion/Tahoe type vehicle and taking out the 2nd and 3rd rows of passenger seating. From there I would use that drop down area from the 2nd row to have an area for a water tank and a propane tank in their own enclosures, a built up load floor with a drawer system, leaving me with a sleep platform up on top of it all. I hope that is a good explanation of it but if anything is unclear let me know and I'll fire up photoshop and see if I can make a crude rendering.

The reason I'm contemplating this is two fold.

My occupation prohibits me from taking more than a weekend off during the prime camping/outdoors months so the only time I can get away is during the poor weather season with cold rain or snow. I've tent camped in the cold rain and snow before and as I'm getting older I'm realizing that I really don't like it. Having to get dressed and bundle up just to make my SO a cup of coffee in the morning is getting old. Sleeping in a hard sided SUV that is rain/snow/wind resistant would seem to solve this.

I've tried the pickup/hard side and softside camper route and have come to the conclusion that the construction of most campers is horrible. Leaking roofs on units less than 5 years old, 1x1 or 1x2 stick construction is very flimsy, pressboard and chipboard everywhere etc etc. The aluminum frame ones are pretty rare and usually way out of my pricerange. I would much rather deal with not being able to stand up inside vs shoddy construction.

Any thoughts or anything I missed?

 

[02TahoeMD]

I can not speak as to a comparison of sleeping inside a pickup truck cap vs. sleeping inside an SUV because all of my experience is inside an SUV. I do think you are on the right track of reasoning.

Your height should help you with deciding Suburban length, or Tahoe length. I am 6'5" and can sleep in the back of my Tahoe, but only after unloading it of my gear and leaving it outdoors. Thats fine...unless it's raining out. If I had a Suburban it would be easier to sleep inside of it and move a minimum amount of gear. I spent the night inside of it once at a rest stop in Kansas, after shifting around my gear to allow me a slot to sleep in. It was not very comfortable but it got the job done.

I probably sleep inside of the rig about 50% of my trips, the other are spent in a ground tent.

 

[Jimmy the Heater]

Ahhh yes, that would be important info. I'm 6'0" and my SO is 5'4" so I really don't think I would have a problem in either height wise.

 

[1meanz]

I'm 6'4" and I sleep in my Tahoe all the time. I just stack my crap in the front seats and off on the passenger side. Then I roll my foam mat out and I'm as comfy as at home in bed. Usually I'm camping with a group of guys so it's just me in the truck alone. If I had to sleep 2 in the truck I'd need to build a platform of some kind, but for just me I love it. It's warm, secure and quiet.

 

[southpier]

I think going from front to back without going outside is big; that's why the Tacoma is going up for sale soon

 

[evilfij]

Suburbans are so wonderfully spacious inside. Tahoes are really not that long at all.

 

[Malamute]

I took a slightly different approach to making a Suburban sleep friendly. It has other uses, but sleeping in it was part of the idea. I had a steel platform built in the back, I'll have to check the dimensions, but its about 36" front to back, and raised about 18" off the deck. I left the middle seats in, as I sometimes carry more people. Normally they are folded down for dog space. I keep basic camp gear in the truck at all times, it stays under the platform, some things can ride under the folded seats also. I left enough room on the left side to get the spare out if needed (found out about that the hard way with the first one I built from wood). If I want to sleep, I can move enough junk that's under the platform on top of it, and/or to the front seats and have a lot of clear floor space, and room on the platform for the dog to sleep if I don't pack it too much with the extra junk.


You shouldn't have to take everything out from under the platform, just enough length to sleep comfortably. Theres about 8' of length on the deck. I put tabs on the side legs to bolt a bar across the front of the opening to keep the junk in place in event of a crash. I plan to tack weld the nuts for that so its simpler to take the bar off when needed. The platform has carpet pad and carpet for the dog, she rides up there quite a lot. The platform also gives tie points to attach other gear to so it doesn't become flying missiles in a crash, or to lock things to if you want to. The platform is attached to the cargo d rings and seat attachment bars in the floor with J hooks and tabs welded to the frame in corresponding locations.


I haven't done any on board water storage other than taking plastic cans along when needed.


Think about how much headroom you'll have if you make a layer of drawers. I was going to do that, but decided to keep as much headroom as possible inside, and keep the use of the middle seats.

OK, I'm curious, why don't paragraph breaks show up in the post?

 

[Jimmy the Heater]

I think going from front to back without going outside is big; that's why the Tacoma is going up for sale soon

Ya, doing that in a Suburban would require a bit of contortion and impossible in a Tacoma. I am considering an AWD Astro as well, going front to back would be easy in that but it is less off road worthy than a Burb even with a lift. Just have to figure on which side I want my compromise.

I took a slightly different approach to making a Suburban sleep friendly. It has other uses, but sleeping in it was part of the idea. I had a steel platform built in the back, I'll have to check the dimensions, but its about 36" front to back, and raised about 18" off the deck. I left the middle seats in, as I sometimes carry more people. Normally they are folded down for dog space. I keep basic camp gear in the truck at all times, it stays under the platform, some things can ride under the folded seats also. I left enough room on the left side to get the spare out if needed (found out about that the hard way with the first one I built from wood). If I want to sleep, I can move enough junk that's under the platform on top of it, and/or to the front seats and have a lot of clear floor space, and room on the platform for the dog to sleep if I don't pack it too much with the extra junk.


You shouldn't have to take everything out from under the platform, just enough length to sleep comfortably. Theres about 8' of length on the deck. I put tabs on the side legs to bolt a bar across the front of the opening to keep the junk in place in event of a crash. I plan to tack weld the nuts for that so its simpler to take the bar off when needed. The platform has carpet pad and carpet for the dog, she rides up there quite a lot. The platform also gives tie points to attach other gear to so it doesn't become flying missiles in a crash, or to lock things to if you want to. The platform is attached to the cargo d rings and seat attachment bars in the floor with J hooks and tabs welded to the frame in corresponding locations.


I haven't done any on board water storage other than taking plastic cans along when needed.


Think about how much headroom you'll have if you make a layer of drawers. I was going to do that, but decided to keep as much headroom as possible inside, and keep the use of the middle seats.

OK, I'm curious, why don't paragraph breaks show up in the post?

I think I am underestimating the amount of stuff that I'm going to have back there. Both of you that have done this have mentioned having to move stuff off the sleeping area in order to make it ready for the evening and I think you are right. Even with a drawer system in there, big items like an Engel fridge wouldn't fit easily. And yes headroom is a concern for lounging in there on rainy or snowy days.

There would be enough headroom without a drawer system, but then I would have no room for stuff. So it kinda defeats the purpose. Gonna go look for floor to roof dimensions for Suburbans before I discount this completely but that might be a deal breaker. Thanks all for pointing that out!

 

[Jimmy the Heater]

Upon further research and getting a puzzled look from my SO when I asked her to measure me sitting up in bed, I think it still might be an option. Cargo area height is listed at 41 inches, my sitting height is about 22 inches reclined comfortably. That leaves a sleeping platform height of 19 inches max. That is much higher than I had planned on building it. So this is still a viable option.

Will have to get creative to get a fridge in there but I have plenty of length to work with if I choose a Suburban so I might be able to fit it behind the front seat as well, maybe on the GF's side of the bed area since she's so short (you didn't hear me say that!)

Off to photoshop to cobble together a render.

 

[Malamute]

Well, keep in mind that you have a couple feet of room leeway at one end or the other. Having the fridge at the back may be good, it can be accessed from the back doors, along with a simple cooking setup that can slide out. I've been thinking of a simple awning that would work off the back, maybe with sockets attached to the roof rack to slide poles for the awning into to give shade and weather protection when using stuff at the back.

There is a fair amount of space where the middle seats normally fold down into. Even without making the deck too much higher, that's valuable space.

Along with drawers, it may be worthwhile to be able to access your under-bed storage from inside without having to get out and open the drawers.

 

[Jimmy the Heater]

Pictures help a ton so I set about making this ROUGH photoshop showing what I have in mind. Image of Suburban stolen from the internet. This might be possible.
On the passenger side of the fridge I could make a small cabinet that would hold the coffee stuff for the SO in the morning (I can't emphasize how important this is!) small camping cookstove, water tap, and some other foodstuffs if we are stuck inside.

 

[Malamute]

I'm wondering if the fridge and anything else in the front of the bed area is going to obstruct access from the front, and to the side doors. The rear barn doors on the Suburbans I've had ('93 and '95) don't open from the inside. I asked at the dealer about getting the hardware to open them from inside, they said it never was made.

 

[Shocker]

How about a 4x4 fullsize van? Lots of room in here!

 

[Jimmy the Heater]

Another internet image. Excuse the incorrect year. Couldn't find a picture of a 73-91 Suburban cargo area.

 

[Jimmy the Heater]

How about a 4x4 fullsize van? Lots of room in here!

They are rare and in pretty poor condition for my price range. Trying to keep the vehicle purchase price around 5k so I can spend the rest of my budget outfitting it exactly the way I want it. That price would get me a nice 88-91 Suburban 3/4 ton. Absolute Max, ramen eating budget is 12k and I might be able to squeak a UJoint conversion in under that. But I'm not going to go that way unless its the only way to get the space I need.