Has anyone modified a LWB Vitara for weekends away ???

[RickUK]

This may seem like a strange request but someone may has some suggestions or may have done the same tyupe of thing that i am looking for.

I have posted a few times that i do alot of metal detecting and also a spot of fishing,so i needed a set of wheels that would allow me to get onto say a farmers field and be able to get off again and carry all my gear with me,i guess you could call it a hunting/fishing and shooting wagon.

So i bought the LWB Vitara as that ticks all my boxes in carrying all my gear,but i also looking at do the occasional weekend away,dont fancy camping but had originally looked at say a very small camper van but the Vitara came out as a better vehicle,so as mine is the LWB version has anyone modified the truck so they can sleep in it for say a 1 or 2 nights.All i would need is say the length to lay a sleeping bacg down and get my headdown.I have a vert small stove to make a brew up that type of thing.

So has anyone slept in a LWB Vitara or infact any Suzuki ??? any input,suggestion or ideas would be most welcome.I have tried to highlight why i bought the truck and the 2nd part of my quest for this year is a few nights away by myself over bankholiday that type of thing living life a little wild.

Thanks

[ScottieJ]

My Lwb Sj is going To be kitted out for weekends away, got a few cool ideas for it.

I can just about lie down straight in mine with no back seats and the front seats shoved completely forwards and I'm 6'1 but tbh I'm prob just going to use a pop up tent and sleep outside

[ROBBIE]

Didnt Parrot and his Mrs sleep in his old lwb?

[RickUK]

Scottie,have checked and yes i can lay down in mine as well,all ready had a small portable cooking stove and all the eating equipment.The sleeping area well thats just a sleeping bag and pillow thats basically all i would need.

Thinking of making a small plywood box up for the back as i have also located on Evilbay a small stainless washing sink and i mean small but just the right size for having a wash in the morning.Water storage well that can be a plastic container.Have also just found on good old Evilbay again a small emergency toilet so will probably get that tonight as well.

So the basics like sleeping,basic cooking and washing are all sorted,and the main thing is i wont need to do any alterations to the truck,well not as yet anyway.

Only thing i am not sure about yet and that is privacy in the back of the truck,so do i try and find temporary blinds,a few rolls of window blackout so that it it gives me a bit of privacy,will find a way around that one.

Will be interesting too see what you have in mind ??? i dont want to tow a caravan or sleep in a tent as i prefer a few creature comforts and sleeping in the truck in a sleeping bag is more appealing than on the ground with just a thickness of a piece of cloth.

Thanks again,anyone else have any input on this unusual request.

[RickUK]

I am looking at kick starting this project of mine again,over the last few months have been putting all the basic camping gear together and if you shop around on Ebay and the likes you would be suprised what eating and cooking,sleeping equipment you can get for a very small outlay to be used for weekends away in a Suzuki.

Have located a new small 'thunderbox' that will do for a full weekends use as well,and today have been looking at i guess the best way to describe it a 4x4 tent that attaches to either the back or side of my Vitara this will then allow me to sleep full length inside the truck but have the basic cooking outside.

The tent that i have been looking at will cost £300 which i dont think is way over the top,because its a specialised item and not your normal tent then i guess it will be more expensive,but it appears to me that if i look after it should in theory last a very long time.

Am i doing this the right way,it will only be used maybe 3 bank holidays a year for long weekends away while detecting,so due to this only being used a few times a year i dont want to throw massives amount at it like roof mounted tents that are used on expeditions but saying that i also dont want one of these el-cheapo tents that you can buy from Lidl's for music festivals.

Any suggestion folks.

[twiss]

May be a bit over the top for a bit of fishing but I'm planning on building an "expedition" LWB SJ... will use a roof tent on that but will attempt to fashion my own out of a regular tent and a split folding roof box

[Rhinoman]

I used a rear awning on my old camper when I used to race bikes. It was a good place to put stuff when we were inside the van and was also used as a garage for the bike. The main thing to consider is how easy it is to put up. I have a side awning for my current van but we only tried to put it up once, I don't think it was too difficult but my wife has no patience and got fed up after a few minutes and we never tried it again.

[Darrell]

Ever considered just bunging one of these on the back end.
Not ideal but cheap and easy. It looks like it has a zip on the back so you can get in and out if you pegged it around the back of the vit.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airwave-2-0x2-0 ... 72-2681838