Kenneth_Brandon

The front and back seats do go down with the headrests removed but there is a big hump that would make a very uncomfortable bed.

I removed the front seat and am in the process of making a plywood single bed platform starting at the rear door and extending foreward, over the front seat area.
My cushion is 6' 1" , however , a longer 6' 8" bed would work.

Kenneth_Brandon

I am so involved with designing, building, and refining the furnishings for my new home away from home, that I hate to take the time to learn how to post photos to this thread.
If there is a reader that is interested in doing what I am doing, and is adept at posting photos, I can e-mail photos and explanations to that reader and he or she might post the photos to this thread for the benefit of all interested parties.
With the drivers seat pushed all the way forward, there is a lot of space in front of the rear seat directly behind the drivers seat. My latest design/build effort is a secretary/like desk/table which will hang on the back of the drivers seat. Its height and angle can be adjusted to make a reading or drawing surface. If made level it will serve as a food prep and eating table for use when the weather outside is not ideal for those activities.
I am still searching for a tent/shelter for the rear and side or sides of the xB. A surplus parachute, at the right price, might do the trick
Any help in these areas will be greatly appreciated.

kfbrandon@pamlico.net

bBlover

That is a cool idea.

TheScionicMan

Here's a nice light accessory:

http://www.headhunterinc.com/carbon_fiber.htm

WeeMan

i used to "car camp" myself. i cheated and had a ford E 150 conversion van with an electric back seat that folded down into a queen sized bed. i have heard that they create other rear seats similar to this, for the xB it would have to be a full size bed. i am not sure if they have the right mounting brackets for the xb though. i am contacting the company and seeing what they would be able to do for the xB, your camper idea sparked my interest in doin the same. i will post back if they make a model that will fit in the xB.

Also i have a window AC unit that runs off of a car battery. i wired the second battery into the alternator, so it charged after i used it, that was worth the 200 bux for me. i used to live in southern cali spending the night in a small car with two people created some steam (and thats when we were JUST sleeping) so the AC unit kept it comfortable and not stuffy or muggy inside.

WeeMan

UPDATE ON ELECTRIC REAR SEAT

currently no models are in production that would fit into the scion. but they are coming out with smaller models soon, because of the popularity of the smaller style suv's. the representative (legacy) said he cannot make any promises if a bed will be made for the xb, or if any of them will be able to fit inside, but he did say they ARE coming out with smaller seats. and he passed on the idea of scion xB to their design and prototype team. (i think that part was BS but it made me feel cool)

so sorry...no comfy electric rear seat for the xb camper...

how are your mods goin by the way...haven't seen a post in a while...

Kanotoa

Why not use an air matress? It would compensate for any irregularities when the seats are folded down. I might go camping with my son.

Kanotoa

I think the next XB better have seats that can be reconfigured as well as the Honda Fit.

sunglint

I actually did something similar over memorial day weekend.
To sleep, I found a heavy plastic folding table at home depot.
With the back seats down, and the table folded, it fits comfortably in the back, even gives an even surface to pack stuff on.
With the table unfolded, but legs still up, it fit into the back, right up against the front seats. I forgot how it "stayed" in the car, but I think it somehow caught on the inner lip at the back (Id have to do it again to remember for sure.) I have acid reflux, so had to raise the "head", so bought a cheap collapsing steel sawhorse with adjustable legs - it fit right behind the front seats, and between that and the back fitting just inside, it was VERY stable. I slept that way two nights. The biggest problem was that the plastic was very slick, and Id slide down occasionally, but otherwise it was fine. I probably could have lowered the front seats, but maybe not with the sawhorse there. Nice thing about the table is that you can also unfold one side of the legs and pull it out, and have the back of it on the car - yep, it was the right height, or very close.
I have a shade structure made of a large silver tarp and two EMT poles (1/2" inside 1", or something like that, with holes drilled to adjust the height.) Going from the front of the roof racks to well past the back, and another tarp on the ground with the wheels backed over it, it made quite a nice little campsite. I added two more poles and big enough tarps and I had my tent set up too, under the tarp, and it all fit in or on top of the car.
Screening would be very nice, hadnt really looked into that, but a big tarp covering the whole thing would be great to have the windows down in a rain. I plan to get an extender for the yakima rack and then get a full-length cage (someone on here has done it and it fits well) then put the spare up there.
LED lighting should be easy enough.
You can get nice deep-discharge battery (optima?) and a diode splitter thing for campers - it looks like a small amp, big alluminum heat sinks and three places to connect, you take positive in from a nice-guage set of fused wires going straight to the battery, and split to charge up to two batteries when engine is running, then use the spare battery for the camping load, which leaves your car battery full to start.
Use the spare batteries with an inverter for whatever, you could run a decent little rave out of an Xb for a while, if you bring a small generator and a gerry can or two, even longer. A solar panel would also be quite feasable.
And after seeing the Houston area evacuate last year for Hurricane Rita, being able to semi-comfortabley live out of a fuel-efficient vehicle aint half bad.

Solara2xB

Interesting...
I would def. like to see the finished product.

hotbox05

honda fit is horrendous.

Kanotoa

^Why do you say that? It seems to have some really good features and the safety and MPG is better. I also think it is a superior built car. I like my XB but it is sort of cheap in the paint and fit and finish dept.

FormerlyRebelious

I have done this a few times. the headrests come right off but you still need a bit of a platform to even it out. I am 5'6 me and my wife could fit comfortably . I think we will end up going the motorcycle tent trailer though

ironponygrl

did you give up on this conversion?