2012 Toyota RAV4 Camper Build

[@Mel3V]

For good ventilation while camping in my 4Runner, which might also work in your RAV4, I installed 12V computer cooling fans that pull fresh air in through the glove compartment, and exhaust stale air through the rear hatch and rear bumper. Fresh air normally comes into the vehicle through a grill just under the windshield wipers at the base of the windshield. It goes through the OEM cabin air filter which can be accessed through a couple small removable plastic doors behind the glove compartment. At night, I open the glove compartment door, empty the glove compartment, remove those access doors and the air filter, place a piece of sheet metal in the bottom of that space to divert the fresh air into the glove compartment, and place a piece of 1/4" plywood fitted with two 120mm Noctua fans over the front of the glove compartment. These fans bring fresh air into the vehicle all night. At the rear of the vehicle, I removed the two OEM speakers in the interior plastic panel of the rear hatch, and replaced them with two more Noctua fans inside the rear hatch. There is a short, direct pathway through the inside of the rear hatch to two large OEM holes in the bottom of the rear hatch, where it meets the rear bumper. I cut matching holes in the hard plastic rear bumper, directly under these holes. This way, the Noctua fans inside the rear hatch suck stale air out of the living space of the vehicle, and blow it through the rear hatch and down into the interior of the rear bumper, where it dissipates outside. In daytime, I cover the holes that I cut in the rear bumper with simple pieces of sheet metal; they are hidden from view when the rear hatch is closed. For power, I installed an Add-a-Fuse in an always-on socket in the OEM 12V fuse block under the steering wheel (the location in the RAV4 might be different). I wired this to a Deutsch DT connector installed into the wall of the glove compartment, with the connector facing into the interior of the glove compartment. So just before pushing the plywood tight against the front of the glove compartment, I plug the wiring from the two front fans into the Deutsch connector, and the fans start. For the rear fans, I wired them into my 12V auxiliary battery system with another Deutsch DT connector and a fuse. The system could be improved by wiring switches into both the front and the rear fan circuits, instead of having to connect and disconnect the Deustch connectors every night. The Noctua fans are ultra-low in electricity consumption. They are also ultra-quiet. With four of them running at night, I can barely hear the combined noise from the fans. This is partly because we sleep with our heads just behind the front row seats, some distance away from both sets of fans. We found that on hot nights (mid-80s F) and on cold nights (mid 20's F), with this ventilation system, it does not feel stuffy at all, even with all the windows of the vehicle completely closed. On cold days, very little to no condensation builds up on the insides of the windows, even with two people sleeping inside the vehicle.

[@railsandtrails181]

Wow, that is incredibly through, and sounds very effective. We may have to give this a try. Thank you so much!!

[@Mel3V]

@@railsandtrails181I should add that while sleeping inside the vehicle, there is no perceptible breeze from these fans, as they are very gentle. If you do try it, I hope it works well for you!

[@rumbleman97]

could you send a picture of how the fan setup looks like?

[@Mel3V]

@@rumbleman97 I'm not sure how to send a photo, but basically when the front fans are deployed, the hinged door of the glove compartment is in its open (down) position, and the 1/4" plywood blocks the opening of the glove compartment. Two little hardwood sticks prop the plywood up tight against the glove compartment opening; the other end of each stick is wedged against the open door of the glove compartment. There is enough area within that piece of plywood for two circular cutouts where the Noctua fans are attached. In the rear hatch, there's not much to see - just the wiring coming out of a small hole I drilled in the corner of the big plastic panel that covers the interior of the rear hatch. That wiring goes to my auxiliary 12V battery bank. The two fans attached to the inside of the rear hatch are hidden from view when you are inside the vehicle. It's only when you remove that big plastic panel that you can see the fans. And each of the two holes cut in the rear bumper is roughly 2" x 3". I hope this helps.

[@MyTi824]

Thank you, excellent idea

[@LeisaBreheny]

Love your build. So many are for single people. We are always looking for builds meant for two people.

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you! We were also surprised how many were only built for one person.

[@candykizz3z68]

Finally !!! Someone relatable ! I have a 2001 Toyota rav 4, and do not work remotely. I just wanted something to sleep in on my weekend adventures, that wasn’t going to put me in a debt 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@HoneyandMe]

I travel in my Rav4 too, a 2013, so the first year with the tire spare underneath. I used to car camp in a Matrix, so moving into the Rav4 was like 'Whoa!! More room!!' lol! I haven't been able to convince my husband that he should try it too, but if he ever does, I'll keep your video with the raised double bed in mind.

[@carlosm.fernandez1902]

EXCELLENT video. I just completed almost the same set up on a 2012 RAV4 6 cyl with less than 80K miles. Albeit with some minor differences. I configured mine for one (1)-person and did not remove the seats. If I were to remove the seat, I would like to remove the passenger side rear seat only to maintain seating behind the driver. That modification is still in the planning phase. I built a two (2)-piece wooden platform which covers the entire rear of the vehicle and the rear seat on the passenger side. The rear portion of the platform is elevated from the floor to allow access to the rear underfloor storage area. I have good access to the rear under floor storage area, but the middle one would require major effort to access. The front portion of the platform is a separate piece that connects with the back. It is cut at an angle to mitigate the tilted passenger seat being folded down. The height of the rear platform piece allows me to store three (3) Sterilite trays under it with food, cooking gear, clothing, and even a Microwave! When not camping, I can remove the front piece and secure it on top of the rear piece allowing reuse of the seat and providing shelf storage in the back of the vehicle. You addressed my major concerns of food refrigeration and airflow. Right now, I have an Coleman 12v/110 Cooler but I do not think it will work well. WRT to the airflow, it’s HOT and Muggy. I have ordered and waiting for delivery of a VEVOR Portable Fan Rechargeable 9 inch, Battery Powered Fan with LED Lantern ( www.vevor.com ). If it works, I may order a second one to push and pull air in the RAV. In progress. Additionally I have ordered and am wait for the arrival of a SUV camping tent that will connect over the rear of the RAV providing additional space. This tent can also serve as a stand-alone tent. It will provide more ‘socializing' room as it has high-density mesh windows, two (2) entry points, window covers, and for $130.00 bucks I can’t go wrong. It comes with a 30 days money back guarantee and free return shipping ( www.vevor.com ) . Heck this tent might be able to house a stand alone A/C unit pumping air into the RAV4. Of course 110 Power would be needed. Something to think about when you are not primitaive camping. A major addition I did to protect the front end components and engine from road damage was I purchased and installed an aluminum skid plate that provides full protection from the rear cross member, all the way forward under the front core support to protect your radiator as well ( northwoodsperformance.com/ ) . It is available with access holes for engine oil and drain plug to allow easy servicing. It mounted with 4 bolts, and no drilling was required. This is an AWESOME layer of protection when you are out on those pesky roads. FWIW I do not work for any of the referenced providers but I am a very satisfied consumer of their products. In closing, my first outing in this vehicle is to Grand Isle State Park in Louisiana in a few weeks. I will maintain a list of does and don’ts based on my experiences and post them on my return. Thanks for maintaining this site and together we ALL can build “The Ultimate RAV4 Camper!” I look forward to continued dialog. I will be glad to provide pictures is requested. Best to all.

[@railsandtrails181]

Thanks for the thorough breakdown! The battery powered fan helps with airflow a great deal, but it still could get muggy in warmer areas like Louisiana. Especially love the microwave and SUV tent!!

[@JonBlon89]

Traveled in my 2012 for years before buying a sprinter. We are now back to traveling in the rav4. Absolutely love it.

[@Community-Action]

Why did you go back to the RAV4?

[@maylin1986]

​@@Community-Action One of the things probably has to do with gas mileage. The bigger the rig, and the heavier the van is loaded, the more gas is used to pull the rig.

[@touringdan]

When I travel solo I sleep in my Golf. I travel with a 12v fridge and power it with a ECOFLOW Delta 2 power unit. It works well. It charges up while driving. There is a 12v micro ac unit that would provide adequate cooling while you are sleeping. You would power it with the Delta 2. It only needs about 100 watts of power. Enjoy your travels.

[@railsandtrails181]

Well absolutely look into that, thank you!

[@EchoTravelsUSA]

Nice conversion. I have a 2016 RAV4 that I like to camp out in on Florida’s space coast whenever SpaceX or NASA are having a launch. Camping out in central Florida is challenging because of the heat and humidity, but I found an evaporative cooler made by Arctic Air that, while it won’t lower the temperature of my rav, it will blow significantly cooler air at me and it makes a HUGE difference. Hopes this helps!

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you! Not only is that a great suggestion, but that sounds like a lot of fun as well!

[@ambienteterrazas]

Nice!! I have a 2016 awd Rav4 that i used for traveling for a year or two, I did a 2'' lift and added trail terrains and bashed it all over Baja, nice little cars to get around, congrats very nice minimal build.

[@jeremyking3986]

You can lift a RAV4?

[@ambienteterrazas]

@@jeremyking3986 Yep lots of kits out there, I wen't with Northwoods.

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you! That sounds like a ton of fun! I didn’t know you could lift a RAV4 either 😅

[@camf03]

Nice buildout video guys. I have a 2010 RAV4 that me and my girlfriend will be taking out to the Tetons this summer and there was a lot of good inspiration here. For the power concerns, I would highly recommend the Anker battery packs. They have a huge range of sizes/prices of batteries that can charge while you're driving and provide days of power for fridges, phones, lights, etc. I set my parents up with a huge one with a rooftop solar panel for weeks-long retirement trips haha. And hey! Seeing your other videos, it looks like you're maybe some fellow Minnesotan's as well. Again props for the cool setup 🙂

[@railsandtrails181]

Thanks for the recommendation, that sounds like it will solve a lot of problems! Enjoy your trip out to the Tetons! And it’s always fun to run into another Minnesotan!

[@stevethecat9194]

Ha! I'm 30 seconds in and you've checked so many boxes-dont work from home, sprinter too costly... I have an 05 CRV, which is very similar to the RAV4, and converting it to a camper works really well. Great channel logo by the way.

[@railsandtrails181]

We definitely considered the CRV as well, it’s definitely very similar like you said. And thank you!!

[@diywarren1776]

Check out the window covers by Matt designs things (KZbin) that he made for his CRV. That will help with airflow. And drip rails along your rolldown windows, will help you crack them open even if it’s raining. I would suggest looking at compressor fridges, because they draw less power, and can be set lower in temperature and above all, no more ice. BougeRv makes ones at about half the price as more mainstream brands and maybe a smaller one would fit your available space. I have a 50qt and it’s been great. For a second battery I think that’s a valid thing to look into and maybe would be good if it was housed in that middle compartment that you seldom open. Above all , hats down to you guys for the progress you have made, and for just going for it. Not falling for the inclinations that other Van lifers are doing and suggesting, as must do. Whereas, if you go about it yourself, you clearly identify the relevant needs for your situation. But it’s hard to do that from your couch. I did numerous road trips with the Honda CRV before the engine cratered. I am now doing a simple build within a Dodge caravan

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you SO much for all the suggestions! It’s great to hear from someone who had a similar experience and can speak from that. Good luck with your next build!

[@MikeBabsBC]

What a great build! You definitely maximized the space you had! Stoked to follow your future travels with it.

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you!!

[@swimonster311]

Really glad I found this. Just got an ‘07 Rav and am looking to do something similar. Would love to see more behind the scenes videos of the car camping! Cheers from Texas.

[@railsandtrails181]

We’ll try to focus more on the camping aspect in the future! We try to highlight the parks we visit more so than ourselves personally, but we’re small and still learning. Glad you liked the video, and hope you’re able to do something similar in your RAV!

[@clnyegaard3358]

I’m going to try Car-Ving in my 2017 RAV4 for my upcoming Spring break. I have a Class C which I love but at 6-8mpg my hope is that I’ll be able to afford to go further for less on my teacher’s salary 😊and into some more remote areas than I can get in a 30-foot motorhome. Thanks for sharing.

[@railsandtrails181]

We especially loved the mileage and maneuverability of the RAV compared to when we pulled a trailer, so I’m sure the same is true with a motorhome. Have a great time!

[@tclemens09]

Thanks for the video, nice job guys. Would love to see a more in depth look at the bed frame. Lots of rav4 builds out there, but this is the first I have seen with taking the back seats out...something I am working on now for a build out myself. Thanks again!

[@brucemoller7012]

For airflow, I have seen a narrow strip grille on top of the rear door windows with a built in fan. May be worth looking into.

[@marshallohio5512]

2010 Rav V6 limited here !!! No platform build!! Walmart exercise mat $30 , Amazon 4" memory mattress on top of mat $80 , few of those FunWatt Battery units $150 each , Alpicool fridge $120 Operates by car then by a FunWatt over night , various Amazon fans , all clothes and cookware in two Swiss computer back packs.. I chose the Swiss packs , for the many various storage compartments .. Roof rack for folding chairs, stoves, tent, awning, blah blah blah .. Oh, full stereo with a 12" Sub Box !! Rear right Passenger seat may be used when bed is packed away .. Front passenger seat free with bed set up .. 2 small Home Depot Rigid cases for can goods , spices , coffee , blah blah blah .. Ex military with excellent organization skills .. However, there was alot of fun with what works and what doesn't work ... 😅 You KIDS keep at it , for we are on this planet to live and not just to exist !!! Cheers😊

[@railsandtrails181]

That sounds like a great build! A bit jealous that you managed to fit a sub box in yours 😅 Thanks!

[@marshallohio5512]

@@railsandtrails181 Welcome.. The single 12 box sits on the folded down rear driver side passenger seat that also serves as a multipurpose table... Stay Positive and Safe in the life's journey!!!

[@1980skevin]

This popped up on my feed, and I love it. Nice job! I might install a little Smith&Wesson cabinet, but that's just me 😊 Looking forward to seeing the changes you might make, plus the travel videos 🙂

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you! We’ll definitely have to address any edits we make in the future!

[@phillipwebb1258]

Get something like a Jackery to run you fridge. I use a 1000 watt with my fridge.

[@railsandtrails181]

That’s a great idea, thank you!

[@Ferpaxv]

Amazing guys! I have teh same Rav4 model here in Brazil and Im doing the same thing. Many thanks!!

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you! Good luck with your build!

[@robertmcmahon1221]

Very informative. Thanks

[@brucemoller7012]

Here in Australia, (it gets hot too), I asked a good friend who camps often with his family of 4 adults. I asked what type of fridge I should get for our RAV4 2013 (with space saver tyre by the way) so it has a flat floor. He said he has never used one. He has a really good quality ‘Orange’ esky/ cooler box or what ever you call it. Unsure of the brand though.

[@matthewspostiveshow]

I have a 2009 Rav 4 V6 4wd and has a tow hitch package and would consider this on my rav 4

[@maryannhathaway2251]

Hi. I am so glad to watch your video regarding 2012 RAV4 as same as mine. I would like to know how installing the rotors mount on roof rack. Thanks.

[@railsandtrails181]

Hi Maryann! For the RoroPax mounts, we got a 1/8 thick piece of steel that was about the right size and got a special drill bit to put holes in it. We spray painted it black, then ordered roof rack mounts on Amazon that were shaped like the letter “P.” They were designed for circular roof rack bars, but they still fit and grilled around the RAV’s roof rack with rubber inserts to fill the gaps. We just picked up some long bolts and nuts at Home Depot to attach the two, and used a large suction cup for where it rests on the window. We drilled more holes for where the RotoPax mount itself attached to the plate, and that’s about it!

[@erosgreen505]

Great build thanks for sharing, I just to mention you guys rain guther to have some air flow👍👍👏❤

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you!

[@kickapooCam]

You guys are killin it

[@chap8772]

I'm Definitely following and would like a complete build list! I want to convert mine as well. Can you give measurements to all partntgat you used and links to what is suggested?

[@railsandtrails181]

All of the wooden framework was just lumber from Home Depot. We didn’t record the measurements, but I could re-measure in a couple days here. Outside of that, we got the Yakima rooftop luggage carrier at Scheels, but they could also be ordered online. The RotoPax were ordered directly from the RotoPax website. The electric cooler is the brand AstroAi, and was ordered from Amazon I don’t remember the brand for the bull bar, but it was also from Amazon. We input our vehicle to make sure it ahead of time. That should be the bulk of it, but if you need anything else, feel free to ask. Thanks for watching!

[@chap8772]

I think the big thing that I need is the measurement for the Roto pax custom mount and hardware used. I can get the items, but where you specifically drilled, mounted, and what specific plunger and mount bolts you used to include clamps are very important. In addition to that the frame dimensions for the wood would be also very helpful. Please and thank you ahead of time!

[@2GR4L]

What clamps did you use for the rotopax? Could you link some parts or make a separate video/short about the mounting solution?

[@railsandtrails181]

Here is an Amazon link to the ones we used: Nilight - 90021D 4PCS Mounting... www.amazon.com/dp/B07QGDXK4J?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

[@greycaribou]

Looks great! I use my small camper for short trips, about 5-6 hrs from home, but have started using my Pathfinder for longer road trips. LMK if you find a cooling solution...so far I have been 👍 I have 2 battery fans and a moon roof for circulation. And timing is important! Lol. I just got a battery cooler like yours, so tired of ice & mess! What kind of battery could it charge from besides the car? Thanks again for the video :)

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you! We have a small battery-operated AC system we’re testing, but we’ll include that in a future video if it does end up working for us. A battery fan worked for us most of the time, but definitely not in the super hot areas 😅 The thought was to get a secondary car battery inside the vehicle with an inverter, but we haven’t been able to find a great way to do that yet, so we’re still at the drawing board.

[@JuliaKnutson]

I love your build! I recently bought a 2007 Rav4 and am looking to do some car camping in it. Would you be willing to share your drawings/dimensions of your wooden platform?

[@railsandtrails181]

To be honest, we didn’t sketch it out much, and just made measurements/cuts as we went along. We’re planning to do an upgrades/updates video though, so we can re-measure everything and include some more angles of the platform in that!

[@JuliaKnutson]

@@railsandtrails181 Sounds good, thanks!

[@artboymoy]

Those stickers look like the art from the game "Parks"

[@railsandtrails181]

We love that game! The retro travel poster/park art is so cool!

[@jonathancaldentey4615]

Hey thanks for the video! Sorry if I missed you guys mentioning it, but what tires are those and what size? And is this the AWD, or FWD? Thank you!

[@railsandtrails181]

It’s an AWD. They are 225/65R17 Pirelli Scorpion A/T Plus 102H tires. Sorry, we should have included this in the video!

[@242HP]

I'm curious whether you had considered buying a Honda Element. I've seen a lot of videos on YT with people who use them as car campers (especially on the "Ready Set Element" channel) and they seem like they are better suited for that than the RAV4. The Element has rear seats that can either be flipped up to the sides or easily removed, leaving you with a large space behind the front seats to fit many things. Plus, some of the Elements have AWD and a sunroof in the back. I've also seen rear camping tents and roof-top tents for the Element. The roofs on this gen RAV4 are known to be a weak spot.

[@railsandtrails181]

The sunroof would have been awesome, but to be honest, we didn’t prefer the look of the Element overall. We considered a Honda CRV heavier than the Element, but ultimately went with the RAV due to familiarity with Toyota.

[@austinkeyes418]

Sleeping in a tent is much more comfortable. I have a 3rd gen rav4 and it’s very cramped compared to a tent

[@railsandtrails181]

Sleeping in a tent is absolutely more spacious. We decided to go with the RAV since we often hop from one site to the next on a daily basis, so we wanted to avoid excessive setup and teardown. The hard shell of a vehicle also offers more safety and a quieter environment.

[@stevenrldenault7451]

Hi , thanks for sharing, great video. What were the mpg with the vehicle setup for camping?

[@railsandtrails181]

Good question. We didn’t notice much of a change between with/without the rooftop carrier and RotoPax. It’s right around 22mpg

[@Community-Action]

Best way to stay warm or cool camping is travel North in summer and South in winter.

[@stephenfrancais]

Thank god you didn’t spoil your future videos!

[@divad23]

I havent tried this but i have seen a video where a guy cut a hole near the rear wheel well and place a small tubular reverse fan to pull warm air out and create air flow when combined with the main fan being used in the car (near the ceiling).

[@railsandtrails181]

I’m sure that would work well, but we were hesitant to cut into the vehicle at all. If we continue to have issues with airflow though, it may end up coming that.

[@crimson25543]

Great build & lots of good ideas! Now, if you could just get rid of the annoying background music, your video would be . Most viewers don't like background music because it takes away from the main content, which are the creators speaking and providing information. Cheers!

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you, and sorry about that! This is slightly different content than we normally produce, and we have lots of shots where we’re not talking, and use background music to fill the silence. We’ll keep this in mind when we’re doing similar videos!

[@SotRib90]

Hello my friend, you are my guy. I need a cheep AWD for my family (wife and a baby) to go camping. Is the trunk space enough for the camping staff? Thanks bro

[@railsandtrails181]

It depends on how long you’re going camping for. The trunk is pretty spacious on the 2012 RAV4’s, but I wouldn’t think you’d want to do more than a couple days with that as your only storage. That’s why we got a rooftop luggage carrier for extra space. If you just have one child, though, the spare back seat could also provide some storage room.

[@zanderalberto3576]

It also has that hidden storage where the wheel would typically go.... if you have a model with the tire on the outside/on the rear door....

[@siervodechristo5486]

Beautiful build and video! How many miles is on your vehicle?

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you! It was around 140,000 when we purchased it.

[@FAngus-ly8lk]

How tall are you? How long is your bed platform? I'm 6'2". Is it even possible for me to consider this vehicle for camping?

[@railsandtrails181]

I’m 5’9” and only have a couple inches to spare. Unfortunately I’d recommend looking for something slightly longer for your height

[@FAngus-ly8lk]

​@@railsandtrails181 - Thanks very much for your response.

[@notrelavent]

a zero breeze can cool you off at night so you can sleep good.

[@centripetal25]

good video! try to work on making eye contact with the camera. it makes it a much better viewing experience.

[@postedinthecut1565]

Cool deal

[@bebopkirby]

The main conundrum for me is the vehicle you want to drive and get decent gas mileage with, and the vehicle you want to sleep comfortably in,and tote your gear, are two different vehicles all together. There are a lot of tents today that you can set up as fast as the time it takes to fix up a sleeping area in a vehicle, and a lot less confining, with better ventilation also.

[@railsandtrails181]

You definitely hit the nail on the head. Those two things don’t usually coincide. We did bring a tent on the first big trip we did with the RAV, but didn’t end up using it since we never felt too cramped sleeping in there. It would have had better ventilation though, you’re right about that.

[@KingSolrac]

nice build!

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you!

[@what_is_steve_doing]

How much does it cost to run a rav4 if it broke down

[@marquisethomas5611]

Toyota makes a vehicle geared towards camping/ off-roading. It's called the "FJ cruiser"

[@aaronweiser5421]

So what is the Solution for the Air flow problem in hot weather?

[@railsandtrails181]

We don’t have one yet, but we’re trying a few different options and will respond to you & pin a comment here when we find something that works!

[@BrandonAbernathy]

​@@railsandtrails181look up zerobreeze or ecoflow wave 2. They also make window vents that were you can close the window and still have airflow. The window closes on it. Finally, get a 50Ah lipo battery and car charger for about 200 bucks for your fridge. Or even a small power station.

[@levicole8739]

Can you suggest a clamp for the gas can attachment?

[@railsandtrails181]

Here is an Amazon link to the ones we used: Nilight - 90021D 4PCS Mounting... www.amazon.com/dp/B07QGDXK4J?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

[@rockyshore7017]

I'm 5'10".... would I have room to sleep in the back of a RAV4??

[@railsandtrails181]

If the seats are leaned forward, for sure! I’m right around that height and if you were closer to 6’ it would be tight, but at ~5’10” I didn’t have any issues. -M

[@JoeT-re5ro]

Im 6”3 and can do it . I have to push the passenger seat all the way forward. I then keep a cooler between the passenger seat and folded down back to fill in that empty space . I have to sleep facing the back not the front. Mines a 2024 rav 4 xle

[@samanthas3909]

What kind of tires are those?

[@railsandtrails181]

They are 225/65R17 Pirelli Scorpion A/T Plus 102H tires. Sorry, we should have included this in the video!

[@JuniorAriasT]

Nice job 👍

[@railsandtrails181]

Thank you!