Honda Element Sleeping / Camping system

Correction: The crates we're purchased from the Container Store.
We used this set up for 5 months of car camping and traveling. It was perfect for us! I love this car! I guess it's not really a 'bed mod' since we didn't build a platform. oh well, I hope you like it anyway. :)

[@u.s.patriot3415]

Getting a 2003 Honda Element Dx: 2.4L, clean title/no accidents, only 140, 000 actual miles/9300k miles a year, only 1000 miles on new tires, interior and exterior in above average condition, all features work. Thinking of converting as well, to include a tent that attaches to rear of Element. Paying 2500.00 for it, and cannot wait to get started. Thanks for the upload!👍

[@chili5525]

Where are you getting the rear tent?

[@zamzammrfixit3113]

did you get the 8 cylinder Element ?

[@davecampbell4091]

Genius! The simplest most practical and efficient use of space. KISS rule wins the day once again “keep it simple stupid”. I have watched a hundred videos on this topic and this takes the cake. Thanks!

[@bmoneyvidz]

Excellent video. I like that it's a simple solution that doesn't require any permanent modification. Enjoy the outdoors! And Steven Davis is right. Shhhhhh.....

[@thedicklife]

Great setup. I have used a similar one in my E before. I prefer an air mattress since it takes up less space and have had great success with it.

[@darrenlambert2099]

Literally just layed a piece of foam on top of some plastic storage containers and people in comments are acting like it's the pinnacle of human ingenuity.

[@2chill2]

very space efficient and easy to setup.

[@susanstocking6840]

mattress looks like a piece of bread, perfect for the toaster...

[@Carrotless_]

lmao

[@blowtorchacurlyfry1]

love the bug netting

[@narongchamkasem8286]

great idea, no need to make any complicate bed frame and so on.

[@supracer2007]

Nice idea, it's simple and practical for carrying stuff too... Will try this out on a trip with my wife.

[@Nando5118ttv]

awesome definity took the concept, getting on the road April 5th with similar setup.

[@rockngrannyroadwarrior8807]

Fernando Jaramillo how did your road trip work out? Have you kept your same setup or modified it? Show us what worked best for you.

[@tyleranderson8004]

great video, I usually just keep all my stuff in big water tight cases that I lock to the wheel with a cable lock , can use a double high air mattress, but i was thinking of doing some simular to what you are doing, its givin me a quite a few ideas thanks :)

[@lexiashby494]

This is amazing! I just got my Element and cant wait to go camping in it! This video is very helpful(:

[@yakmanok]

Very easy and practical set up.

[@williambranham6249]

EXCELLENT INFO. I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF PLANNING NOW. THANKS!

[@chili5525]

Simply Kool, Would you share how you designed the back latch to open from the inside. It seams easier than the others I've seen on KZbin.

[@lydialangfordjoiner765]

I love your ideas! Thank you for sharing!

[@amycroson4656]

This is AMAZING. Just the other week, my boyfriend and I went camping in my element and we were upset that we couldn't open the back door without having to go through the side door... My biggest question - HOW DID YOU DO THAT?! I cannot tell you how much I love this video (and how necessary I feel that it is!!) When you're backpacking & camping, you need to store things in the back (so you may not have the room to lay the seats back) & the seats in the element are not very comfy either.

[@tmowhat]

Amy Croson This was helpful.. www.skidmore.edu/~pdwyer/e/liftgate_release.htm Check out the forum on the Honda Element Owners Club. Lots of good info. :) www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10932&page=3 Also, drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B9PSzppW3JjIQXcyYmJzRThUTnM&usp=sharing Here are the photos we took, sorry they aren't very good.

[@houseisdead]

+tmowhat Thanks for posting those details!

[@PillCozbee]

190K on my E best car I've ever owned.

[@productguru8323]

Great solution!

[@yinde5902]

Wow how did all that come to mind. That was awesome.

[@dcwarner]

Have a 2006 bought new. It is so reliable that can’t see getting a new car.

[@indigodragon7129]

An old absorption refrigerator with a diesel glow pug used with gallium to help conduct the heat in place of a propane burner to operate the absorption refrigerator parts with low voltage electric fans to move the air through the camper has an air conditioning system to help keep cool. A stealth air conditioning system idea.

[@virtuouswoman9714]

I’m hoping all is well with you guys no more videos?🤔 Love the crates idea very super simple w/o any permanent fixtures👍 love❤️it😊

[@_Diggler]

The pull cable is an important piece to make any Element camper possible...

[@tigerbody1]

Wow - great demonstration .

[@notwrkn2mch]

Good Job.... It must be hilarious when you need something in one of those bins in the middle of the night :)🙃

[@thetramblingman463]

just got an element think I will go with your idea of a conversion awesome video

[@johnjbrowniv8722]

I love the simplicity

[@alexrios4064]

You're just sharp and short 👏 Great 🎻 Thanks 😊

[@indigodragon7129]

Take a look at a my pod camper. Then sit down and design a my pod type camper that you can attach to the roof of the Element that you can use has a sleeping area that you acess through the sun roof. Try designing it like a truck camper with a little hover hang in the front to give it more room for your feet.

[@Wendy-cf5tv]

Love this- would appreciate instructions for the mattress and curtains. Was that a screen you put on at end? Thx.

[@lezbriddon]

good use of space and a neat idea, i'm just doing an 806 so may do something similar to this.

[@vermili0n]

i'll probably do something similar to this, very simple and tons of storage

[@jeffreysilberg9863]

Looks great! Thanks for sharing.

[@unclegeorge7845]

Great simple non-intrusive economical work around. Some more foam research might be in order. Pleasant straight forward presentation. Thanks The inside rear hatch door latch release should be a factory safety feature. How about a video showing it's installation?

[@MrDjtuck]

Kudos-Good Video!

[@teirvin]

Pretty great. Thanks for sharing.

[@LEMR9]

Nice job! Thanks for posting

[@earthling1984]

That is just awesome

[@psychodfunk]

2:22 Love that feature, am wanting to make the modification myself.

[@tmowhat]

drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/0B9PSzppW3JjIQXcyYmJzRThUTnM?usp=sharing

[@AprilleShepherd]

Well done guys! I am doing similar with my Dodge Grand Caravan with Stow-N-Go seats.

[@ntstudio28]

Well.. I am in love..

[@SwampieMusic]

Not sure what I was expecting. I do know I wasn't expecting a leggo build. What a mess lol

[@samleonardi7431]

great idea

[@davidwilliams1107]

Nice video, great setup : )

[@young1471]

Excellent

[@FreeRunin18]

this makes me want an element so bad lol

[@samsonphotography]

Where did you get the bug net? Is it custom fit or just a generic you made work?

[@bigalcervantes5118]

Your boyfriend is a very lucky guy.

[@zamzammrfixit3113]

Hey , watch your mouth .. i am the boyfriend ok ... she is my cutie pie , lots of guys want her but she is mine and mine alone ,, no sharing my cutie pie muchoo meech .

[@rockngrannyroadwarrior8807]

james bailey Might want to make her your wife then, boyfriend. 😁

[@anthonytoussaint1565]

i hope i get approved for my element today

[@brahssalamualaykum]

The internal handle for the hatch door is a game changer! Can you share how that was built up, please?

[@tmowhat]

Yes I did. Photos are in the description.

[@tmowhat]

drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/0B9PSzppW3JjIQXcyYmJzRThUTnM?usp=sharing

[@JohnSmith-iz8uy]

I have an element spend a lot of time camping in it . It's the best vehicle built by man if you want something better you got to get one built by alians

[@Kathymcyr]

Where did you get the side curtains and the mosquito netting from?

[@tmowhat]

I made them.

[@garysnack9253]

cool nice video

[@wandaberry998]

When you are at your destination, what do you do with your mattresses? With all your equipment in all the tots underneath, that looks like a lot of taking in and out.

[@tmowhat]

You get your systems figured out and it’s not so bad. The mattress stays in the car.

[@jamesdmanley]

awesome!

[@FrankGreenway]

why no more videos about your travels? I like the tote idea but I'd rather have used less larger totes.

[@earljklec1684]

Nice

[@NourLababidi]

Excellent job :) Thank you

[@chicagosbackbone]

Great video, thank you.

[@raulgudino7137]

me encanta, gracias muahh!

[@MrHurricaneFloyd]

Plywood/OSB and 2x4s work so much better.

[@EZ4U2Say11]

I guess the boyfriend is just there to make her feel good , lucky cause she’s really cute

[@NuclearCarnivore]

How's the air-conditioning? Do you run the engine all night?

[@tmowhat]

We were climbing and stayed around cooler temps.

[@SurJones]

The release pull for the tail gate.. did you guys do that? Where did you find the instructions or video?

[@tmowhat]

yes we did. This was helpful.. www.skidmore.edu/~pdwyer/e/liftgate_release.htm Check out the forum on the Honda Element Owners Club. Lots of good info. :) www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10932&page=3

[@SurJones]

thanks - I'm looking to buy on, this coming up week - so making sure I have everything checked off my list :)

[@tmowhat]

drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B9PSzppW3JjIQXcyYmJzRThUTnM&usp=sharing Here are the photos we took, sorry they aren't very good. (Also for e mats who I couldn't reply to for some reason)

[@SurJones]

tmowhat Bought my Element - Im really surprised no one really did a good video tutorial on this. I bought my from a Brighton worth the drive from Greenwood Village to pick up-

[@StevenDavisPhoto]

great stuff. super simple :) you're super cute AND outdoorsy? rare :P would love more details about the curtains and covers for the foam. did you just make the curtains to just hang up on the stock hooks? wondering also how you made the covers for the foam. what do you do when you wanna get to stuff under the mattresses?

[@tmowhat]

+Steven Davis 1) The curtains had velcro tabs sewn into them. An easier/better fix: Buy a roll of reflector/insulation and cut to size for a custom fit. 2) A friend helped us with the foam covers. I think we used nylon as the material. 3) The foam is super light so it's easy to get things from the outside (4) large crates. (check 1:55 on the video) We kept things we didn't need often in the middle crate. For the middle crate, you have to remove one of the crates, which isn't too much of a hassle considering how much storage space we had. Good luck! :)

[@StevenDavisPhoto]

um what? i just said she was cute. chill out.

[@StevenDavisPhoto]

+Jesus is Unstoppable someone needs to ban your hate speech from KZbin. dragging Christ's name through the mud like that. I hope he has mercy on you despite your unkind words.

[@tmowhat]

Steven Davis Thanks for the complement, sorry about the negative comments and harsh ridicule. I hope my answers helped. :) One more thing regarding the curtains: The adhesive stuck to the car well enough for a short time, but if it's cold(condensation) they would fall off. Shower curtain hooks might be a good fix as well. cheers!

[@Ivabiggun2]

Still wondering what the foam pad dimensions are (length & width)? Didn't see that specified anywhere.

[@tmowhat]

Philip Turner Sorry I don't have the Element anymore, or the pads. We just measured the inside, drew some (approximate) lines on our oversized foam and eyeballed it. We made it a little too big to ensure that it was snug.

[@nandoralpar6417]

Nice idea and you are beautiful as well! :)

[@earthbrown8]

Great set up, I am really interested in the Honda Elements and how people turn them into campers. Are you Hapa Haole? I am. Peace.

[@Babababababe]

Great video. Are you planning on uploading any more? Anyhoo you now have a new subscriber.

[@malcolm2142]

how did you go about making that bug screen for the rear door?

[@tmowhat]

Sewed elastic onto big netting. It worked great!

[@w4r7]

smart :-) Great job @tmowhat. i'm still thirstin for a ecamper for my element :-/

[@melodyswan675]

Hi! Wonderful. Thanks for the container info. Where is Creative Canvas. I would like to get them to make some mattresses for me.

[@tmowhat]

Hi, they're in Colorado but they don't make mattresses and covers usually. I would contact a local upholstery co. and maybe a wholesale foam/bedding co near you. Good luck. :)

[@kckuc310]

U have link for mattress? Or did you make?

[@tmowhat]

I made the mattress. Bought it from a foam store and then made a cover for it.

[@myelementz8402]

Best one I seen yet for element. Where did you get net for the back

[@tmowhat]

we made it out of bug netting, elastic and velcro tabs.

[@MrJayter14]

where did you get the foam for the mattress and get the covers made?

[@tmowhat]

I bought the foam from a foam wholesaler and cut it myself and make custom covers for it.

[@liyang3983]

Where did u get mosquitos mesh/net? & the curtain?

[@tmowhat]

I sewed bug netting to elastic.

[@guntherdoug521]

tmowhat what size are the smaller container store bins you've got there?

[@tmowhat]

+Gunther Doug I think it's these; www.containerstore.com/s/storage/storage-boxes/clear-weathertight-totes/12d?productId=10026213 www.containerstore.com/s/storage/storage-boxes/clear-weathertight-trunk/12d?productId=10024301 Small: 30.6 qt. Weathertight Tote Clear 19-3/4" x 15-3/4" x 8" h 10050818

[@guntherdoug521]

+tmowhat thanks yo

[@M1GGYG1]

This seems extremely unnecessary, considering the elements seats fold flat ... So you can sleep in it. I've done it in mine plenty of times and it's is just as comfy as that would be with none of the work

[@2old2bhere]

That's what I was gonna say! Lol

[@susanjones2836]

If you were just spending a night, you would be correct. However, this is for camping and the seat have been removed. The storage containers provide both the platform for the mattress and storage for their gear.

[@M1GGYG1]

Susan Jones still too much work and crap to lug around. Just throw a sleeping bag over the seats. Ive spent many nights in my element very comfortably with out all this mess.

[@M1GGYG1]

Susan Jones still too much work and crap to lug around. Just throw a sleeping bag over the seats. Ive spent many nights in my element very comfortably with out all this mess.

[@tmowhat]

Miggy G That's a perfect fix for short-term car camping, but we were living in the car for 5-6 months. I don't think I could sleep on folded seats for months on end. Plus, I'm pretty high maintenance, where am I going to put all of my crap? ;)

[@rscosworthfan]

shes cute

[@D_2_M]

Miss my Element, my friend totalled it 😞

[@fishertech]

is he still your friend

[@D_2_M]

Nope she no more friend.

[@fishertech]

aah i see haha she pay for it or nah

[@D_2_M]

She said it not her fault and blamed me. At first she refused to pay for it but in the end she surrendered her Scion xB. Could have end well if she didnt blame me for the accident.

[@fratermus5502]

So what lesson did we learn? :-)

[@rahkielsingh6028]

Too many Simps in the comments. Do your thing Goddess

[@JJtoob]

I think I'm going homeless from now on lol.

[@alvaradacosta293]

JJtoob .... it's called house less... not home less. LOL because you now will own a home on wheels....and that's GREAT. live and be free... TRAVEL the country.... make your money while traveling on the road...(work camping, temp agencies, etc) good luck...and have fun

[@hallmonitor98]

hmmm i have a 2003 and my floor is not level. It dips down behind the front seats. Is that normal?

[@tacodriver89]

how did you guys make the door thing for the inside for the back hatch??

[@tmowhat]

Yes I did there are some photos in the description.

[@tmowhat]

drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/0B9PSzppW3JjIQXcyYmJzRThUTnM?usp=sharing

[@nataliekilmer9724]

how long is the sleeping area? and mattresses when ready for sleep?

[@tmowhat]

He was 6’2 and fit great.

[@itsmattw]

What are you using for the bug netting?

[@tmowhat]

We used bug net(not sure what else the material would be called) with elastic bands and velcro straps(tags). If I was doing it again, I might change it. Using ONLY elastic band and bug netting to wrap the entire bumper. Cost a bit more, but might be a better way to ensure not buggies get in. Also, less hassle with the velcro tags!

[@jameszurawski4485]

Nice video. I got a couple good tips. I'm doing my Toyota Sienna for a trip to S.D. Black Hills in August. Question. Where did you get the foam for the bedding? I looked at fabric shops and nothing and Bass Pro and other camping stores only have the real thin foam pads. Thanks!

[@tmowhat]

We went to a DEMP, a foam fabrication warehouse in Denver. They make, beds, couches, gymnastic flooring.... They happened to be finishing up a scrap foam bed so we got a good price. We had em' cut it to size and off we went. Good luck! :)

[@jameszurawski4485]

tmowhat Thanks much ! I'll Google them and see if they'll ship to me . Happy Travels !!

[@tmowhat]

James Zurawski You might be able to find a different company close you as well. :)

[@thedicklife]

I realize this is a late reply but I have used an air mattress for years in the back of my E and it has worked great.

[@andrewhughes8970]

tmowhat This is a great simple solution... Any chance you have the dimensions for your two foam pads handy? I noticed a few details to match the contour and that seems crucial to preventing the pads from moving under load. Also would love to know how you did the screen.

[@bashoken]

hahah yeah, lots of sleeping on that trip

[@gregdimas3011]

what sort of plastic cases are those, can you link?

[@tmowhat]

I got them at the container store.

[@Blueguitar007]

I lost interest after I heard "boyfriend". Weird but true.

[@jinxgtr]

what did u do to mod the rear hatch to open

[@tmowhat]

There are some photos in the description. 😄

[@memetic805]

Where did you get the black courtings

[@tmowhat]

I made them. 😀

[@smdanny1]

for camping, climbing, and traveling... and "rockin'" ;)

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

Smoking that good weed in Colorado, eh? I'd be more outdoorsy too if my state didn't look down on people who want to be high outside.

[@allenwilliams3]

I know the foam is easy to cut, how were the covers made or acquired? Thanks

[@tmowhat]

We had a friend with a sewing machine that could handle the tougher tent shell type fabric and they helped us sew them.

[@goldboyjr]

habadabidi hot hot

[@stevesidare2493]

Where did you get the foam?

[@tmowhat]

Bought it from a wholesaler foam company and cut it myself and made a custom cover for it.

[@dannysavvv8253]

tmowhat what about the back seats? Do you leave them stored at the house when you hit the camp sites?

[@tmowhat]

+Danny Savvv Yup, they went into storage.

[@dannysavvv8253]

tmowhat thanks this video is super inspiring before my element purchase.