HOW TO Build a STEALTH Camper in your SUV | Mazda CX-5

We show how to build a stealth camper in our Mazda CX-5 from start to finish. This 2 day build is easy and very functional. We have a folding bed with no drawers and a small tailgate table. This was the most simple and easy solution we could create to give us everything we would need to be successful on the road.
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[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Watch our full teardown video here! ---> kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIGvgahja5yNg6s We give all the pros and cons of this set up. We loved living in this vehicle but there are a couple things we would change to make the build that much better.

[@charball2371]

I have no woodworking experience so initially this is my justification for what’s holding me back. I’m so glad I found your channel! I have been wanting to do a cross country but was always like ‘dang I could not do this with my cx5’. Well I youtube’d it and here I am. I’m so inspired!! I watched the other videos for tear down and overall experience. So awesome. Thank you guys

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

This is so exciting to hear! There is nothing better than knowing we inspired someone to travel and that you don't need much to make it happen. Happy travels and thanks for watching!

[@vloggingina727]

That looks awesome! My daughter has a CX-5 and she’s been asking us to help her with a conversion. This would be one of our guides. Thank you!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

That's awesome! I would suggest trying to create a tailgate to allow the grill to fit sideways to give you access to your storage while you cook. We will make an unpacking and teardown video in the future with further insight. Stay tuned!

[@pamelot9158]

It is amazing how well you two work together! Really fun video.

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Thank you!!

[@palancar4262]

Can't wait to see your adventures!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

We cant wait to share them!

[@TenMoogles]

Probably my favorite platform I have seen! Gave me ideas for my own. My grandmother is moving to Hawaii and giving me her 2006 Ford Escape which will be my future camper home. Since it's just me I think I will copy your platform but half the size, and use the other half for shelving/desk area. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

That sounds awesome! We made another video that goes into details about what we would change in a future build which may be very helpful to you as you make your final design. Good luck and thank you for watching!

[@Gocamp7]

Hi. I'm a suv campus, too. You flattened it by yourself. You did a great job. A few days ago, I also made a self-emission system. I hope this video helps you. I hope you enjoy your car camping.

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

We enjoyed living in this vehicle very much. Car camping can be just as comfortable as anything else with the right setup. Thanks for watching and enjoy yourself while camping as well!

[@chizkiyahukabas7078]

You guys are cracking me up

[@sandyschneider6792]

Pool noodles are wonderful. When taking care of my ALZ mom my house was dubbed “the noodle house!” I have recycled them my car and other uses! Way to go you two!

[@chizkiyahukabas7078]

True reality show

[@MakeHoneySticks]

That's impressive for a 2 day build, all while filming. Nice work! I hope the smaller space still fits your needs.

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Thank you! We had a lot of fun filming this one.

[@jimmydreamcatcher]

Good job! Well done and a great idea

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Thank you. It is working out great so far 👍

[@ConsidertheWonders]

Looks like it's coming along Nicely! That looks like a super tight squeeze in there when laying down. Don't eat a big dinner!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Haha! We are slowly realizing that not being very big people is beneficial when on the road.

[@1DumbSquirrel]

I like the effort

[@Michelle-bw1xg]

Fun to watch and you are hilarious! I have a Mazda Cx-30 which is smaller, hope to figure a way to do some full-time traveling in it off grid. Enjoyed watching your adventures.

[@snowygirl131]

Thanks for doing this! It kinda "shows my pain!" I leased a CX-5 pre-pandemic and now I may be stuck with it. 🤞 I am considering seat removal; this demonstrates how much that is needed! Congratulations on living in this!! Wow!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

If you want to make a camper then the seat removal would give you a lot more room and you can build the bed a bit lower. I would have loved to keep that CX-5. Thanks for watching!

[@HickoryJ]

I’m in the market to build a camper out of a CX-5 in the coming weeks too, glad I’m not the only one

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

We just posted our pros and cons video on this vehicle build. There are a few tweaks we would make and could help you in your build. Thanks for watching!

[@kathyred3310]

I have a CX-5 2014 and I was thinking of giving it a try. It def couldn’t be full time and I would do better without the platform , it would only be me. Look forward to seeing the finished product,

[@heidilefevre2680]

Seriously to me, I'm glad that works for them but to me that sleeping height would be so claustrophobic for me. My goodness!

[@cowboyscoffee]

Happy Trails kids great use of rental car and love the poodle noodle concept to protect the inside of the rental. Great idea on your table in back

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@25onething]

Pool noodles! Genius!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Amber is very proud of that idea! 😄. Thanks for watching!

[@Jonathan-yw6lc]

Esta altisimo chicos , no podria dormir hay

[@MyLittleFarmhouse]

Well that’s one way to do it I guess 😊😉👍🏽🇦🇺

[@betterbatman]

Awesome job guys, quick question, how did the cargo area cover hold up under the bed pressure? Did it break or crank from the load of 2 people?

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

So far everything has held up fine but we havnt taken anything out yet. We will make a video unpacking and disassembling. Stay tuned!

[@WildSpiritBabe]

I’ve found cutting foam with scissors is the cleanest cut

[@mkatyo]

My CX-5 is nearly paid for and very dependable, so doesn't make sense for me to buy something different right now. I'm looking at the possibility of living in it for months at a time, but with my dog. I've been waiting for someone with a CX-5 to show us their camping/conversion setup! Brand-new to your channel, so not familiar with your journey or how long you'll be using it, but looking forward to seeing how it goes and what other tweaks and recommendations you have. Have fun!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

We will live in this vehicle for a little over 2 months. So far the Mazda has worked out better than expected. Great gas mileage, plenty of room for storage, and overall a smooth comfortable ride. The AWD and higher clearance has been beneficial as well. I would change a few things with the build but the vehicle itself has been solid. At the end of the 2 months we will make a tear down video and explain what we liked and what we would do differently. Stay tuned!

[@mkatyo]

@@SOSASATSUNRISE Awesome, thanks for the info and update. Look forward to your tear down vid and final thoughts. Happy 4th!

[@Gleeleeglee]

@@SOSASATSUNRISE why didnt you get a roof rack with a basket/cargo box AND a hitch for well almost anything lol

[@EpicEvolution]

Same reason I'm here 😀

[@0n3MindSpinning]

@@Gleeleeglee It was a rental.

[@prasannaprasantbashyal2615]

when you guys coming to himalayas of nepal ....Nepal is waiting ..yuh

[@sydstyle]

I saw a build where the man drilled holes in the plastic storage containers and used thin rope in it use to pull the containers front the back on the storage areas.

[@gabbiesmeemee]

I'm working on my SUV build the moment. Love the idea with the cool needles, as my skin and hopeless can't handle Corners LOL. I won't be doing a full bed I will be doing a half bed on the passenger side that has one seat that will have to go down. I'm worried that the difference in the height of the front end with the bed won't be even. I've never built things before although I am a Crafter at heart. I'm thinking about using my 12 cubicle shelf unit on top of my lowest part of the platform which will still give me about 12 square feet behind the driver's door to place my two six cubicle 12 units on your side and at foot I have a Cedar chest that was my grandmother's who passed it down to my mother she passed it down to me. It's just serving no purpose and I'm very passionate about my van bill that I'm willing to turn the Cedar Chest into my food storage and a mini sink that I will be cutting a piece out of the middle of the Cedar Chest you place a sink in the sided a gray water container. I'm just afraid of making mistakes and you don't have much to work with. I'm 57 years old and I'm on disability doesn't afford me much of anything. Good luck in your camping Adventures. Take care. Deb

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

So awesome to hear about your build! We were worried about how level our sleeping platform was as well but had less problems with having a flat sleeping surface than our first van build. I understand the worry of making a mistake as a new builder. Measure twice and cut once. Cut any piece you are unsure of a little big. You can always cut more off but can never add more if you come up short! Check out our tear down video of this build where we go over our mistakes and what we would change for a future build. No matter what, you will continue to make adjustments as you go and learn how you like things. I really hope your build goes smoothly! Thanks for watching and leaving your thoughts. 😃

[@gabbiesmeemee]

@@SOSASATSUNRISE measure twice and cut once is a good rule of thumb LOL

[@freequencylife]

Hi! How did you get your trunk light to turn off so you’re battery does not drain? Thank you!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

I believe our light turned off after some time but there are also switches in the vehicle to keep inside lights off while doors are open! In our vehicle there was a switch right next to the rear light and then the other lights are controlled by the dome light controls upfront. We did this too in order to not attract bugs inside.

[@1DumbSquirrel]

Adjustable park on a hill or slop

[@Gleeleeglee]

Wow you guys use the cx-5 to its fullest potential unlike mines we barely use it once a week lol

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

When you are paying for a rental you use it to its fullest! This vehicle turned out to be a perfect fit for our travels.

[@justhaze1368]

They’re coming out with the Mazda CX50 in 2022…u should check it out hehe

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

That sounds perfect! Someone tell Mazda to ship us one so we can test it. 😁

[@xiaomianwang781]

The bed looks too high, imagine you put a mattress on top, you probably will kiss the roof lying on it...

[@c.javieralarcon4352]

Esta muy alta la cama

[@sandyschneider6792]

Put erasers on the screw ends or saw the points off.

[@noahmonroy5410]

Do you guys have the dimensions of your bed frame/pieces of wood needed?

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Ha I think our motto was close enough is good enough on this build when it came to measuring. We give some measurements in the video and started from there. I think our first measurement on the size of the bed was correct and then it was trial and error for everything else. Thanks for watching!

[@laurenbauerschmidt2551]

Hey guys what size mattress is yours closest too?! I’m moving soon and trying to figure out if my “full” size mattress will fit in the back?

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

We custom cut our mattress to fit the space. I do not think a full size mattress would fit unless it could fold in some way.

[@laurenbauerschmidt2551]

@@SOSASATSUNRISE alrighty sounds good, thank you for replying so quickly! Great video!! I kinda want to do the same but with a Jeep so I can go off-road a bit!!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

If you can sleep in the back then that sounds great! We have used a roof tent that also worked awesome on a Jeep.

[@laurenbauerschmidt2551]

@@SOSASATSUNRISE yeah I’ve actually slept in the back of a 4 door Jeep a few times! Yeah I would definitely think about getting a rooftop tent but they’re pretty pricey and wouldn’t be so great in the winter unless you get a reallly expensive set up! We’ll see haha I’m undecided right now :)

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

@@laurenbauerschmidt2551 Rooftop tents are pricey and sleeping the back is just as good and stealthy when needed! Sleeping in the vehicle is also very nice on those cold nights. Thank you for watching our channel and good luck with your adventuring!

[@josebalanzategui6130]

why not cut the corners of the wood? I think is better well is my opinion 😉👍by Balanzategui

[@ykken]

Won't the centre support break the arm rest?

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

With this build, not much weight is in the front. Just our heads as we sleep and some of the weight is also resting on the back of the seats in front as well. Still a concern I can see someone might have if they plan to live with this build full time.

[@ykken]

@@SOSASATSUNRISE Thanks. Missus just placed an order for a CX5. Guess this would be a better car to take my 3 young lads for day camping compared to my Civic FC.

[@thenana]

😊⚘

[@edouble001hotmail.comeddie5]

Good job on the build so the new rule for the new Jeep is can’t buy too much groceries and no pigging out because if you gain any weight you guy won’t be able to fit in the back

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Its a tight squeeze for sure!

[@josebalanzategui6130]

hi sosa’s beautiful eyes working good in see you again by Balanzategui

[@irh71ful]

In the first video ,You said your problem is close roof ,but why u Made it more tight?😂😂😂

[@1DumbSquirrel]

Lol 😂 building a bank vault with that thick plywood

[@mariozapra8769]

One problem is the spare tire very dificult to removed .

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Very true. We were not worried since it was a rental with roadside assistance and we have AAA. In a desperate situation, it could be done.

[@matschrepf]

Gonna convert my 323 into a camper 🤣 fk this housing crisis haha

[@monicawaters45]

Also you should be using a plastic bag inside of the bucket when using it for that purpose!!!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Ha we definitely always used a bag when using our bucket along with saw dust or pine pellets and emptied it almost daily.

[@pandabear5221]

You don't need that frame under the platform...remove it...you'll have more SPACE.

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

It all depends on how you travel. Our first bed build shook itself apart after a few months of driving down bumpy rocky roads. We built extra support into this build so the bed could survive as we traveled over less than perfect terrain.

[@astral_brain]

Exactly my thoughts. That's way too little headroom. There are plenty of examples of sturdy builds without a frame.

[@zumezoom9593]

Y'all wanna build a teardrop thingmajiggy on your trailer?

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Iv always thought about taking the bed off a truck and building our own camper. One day possibly.

[@zumezoom9593]

@@SOSASATSUNRISE all the best! Safe travels

[@scarroll451]

You guys are so damn cute.

[@deanz9161]

Or you could buy a tent! Lol

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Ha we definitely have a tent but you can't exactly stealth camp in a tent in the middle of a parking lot.

[@deanz9161]

@@SOSASATSUNRISE crap you are right! I didn’t understand stealth camping! I found this video somehow because i’m buying my wife a cx-5. Great production!

[@nkrumahhowell3723]

Built that platform to tall. People make the mistake of building more room for storage instead of sleep space & comfort...

[@thetranspersonalalchemist]

Appreciate the ingenuity, but for me, I'd probably rather sleep in a coffin.

[@rexbaros]

Well you get a B for effort, but no. It’s not really doable. Absolutely not enough head room. It simply is not possible. You could have easily given yourselves 6 inches more head room and that would have been a nice build.

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

Ha not impossible but I get your point. This build worked great for over 2 months straight. 6 inches of more head room and we would have lost the majority of our storage under the platform. Thank you for watching and leaving your thoughts.

[@dongshin4245]

its way too high your bed and all lol the way you got in just seems unpractical but whateves

[@aahmed29]

Bro you barely even have any space there lol

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

You have all the space you need in the great outdoors! 😃

[@1DumbSquirrel]

Lol trying to make a bed level in a vehicle 🤣

[@juancostasanchez3024]

All this, all...is prohibited in the most of countries. You don't travel in a public way with this shit in the car😢

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

We live and traveled with this vehicle in the United States. Everything is perfectly legal in our country. Car camping is very popular. We just took it up a notch 😀

[@vice4134]

To be frank, this is so stupid. You are not giving yourself much room between the wood and the ceiling. INSANE! How would you feel when you add memory form on top of plywood & sheets. Your face will be near the ceiling. NO THANKS! This is a BAD IDEA!!!

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

We made a video explaining what we would change with this setup after two months on the road and how much room we had for sleeping was not something we would change. We had enough room to sit up a little, turn over and even open a laptop to watch something before bed. How much more room could you need?

[@vice4134]

@@SOSASATSUNRISE I'm sorry if I'm hurting you guys' feelings. While it's a great idea for some SUVs that have the space. But yours doesn't. Watching your video makes me feel like I'm in a coffin with my face that close to the ceiling. If I were you, I'd suggest to shave off another 6" from the bottom so you would have room to get up without hitting your head. Cheers! 🙂

[@SOSASATSUNRISE]

No worries! Different opinions are all valid on how you would build your setup. We are not large people and having more room for our kitchen was more important to us. 6" lower and it would be difficult to reach anything stored under the bed. We did not own this vehicle and built a set up quick to get have as many days on the road as we could. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts! 😀

[@Vencarter]

rip, then comes the cx50