Tiny house on the move: 'I wanted a daily car I could also use as a comfy campervan'
Heading Of Her Several Had Around A Years Jennifer Picture: For Off Dreamed Ireland Istock Sheahan Travels On Campervan In
Last week I joined the masses of adventure-seekers rolling their way around Ireland and got my very own campervan.
True to form, it is a very small campervan — a micro-camper, to give it its formal name. This has been a dream of mine for a few years now.
Like many, travel curtailments over the past few years opened up the opportunity to explore my own doorstep beyond what I had done in the past. I don’t know what I expected, but the facilities and experiences on offer exceeded my expectations.
Ireland is a small island, but there’s so much to see that it’s hard to imagine ever getting tired of exploring all of our green nooks and crannies.
Of course, there’s always an option to throw a tent into the boot of your car and head off, which I’m not averse to now and then, but I’m not as hardy as some and I like my creature comforts, especially when travelling on a more regular basis.
However, I live in a small house on a small street, where parking is in short supply.
A large van would be too much of a headache to squeeze down this street on a daily basis, and there’s no space for a second car.
That left me with my favourite challenge — somehow fitting everything I wanted into a small space, and designing for the dual usage of a daily car that would transform into a comfy camper.
My first priority was to find the right car. My previous car (a 2006 Passat) had served me well for 17 years, but it was time to trade it in for something more efficient, so I tasked myself with finding a small van or MPV that was no longer or wider than my beloved old Passat.
Plenty of cars were considered (shoutout to my top runners-up the Mitsubishi Pajero, the Kia Sorrento, and the Volkswagen Caddy).
The budget was a factor for me, so the final winner was an imported Nissan Serena — a solid seven-seater family MPV with a hybrid engine.
One feature that was important to me was a flat floor.
This made it much easier to install fittings such as my little kitchen and my fold-out bed. I also wanted fuel efficiency — so far averaging at 14.1km/l which I’m happy with.
Finally the size — it’s actually a few millimetres shorter and narrower than my Passat, and although it is much higher, it still easily fits under barriers and into car parks. This makes it ideal for use as a regular car when needed.
With the right car acquired, I started planning the conversion. First things first — the bed. If you want a camper bed that can be used as passenger seats, your best bet is what’s called a rock-and-roll bed.
These are back-seat bench seats that fold out flat into a bed, with a layer of memory foam on the back for comfort. Because this is my regular car, I needed the seats and seatbelts to be NCT-compliant, which requires tools and skills far beyond what I have.
While some have the ability to DIY their camper conversions, I chose to go with a professional conversion company — Pathfinders in Leitrim (pathfinderscamperconversions.com).
From the first email, they were so professional and enthusiastic about this custom conversion, and I’m beyond happy with the job they did.
I decided against getting a fridge because having slept in campers before, the humming noise they make drives me mad, and as I don’t take milk in my coffee I feel I can do without perishables for a few days on the road.
Pathfinders had a task installing a very narrow kitchen unit in my car, which meant sourcing an extra-narrow sink, but the result is perfect for what I need.
There is a freshwater tank with an electric pump, a wastewater tank, and a small camping stove that uses little gas canisters.
There’s plenty of storage for a small kettle and a set of neat pots.
I got a gorgeous present of a picnic bag from a friend, which is ideal — it has all the cutlery and crockery I need already stored neatly away, plus it has a cooler section which is perfect for keeping things cool once an ice-pack is in there.
Pathfinders installed a genius little electric shower — the Ridgemonkey power shower — in my boot. It’s not heated, which is fine with me, so I just fill the tank with water from a hose and it’s ready to go. It’s perfect for rinsing off after a swim or cleaning my dog’s paws after a hike.
It attaches to the leisure battery and is more than powerful enough. There’s a clever little suction cup accessory, which allows you to attach it either to the roof of the boot when it’s open or the side of the car — meaning you can stand underneath and shower hands-free.
The team at Pathfinders installed a battery which charges from my engine.
I had considered solar panels, but because I use the car quite regularly, there is more than enough power generated for the sink, shower, lights, and occasional device that I charge up.
What you need in your camper is totally up to you! I love swimming and paddleboarding, so I have specific storage in the boot for an inflatable board and other wet paraphernalia.
I also got blackout curtains installed, which are essential for privacy and a good night’s sleep.
You can also make your own window blinds quite easily with Reflectix wrapped in material. I did not need additional insulation, as the Serena is already a passenger car, but if you’re converting a commercial vehicle then you need to consider this.
I left the most important point to last — the toilet. There are plenty of portable camping toilets available, and there are also single-use compostable bags filled with a substance that soaks up your, ahem, waste materials and can be disposed of like dog bags.
Some people even go into the wilderness and use shovels — but I have my limits!
- Got a question for Jennifer Sheahan? Email home@examiner.ie