Renault Twingo camper DIY conversion

So you think a Twingo is too small for camping? Think again! How about a 200x120cm sleeping area for your camping adventures?

The whole trick is in using the front seats for sleeping too. You can achieve that by laying the front seat backrests flat, then building a frame that will hold your bed above them.

It’s not me who built the conversion, I just found it and summarised it here, but I would approach it this way:

1. I would build the back part of the frame (boot) using aluminium profiles (square or rectangular) – say 50x50mm, 2mm thick
2. I would then build the front (long) parts of the frame that go over the front seats using a thinner aluminium profile (only a few mm thinner so that they will insert into the rear frame – without rattling or moving up and down. You could then pull them out and store them between the seats or in the boot. If you make them telescopic too (again a thinner aluminium profile that inserts into a slightly thicker one), then you can hide them away very easily.
3. I would also make the front legs foldable using a hinge, for easier storage

The rest of the bed will remain in place whilst driving + has a foldable storage area:

The rest of the build is up to you – whether you’ll do the full monty including the electrics or just a bed + storage:

This shows that you can sleep in any car if you are creative and skilled enough. Or have enough money to pay for a conversion. This camping conversion should work for any small car that allows you to lay the backrest almost flat.

You can of course sleep on the front seats temporarily, without building anything – if they lay flat, it is doable. We did that for a week in Greece in a Fiat Punto and later in a Fiat 500. 🙂 But a flat bed surface will give you much more comfort, your back will thank you!

Source – with authors permission: Facebook