I always thought the only way to become a proper car dweller was to build out a van or a pick-up truck with a camper on back. Eventually though, I got so tired of the wind and rain and dust and bugs and zippers and noise and heat and cold and the constant packing and unpacking and I wanted to break my poles and shred my tent. So even though I didn’t have a van or a truck I said “let me see if I can make some room in my car…”. I walked up to the car opened the doors and proceeded to rip out the back seat out of my Saturn Ion Quad Coupe

…and this is the story of how my car became my home.

Its all bout making the most of your space. Instead of your average automobile which sections off back from front, the Saturn Ion Coupe employs the use of Suicide Doors, thereby creating an easy entrance to all parts of the vehicle. On a hot day it provides a nice little wind tunnel as well!

The second in car and original feature that makes the Saturn habitable is the fold down passenger seat. Its intended use to create space for cargo, I have found a new use for it as a cooking surface and general table. And when down it creates a lot of space!

Now for the important part… SLEEP! After ripping out the back seat that fateful day, I was left with the molded bottom of the car. I decide to see If I could lay a piece of plywood out to create a level surface from trunk to cab. The idea being that I could slide my legs into the trunk and have my body in the front section. The board sat well, but after a test run to Joshua Tree I found that the surface was sagging at the corners. To remedy, I added some stilts to provide the stability needed. In addition, I decided to extend the sleeping surface almost a foot by building in raisable flaps.

Next I laid down two REI 2.5 inch air mattresses. I got the women’s size as they come with a smaller width, perfect for sizing the car.

Next I laid out 4 inch piece of memory foam mattress. I cut the shape to accommodate all the molds of the interior.

Some sheets and a blanket and voila! Thats one comfy little car bed. Eventually I got rid of the black center console thereby joining the two head surfaces.

Look how even 6ft Carole fits in comfort. Her knees are barely in the trunk!

I decided to built wood cut outs for the windows to thoroughly block out any unwanted light. The cut outs for the driver and passenger doors also act as the back when using the car in living room mode.

And there you have it… a Saturn Ion Quad Coupe converted to a pretty sweet and comfortable mobile habitat.

I have to say that adding the Thule cargo box was a key component. It allowed me to keep all of my gear up high while leaving the cab to remain an uncluttered living space.