But in that time, it became a reliable daily driver to many in need of a practical, dependable vehicle.Īnd it has continued to shine in that role as a used car since its production run ended, being the first car for many teens and a great, low-priced option for anyone else. At no additional cost to you, I'll earn a commission if you click through and buy something.The Honda Element wasn’t in production for very long, only surviving 9 model years from 2003 to 2011. Scissors (To cut fabric for window shades)īox Cutter (For cutting foam mattress to fit)ĭisclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. Paintbrushes (Could get away with one, I'd grab four or five)īig Scissors (To cut cardboard and Reflectix) Regular Saw (not necessary, but cuts straighter than the Jig Saw)ĭrill (With both drill bits and screw bits) Jig Saw (absolutely vital saw for all the custom, curved cuts) Store all that stuff in a place you can find it for when your days of roaming in your Element come to an end. If you're following my build, the rear seats, the metal bar on the passenger side wall that the rear seat attaches to, and the driver's seat armrest must go. As I mentioned earlier, you'll custom cut cardboard first to get a piece just right, then trace the cardboard onto actual wood afterward.Ģ. Bicycle shops usually have a few lying around they'll happily give away. However, I promise, with gumption and knowledge that your Element will be the ultimate adventure-mobile when you one day finish, you will persevere.ġ. You'll have to solve these issues on your own. There are many tiny problems that I won't dive into here, like screwing your cabinet door's roller latch in at just the right height and depth that will infuriate you and require hours of agonizing over something that seemed so incredibly trivial. What follows is a general guideline for turning your Element into a badass, functional home on wheels. Custom cut whatever you're working on in cardboard first, get it right, then trace it onto your actual wood piece and cut. The inside of a car is contoured and has different dimensions at different heights and recessed windows and lots of other fun complications. This is not a simple "measure and cut" build. I expected my conversion to take 7-10 days, it took almost a month. How to Build Your Own Honda Element Camper Conversion: First, a couple things to note.Īs with all first-time construction projects: however long you think it will take, triple that number-that's a good ballpark estimate. The entire build process took a bit less than a month, here's the result: But for the reasons listed above they've gained an almost cult following, now highly sought after cars of outdoor lovers.Īfter a couple weeks of unsuccessfully searching for the right one, I flew out to Burbank, CA to buy a well cared for 2003 Honda Element with 98,000 miles and drove back to Phoenix to begin my conversion. Honda discontinued production of the Element in 2011. I'm weird and think it looks super friggin' cool. Nobody expects you to be sleeping in an Element (great for stealth camping). It goes twice as far on a gallon of gas as a van in my price range would. The rear moonroof lends an unprecedented feeling of openness and light. The rear hatch/tailgate combo creates an ideal mobile kitchen space. It's urethane coated walls and floors are super easy to clean. The tall, boxy shape means more livable space and headroom. Why an Element?īecause, it's the ultimate adventure-mobile: With no rent to pay, the ability to move home anywhere at any time, and the resulting focus of such minimalism, I intend my near future to be a rare combination of adventure and productivity. It took almost a month, but I have finished converting my Honda Element into a tiny home on wheels!Īs someone who works seasonally and uses the majority of their year to travel, read, and write, the nomadic "van life" has always appealed to me.
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