PV5 Passenger Car Camping Setup.. Sliding Deck.. About 90% Done. Worked on it 'til I just decided to sleep here.

I’ve been chipping away at this PV5 Passenger car camping setup little by little, but as soon as everyone dipped out sharply for TGIF, I got started and ended up working for over 3 hours. Honestly, I planned it all out in my head without any blueprints, so I had a few trial-and-error moments and measurement screw-ups, but now it’s about 90% of what I envisioned. I haven't eaten dinner, and after 3 hours, I’m starving... instead of grabbing food and going home, I’m just going to crash in the car.

At least it’s not too cold outside, which is a relief.

Here’s a shot while I was screwing things together inside. What you see is a table/bed combo designed to match the height of the second-row seat. To match the second row, the legs need to be about 16cm high, but for a proper table, they need to be around 30cm. I considered attaching multiple different-height legs, but I figured it would be better to just use a wooden insert system, so that’s what I’m doing. There are two pieces of wood running parallel on the right; the inserts slot into those.

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I took out the foam storage tray beneath the trunk floor. I’m also utilizing all the hidden space behind the 2nd-row seats. The structure isn't bolted into the car; it rests on the support framework visible below. There's quite a bit of gear stored underneath. It looks like it’s about 30cm high from the floor.

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It might be hard to distinguish, but this is a photo showing the heated mat and camping chairs stashed away in the hidden space under the 2nd-row seats.

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So, this is the basic look. It sits about 12cm higher than the original trunk floor. That height difference is due to the sliding rail height.

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When the table I showed earlier is assembled, it looks like this. It's perfectly level with the 2nd row.

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In this state, if you sit down, you can stretch your legs, and it’s fine for eating, but since the height is low, using a laptop is a bit awkward. So, when I need to use a laptop, I just swap in taller legs.

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Here it is with the legs removed... The removed legs or different height legs can simply be stored beneath the deck. Oh, and that table has one more function.

Now for the grand finale: the sliding deck. Once it's pulled all the way out, you can slot the table into the remaining space. The photo only shows legs on the left side, but it can be set up on both sides. Turns out I left the other ones at home...

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When the sliding deck is fully extended like this, it measures a whopping 210cm. On a nice day, just opening the tailgate, extending the deck, and throwing up a mosquito net would be pretty sweet.

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You can also use the table placed like this.

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There are second-row seat platform products available. They are usually used in regular cars to carry cargo or pets in the second row.

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If I use the 2nd-row platform and put the table parallel to the 2nd row, it measures about 170cm. Since I'm 176cm, it's slightly short for me. But if I spread the middle section out a bit and lay down an air mat or something, it might be okay. Shorter women could probably use this setup just fine as is.

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Anyway, that's where I'm stopping the work for now... time to fill up my stomach, have a beer, and crash.

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Those of you who are observant probably already noticed two things that need work. 1. The wooden supports look flimsy and could be dangerous in an accident. Yes, you're right. I need to reinforce that part. 2. The wood panels are packed too tightly; how do you open them? Yep, that’s one of the remaining tasks. I’m still debating whether to cut finger holes or install pull straps.