Honda Civic Dirtbag-Mobile

Allow me to preface this post with a disclaimer:

This project was the epitome of the "work with what you've got" spirit. It is the embodiment of having received lemons and trying to make anything but lemonade—anything but that which it was intended to be.

Thus, I decided to take my 2005 Honda Civic Si and, somehow, turn it into the best dirtbag vehicle it could be. My car, purchased from an audio mechanic's workshop, was once a "show car;" if you picture a car from "Pimp My Ride," then you're heading in the right mental direction. Now, it is some Frankenstein-like vehicle that has been fitted with enough lumber to build a small shelter.

I post this with two intentions:
1) That others might find (absurd) inspiration, knowing that when life hands you a Ford Pinto, the dirtbagging dream is still alive and feasible.
2) That others might lend advice to myself in regards to this little monster of a car that I now drive around.

I designed the sleeping-system myself. The build was intended to be a semi-permanent "bed," if you will, allowing the freedom to keep the backseats in place. With this design I am able to remove the entire system in a matter of two minutes or thereabouts, fold the backseats up for extra passengers, and pretend like nothing of the dirtbag lifestyle ever occurred. I now have the freedom to drive friends around (if I had any), or roam around the concrete (and dirt) jungle with the assurance of a cozy place to lay my head at night. Working with the space that I had, I created the following semi-permanent system.

Feel free to ask questions. I am 6'0" and fit comfortably, able to sleep with my legs completely straight. I am convinced that two people can sleep well in the car, and will report back if necessary.

nice work, maybe try some piano hinges instead of bulky door hinges and I'd say its as perfect as can be for the ride.

another thing is you might want to make the support behind the seats in 2 pieces so you can always leave 1/2 of your bed set up, assuming you travel alone(dirtbag requirement) plus it makes for an easy get away when need be

Nice work!

Thinking about improvements;

1.) I agree with MJ about isolating the supports by the half so you can have the driver seat move independently, but it's not that big of a deal really.

2.) if you can spare the overhead room, maybe consider lifting the bed platform another 6" to 1' in order to make a larger cubby space underneath for the pack, a small cooler, camp stove, etc. Keeping that kind of stuff off of the bed is always nice. (A hinged door or doors at the foot end for access to that cubby might be necessary. Utilize that space!!)

Love the simplicity and functionality of the design!

Love it!

I wonder if I could pull this off with my civic lx sedan.

An old quote but: Necessity is the mother of invention. Nice Job.

Looks awesome!! Love the introductory statements. Now you just need some way to hide yourself in there...a cave perhaps (you could build a short movable platform-skeleton over it to put gear on, rather than building it higher for gear under. That way you get more gear space and you can sleep where they don't want you to (i. e. The best places))

Great work, you might have to stop and buy groceries/do laundry more than someone with more space but who cares. Don't forget the roof is always available if you need more storage room. I've seen some crazy ad-hoc roof racks. One of the cool things about having such a crappy car (like me!) is that even if you go crazy and epoxy some 2x4's to your roof it's not like you are reducing the value of the vehicle very much, if at all.

awesome. thanks tons for this -- i've got a 94 civic hatchback that i've bivied in enough times to where i'd been thinking of doing something like this, only i've been too lazy and my ideas weren't as good. seems you thought this out really well, and the follow-up suggestions are good, too. many thanks.

question: in those first two photos, where you have the vertically standing 2x6s (i think that's what they are) going horizontally across the back part of the car, how did you secure those pieces of wood to the car?

Thanks for the replies and tips! They are greatly appreciated. I really like the idea of splitting the supports in two, in addition to the possibility of constructing a skeleton frame for racking gear above.

Does anybody have any tips to improve the "stealth" aspect of the vehicle, as in how to block windows but not do so in a way that screams "there is a dirty man living in this car"??

Kelly Cordes wrote: question: in those first two photos, where you have the vertically standing 2x6s (i think that's what they are) going horizontally across the back part of the car, how did you secure those pieces of wood to the car?

The supports are actually not attached to the car. The 2x6's are screwed into one side of the plywood deck (the other side simply rests on the other half of the 2x6) but not to the car itself. I refrained from this in order to keep the system semi-permanent but still removable. It is plenty stable as is, in case that is your concern. Good luck with your build!

Good job!
Really like the idea of not using a big van, but what you´ve got.

google car tint foils
and i think there are several diy solutions for this. Since price matters more than optics I think, that's the way i´d go.

cheers

Nice work! We need to come up with a design that punches through the back seat into the trunk, for those of us without hatchbacks.

For the windshield I suggest pepboys.com/product/details…

You could use the same (though smaller) thing for the side windows, or opt for dark tint (illegal in most states).

I just found your thread and it's exactly what I have been looking for. I have an '03 Civic Si (sans pimping) that I am looking to sleep in for awhile and have been trying to figure out an easy, cheap way to make the back surface flat for sleeping comfortably. I may go a step further and make a fitted padded insert for over the top. In any case, awesome thread. Thank you for sharing.

Bravo! After spending countless uncomfortable lousy weather nights in the back of mine, I just got rid of my 02 Civic for an 03 Tacoma.

It might have worked better to raise the platform slightly so you have some cargo space. I assume you are putting everything on the roof then? Even the largest box out there, Skybox 21, is rather small for two people's stuff on a long term trip if you dont have any cargo room in the car.

I would like to do the same.
What other model of CARS would be good to transform into a dirt bag mobile?
Flying into USA for multi-month climb tour of Yosemite, Red Rocks, Bishop, Zion and Colorado:
where and how would be best way to buy used cheap but reelable car?

Zimmy wrote:I would like to do the same. What other model of CARS would be good to transform into a dirt bag mobile? Flying into USA for multi-month climb tour of Yosemite, Red Rocks, Bishop, Zion and Colorado: where and how would be best way to buy used cheap but reelable car?

Buying a car if you are not a US citizen will be very difficult. You dont technically need to be a US citizen to buy a car, but you have to have a “home” in the USA to register the vehicle. Typically you register the vehicle in the state you live in. Also, you are required by law to insure the vehicle, and insurance companies probably won’t insure your vehicle without a US address as they need to know what zip code you park your vehicle at most nights. Most insurance companies need your drivers license number as well, and I am not sure they would accept an out of country license. In addition, most states require a copy of your license to register the vehicle as well, and most states only accept US licenses. To get a US driver’s license you need to be a legal resident and you need proof of such. You also have to pass a written and field exam which might be hard if you are not familiar with US driving regulations.

I would start looking into it now and make a plan.

Thanks for this post! I was thinking about going on a dirtbag road trip this summer. My car is a Honda Civic sedan (can't even connect the cabin and the trunk) but I'm trying to think about how to make it work. I saw they sell inflatable mattresses for sedan backseats for $50. I could probably fit all my climbing and camping gear in the trunk and passenger seat. The only downside is that I wouldn't be able to bring a passenger, and aside from sleeping, I'll have to do everything outside. It's definitely not as luxurious as the van life, but I think it could work!

Proud work. I have a 2007 Honda Fit that I sleep in, no mods necessary but strategic padding is necessary. "Magic" rear seat folds flat, headrests off front seats and fold them as flat as they go. Pad out the back with an old soft Cordless pad. One more thin sleeping pad and park with the nose slightly downhill to counter your legs being slightly elevated on the front seat backs. Voila!

LL2 wrote:Proud work. I have a 2007 Honda Fit that I sleep in, no mods necessary but strategic padding is necessary. "Magic" rear seat folds flat, headrests off front seats and fold them as flat as they go. Pad out the back with an old soft Cordless pad. One more thin sleeping pad and park with the nose slightly downhill to counter your legs being slightly elevated on the front seat backs. Voila!

Honda Fits are fantastic non-van dirtbag machines. I just bought my second one and I can't wait to build it out.

hey Oneill

I climbed with you at the Gunks a couple of years ago. Nice work. If you recall, I've been living out of vans for more than 10 years so I can transpose some of my ideas for your small vehicle.

dark garbage bags in all windows block the view. I even got away with being inside my van in Switzerland with cops shining lights inside but they could not see me and they left.

storage-under both front seats and passenger seat floor. good for food, water bottles, dirty laundry once you can't stand the stench on yourself,books and other small or flat items. if you get a rider, move the stuff behind or put a garbage bag on top and your rider gets a foot rest

for the once in a month or so that you might want a shower, I put plastic bottles of water in my windshield in the morning and have a hot shower at night. camping showers are too cumbersome.

I buy cheap sleeping bags (rated for 40 or 50 degrees), big and bulky (I am 6'1") and stack them for a comfortable bed. If it gets cold, I nest them. I've stayed in the Mojave near Jtree below freezing and been very comfortable. Walmart sells them for $8

For extra length, you can slide the passenger seat forward and sleep on that side. You can also adjust your storage by where you slide the seat to. set the seat back upright for maximum space.

For hot nights, mosquito netting with velcro attached forms a great window screen but not for populated areas, only remote places where no one is likely to try to get in (and not near bears or other critters either!)

Where have you been climbing and where are you heading?