Subaru Outback Living

Hey everybody,

Just got a 2011 Outback that I plan to live out of for a couple of months to year. Any other outback owners have any tips or setups they use for maximizing the room in their car ?

Also on a side note I'm trying to make this trip last as long as possible with the only limitation being running out of money. I'm pretty good at living on the cheap but if anyone has good ideas on making money on the road or tips to make the dollar go further I'd love to here it

take out the back seat bottom. just 2 bolts. with back folded down creates lot more useable space, especially for sleeping.

Joe Catellani wrote:take out the back seat bottom. just 2 bolts. with back folded down creates lot more useable space, especially for sleeping.

+1 With the back seat bench out, the backs fold down with enough room to lay out a triple mad pad to sleep on. A thule roof carrier is nice too for gear but not necessary.

The little shade things that cover the top part of your windows, so you can have the windows cracked in the rain while you sleep

My wife and I spent a summer living in our subaru legacy.

We completely took out the back seat and I did a little built in so that it was completely flat and we could store gear in there.

Our trip was very gear intensive with skiing, ice and rock climbing, biking and camping so we got a large top storage box that was really nice. We picked up a cheap tarp and used pvc pipes to set up an awning off of the box.

We used four large plastic bins to store things in the back so that we could easily move them to the front seat. I found that a cooler perfectly fit behind the seat and we bought another bin for dry foods to go behind the other seat.

The other thing that was a good deal was to pick up one of those folding tables. It makes the free camping spots a lot nicer.

If you want to make your trip last really long you should try to drive as little as possible. Try to spend at least four weeks at each destination.

Keep a bottle of Windex to wipe down the inside of the Windows periodically. Condensation from sleeping in my Subaru is a crazy dust magnet! Also I have a plastic bin from home depot in my car to keep gear in. I lock it with padlocks and a chain attatched to the baby seat anchor in my trunk. I haven't been broken into yet but I hope if I ever do get broken into they will be deterred.

Thanks guys, if you've got any general subie advice feel free to lay it down

As a fellow outback owner, I found this quite resourceful and interesting. I'm a bit tall for sleeping in the back but this seems to fix that:
mountainproject.com/v/car-c…

Jayson Nissen wrote:My wife and I spent a summer living in our subaru legacy. We completely took out the back seat and I did a little built in so that it was completely flat and we could store gear in there. Our trip was very gear intensive with skiing, ice and rock climbing, biking and camping so we got a large top storage box that was really nice. We picked up a cheap tarp and used pvc pipes to set up an awning off of the box. We used four large plastic bins to store things in the back so that we could easily move them to the front seat. I found that a cooler perfectly fit behind the seat and we bought another bin for dry foods to go behind the other seat. The other thing that was a good deal was to pick up one of those folding tables. It makes the free camping spots a lot nicer. If you want to make your trip last really long you should try to drive as little as possible. Try to spend at least four weeks at each destination.

This thread needs photos!

I have a 2011 and didn't have to do anything to the back seats to fit two regular mad pads in the back (they're exactly the same combined dimensions as the triple mad pad). Why do you have to remove the bottom of the back seat? Mine folds perfectly flat as-is. The only issue I ran into is a bit of bending in the pads from the wheel wells being about 1" closer together than the width of the pads, which I'd love to hear a solution to beyond building a platform.

Congrats on joining the Subaru club! You made the right choice. My subie has almost 300,000mi, and is still running like new. I have done a few extended trips with the set-up shown above, and it has worked out really well for me. Since these photos were taken, I actually stained the entire platform (I cook out of the back, and it is way easier to clean up now). I also bought some cheap tubs from walmart that slide in and out of the back. This is honestly a great weekend warrior build, because I still have a fully functional backseat so all my friends can pile in -- but this may not be the best set up for full time living. I have 32" of headroom, so I'm still able to sit up a little bit, and changing clothes isn't a big issue.

Also, definitely look into reflectix insulation for all of the windows. I don't have any photos, but I bought one roll of reflectix and cut it to fit each window. Keeps the heat in really well -- I sleep in the car at ski resorts all winter.

Thanks for the photos!

What works for customized curtains if I don't want to tint my windows?

Jplotz wrote:Thanks for the photos! What works for customized curtains if I don't want to tint my windows?

If you take the reflectix route (which I highly suggest if you want to stay warm), you won't need need any extra curtains.

Excellent thanks! Where did you pick up the roll of reflectic?

don't forget to bring a towel....

Jplotz wrote:Excellent thanks! Where did you pick up the roll of reflectic?

Home Depot

MattH wrote: Why do you have to remove the bottom of the back seat?

The back seat bench is about 6" thick and when it's folded down, the edge sticks up beyond the level of the cargo floor, so the triple mad pad is just a little to big to fit in. If you remove the bench (2 #3 phillips screws) then fold the back seats down, that little bit of extra room will let the triple mad pad fit in. I just push it down between the wheel wells... it's tight.

The other plus to this is that it leaves a little more room on the back set floor to put some stuff.

While I have no experience living in a suburu I did travel for nearly a year in my 84 Westfalia climbing and backpacking. As far as how to save your money the best I suggest staying in one place for longer periods of time. IMO gas money is the biggest expense and when I was changing spots day to day I saw my money dwindle quickly. If you stick it out and stay in a spot for a few days up to a week or so you can really pinch your pennies. Just stock up on food and water, get comfortable, and don't be in a big hurry. Enjoy your time on the road you won't regret it.

Joe Catellani wrote:take out the back seat bottom. just 2 bolts. with back folded down creates lot more useable space, especially for sleeping.

Just found this thread by googling since Im going to be living in my Subaru outback for about a month or so. I want to try taking out the bottom backseat, but do you have any ideas on how I could possibly still store it in the car? Maybe leaned up against the back or side? Although that might defeat the purpose. Dont really want to use the roof rack (trying to be incognito).

Charlotte Beck wrote: Just found this thread by googling since Im going to be living in my Subaru outback for about a month or so. I want to try taking out the bottom backseat, but do you have any ideas on how I could possibly still store it in the car? Maybe leaned up against the back or side? Although that might defeat the purpose. Dont really want to use the roof rack (trying to be incognito).

If you can take it out and leave it somewhere, that's the way to go. If you have to store it in the car, just leave it in place. It wouldn't be worth the hassle. You'll just have a little less sleeping room, but no big deal. I'm 6'1" tall and can sleep comfortably. If you're average height for a female, I don't think you'll notice the difference.

Got a very good friend who owns a very seeet Outback, and I love what he does......

HE SLEEPS OUTSIDE!

It is often a little more trouble to find that perfect campsite, but fires, stars, being able to sit in a comfy chair and bs late at night with friends old and new is pretty sweet.

He always has a waterproof but spacious camping tent that nobody is going to steal, an inflatable mattress (think Cabelas not some $200 tinfoil rig)and a big old cooler full of good food and beer.

Another benefit of leaving some amount of stuff in a sweet site is you have it claimed.

Don't really get why so many "dirtbags" would rather sleep in a cramped and expensive car than out in the dirt, where dirtbag climbers belong!