Touring in a Subaru Outback in the Outback

madmat · Post by **madmat** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:25 pm

OK I'm looking to draw on all the touring experience that is on this forum.
I have the 97 Outback and a spare body. So i got to thinking that i could make the spare body into a really great off road camper for our holidays. My thoughts are cutting the back off about the front of B pillar. I then have a good suspension, breaks, lights, roof racks, fuel tank, spare wheel and central locking and thats cool.

I have had the rear of my car weighd at 700kgs with some crap in it so the trailer empty will be around 500-600kgs. Thats lighter than the Cub camper i now tow and iv'e had that on the beach with the Outback.

I would love to have pictures and stories from you all of how you have set up your Subaru's for touring from a camping point of view. Do roof top tents work? Do people build any sort of drawer system in the back. A small kitchen maybe? Beds?

i have 2 younger kids and only one wife so what ever i do has to suit a growing family of 4.

I,m sure there are some really great ideas that work out there and i would love to see pics and hear about them.

Bumpty · Post by **Bumpty** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:39 pm

oh

... All I have in the back of my wagon is a foam mattress with my board, Although I don't have a growing family of four with me, simple does work haha

riksta · Post by **riksta** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:56 pm

I know of some that used a box trailer for there camper and put full subaru suspension under it the same as the subaru thay are driving, that way thay dont have to take two driffent spare wheels, becouse that way all the wheels are all the some and suspension is all the same, therefor it all rides the same as well and has the same track when driving in the sand.

00outback · Post by **00outback** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:07 am

I think that would be awsome, wish I had the time to do that, good luck with your trip.

vincentvega · Post by **vincentvega** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:09 am

I dont know how many people you plan to sleep in there - but there is really not that much room in a wagon

Thalass · Post by **Thalass** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:28 am

I don't know about the 97 model, but in my 99 Outback I can lay in the back with my head on the top of the back seats and my feet just touch the tailgate (with the seats down, of course

). So there'd be enough room to sleep in if you were under six feet tall. You could possibly devise some kind of foldaway kitchen and cupboard setup so you could sleep with everything folded up to the roof or down in the spare wheel well or something. Since you'd be towing it you could use the fuel tank space too, wherever that is

Dunno if it'd be much of a camper, but it'd be great to see on the road!

Outback bloke · Post by **Outback bloke** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:04 am

You could get rid of the complete 4wd part of the wagon and put in an earlier 2wd section. You would save around 100kgs in weight I think.

I thought about doing similar a few years back to a series 1 Liberty wagon we cut up. We cut it about 6 inches in front of the B pillar. Had plans of running the draw bar right back to the front of the trailing arm so it could be bolted to the body as well as welded. Ended up putting it in the "no time - too hard" basket.

There used to be a bloke on the board that had slide out drawers in his MY and he use to sleep on top of them.

FROG · Post by **FROG** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:42 am

had a couple come travelling thru in a forester who had drawers in the back and a pod on the roof to sleep in (they were vertically challenged!) the drawers were set up as kitchen and dry food storage with a fridge parked in the middle

i noticed you said you only had one wife are you planning on more?

madmat · Post by **madmat** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:06 am

Heck no more wifes one is great 2 would be imposable. but i thought it was important to clarify that i only had one:-D

When i get time i will find some pics of ideas i have.
i think making the draw bar will be easy and i will remove all the running gear leaving just the suspension. as for fitting the draw bar i am thinking a single bar down the middle fitting in where the diff mounts.
I have to talk to an engineer before i go to far.

Point · Post by **Point** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:16 pm

i would make a triangular drawbar going back to the crossmember mounting points. Possibly tie it in like lift blocks if the tow car is also lifted.

you could mount another towbar to the trailer....

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:45 pm

You need 2 wagons and make it a twin tailgate, one either end

madmat · Post by **madmat** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:12 pm

that would be a push me pull you LOL