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After figuring out we were going to live out of the car, we needed a level platform to sleep on. Jess and I searched the internet to figure out exactly how in the hell we we're going to build it. The two of us barely understood the difference between a Phillips and Flat head, but were determined to do it ourselves.

We started by looking at Reddit Threads, TikToks, and countless Youtube videos. Manging to find platform design perfect for us.

We referenced @BonjourBecky(Tiktok/Instagram)'s build. Though the dimensions of her Subaru 17' Forester were different than our 14' Forester, we could still puzzle piece it together to make our own. You can find her informative directions HERE.

So with confidence in my measurements and all the critical thinking I had in an hour's time-span, I marched my butt down to the Home Depot. I bought my plywood and headed over to the cutting station. There, I met a lovely gal named Randy. I gave her all of my convoluted dimensions, to which she carved with ease.

Now came the time for power tools.

A short read of an article titled: "How to use a power drill" later, we bought a cheap $20 Walmart drill. It plugged right into the side of the house!

Away we went on putting this thing together; finishing it up that day.

The only issue I had encountered, most likely due to my problematic reading skills, was that I hadn't noticed BonjourBecky had said she used 3/4 Inch Plywood, not 1/2 inch... It was, to be honest, pretty sketchy...

We tested it out and it managed to carry the load of two women and a dog. Truthfully, I was content to never touch the thing again, but with some recommendations from a friend, we will be placing some brackets on the inside corners to stabilize the wood from collapsing on itself...

____________________________

The Breakdown:

The platform is set up into 3 parts:

♦ One big piece - with slanted legs to make it level. Room for drawers/tubs underneath.

♦ Second smaller(more stable) piece - to sit on top of the folded back row of seats

♦ Third piece - on hinges to fold down onto the pushed up driver and passenger seats.

With all of these stacked on top of each other, we can fold the back seats into their regular position for added space and comfortability for the dog.

-Courtney ♥

Space. Space. Space.

We're used to a lot of it. Walking from one room to another.

Living out of a car will limit our space and things immensely... But we still need some things: camping chairs, backpack, extra gas, clothes, shoes, food, hiking equipment, and all that jazz... Where to put it?

To solve a bit of our space issue we decided to get a cargo box for the roof of the Subaru.

If you look up Cargo box, you'll find a high-quality brand like Thule. Cheapest Cargo box they run is $319(Sidekick)... Highest set with the locks, felt, and lighting runs $1,500(Vector).

My stingy monkey brain could never justify spending that much on a box.

So onto Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist I went.

While you can find people re-selling their expensive Thule boxes for less than the market price; you can also come across a relic...

A true statement to it's time- lasting 40 years, the hardy and durable 1980's (Vintage) Sears X-Cargo Box lives on.

Surviving this stretch of time in a hoarder's garage, or an elderly woman's basement, you'll find these all over the web. Usually priced $20 - $40 bucks. A steal in my arrogant opinion...

I picked mine up with haste and excitement. Surprised by how big the damn thing was, I had to disassemble the box to fit it in my Honda Accord.

We scrubbed it down, replaced some of the rusted hardware(.99 cents), and decided to spray paint the top portion black ($6). Refusing to pay $200 for cross bars, I bought some straps($7 each. x4) to fix it to the factory's side rails.

With some hiccups, a Youtube video on racket straps, and some test driving, we were able to secure our cargo box to the roof of our car.

It works better than I could have hoped and only costed us a total of $75!

(I guess you could at the $2 locks onto that price too.)

**
Not much to say on the awning, I'll share pictures of it set up soon and the link on where I got it.
It will be nice to not be cooped up in the care when its raining outside. Also provide some shade when we visit the dessert.

Yescom Awning: Here $160