Honda Pilot Camper Conversion: Tips And Inspiration

The Honda Pilot is a trusty SUV, which you can easily convert into a micro camper, even without adding any furniture to it. The key advantage of this vehicle is the fact that the back seats fold down flat, creating a perfect platform on which to sleep. This is the reason why many van lifers choose it for an SUV conversion project

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While it’s ideal for solo campers, who can use half the space available to store gear and equipment, the Honda Pilot is also suitable for minimalist couples who want to spend some time boondocking or touring cities across the States.

Honda Pilot Camper Conversion options

If you want to convert the Honda Pilot into an adventure vehicle, you have three main choices.

You can just fold the back seats down and put your favorite adventure gear inside, so everything is removable and won’t leave any trace when you take it out on a Sunday evening. 

Alternatively, you can build a bed platform out of plywood that fits the back of the car to create a storage space under the bed. The structure can be removable or not – it’s your choice. 

Finally, you could buy a removable conversion kit from a van conversion company. This is going to cost a little more, but it will provide a better finish.

Honda Pilot camper conversion kits

Conversion kits are available for most vans these days. Recently, two options for SUVs have become available on the market.

These are small pieces of furniture that can be quickly installed into your vehicle to turn it into a camper. You can store them in your garage when you don’t need them. They are professionally made in standard sizes and shipped to your home, so they make for a great solution for people who want to have some furniture inside their car, without needing any practical skills.

Ordering a conversion kit is easy, but the waiting time might be a little long. So these are not the ideal solution for someone who’s in a rush to get on the road.  

Let’s look at the best conversion kits for the Honda Pilot available on the market.

Sleep’In Kit by Van Packers

The Sleep’In Kit by Vanpackers allows you to convert the Honda Pilot into a camper with a comfortable double bed, an outdoor table and a slide-out kitchen surface at the back. The kit attaches to your car via a strap system, which you’ll need to purchase separately.

The bed height can be adjusted, so you can choose between more headroom or extra storage. Pretty neat, huh? Installation only takes five minutes, so you can turn your car into a camper in only when you’re ready to hit the road.

Check this sweet kit out on the Van packers website.

Home On Wheels By Camp N Car

This simple ply conversion kit by Camp N Car is ideal for a minimalist solo traveler or a couple who like to sleep close to each other. It features a platform bed and two L-shaped organizer shelves. The platform bed comes in two options: single or expanding. The expanding bed frame can become as wide as 42″. You can also choose the length of the bed, which comes in 5ft, 5.5ft and 5ft, to suit your vehicle and needs.

The legs of the structure feature levelers, so you can adjust them at all points of contact by up to 2 inches. Need more storage space? Add the under bunk side drawers.

To assemble the Home On Wheels kit you only need a screwdriver and some basic DIY skills. You can order the kit on the Simpler Ways website.

Low profile camper bed platform by Compass Camper

If you’re looking to keep as much headroom as possible in your Honda Pilot, you should take a look at this Compass Camper low-profile bed platform. The bed sits as low as possible in the back of the car, so you won’t hit your head on the roof.

The platform has a retractable extension which allows you to make the bed longer when the headrests are flipped out. At the back of the kit, you will find two full extension tables, which you can use as a kitchen. Bear in mind that you will need to store your gear in a roof box or on top of the bed.

Check out this minimalist kit on the Compass Camper website.

Compass Camper also make an aluminum bed platforms with storage or drawers underneath. Take a look at these here. Don’t forget to take measurements before you order any of these kits. They have been designed with the Subaru Forester and Outback in mind, but they also fit other hatchbacks and SUVs. If you’re in doubt, send them an email.

Ququq Kitchen Box

If all you need is a kitchen set-up that can fit in your boot and slide out at the back of it, check out the Ququq kitchen box. The kit includes a cooking compartment with a windshield, a worktop, some storage room, a two-burner gas stove, two 5-gallon canisters with a tap, two bowls, and a 500 daN lashing strap.

They come in various sizes, and the smallest one is 28.7in wide, by 29.9in deep, by 16.5in high, so it can fit in any car.

Quququ is a German company with a dealer in Henderson, Nevada. Find out more on the Ququq website and order your kit from the RRE store. They deliver all over the USA.

Bounty Hunter Compact SUV Sleeping Platform

Looking for a full conversion kit with a sleeping platform and slide-out kitchen drawer? Freeway Camper Kit make just that. Their kits are built with an interlocking construction system and you can assemble them without having to use any tools. Moreover they can be folded and stored away easily. 

The structure has adjustable legs, so you can decide how high you want the platform to sit. The kitchen drawer slides out from underneath the structure and provides a worktop on which to cook and chop. One the left hand side, you’ll also find a removable, collapsible sink in which you can do the dishes.

This compact structure is suitable for most SUVs, but you can check the minimum dimensions required on image 14, “kit dimensions”, at this link.

Check out the Freeway Camper Kit website for more information.

Accessories For Your Honda Pilot Camper

Accessories will make all the difference to your Honda Pilot camping. They will increase the amount of space you can use around your vehicle and your comfort level, making it easier to go on longer camping trips. 

Tailgate tent

This is a tent you can attach to your tailgate, which effectively adds a mini room to the back of your vehicle. You can use a small one to hang out outdoors on a rainy day or a big one to sleep in. The tent offers good privacy, although you can only use it where camping is allowed. So if you need to be stealthy, it’s probably a waste of storage room in your boot.

Side awning

If you’re traveling in warm climates, a side awning will be enough to provide you with shade under which to hang out, relax, and eat a meal. Just like the tailgate tent, you’ll want to take the side awning with you only when you plan to boondock in nature or stop at campgrounds. You won’t get away using it in city or Walmart parking lots.

Roof rack + box

Installing a roof rack and box will allow you to take more of your gear with you, which is much needed if you don’t build and install a sleeping platform.

Camping table and chairs

These are fundamental, if you’re boondocking in the wild. They give you a place where to cook and eat, albeit outside. Due to the limited headroom, eating inside the Honda Pilot gets hard, unless you do it in the front seats or you pull the back seats back up. 

Gas stove

This is a must for anyone who wants to be on the road for more than a few days at a time. Being able to cook your own food allows you to save on money and eat better food. You may not cook anything gourmet, but a hot meal always beats tinned food, sandwiches, or wraps. There is nothing better than being able to brew your own coffee in the morning out in the wilderness. Store your gas stove in the boot, so it’s ready to use anytime.

Rechargeable battery bank and or solar panels

Unless you plan to go on a technology detox every time you hit the road, having a decent battery bank will make your life a lot easier. 

You can either bring a battery that charges off the mains and provides a limited amount of power, or you could set up a solar system to charge a 12V battery up regularly. You can mount solar panels on the roof of the Honda Pilot or carry portable ones and lay them out in the sun when you stop. 

Your second battery requirements will vary based on the kinds of trips you need to make and their duration. Digital nomads traveling often will benefit massively from a more permanent solution.

Mosquito screens

These are great cheap gadgets that can improve the quality of your sleep by a lot. They allow you to get enough ventilation through the car, while keeping the bugs out. So you’ll be able to keep the windows open day and night. Add these to your windows and at the back of the car, at the back of your sleeping area. 

Whatever accessories you choose for your Honda Pilot camper, they will be worth the investment, as they’ll allow you to stay on the road for longer. Try not to skimp on quality, so you can use each piece of equipment reliably.

DIY Honda Pilot Camper Conversions for Inspiration

Check out what these campers did to their Honda Pilot SUVs to turn them into a perfect camper.

Caveman Hikes’ mini camper

Calvin, the creator behind the YouTube channel Caveman Hikes, has a 2007 forward drive Honda Pilot, which he turned into a small RV to go on hiking, caving, and boondocking adventures in his spare time.

Inside his SUV, he leveled the floor to create a platform on which to relax. He decided against installing a permanent structure under which to store his gear, as he loves to sit up at night in bed. This solution allows for a lot more headroom.

The second row of back seats is set up as a couch, while he removed the first row and the passenger seat to lay down a mattress, which he uses as a single bed. The mattress can be removed to reveal a seat, which he can fix in the passenger seat area, in the front. This set-up allows Calvin to carry four people in the car, if he needs to.

The tarp can be tied to the sides of the car to create a small room with privacy or even to trees. When it’s windy, Calvin ties it down tight and uses the room inside it to cook and have a shower. Inside the tent, he sets up a pop-up screen tent, so he can sleep bug-free, in a very airy area.

It takes him 5 to 10 minutes to set up and 5 minutes to take it down.

Calvin essentially has two rooms in which to sleep in with decent privacy, which allows him to take his nephew on his caving adventures.

Chris and Emilie’s Honda Pilot micro camper

Chris and Emilie use their 2017 Honda Pilot camper to go on road trips and overnight adventures. On it, they have traveled through Canada twice and the US once so far.

Doing a lot of traveling on big roads, the couple kept the car as stealthy as possible. However, when they reach a spot where camping is allowed, they spread out and set up their tailgate tent and table and chairs. 

Their micro RV has three main modes: drive, living room, and sleep. On drive mode, they secure all their gear under a cargo net in the back of the car. Living room mode allows them to use the second row of seats as a sofa on which to chill out, have dinner, or watch TV. In sleep mode, they convert the back of the vehicle into a bed via a collapsible platform. Switching between modes takes a little time, but the couple prefers moving things around to only having access to a bed at all times.

The kitchen is at the back of the car and it provides everything they need, including a cooler, water tap, and gas cooker. Under the trunk, Chris and Emilie keep extra food, emergency supplies, and a spare tire. The guys are truly in love with their micro camper and use it for all their trips near home. When they travel abroad, they rent apartments on AirBnB.

Greg’s Adventures’ self-build SUV camper

Greg lives out of his Honda Pilot camper and travels solo around the USA and Canada. He chose the SUV because it allows him to travel to remote areas on rough roads, which he wouldn’t be able to do in a van or RV.

Greg removed both rows of back seats and installed a permanent three-quarter-inch ply platform in the back of the car. He stores all his equipment and belongings underneath it and comfortably sleeps on top of it. 

To make the most of the room available, he can lengthen the platform by pushing the front seats forward. He uses the back of it as his kitchen. All he needs to do is to remove the mattress from the bottom of the structure and place his cooking gear on top of it. Thanks to these clever modifications, the bed is longer than a king size, although it’s slightly narrower than a queen size. 

In the boot, Greg built a kitchen cabinet, which supports the platform and stores his cooking utensils. A drawer allows him to pull out his camping stove and cookout of the boot. Next to it, Greg keeps his top-loading fridge and water tap. Hidden in the boot there is also his power system. The second battery charges via the car’s engine only, as he does a lot of driving. On the roof, he installed a roof box, which he uses to store his solar shower and other gear.

Love and trails’ conversion

Morgan is a cartographer from Calgary, Canada, who travels often for long periods of time to pursue her projects. Her vehicle of choice for boondocking in the backcountry is a 2004 Honda Pilot, which she converted into a camper DIY. 

To make the most of the space available, she built a very low platform, which she can flip up to access gear. Under it, she built various boxes to keep her belongings nice and organized. For power, she uses a battery, which she simply charges via the car. At the back of the SUV, she keeps her cooking gear, which she can use in the boot or on the road. On the roof, Morgan added a roof box to carry more stuff. You can find out more about her conversion on her website

We Hope You Have Fun Camping in Your Honda Pilot!

If you’re looking for a car to convert into a camper that has light off-road capabilities and decent internal volume, the Honda Pilot is a great choice. It’s a fantastic vehicle for solo campers who want to travel light and stealthy for long-ish periods of time. It can also be used by minimalist couples for shorter adventures, lasting a long weekend or a few weeks.

If you’re keen to turn an SUV into a camper, but you’re not convinced a Honda Pilot camper is for you, you’ll find this article about SUV camper ideas very useful.