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Turn Your Kia Soul into the Smallest Camper Van EVER

Looking to get into the #VanLife craze, but… uh… don’t actually own a van? No problem! Keep scrolling to learn how I turned my little 2011 Kia Soul into a comfortable and efficient camper van on the cheap!

UPDATE! We just dropped a new post with 5 more upgrades for your Kia Soul Camper Van!


#VanLife

It’s no secret that #VanLife is taking social media by storm. Long a favorite of dirtbag rock climbers and surfer bums, camper vans are quickly hitting the mainstream. Gone are the days of being able to get by with living in a crappy old van down by the river. Today it’s all about how swankily you can build out your new home on wheels, with full-service kitchens, bathrooms, and insanely creative storage solutions. Oh, and it’s GOTTA be cute. And to that end, there are companies popping up all over the country that’ll retrofit your van for massive sums of money.

Thing is, I don’t have massive sums of money. And I don’t have a van. I don’t even have an SUV. What I’ve got is a tiny Kia Soul. So the question is, can you actually turn a Kia Soul into a fully functional camper van? Keep reading to find out.

Click HERE to jump straight down to the section on building simple and effective blackout shades! Keep scrolling to learn about how I built the bed platform, what I did for storage, and what gear I chose when outfitting my Kia Soul Camper Van!

Building The Bed

If you just put the back seats down, the length from there to the trunk isn’t long enough for a human to lay flat. So you need to lengthen the bed area somehow. The best way to do this is to slide the front seats forward and use the center console between the front seats as a base for a wooden bed platform!

In order to build the bed platform, I grabbed a piece of plywood from Home Depot and had them cut it down into a single 51″ x 42″ piece, and then cut that in half so I’d have two equal pieces of wood, sized 25.5″ x 42″. This is going to become the bed platform, and it fits perfectly in the back of the Soul. If your model year is not 2011, these measurements may not be the same, so make sure you measure your own car before you cut your wood!

I also grabbed some foam pipe insulation and a 30″ piano hinge. Credit Votive Photography for giving me the idea for the platform build. Total cost: ~$40

  • Plywood cut to two 25.5″ x 42″ pieces (measure your own vehicle for correct sizes!)
  • Small diameter foam pipe insulation
  • 30″ piano hinge and mounting hardware

Putting it Together

The build here is really simple. You lay the two boards flat, and attach the piano hinge in the middle using the screws that come with it. Then you cut the foam insulation to fit around the sides and just slide it on. You can screw that down as well or use an industrial-strength strong adhesive tape if you want, but currently, my foam is just holding onto the edges on its own. When you’re done, fold it in half and slide it in from the trunk and open it once it’s inside, and everything will fit flush within the back of your new Kia Soul Camper Van!

Bed platform inside the Kia Soul Camper Van
The finished bed platform

If all you need is a bed, then you can inflate your favorite full-sized air mattress like the Kelty Tru. Comfort Camp Bed Doublewide Sleeping Pad (seen below), and stop here! If you want to get fancier with it, keep reading.

Kelty Tru. Comfort Camp Bed Doublewide Sleeping Pad

What About Storage?

Originally I was going to completely copy the design used by Votive Photography and use the full-sized bed platform with the piping on the sides and the hinge in the middle as the standard set-up for the Soul. The idea being that I’d just fold it up when I needed to drive. But… that sounds like a lot of work every time I want to hop in the front seat and… ya know… use my car as a car. But then I realized something: it’s just me driving the car most of the time! Why have a set-up for two, when I can have a single bed and use the rest of the car for storage?

LOOK HOW MUCH STUFF I CAN FIT NEXT TO MY BED!

Yeah, this is definitely the ideal set-up for a solo traveler rocking the Kia Soul camper van! Not only do I have space to store two bouldering crash pads, but I can also fit multiple duffels full of clothes and gear. I can even pop my computer on top of one of the pads for movie night in the stix! It honestly doesn’t get any better than that!

And the storage fun doesn’t stop there. Below the trunk floor there’s a storage compartment above the spare tire that’s perfect for all that camping gear you need to lug along:

Camping Gear

And that list doesn’t even include the Coleman two-burner stove I’ve got tucked under the bottom of my sleeping pad and the Yeti Flip 8 cooler, tent, and more that’s store below the bed platform! There’s WAY more space in here than you’d ever have imagined, and endless ways to utilize that space creatively. The mattress I’m using is the Therm-a-Rest ProLite, which you can grab off Moosejaw for a huge discount right now.

Let There Be Light

Interior lighting time. There’s something blissful about falling asleep and waking up with the sun when you’ve got no responsibilities and you’re not surrounded by the late-night fluorescent glow of Netflix or a laptop. It’s one of my very favorite things about camping. But that said, Daylight Savings Time just ended and I’m not quite on board with going to bed at 5 pm. So in order to deal with the early nights, I needed to rig up some lighting in the Kia Soul camper van!

The string lights I chose were the Luminoodle XLs. They’re affordable, bright, and the included utility ties make them really easy to install. They’re also USB-powered and waterproof, and have little magnets along the length, so you can really put them up anywhere. Or, if you don’t need to hang them inside your car, you can coil up the Luminoodle and throw it in its bag to create a lantern, you can string them up around trees, or attach them to the outside of a house/car/tent/literally whatever. I love these things.

Solving the Fishbowl Problem

Once you’ve got a great lighting set-up, however, you’re immediately going to be visible to anyone and everything that passes by. I don’t know about you, but I’m not exactly at my most cozy and comfortable when I’m in a day-glow fishbowl. Call me crazy. So the NEXT step is to install some sort of (obviously cute) black-out screen over the windows that’s easy to install and remove as needed. The solution? Captain Adventurepants is about to become Captain Craftypants.

Creating Cozy-Looking Blackout Shades

Here are the supplies you’ll need (click the links to see what I used):

STEP ONE: Making the Shade Patterns

First, measure out your windows and use the sharpie to draw out the shapes on your cardboard. These will become the patterns you use to make the shades out of the reflectix material. Once they’re drawn out, cut them out with the box cutter. A best practice here is to make them a little too big, then just keep trimming them down with your scissors until they fit into the window. Repeat this process with all your windows until you’ve got a cardboard pattern for each of them. Then use those cardboard patterns to trace and cut your reflective isulation!

Ready to be spray painted!

Pro Tip #1: You can just make one pattern for the side windows and flip it over for use on the other side!

Pro Tip #2: Always double check your measurements before you cut, and err on the side of making them too big at first. You can always make them smaller. It’s a lot harder to make them bigger.

STEP TWO: Spray Paint & Fabric

Here’s the fun part. Spray painting! But just keep in mind – you’re going to want to paint the sides facing OUT from the car, so the sides that will be pressed against the window. Just make sure you’re painting the correct side! Once they’re all sprayed up, you can start working on tracing and cutting out the fabric while they dry.

Turning a dinky blue Kia Soul into a homey ski lodge? Yes, please.

WARNING! Double and triple measure, and make sure you’re using your fabric efficiently! Once you cut, there’s no going back! Plus, all this due diligence will give your shades more time to dry.

STEP THREE: Finishing the Shades!

Once the shades are dry and your fabric is cut, flip the shades over so the silver sides are facing up, spray with adhesive, and carefully attach the fabric. What worked best for me was spraying a little bit of adhesive at a time, rolling up the fabric, then unrolling it onto the newly sticky surface until it’s all even and doesn’t have any bubbles or wrinkles. This process took me a hot second, I’ll be honest!

The last step is to use your gorilla tape and wrap the loose edges of fabric around the back of the shade. Before you do, give the shades one last test in the windows to make sure they fit snugly but aren’t too big. This is your last chance to make them the perfect size before you finish the edges. If they’re the right size, tape away!

Ain’t it pretty! No, it’s not like something you’d buy for $50/shade, but I’m pretty dang proud of this, if I do say so myself!

NEW POST: 5 More Upgrades for Your Kia Soul Camper Van!

AND THAT’S IT! (For Now)

Squish those shades into the windows, flip on the lights, throw on a movie or pull out a good book and get ready to hunker down for one comfy night in your new Kia Soul Camper Van!

There’s more I want to do over time, but I’m absolutely in love with this little monster, and I know you will be too when you turn your Kia Soul or little crossover into a legit camper van! Feel free to ask questions or leave suggestions in the comments! I would love to hear from other people who’ve done something similar.

Now get out there and have an adventure!

NEW POST: 5 More Upgrades for Your Kia Soul Camper Van!


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18 Comments
  1. Brian says

    Hey Andrew! Im just thinking about different ways to convert my Kia into a camper as well. Just out of curiosity, how tall are you? Im about 5’8″ and I cannot lay down comfortably because my head touches the back of the front seat and feet touch the end of the car. Im also wondering how it would fit in the car if it is not in use? I want something that i can keep in the trunk 24/7 and take it out when I need to, but looking at yours, it does not look like it folds up and fits in the trunk. I have some other questions I know I am forgetting as well. Is there anyway I can contact you to get a faster response, or just talk about it? Thanks and great read!

    1. Andrew says

      Sorry for the delayed response! Been a crazy couple weeks. Hope you’re doing well! I’m 5’7″, so our situations should be pretty similar. If you go to our contact page (up on the menu bar) and shoot us a message I should be able to send you some specifics!

  2. Bluejay says

    I’m curious, I’m working on a fictional character with a Kai Soul, with the self-isolation going on I can’t go out a measure the interior of a Soul. How big is the space on floor in front of the seats? What I’m looking for if you could put a box in the passenger and back seat footroom area, what size boxes would those be? I know the size would change if you move the front seats back or forward.

  3. Tim says

    Just bought a Soul (yes the devil had Covid19 sale), and my first tought was, can I camp in it?
    here’s the problem I’m 6’3″… Guess I’ll have to stick my feet out the window xD
    Nice walkthrough thou šŸ™‚

    1. Andrew says

      Hahaha yeah I’m definitely lucky in that I’m 5’7″ – BUT you could totally fit if you roll both seats all the way forward, go with the full-sized bed configuration and lay at an angle! There’s still storage space between the front seats and the back seats beneath the bed! (Do itttt haha)

  4. barbara storper says

    Do you put the board open and just sleep on half of it, or do you fold it in half and sleep on a double board?

    1. Andrew says

      When it’s just me, I fold it in half and sleep on the double board!

  5. Lazlo says

    I love this!!!

    I camped out in my Kia last summer but it got too hot so now I’m making magnetic screens for the back windows to allow for some airflow and keep the bugs out. I’m also thinking of a small wedge for the drop off when the back seats are down. That and an air-mattress should suffice for a better sleeping experience.

    I am also toying with a means to hold a tablet up possibly using the metal rods from the headrests so I can enjoy a stupid movie before crashing.

    1. Andrew says

      That all sounds great!! I made a few similar adjustments to my Kia Soul Camper Van since writing this post – specifically addressing the airflow and bug issue. Check them out here: https://www.theadventuredudes.com/more-car-camping-upgrades-for-your-kia-soul/

      Thanks for the comment Lazlo!

  6. Taylor says

    Hey what are your vehicle specs? Do you have FWD or 4WD? Wondering if I can take front wheel drive car boondocking lol

    1. Andrew says

      FWD baby. It does have snow tires on at the moment, but honestly given its high clearance, there are few roads I can’t drive this on. It’s done its share of rock crawling.

  7. Abbey says

    I love this! Thanks for sharing.
    Iā€™m curious,
    Did you remove the back seats if the car or just fold them down?

    1. Andrew says

      Just folded down!

  8. Kelli says

    Good to know you drive your Soul on rocky roads. I am considering a Kia Soul or a Kia Seltos. Usually the Seltos is only available in AWD. I am trying decide if I should stick with FWD even if I visit hot springs on gravel or rocky roads (within reason). I have been able to use a FWD so far in my life, but I don’t go to icy/snowy places much. I got stuck once on some snow with FWD, though.

  9. Josh Borgenstein says

    Hey Andrew, I love the Kia Soul so much man! I love your little set up that you got going on here brother. I really want you to know how much I appreciate this internet blog post that you have created for us little cretens on the internet. I love you man! Keep me updated on your continued progress. Lookin thick, strong, fit! Great job, keep it up, I’m very proud of you! Woof woof!

  10. J L L says

    Is it possible / reasonably easy to take out the front passenger seat? I was thinking that would make a stable area to carry a portable toilet of some kind.

  11. Lisa says

    Great tip on creating window coverings. Iā€™m taking my Kia to Oregon camping this summer.

  12. Sylvain says

    Hi Andrew, I really love your setup! My Girlfriend and I are considering also buying a KIA Soul šŸ™‚

    Do you think er can fit a double bed in this car? I believe I’m a bit taller than you (I’m 5″7) :p, (my girlfriend is smaller 5″3).

    The idea is to get a small car, to avoid RV rules in Canada and to add a shower on the roof. We don’t want to live inside, just use it to sleep when we go on weekends or vacation šŸ™‚

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