I knew about Ursa Minor's E-Camper conversion, which took a Honda Element and added a Westfalia-style pop top roof.
It looks like someone took the concept a step further and built a modular lightweight furniture setup. Check it out! I think it's a pretty sweet setup as a modern reliable frugal camper setup.
awesome!
edit, where do you sleep? looks too short?
In reply to Robbie:
I don't know if the poptop is long enough for sleeping. The element's front seats fold flat though and a platform comes out from the chair, which provides a large flat bed.
Welcome to the dilemma of the decently fuel efficient, good ground clearance and AWD camper.
I've yet to find something that gets better than 25mpg, doesn't require folding the front seats forward, allows for a platform to be built and still has enough headroom to sit upright, and has lift options or enough ground clearance for rough roads far from help, and AWD. A lifted Volvo Allroad would work with a high-roof, same for an Outback. The ideal vehicle would be something like the Metris AWD, or AWD variants of the Transit Connect, Ram City, or others tradesman vans with AWD.
A new Canyon/Colorado with diesel might be a good option too.
The E-camper popup is large enough to crawl up into and sleep.
...plus, that version has a fold down setup for either a single or double bed.
In reply to pheller:
As a former AWD manual Element owner, his wouldn't meet your efficiency or off-roading requirements. I never saw 25 mpg. Ground clearance is less than 7 inches and the gas tank is the lowest part of the vehicle. The AWD system is also awful.
If I was doing it again I'd get a FWD manual trans Element and give it a modest body lift to fit A/T tires.
I wish Honda would have made a 4-door version of the Element with removable or Magic rear seats. If they could get 6' from the back of the front seats (in driving position) to the hatch I might be interested.
pheller wrote: A new Canyon/Colorado with diesel might be a good option too.
The "long" bed is only 74.4" long, so not good if you're 6'+
pheller wrote: Welcome to the dilemma of the decently fuel efficient, good ground clearance and AWD camper. I've yet to find something that gets better than 25mpg, doesn't require folding the front seats forward, allows for a platform to be built and still has enough headroom to sit upright, and has lift options or enough ground clearance for rough roads far from help, and AWD. A lifted Volvo Allroad would work with a high-roof, same for an Outback. The ideal vehicle would be something like the Metris AWD, or AWD variants of the Transit Connect, Ram City, or others tradesman vans with AWD. A new Canyon/Colorado with diesel might be a good option too.
25 mpg camper is definitely a tough ask, especially if you need AWD and high ground clearance. Maybe an older Dodge pickup with the 5.9 Cummins and a camper shell 
I can tell you that the previous generation Outback (back when it looked like a wagon) has more ground clearance at stock height than a WJ Grand Cherokee. No need to lift it.
I think 25 mpg out of a 4WD Delica might be just doable, if you get the diesel and keep it around 60.
bastomatic wrote: In reply to pheller: As a former AWD manual Element owner, his wouldn't meet your efficiency or off-roading requirements. I never saw 25 mpg. Ground clearance is less than 7 inches and the gas tank is the lowest part of the vehicle. The AWD system is also awful. If I was doing it again I'd get a FWD manual trans Element and give it a modest body lift to fit A/T tires.
that is awesome
In reply to pheller:
I thought they were all 4 doors. Well, 5 doors, I guess.
They're suicide doors in the back, so they kinda look like a two door.
Own one or more Elements for over 10 years now and I will say they excel at being an urban runabout, the very short length (4" longer than a Civic) facilitates ease of street parking while delivering massive usable internal space. If I was doing a traditional camper I don't think this would be a choice I would make for a limiting camper usage. Well unless we are talking camping in a post apocalyptic ruins I guess...
Like the lifted Element, well done. I think the unpainted plastic panels lend themselves to that treatment.
I still want to make one in the colour scheme used for the prototype Model X (not sure it lived up to the mysterious codename)
BTW there are even those that mistakenly believe the Element to be a "minivan".
Ottawa loves it when I come to visit and he picks me up in his minivan.
Seriously, though - there just aren't really any other vehicles with this sort of package. Like the Vanagon, there's nothing else that offers that sort of interior space in that footprint.
Keith Tanner wrote: They're suicide doors in the back, so they kinda look like a two door.
Yes, I understand. But they are not! 
With the suicide doors, they make a cavernous, post-free opening. As far as access goes, it would be hard to beat them.
In reply to SVreX:
True, so long as you're not in a crowded parking lot where opening the rear doors means you also have to fully open the long front doors.
In practice I found I very much preferred a true rear door.
bastomatic wrote: In reply to pheller: give it a modest body lift
bastomatic wrote: In practice I found I very much preferred a true rear door.
yes - very true! Those doors can be such a PITA when parked near other cars
bastomatic wrote: In reply to SVreX: True, so long as you're not in a crowded parking lot where opening the rear doors means you also have to fully open the long front doors. In practice I found I very much preferred a true rear door.
All right. But that wouldn't be any better if they were 2 door cars.
JohnRW1621 wrote: So Much Element talk, maybe this is a good time to add the Honda Hack Photos within include:
That is amazing
My suicide door comment was intended to explain why a casual observer might think the car was a two door, and the Element enthusiast would then exclaim that it is a unique four door of uncommon versatility. But really, it's a four(ish) door that only has one visible side handle.
Although having owned a pickup with a similar door arrangement, it is a pain when loading groceries through the side.
It's definitely a personal preference deal on the rear doors. Mine was a 5 speed with the factory SC package (which I downgraded from 18 to 16 inch wheels). It was definitely the most practical car I ever owned. The rear doors worked very well for my tastes.
The guys at my fire station called it the Element LE for lesbian express due to the stereotype of typical Element owners (I'm a 6'3" 245 pound white guy so they found it particularly funny).
My only real complaint about the car was the gearing. The five speeds like mine were geared poorly in my opinion. 70miles per hour was 3600 rpm. The automatic trans cars were geared much more reasonably. The car did return a legit hand figured 25 miles per gallon average for the 145000 miles I put on it.
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