Hello, not sure if this is the right community but it’s the closest I could find on Aussie.zone

I’ve been enjoying roadtripping in my Forester, but I’m contemplating whether I’d prefer to have a dedicated camper instead. I live at a place with only one parking spot for me, ruling out any caravans or camper trailers.

My main requirements would be compact (only as big as I need), sleeps 2 (ideally separately, even if it’s a mattress on a table so mates aren’t uncomfortable) and comfortable even in cold southern winters (down to 0°C). Niceties would be amenities like table and seats inside, small fridge, onboard water, cool if it had a shower.

So far, I’ve been thinking a ute with a slide on camper - my only real question is the solutions that have a pop top with canvas, would those be a pain in the ass to maintain and keep from ripping or degrading, and would they still insulate well?

Otherwise while I don’t have much experience woodworking, I’d be open to converting a small van to a camper (there’s a men’s shed right next door to me that would help me out). I’d be open to converting the 2004 Forester, ripping out the rear seats, but I think I’d only have room for two narrow single beds in it.

My main motivation for this would be to have as an alternative to hotel rooms when I just want to travel a long distance and need somewhere to sleep, and I’d probably plan to travel for about 4-6 weeks a year average, plus the odd weekend camp here and there.

I’ve otherwise thought about a roof top tent with all the amenities like stove, prep bench, fridge etc. in the car but my concerns would be storing it out of the weather (wouldn’t have enough room in my little room I’m renting) and insulation in cold temperatures. If those problems could be mitigated, I imagine this could be a cost effective option.

With all that, is there anything that I’m not thinking of as requirements or constraints, and other cheap options for what I’d like to do?