I began researching by watching videos of existing car buildouts and taking notes of elements I wanted to integrate into my design, materials to use, and mistakes to avoid. I chose to design around the folding trunk shelf that came with my car. The first design, developed with my dad, aimed to minimize material used and maximize under-platform storage space. It succeeded in both of those aspects but was wobbly despite being screwed into and bolted to the hardware the which locks in the removed seats.

The next iteration uses more material but includes under-platform cabinets and is completely stable. I used cardboard to prototype the sliding notch construction and used angle brackets on the final build to stabilize the platform.

The final design has a 6 foot long and 2.5 foot wide sleeping platform. The end is hinged and can fold out and slide onto a notched leg when the front passenger seat is scooted forward. There is access to the storage underneath through a panel in the top as well as from each side of the platform. To test the build I went on a 10 day road trip in southern Utah. The screws on one of the hinges ripped out on the first night, but nothing that some duct tape couldn’t manage. I slept on a 2 inch tri-fold mattress under a sleeping bag that I stored under the bed during the day along with all my clothes. Besides the weak hinge, it was a complete success! In a future iteration I would try a simpler frame construction and use bolts rather than screws for the hinge fasteners.