Cross Caddy Camper Project

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anoneamus
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Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by anoneamus »

Just got my first Caddy a couple of months ago. I live in South Africa, so was keen to make a "rugged" camper to do some adventuring around Southern Africa. Once you leave the beaten track, there's a lot of dirt roads, so I went for the Cross Caddy as it seemed better suited (apart from the tires!) for that kind of travelling.

A camper's nothing of course without a bed, so I did a bit of Googling, then a bit of scribbling on the back of a napkin and came up with the ideal bed (for me). I wanted something that could be easily removed from the vehicle, sleep two people comfortably, didn't take up any unnecessary space, didn't damage the interior of the vehicle (so no mods or sharp/rough bits), and didn't require me to remove the rear seats. And provide some storage space (by way of drawers). The bed size is an exact (South African) 3/4 bed size (188x107 cm) so no special sheets or cramped sleeping! :) An unforeseen benefit is that the bed can fold out into a bench if the seats are left up. Perfect for sitting and watching the sun set...

I got all of the (plywood) boards cut to size by a building supply store, so all I had to do was screw/glue them together, stain and carpet.

I've posted some pics here so you can get an idea. Will post the measurements if anyone's interested in making one themselves.

I'll post some follow-ups in this thread with some other aspects of the (camper) build.

:D

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Last edited by anoneamus on Sat Nov 09, 2019 11:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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tommyzooom
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by tommyzooom »

Very nice :D
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bluecaddymaxi
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by bluecaddymaxi »

hi there,

yeah, nice one ... & welcome to the forum :)

will look forward to seeing how this develops.
(I like to get ideas from what others are doing.)
looking good, so far.

mark


my set-up (a little earlier in the summer) :
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camping out of a caddy maxi life (here) : viewtopic.php?f=9&t=17266
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torque777
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by torque777 »

Great idea... Wouldn't mind doing this myself
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by cj1960 »

Yes, Really nice job, Very neat - Well done, will keep up to date with this. CJ
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by gransetto »

Could you post the measurements?
I'm interested in making one myself.
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anoneamus
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by anoneamus »

@bluecaddymaxi: Looks good, unfortunately I'm not "authorised" to read that thread... :/

Here is another shot which shows the bed in a "sleep ready" state. I'm including it to show the window covers I made. They're made from "heavy duty" (10mm thick) "silver bubble wrap" type insulation (as is used for windshield sun screens), and cut out to the window shapes. I put metal rings in them (you'll need a special stamp tool), so that the suction cups from windshield sun screens can be used to hold them on. I went down to our local "China town" to pick up a bunch of extra suction cups. I made covers for all of the windows except the driver and passenger door windows, which are left about 2in/5cm open (for ventilation) and covered with a black mesh "sock" (usually used as a sun screen for rear passenger windows). I cover the windshield with a silver windshield screen (standard), and then use a thin (for air) black curtain clipped to the parcel shelf. Works very well (light, ventilation & privacy). Still trying to source the tailgate lock extension thingamajig, which allows the tailgate to be left slightly open whilst still being able to be locked, to allow a better air flow (for when it gets really hot!)...

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Last edited by anoneamus on Sat Nov 09, 2019 11:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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anoneamus
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by anoneamus »

Here are some pictures of the bed removed from the van. I've labeled the images with coloured lines to give the measurements:

Blue: 108cm
Red: 63cm
Green: 30cm
Pink: 105.5cm
Yellow: 108cm
Magenta: 63cm
Cyan: 49.5cm
White: 61cm
Orange: 28.5cm
Light Green: 51.5cm

The board quantities and sizes are:

BOX:
4 x 63cm x 108cm (top, bottom and fold out)
3 x 62cm x 30cm (sides and divider)*
1 x 30cm x 105.5cm (back)*

DRAWERS:
4 x 61cm x 28.5cm (sides)
4 x 49.5cm x 28.5cm (front and back)*
2 x 61cm x 51.5cm (bottom)

I used 12mm plywood for the box and 9mm plywood for the drawers. Note that you will need to adjust the sizes of the boards marked with * (at least) if you use different plywood thicknesses.

I used wood glue and screws to attach the pieces together, which resulted in a strong structure. No bending/creaking etc. The foldout portions are connected using "piano" hinges.

The mattress I had custom made out of 12cm thick foam and then covered. The foam I used is "firm", so one could probably get away with using a thinner foam and still not touch the bottom (this foam hardly compresses even with 2 people sleeping on it). The foam pieces are 63cm x 108cm.

I used "subwoofer cabinet" carpeting for the box and drawers, and "ebony" wood stain to colour the wood. I recommend looking for instructional videos for "how to carpet a subwoofer box" for techniques to minimise seams and places where the carpet can peal up (I made sure that no seams were on "working" edges).

I sanded down the inside of the box and carpeted the bottom of the drawers. They slide in and out very nicely, even when fully loaded, without using rails. The drawers are strong enough to use as makeshift seats.

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Last edited by anoneamus on Sat Nov 09, 2019 11:28 am, edited 3 times in total.
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anoneamus
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by anoneamus »

The "Cross" Caddy is supposed to be a ruggedised version of the Caddy Life. The interior definitely wasn't tough enough for Southern Africa, so I got some (VW Original) mats to cover all of the carpeting. The seats were pretty (shown in some pics for reference), but also not tough enough, so I got some canvas seat covers for them. The company, http://www.escapegear.co.za/products/seat-covers, that makes the seat covers makes custom fit "rugged" seat covers for many car makes and models. Fortunately they do a VW Caddy version (with support for side airbags) that matches the original interior pretty well. They also do a waterproof version, but that's probably better suited to the UK market... ;)

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Last edited by anoneamus on Sat Nov 09, 2019 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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anoneamus
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by anoneamus »

Here are some "vanity" shots of the Cross Caddy. I didn't like the "Cross Caddy" lettering on the sides, nor the "Caddy" "2.0 TDi" lettering on the tailgate, so they came off... :)

All of the rear windows on the Cross Caddy are (factory) tinted "privacy" glass. Much nicer IMHO.

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The pictures were taken in Cape Town, South Africa - an awesome place to live/visit BTW...
Last edited by anoneamus on Sat Nov 09, 2019 11:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by jackal33 »

Nice work , given me some idea for mine ;)
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by zzeezzy »

Great information.
Thanks for pictures and dimensions.
Got the same version Caddy as you,so all good,only difference
is the colour I think.
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by danski »

For the tail gate ventilation, are you thinking of Ventlock? I have one for when my dogs are in the back

http://www.ventlock.com/tailgatelock.php
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anoneamus
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by anoneamus »

Thanks, this is a SWB (non-Maxi) Cross Caddy, but the only difference that should make is that you wouldn't have to move the front seats when folding out the bed.
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Re: Cross Caddy Camper Project

Post by anoneamus »

For the tailgate spacer, I was looking at the VW original part number: 7H1069680. Volkswagen in South Africa doesn't find that part on their system... :/ I was looking at some aftermarket ones in Germany, but I'll probably get my buddy with a metal-working workshop to make me one (shipping fees are a killer!)...
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