The complete guide
Pickup camper: building your home on wheels
Welcome to our complete guide to fitting out a pickup camper for long-term travel. After comparing several manufacturers in our previous article, we chose ModulIdea to equip our pickup camper on a Defender 130. This maker offers empty pickup campers, allowing a fully customised build at an accessible price. Discover our layout plan in detail, along with every piece of kit that turns a simple pickup camper into a true home on wheels.
A bespoke pickup camper, on a controlled budget
Choosing an empty pickup camper means the freedom to design every centimetre around the way you travel, while keeping your budget in check. That is exactly what won us over at ModulIdea: a ready-to-fit shell that we transformed, with our own hands, into a home on wheels built for life on the road over the long haul.
Our pickup camper layout
Our pickup camper on a Defender makes the most of the available space with a versatile zone that adapts to every situation:
- Convivial meals thanks to the Lagun table leg
- Extended remote-work sessions with 2 computers + Starlink
- Relaxing moments on the bench seats
- Spare bed, 100 x 170 cm
This modularity makes our pickup camper a truly adaptable living space. Here is the list of all our equipment, with links:
Zone by zone
The pickup camper layout in detail
Overall design
Our pickup camper is purpose-built to fit the Defender’s bed. It delivers a self-sufficient, comfortable and generously stowed solution for long journeys. Every square centimetre has been optimised to maximise space without compromising handling, all while respecting the vehicle’s gross weight limit.
Sleeping area
The heart of the pickup camper: a fixed Queen-size bed, 160 x 200 cm, on a Froli base. For extended travel, quality sleep is essential. This permanent bed guarantees proper rest, even if it slightly reduces the living space. After days of intense off-road driving, that comfort is priceless!
Kitchen corner
The kitchen of our pickup camper features a sink with taps, a removable single-burner cooktop, a slide-out drawer fridge and optimised storage. The removable Primus burner, deliberately left unfixed, offers great freedom of use: powerful and efficient, it lets you cook quickly whatever the conditions.
Bathroom
The pickup camper’s bathroom kit includes a removable shower with a built-in drain, a urine-diverting composting toilet and an outdoor shower for the great outdoors. Having private facilities radically changes the travel experience. For Sophie it was a must-have, as it is for many women travellers.
The pickup camper’s energy autonomy
To live in total freedom, our pickup camper carries:
- High-capacity lithium auxiliary battery
- Flexible solar panels (optimal lightness)
- 220 V inverter for all appliances
- Full autonomy for 2 to 3 days
The flexible panels laid on the roof offer discretion and performance, even in overcast weather. To dig deeper into a camper’s electrical installation, check out our IntoTheWild magazine #1.
Heating and water heater in the pickup camper
To ensure comfort in our pickup camper, we installed a two-in-one system from Autoterm. It is the best value for money we found. True, it does not yet have the altitude kit, but even high in the mountains we never had a problem. We are eagerly waiting for that kit to fit it to our combined heater and water heater.
Diesel heating remains the optimal choice for a pickup camper: maximum autonomy and easy refuelling anywhere in the world.
5 years with our pickup camper
The strong points. The removable indoor shower is really well thought out, perfect in the city or in freezing cold. The fixed Queen-size bed has become indispensable; we even treated ourselves to the luxury of a memory-foam topper. As for the removable burner, it is genuinely versatile day to day.
Areas for improvement. The lower sleeping space, when the roof is closed, still needs work: in strong wind, even a storm (which has happened to us more than once), sleeping two there becomes tricky. Good news: we think we have found a solution, and we will tell you more very soon!
Our pickup camper has let us live extraordinary adventures in complete self-sufficiency. Follow our travels on our YouTube channel!
And once the camper is ready, where do we go?
Fitting out your pickup camper is the first half of the adventure. The second is the road. To save you hours of preparation, we have gathered our field-tested itineraries: driveable tracks, GPS traces and coordinates, ready to follow from the moment you set off.
Our roadbooks guide you step by step, so you can fully enjoy your home on wheels with a free mind.
Field-tested itineraries · GPS
We answer everything
FAQ: all about the pickup camper
What is the difference between an empty pickup camper and a factory-fitted one?
An empty pickup camper allows full customisation of the layout, the equipment and the level of comfort. It is the ideal solution to design a space truly suited to the way you travel, while keeping control of your budget. That is precisely what led us to work with ModulIdea.
Can you live year-round in a pickup camper?
Yes, provided the layout is well thought out. With a comfortable bed, genuine electrical autonomy, integrated facilities and effective heating, a pickup camper becomes a true little home on wheels, perfectly suited to long-term travel.
Why did you choose a fixed Queen-size bed in the camper?
After several years of travel, sleep comfort became an absolute priority. A fixed Queen-size bed (160 x 200 cm) with a Froli base and a memory-foam topper guarantees proper rest after long days off-road. We had started out in a 4×4 van with a 120 x 175 cm bed: the experience was worlds apart, and the urge to get back to a real bed at home was very strong.
Is the removable cooktop really practical day to day?
Yes, clearly. The removable Primus burner offers great flexibility: we use it indoors or outdoors depending on the conditions. Its power means you can cook quickly and efficiently, a real plus when travelling, especially when you love cooking as much as we do.
What budget should you plan for a pickup camper fitted out like yours?
The budget depends heavily on the level of customisation and the equipment. The empty ModulIdea camper cost us 16,000 euros (the price may have changed over 5 years). For the interior, it all depends on the materials and the electrical power chosen: reckon on 15,000 to 30,000 euros depending on your choices.
What is the electrical autonomy of your pickup camper?
Our pickup camper offers 2 days of full autonomy in bad weather, and total autonomy in good weather, thanks to a high-capacity lithium battery, flexible solar panels and a 220 V inverter. This setup lets you work, cook and live comfortably without depending on the grid.
Why did you build facilities into the camper?
Having facilities radically changes the travel experience, especially in the city, in bad weather or in freezing cold. The removable indoor shower and the composting toilet were an essential criterion, particularly for Sophie, as for many women travellers.
Is diesel heating indispensable in a pickup camper?
For us, yes. The diesel combined heater and water heater offers excellent autonomy and easy refuelling anywhere in the world. Even without the altitude kit for now, our Autoterm system has proven reliable, including in the mountains.
What would you improve after several years of use?
After three years of intensive use, one point stands out: the lower sleeping space when the roof is closed, particularly in strong wind or a storm. Good news, we are currently working on a solution, which we will share very soon.
Where can we follow your travels and experience feedback?
You can find all our adventures, field tests and experience feedback on our Defintothewild YouTube channel, on our Defintothewild Instagram, and in our IntoTheWild magazine dedicated to travel, overlanding and nomad life.
Yann
wish you best and best
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Myi
Bonjour,
Je ne comprends pas comment vous pouvez placer la douche et les toilettes à gauche en entrant : il y a le pan coupé extérieur de la cellule de 400 x 400 qui empêche d’avoir un sol plat…
Réponse sobo
Bonjour la douche sera sur le sol plat à l’entrée c’est une douche amovible. Le toilette sera au dessus du pan coupe ce qui fera que la hauteur du toilette sera légèrement plus haut que la normal mais les bidons du trelino s ne sont pas très haut.