How do you use your rear kitchen/camper pod/boot system?

[benp1]

I have a Kombi that I camp in with the kids, normal Kombi with some bits to help me camp in like front swivels and a slot together ply bed that goes in the back. Food and hot drinks are usually sorted from the boot and under the tailgate, and sometimes inside if the bed isn't assembled. But it's usually just boiling water, no actual cooking.

It's a very basic set up that is used when needed, works well enough for our use. Just wondering how those with slidepods or other boot conversions use their arrangements? In particular when the weather is a bit grim. I'd always thought that once you've pulled it out you're towards the back of the tailgate shelter you're more susceptible to windblown rain or grim weather. Are you putting up a rear awning or windbreak?

No judgement here, genuinely interested in how you do it?

(couldn't find a duplicate thread, apologies if I missed one)

 

[Bav]

Not got my van yet, but I intend to use my rear kitchen with a rear awning (unless it's a short stop & the weather is good, in which case I'll just use it under the tailgate).

 

[Tim the trim]

Not got my van yet, but I intend to use my rear kitchen with a rear awning (unless it's a short stop & the weather is good, in which case I'll just use it under the tailgate).

Great question, I am planning to do something very similar.
Thinking of fold down bed, but thought no further.

 

[Tron6.1]

Tools in the week, bike stuff or camping stuff at the weekend, sometimes a mixture of all three

 

[benp1]

Any thoughts from slidepod owners?

 

[RDT]

Any thoughts from slidepod owners?

Had a slidepod... sold it, used without awning for short stops (great when weather is ok, but even slightest wind makes life difficult as you allude to above), used with rear awning for longer stops - rear awning was a pain to put up (even the vango air awning - although great piece of kit- it just never really fitted the van quite right). The above set up with pull out draw looks great - as although the slidepod was fantastic, the whole boot being taken up by it meant always having to go over/around the chairs for kit , whereas the above draw makes kit more easily accessible, if I was doing it again, would go with just a stand alone blow up separate kit tent kind of thing... although tbh if doing it again probably wouldn't go slidepod - the on tap water is great and cooking outside fab, but storage is an issue as it takes up so much room. Hope this helps

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

I’m a slidepod owner …it works well and I’ve owned a full camper … wind does affect the hob …. I’ve two set ups now a Berghaus air shelter for longer stays and a Reimo tailgate awning for short stays also an air wind break … all cooking gear in pod … boxes for food and Alpicool fridge behind front seat

 

[WhatsGoingOnHere]

Has anyone got pictures of their setups with slidepod? Just looking at best setups with the available space, high level cupboards and space behind seats to the slidepod

 

[Bensalvage]

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread still on with the search for a good van having now decided that a caravelle is probably best suited to most of my needs and have an easipod style kitchen when van isn't used for camping and use either a roof tent or drive away awning for extra sleeping space.

My question is with the rear bench still in place and the middle row single seats is there much room behind the kitchen pod for things like chairs and clothing etc if not may look into a roof box set up

 

[roadtripper]

See what we've done over on this thread.

I'll probably add to thread at some point with our packing approach but TLDR the trick is not to think "along" but to think "up" - with the headrests up you can get a lot of the soft roll/barrel style bags vertically on top of a kitchen pod and hold them in places with bungies onto the headrest rods. That way we got as much as we got in the back of a Volvo estate plus big roof box in the Caravelle.

Don't forget you get 3 storage spaces under the bench and 2 under the seats to play with. We have ours with the mid seats backwards train table style and that also gives a good chunk of space to safely stack soft bags between the mid and front seat backs and bases.

Have a good think about specifically drive away if your kitchen is in the back. We did and decided there was little value connecting the van inside space to the tent space and are going to stick with the existing large tents. We did put a C rail on for sun awnings, again on the thread.