A Craiglist user is selling his 2009 Chevrolet Suburban which he turned into a camper van that can fit a queen bed for $27,000 - see inside

Brittany ChangFeb 27, 2020, 22:38 IST

Parker Onufer is currently selling his 2009 Chevrolet Suburban that he converted into his own camper "van" with a pop-top roof for $27,000 on Craigslist.
Onufer was in the rock climbing industry as he watched the van life movement rise in popularity, inspiring him to create his own tiny home on wheels.
The interior includes a queen-sized bed and a kitchen with a sink, refrigerator, and freezer.
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This 2009 Chevrolet Suburban has been converted into a camper "van" with a pop-top roof, and it's now on sale for $27,000.

San Diego-based Parker Onufer, who is currently selling the vehicle, built the camper Suburban after he saw the van life movement rise in popularity while in the rock climbing business. While he could have purchased a pre-built camper, he decided to build his own because the ones for sale were either too large, too pricey, unfinished, or had "a piece [that] was missing," Onufer told Business Insider in an email.

"I felt that there was an obvious weekend warrior need that was being failed by the campers on the streets," Onufer said.

The Craigslist listing has since expired, but Onufer says the van is still for sale.

In 2016, Onufer decided to embark on a project of creating camper vans himself and found the Suburbans to be a great platform to do so. Most camper vans are converted from larger vans like Mercedes-Benz Sprinters.

The process was so enjoyable, he started building more and helping others with their own camper van projects. However, Onufer still had a dream of owning a newer Chevy that would allow him to create a pop-top roof for his "unicorn camper."

Finally, he purchased his 2009 Suburban and started building his own roof shell.

"I figured when that was complete I would cut the roof open and finish the rest, [but] the roof came out so well I had no choice but to see this project through to the end," he said.

Keep scrolling to learn about the unique Chevrolet camper:

See A Craiglist user is selling his 2009 Chevrolet Suburban which he turned into a camper van that can fit a queen bed for $27,000 - see inside >>

Onufer found the unassuming Suburban SUV to be affordable and easy to convert while still allowing the roomy vehicle to be used for day-to-day purposes.

He claims the vehicle has the "driveability" and easy access of an SUV while still having an off-roading system. It has a 5.3-liter V8 engine and can shift between two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive.

The Suburban camper also comes equipped with different parts and devices that improve its drive and handling to compensate for the added weight.

Source: Your Mechanic

It also has LED lights in the pop-top roof and a light bar with 21,600 lumens.

The car has racked up 120,000 miles and comes with all-terrain tires and a tire pressure monitor.

The pop-top has a fiberglass shell and an inch of insulation.

With the pop-top activated, the standing height in the vehicles achieves 6-foot, four inches.

However the top does not have to be popped in order to have a sleeping space: there's already a queen-sized latex and foam mattress inside, and the platform that the bed sits on is removable.

There's also six inches of storage under the bed, as well as extra drawers and storage units around the Suburban.

Onufer wanted to decrease the number of unnecessary and moving parts in the space. For example, the storage drawers don't have handles or latches. Instead, there are slots on top of each drawer to allow items to be slid in without having to open the storage units.

There's a secondary 100-amp hour battery that is charged by the Suburban's alternator, as well as a digital thermostat and heater.

The kitchen — which can be accessed from both inside and outside the Suburban — has a sink, refrigerator, and freezer. The refrigerator can be reached from the driver's seat, and there are lights that allow for night cooking.

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