Charles's 2018 Subaru Crosstrek Camping Machine

[Alpharaider47]

Hi guys, first real post here and it's part sharing, part(mostly) asking for advice.

My wife and I are avid campers and backpackers, but we're moving back to the West Coast this year and want to try overlanding for real. We have a 1 year old and are trying for another munchkin, so we ended up with a pair of Subaru Crosstreks. I come from a Jeep background, so I'm better versed in how to get one of those out on the trail, but with the kiddos and an enlisted Navy budget, we went with the second Crosstrek. I'm driving a 2018 with the 6 speed manual, we've done some very light off pavement driving and it feels great so far.

I'm going to be adding fog lights first (mine came without, looking at going yellow because I hear that makes you go faster ). I'm also looking into roof racks and baskets, and Falken AT Trail tires before we push too far. Obviously I'm not in a Jeep and I don't expect to be able to get as far off the road in a little Crosstrek, but are there any upgrades that you would suggest looking into so we can get ourselves out into just a little bit of trouble?

As far as packing and gear solutions, we've been using a Zarges K470 to hold our mess kit and gear, with a couple backpacking packs for hiking and clothes. We like sleeping on the ground so we have a nice 4 person ground tent, camp chairs, and a small table too. We'd love to hear any recommendations on creature comforts, and I'd like to step up our camp cooking game.

I'll try to throw up some pictures as we get to work!

 

[RioRideNM]

Hi guys, first real post here and it's part sharing, part(mostly) asking for advice.

My wife and I are avid campers and backpackers, but we're moving back to the West Coast this year and want to try overlanding for real. We have a 1 year old and are trying for another munchkin, so we ended up with a pair of Subaru Crosstreks. I come from a Jeep background, so I'm better versed in how to get one of those out on the trail, but with the kiddos and an enlisted Navy budget, we went with the second Crosstrek. I'm driving a 2018 with the 6 speed manual, we've done some very light off pavement driving and it feels great so far.

I'm going to be adding fog lights first (mine came without, looking at going yellow because I hear that makes you go faster ). I'm also looking into roof racks and baskets, and Falken AT Trail tires before we push too far. Obviously I'm not in a Jeep and I don't expect to be able to get as far off the road in a little Crosstrek, but are there any upgrades that you would suggest looking into so we can get ourselves out into just a little bit of trouble?

As far as packing and gear solutions, we've been using a Zarges K470 to hold our mess kit and gear, with a couple backpacking packs for hiking and clothes. We like sleeping on the ground so we have a nice 4 person ground tent, camp chairs, and a small table too. We'd love to hear any recommendations on creature comforts, and I'd like to step up our camp cooking game.

I'll try to throw up some pictures as we get to work!

Alpharaider47,
Also building a Crosstrek (‘16) for camping and adventures. Understanding it is not a Jeep is the first thing but you have that down. But in stock form, I have done some pretty cool stuff. Tires will go a long way and I am looking at the same ones for mine. Otherwise, I went with the Rola roof basket. Install was pretty easy and my hi-lift mounts well. The other change I made was lighting up top for navigating trails at night. These were Diode Dynamics Sport Flood on ADF mounts.

Looking forward to seeing the build!

 

[Alpharaider47]

Do you have any advice for running cables for your lighting setup? I'm also interested in mounting an antenna for a CB radio. On my Wranglers I was never too shy about the idea of cutting holes, but this car is also my daily driver, so if I'm going past a point of no return I'd like to be certain

How has the basket impacted your mileage? I'm used to 19ish mpg, so this is my first vehicle above 20 and that's been a pretty nice feeling in the wallet, hoping not to tank it too much- is the basket pretty easily removable if you wanted to only put it on for trips?

 

[RioRideNM]

Do you have any advice for running cables for your lighting setup? I'm also interested in mounting an antenna for a CB radio. On my Wranglers I was never too shy about the idea of cutting holes, but this car is also my daily driver, so if I'm going past a point of no return I'd like to be certain

How has the basket impacted your mileage? I'm used to 19ish mpg, so this is my first vehicle above 20 and that's been a pretty nice feeling in the wallet, hoping not to tank it too much- is the basket pretty easily removable if you wanted to only put it on for trips?

Hey Alpharaider47,
Really, the crosstrek has a good setup for cables. I did want a light bar on the roof rack but i do not want to drill either... so i went with a minimal drill solution, which only had me drill into the plastics for the switches. The paper/cardboard spacers on either side of the engine allow wires to be transferred to the mirror ditch lights very easily. The firewall also has a few rubber plugs so i just utilized one of them to get the switches hooked up inside the cab.

As far as the basket, it was a bit hard to tell how it impacted fuel efficiency. Many changes at once. but before all changes I would get about 27mpg or so. With the roof rack i went to about 24.5 pretty consistently. So a bit of drop, but not too bad for me. I have also added a bit of weight in the Hi-Lift jack, some tools and gear, and much more off roading lately. The basket will come off and on pretty easily if you wished. The hardest part would be aligning it to put on so maybe some tape "markers" for easy remount if you plan to remove and install regularly.

 

[IceBear505]

I have the '18 and pretty happy with Falken Wildpeak A/T Trails (225/65R17), not much hit on the mpg. I have installed lighting at bumper, ditch lights (also ADF brackets), forward facing LED bar, and a few back up light pods. Bumper and ditch lights were pretty easy. I followed StarDude's advice on the routing of the wiring (very detailed). I went Auxbeam 32" recommended by Donald at Soft Roading the West. The cable routing from the engine bay to the cabin was a major pain because the bundles were pretty thick and the firewall passage was not friendly. I ended up routing it all through the driver's door electrical boot (functional, but suboptimal). If I was to do it over, I would (read will parts coming in tomorrow) be doing the fuse/relay setup that Tom the Dilettante posted. All that said, I'd put my first money on tires, then under body protection (engine, transmission, differential, and rock sliders)... before other cool mods like coms and auxiliary power.

...plenty of potential mods for the Crosstrek, but it's pretty capable stock... not a Jeep or a Taco (had both) but makes a great daily driver, family car, and soft roader (and much friendlier on the fuel tank).

RioRideNM, would be good to meet up once all this isolation blows over and the rates go down... I'm just across town!

StarDude LED wiring:

Tom the Dilettante fuse and relays:

 

[RioRideNM]

Great info and nice videos, IceBear505!
I definitely like the relay setup where applicable and I have been pondering how I setup some flush mount reverse lights into the bumper for off road situations. Care to share pictures of your reverse setup? As to the meetup, I am absolutely down! I often go play out at Southern Blvd in Rio. Sometimes I get weird looks for being the only Subie out there amongst a sea of sand and Jeeps, so going in a pack may work out!

Alpharaider47,
Still awaiting pics so feel free to upload. If nothing else, it is good to see the starting point to track progress!

 

[Alpharaider47]

Thank you guys for the videos and pictures! I really like the lighting setups, they look very clean.

I added a couple pictures of what I'm starting with, nothing too fancy just yet.

As far as a gear bag, I've been using a 5.11 Rush tactical bag to hold things like a toolroll, medkit, bungie straps, etc. I'm interested in the Smittybilt gear seat covers for storage and MOLLE, but I'm not committed yet and I'd like to get into the skid plates and lighting first.

 

[RioRideNM]

Thank you guys for the videos and pictures! I really like the lighting setups, they look very clean.

I added a couple pictures of what I'm starting with, nothing too fancy just yet.

As far as a gear bag, I've been using a 5.11 Rush tactical bag to hold things like a toolroll, medkit, bungie straps, etc. I'm interested in the Smittybilt gear seat covers for storage and MOLLE, but I'm not committed yet and I'd like to get into the skid plates and lighting first.

View attachment 186742

It would be interesting to hear how those smittybilt’s would fit on the Crosstrek seats. I know in my 2016, the front rear seat pockets are surprisingly shallow... I can fit very few things in them so this could be a nice solution. As much room as the Crosstrek has, I am still always looking for options to maximize it. Given I have dogs, I was actually looking at dog barriers for the Crosstrek and I stumbled upon Raingler Nets and Barriers. They have a nice soft net barrier that would pack down when not in use. I do not want a big metal barrier that would not allow me to “stow-and-go” on the fly. Anyway, they also have an “Attic Net” that I was intrigued about to help create space in the Crosstrek. I have yet to find a good review...

Of course mine is a ‘16 but they seem to have options for all years.

2007 - 2017 Subaru Crosstrek XV Impreza Wagon 2nd Row Ceiling Attic Ne

Keep jackets, blankets, road trip item or dog gear up and out of the way, but still easily accessible! 4 point mounting, strong and goes up or out quickly and easily. No hardware or modifications needed, mounts to factory handles above 2nd row seat area. Webbing net versions come with 4" or...

raingler.com

 

[RioRideNM]

Adventuring in the evening and at night, I realized I had amazing lights up front!..... And nothing out back....

I could see this being helpful navigating mountain trails for camping. Not sure how many people want to cut into the bumper of a perfectly good Crosstrek, but I was willing to deal with it. These add SOOOO much light in reverse. I tied into the normal reverse wiring that I upgraded to LED a while back. Upgrading the bulbs made a small difference, but the more light the better!

Diode Dynamics Sport Flood Flush mount

 

[DharmaBum]

Stoked to see another Subaru on here. There are so many options for Crosstrek modifications. I own a forester (Subaru Forester Build) and I’m still surprised how much more aftermarket support the trek has over the foz. I find my roof rack and basket to be subpar in the sense that it has significantly cut my mpgs. Ultimately I would like to switch over to Prinsu’s system—or something akin to it. Depending on what you are looking to mount up top do your research. The weight capacity some systems claim are deceiving once you factor all the numbers, and off-road load capacities decrease the advertised capacities.

 

[Alpharaider47]

Adventuring in the evening and at night, I realized I had amazing lights up front!..... And nothing out back....

I could see this being helpful navigating mountain trails for camping. Not sure how many people want to cut into the bumper of a perfectly good Crosstrek, but I was willing to deal with it. These add SOOOO much light in reverse. I tied into the normal reverse wiring that I upgraded to LED a while back. Upgrading the bulbs made a small difference, but the more light the better!

Diode Dynamics Sport Flood Flush mount
View attachment 188660

Those lights look really sharp! I had a nice pair wired up on my Wrangler a few years back, they were amazing for backing up at night. Did the cuts give you any trouble?

 

[RioRideNM]

Those lights look really sharp! I had a nice pair wired up on my Wrangler a few years back, they were amazing for backing up at night. Did the cuts give you any trouble?

Thanks!
Cuts were pretty easy. Diode Dynamics flush mount come with a template in the box. I taped it up to the bumper to position and used a Dremel to cut through the bumper and fine tuned the cut with a razor knife. I wanted them lower and more centered on the rig, but behind the bumper did not allow it due to space restrictions. That said, where I wounded made install easy and wiring very streamlined to existing reverse harness. Overall, it wasn’t very hard once you make the first cut into the bumper haha fear of ruining it before I started was the worst part! But I am pleased with the result on the trails.

 

[Alpharaider47]

It's been awhile, have not had much time or money to do much work- we're moving in less than 2 months so everything has been focused on that. I did however pick up a pair of crossbars and we got one of those roof mounted travel bags for the move. I also dug out my old license plate frame Bungie's Halo ODST promo tour!

 

[RioRideNM]

Gotta rep Halo where you can! And good luck with the move. Hope everything goes well.

The cross bars seem to be a logical step for most overland builds and they are actually very useful! So two for one haha Upgrade more when you can.

My brother sent me a link to the ‘Rack Wing’. Seeing as this seems to be good spot to discuss crosstrek options, it could add very valuable storage to the already small CUV. Might suit your camping needs! Though a tad pricey.. and a better picture would be nice but it’s easy to see the concept.

Home | Orbis Overlanding

www.orbisoverlanding.com

 

[Alpharaider47]

Gotta rep Halo where you can! And good luck with the move. Hope everything goes well.

The cross bars seem to be a logical step for most overland builds and they are actually very useful! So two for one haha Upgrade more when you can.

My brother sent me a link to the ‘Rack Wing’. Seeing as this seems to be good spot to discuss crosstrek options, it could add very valuable storage to the already small CUV. Might suit your camping needs! Though a tad pricey.. and a better picture would be nice but it’s easy to see the concept.

Those look really cool, I do have a pair of jerry cans that I'd love to take camping... I got a red one for fuel and a blue one that we use for potable water.

We almost went with a roof rack, but felt a cargo bag made more sense for the move. Once we get settled and start camping again I might see about going that route.