Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors
  3. Auto
  4. News

Honda inspires hardcore campers to DIY their very own CR-V Dream Pod concept

Like Japan's capsule hotels, this concept SUV packs most of the comforts of home into its pint-sized cabin

By
A look into the rear hatch of Honda's one-off CR-V Dream Pod concept SUV (star trails in night sky in background).
Honda

Stock minivans and campervans make easy donor vehicles for DIY vanlifers. But SUVs, especially small to mid-sized models, aren’t often a starting point for most custom van builds. Now, Honda wants camping enthusiasts to rethink what’s possible with more ordinary “grocery-getter” SUVs. Introducing the Honda CR-V Dream Pod camper concept.

The Japanese automaker released the one-off concept to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Honda’s popular CR-V SUV. While the exterior remains unchanged, the interior pulls heavy inspiration from Japan’s well-known capsule hotels. Despite a significantly smaller floor plan than, say, a typical campervan, Honda managed to pack a surprising amount of creature comforts into the CR-V’s pint-sized cabin.

Inside the rear hatch of the Honda CR-V Dream Pod SUV concept.
Honda

At the heart of the Dream Pod is the EGOE Nestboard 650, an in-car camping setup that fits the CR-V perfectly. A built-in drawer at the base of the EGOE contains a portable camp stove, a collapsible sink/wash basin, and enough storage for all your favorite camp kitchen essentials. After dark, the rear seats fold flat, and a double mattress unfurls to provide sleeping quarters for two adults. Black-out rear window covers and a retractable blind behind the front seats add plenty of privacy. Plus, Honda’s DIY shopping list includes integrated “tech pods” with pull-out side tables, LED reading lights, and USB sockets to make the whole setup more livable.

Recommended Videos

The Dream Pod is based on Honda’s off-the-rack CR-V e:PHEV, a plug-in hybrid model available exclusively in Europe. The platform offers an all-electric range of roughly 50 miles, allowing for completely silent drives through the front- and backcountry. Plus, it comes standard with 6.25 inches of ground clearance and advanced traction control. Those aren’t hardcore, “overlanding-ready” specs by any stretch, but they add a degree of versatility to allow for on- and (light) off-road adventuring.

Honda CR-V Dream Pod Concept

Honda built the CR-V Dream Pod as a one-off concept. But, car camping enthusiasts can DIY their own build with the car maker’s complete shopping list.

Learn More

Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He’s kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South… Read Full Bio
Topics
Outdoors
Arc’teryx x BEAMS: The blend of Alpine tech and Tokyo style
Arc'teryx x Beams

The new Arc’teryx x BEAMS collection celebrates the brands’ 25-year collaboration and the blending of technical function with street-savvy style. The line highlights a re-creation of the 1998 Arc’teryx Theta hardshell, a Gamma softshell jacket, and Jogen bouldering pants. All come in the signature Kōyō color palette, modeled after Japan’s autumn leaves. 

I wore the Gamma Jacket and Jogen pants during the fall changeover in Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley, testing for warmth, wind resistance, and style. Here’s my take.

Read more
Outdoors
More than a name: Meet Eddie Bauer, the true-life explorer behind your outdoor brand
Clothing, Hat, Face

From the time I was a little man, I excitedly tugged at the shirt tails of my father and grandfather every time they left the house to do anything relatively outdoorsy. They would leave the house hauling gun cases, fishing poles, camping gear, hiking packs. The men of my life loved everything adventurous, and they would do it every chance they could. When I was big enough, I would be allowed to come with them. I got my own boots. I procured my own active wear that could resist the weather. I opened my own parka for Christmas. Not only was I now in the same boat with them, in the same tent with them, and in the same deer stand with them. I also wore the same brand as them. Eddie Bauer was their go-to, and it had become my go-to.

But what was it about that brand? What was it about the man behind the brand that became the man’s best friend in the wilderness? Well, here is what you need to know about the guy who ditched the work world to open an outdoor brand simply so he could go outdoors all the time. And made it possible for my grandfather, my father, and then me.

Read more
Outdoors
Plug In, Ride Out: KTM’s Freeride E Gets Sharper for 2027
2027 KTM Freeride E

Austrian motorcycle company KTM’s dirt bikes have a reputation for ripping horsepower and world-title-winning performance. Across the world’s motocross tracks and enduro courses, the brand’s orange bikes win titles and provide the thrill of riding off-road. But for the most part, those bikes use 2-stroke and 4-stroke combustion engines. 

Now, looking toward the future, the organization’s latest electric off-roader, the 2027 Freeride E, optimizes power, handling, and range, with a variety of improvements over prior versions. Here’s the rundown on the bike’s improved specs.

Read more