Smart Car Gets Overlanding Conversion With Roof Tent, Stove, And Sink

2 years, 2 months ago - 25 August 2022, motor1

This Smart overlander might be tiny but is full of features.

This heavily modified Smart Fortwo might be the world's tiniest overlander. The video above shows the pint-sized off-roader on a camping trip. The clip below chronicles the build from a stock vehicle into this rugged machine.

One of the Smart's interesting features is that its plastic body panels are easily removable. This is especially handy for this build because taking off the pieces provides easier access to the suspension and wheels. The modifications include installing spacers to lift the ride height by 1.969 inches (50 millimeters). There's also room to fit much larger, off-road-focused tires.

This Fortwo is a soft top, and the builder wants to mount a roof-top tent. The convoluted solution is for the builder to have his buddy fabricate an external roll cage. It makes the Smart look a lot more rugged, especially with the addition of spotlights and an LED bar. A winch also mounts to the front. The recovery boards on the sides aren't functional but look cool.

The changes aren't only on the outside. The builder also constructs a custom box that holds a two-burner gas stove and a sink. Unfortunately, the guy built the structure before lifting the car's suspension. The result is that it's sitting a bit too high to use comfortably.

When it's time to eat, there's a silverware set in a fitted case. The setup means nothing slides around, even when driving over rugged terrain.

While turning a Smart Fortwo into an overlander is absurd from a usability standpoint, the project is a fascinating example of what's possible. Judging from this video, a person could actually use this little rig on the occasional camping trip.

Earlier in 2022, we saw an off-road-modified Smart Fortwo come up for sale. It had an eight-inch suspension lift and 30-inch tires to climb over rugged terrain. To protect the little vehicle, there was an external roll cage and skid plates. With only 70 horsepower (52 kilowatts), the top speed was allegedly only around 65 miles per hour (105 kilometers per hour).