From the author

How I built a camper box for my Subaru Forester SJ

I wanted to sleep in my 2017 Forester and still be able to get to my things in the cargo area. So I built a plywood box with two drawers and panels that unfold over the folded seats into a bed of about 1 × 1.85 m (39.4 × 72.8 in).

Andrii Biletskyi, author of BILBOX

Unfolded plywood bed and a pulled-out drawer with a table top in the cargo area of a Subaru Forester
The BILBOX Plus prototype in my 2017 Forester.

Measurements, 3D model and cutting

First I measured the cargo area with the rear seats folded and transferred the dimensions into Fusion 360. I went back to the car several times to check the model against it. The cargo floor slopes, so I built that slope into the shape of the side panels to get the top of the box level.

I had the parts cut from 15 mm (0.6 in) plywood at a CNC shop. When I got them, I checked the dimensions again. On the prototype, I had to drill some of the holes for the drawer slides myself; in the current Plus files, they are already in the DXF. Before you order cutting, check the reference measurements of your Forester SJ.

Assembly and test fitting

In the garage, I lined up the side panels, hammered in the T-nuts and joined the parts with glue and screws. A corner clamp helped me hold a right angle while I drilled and screwed the parts together. Then I mounted the drawers on their slides and checked how they slide out.

I test-fitted the extension panels first, without fixing them in place for good. On the folded seats, I checked how the T-shaped support sits and adjusted the support that rests on the armrest. The first assembly took about eight hours. Sanding, finishing and drying were separate stages.

Finish, tie-downs and nights in the car

I sanded the parts, softened the edges and applied two coats of hard wax oil, letting the first coat dry overnight. In the cargo area, I secured the box at the factory tie-down hooks. The photo shows how it's done on the prototype. Before you drive, the box and all its moving parts must be firmly secured.

Tie-down bracket on the side panel of BILBOX with a turnbuckle that runs to a factory tie-down hook in the Forester cargo area
How the prototype is secured in my car.

When we stop for the night, I unfold the panels in about a minute. At the Shatsk Lakes in Ukraine, we slept in the car, and in the morning we pulled out the drawers and made breakfast. In all, I've spent more than ten nights on trips with the prototype. That is my own experience of using it: the load the system can safely carry would need separate testing.

What materials and cutting cost

On an August 2026 invoice from a CNC shop in Lviv, cutting two sheets of plywood for my prototype cost 2,987 UAH (about $66 / €59). Below are October 2026 estimates for materials, hardware, finish and cutting for each version.

  • Free, about 6,000 UAH (about $130 / €120). A platform without drawers, made of simple parts. A plywood store can cut them to size.
  • Base, about 8,500 UAH (about $190 / €170). A lower platform without drawers, one sheet of plywood and CNC cutting.
  • Plus, about 15,000 UAH (about $330 / €300). A platform with two drawers and a table top, two sheets of plywood and CNC cutting.

These are Ukrainian prices: they depend on the shop and materials, and costs in your country will differ. Dollar and euro amounts are approximate, at the National Bank of Ukraine rate of 9 November 2026.

BILBOX kits are digital, with no physical parts: you pay for plywood, cutting and hardware separately, you check your own car's measurements before cutting, and there is no certified load rating. The prices of the Base and Plus digital kits are shown separately on the versions page.

Which plans are available now

Free is a PDF with the part dimensions and how the parts go together, and it is available in English. Base and Plus include DXF drawings, a CNC nesting layout and assembly manuals. For now, their text manuals are in Ukrainian (the picture manuals and DXF files have no words), and you can request an English edition. My experience in the garage and on trips is with the Plus prototype; in the kit files, I refined the holes and fasteners.

Watch my video series about building BILBOX on Instagram (the videos are in Ukrainian) or compare Free, Base and Plus to choose plans for your project.