When you hear the word ‘moto camping,’ you’ll probably imagine dual-sport bikes with saddlebags on each side, a top box, and a compact foldable tent strapped onto the pillion seat. You can picture riding through the twisties, taking in the beautiful scenery, the crunchy sound of gravel on the dirt track, and finally, the warm welcome of your campsite. What you won’t imagine seeing there is an old 400kg touring motorcycle with an L-piece wooden box welded on top—that’s exactly what this YouTuber did with his 2006 Honda Gold Wing.
Matt Spears’ YouTube channel is all about building creative (and crazy) motorcycles while having a great time outdoors. Next to his dirt-bike-converted Suzuki Hayabusa and Ducati Panigale V4 snowmobile, the rooftop camper Gold Wing doesn’t actually look out of place.
The Gold Wing already had a cracked frame, so welding was already set to happen if Spears were to bring his trusty tourer back on the road. Spears started by chopping the rear and welding the broken section of the frame back together. The metal support beams were then welded on the frame to act as a base for the rooftop camper.
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With the base structure secured, Spears constructed the wooden camper with a soft floor made of foam. The camper is six feet long and, including the motorcycle, is around six feet tall. To keep the rig from tipping over while someone is inside, the motorcycle is held upright by jackstands.
While it doesn’t look the comfiest place to sleep, the DIY camper still did its job without tipping over (at least not while Spears was inside). To see the full building process and the Spears’ solo camping trip, check out the full video below.
