Dad coverts Nissan Micra into ‘affordable’ off-road micro camper after dodgy knees stopped him from doing long hikes
A father converted his Nissan Micra into a “self-sufficient” off-road camper on wheels with a full-size pull-out bed, fridge and stove, so he could keep having “adventures” after his dodgy knees scuppered his childhood passion for long distance hiking.
Joshua Weber, 27, a freight train mechanic from Knottingley, West Yorkshire, was born with oversized knee caps making his feet turn inwards, which has gotten progressively worse over time and now stops him from travelling long distances on foot.
But the father-of-one came up with an “affordable” solution in 2020, when he started modifying his 2012 Nissan Micra for off-road so that he could reach some of the most remote parts of the UK – and he is now planning a trip to Europe.
Last year, the intrepid adventurer spent a week in his micro home exploring the Cotswolds after completing his “camper build” and doing several test drives on “rocky rocks” in the Lake District.
Joshua, who became a father in 2023, said his Micra, which cost him around £8,500 all-in, has allowed him to continue doing what he loves.
“It was the only vehicle I had at the time and I needed an affordable way to go out and see stuff,” Joshua told PA Real Life.
“It is the most reliable car, just absolutely bullet proof.”
“I grew up as a Scout and loved hiking, being out in nature, that sort of thing.”
But trekking through the wilderness may have taken a toll on Joshua’s knees.
“I’ve got oversized knee caps which means my feet turn inwards when I walk,” he said. “Over time it’s just deteriorated.
“It’s probably just wear and tear from doing a lot of hiking and stuff when I was younger.”
This has prevented Joshua from covering great distances on foot without waking up the next day in pain.
“The Micra is the best bang for buck amateur rally car you can get,” he said.
So that he could continue exploring remote parts of the UK countryside, he decided to turn his Micra into a “unconventional off-roader”.
He got to work in 2020, initially swapping out the tyres and adding a roof rack to store his tent and camping equipment.
“It got to the point where I kept dragging the underside on stuff so I put an even bigger suspension lift on it and got some even bigger tyres,” he said.
Next, he modified the car’s exhaust and added a snorkel to allow for more ground clearance at the end of 2021.
“I was looking at getting a roof tent, but the roof just isn’t big enough,” he said.
“So I went for an interior camper build instead, where it kind of just transforms into a full size bed down the passenger side.
“Then it’s got a kitchen and fridge in the back with a Ledger battery.
He was planning on taking part in the Mongol Rally in 2021, a 10,000 mile race from the Goodwood Motor Circuit in Chichester, West Sussex, to Ulan Ude, a city just outside Mongolia, in East Siberia, Russia.
“Everything kind of went sideways with Covid and then the war in Ukraine,” said Joshua. “It just got postponed again and again.”
“Driving around the Lake District is probably some of the most remote places I’ve been,” he said.
“You start the day, have breakfast and then get on a green lane and don’t see tarmac for hours.
“The Lake District is a lot of rock whereas West Yorkshire is a lot of mud.
He is planning some trips further afield with his friend Richard Matthews later this year, but said that having a one-year-old daughter in 2023 has somewhat put a spanner in the works.
“It’s slowed things down a bit,” he said.
“I’ve still been out in it this year, just not camping, only off roading.”
“You look at some of these big overlanders that are built for world touring which cost around £50,000,” he said.
“I could in theory do that with this, like I know people who have taken a K11, which are the smaller, older Micras, and driven around the world in them.
“That’s what inspired me to mine to this level.
“I would encourage people to look for ways of getting outdoors.
“Converting the Micra has been the best way for me to continue having adventures.”