Would You Sleep In An RV Made Out Of A Hearse?

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There appear to be a lot of camper fans here among the Autopian staff and our dear readers. It’s easy to see why. During the pandemic everyone seemed to want to hit the road and get out in their own self-contained mobile space, and the market continues to explode for motorhomes of any kind. It’s hard to believe that northern Indiana, the epicenter of motorhome manufacturing, was an area with nation-high unemployment issues a decade ago. Now it’s booming, which is good news for them, but not so much if you’re in the market for one of these things.

Airstreampopuptop

source: The Autopian/Airstream

You might already know this, but they don’t exactly give these things away. A modern motorhome ranges from $60,000 to more than $150,000 new (Matt called the one above a good deal at over $100k), and even the used route is still insane. You’ll have to pay a seller more than what they shelled out for their camper new three or four years ago to pick it up. ‘Affordable’ examples will likely be things you will want to avoid, like these:

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source: City of Chico,  YouTube,  Flickr

Is there a solution? Possibly. What if you could get a handcrafted luxury vehicle big enough to make a small camper with low, easy miles on it for cheap?  Say $7,000-$20,000 for a great example? Then you add a special fiberglass shell and interior fittings for around $10-15,000, paint the thing (maybe) and hit the road? Too good to be true?

I mean, it MIGHT have the souls of the dead still living in it, but that’s a minor issue, right? [Ed note: I’ve actually seen someone do this before, but it was explicitly creepy – MH]

The base vehicle for this motorhome exists in the tens of thousands. Good examples of this machine end up on the market typically when funeral homes sell them after six or seven years. Wait… funeral homes? Yes! It’s based on a hearse. I know, I know, but hear me out.

Myhearsecom 336470060 Copy1

source: Shields Professional Vehicles

Hearses are typically very well-built vehicles, hand fabricated and sold new for over six figures in many cases. They are designed to carry heavy caskets with potentially heavy cargo in them. These are not Hertz rental cars. Instead, they are usually driven very slowly and gently and kept in pristine condition. They are large and spacious and will drive and ride like a stretched limo. You’ll look long and hard for a more comfortable vehicle.

However, as used vehicles there is, well, a stigma to something that carries bodies in it. After they are retired, there is a limited market for these things and it doesn’t seem to be growing. Some will go to Funerals-R-Us second rate mortuaries. According to our own designer Adrian, the idea of goths driving hearses is now ‘too cliché, darling,’ as hackneyed a stereotype as reading poetry about pain in a graveyard. How many tattoo parlors are left that need mobile signs? Not a lot. It’s no wonder many of these things are left to rot, get crushed, or end up in demo derbies. Fun as that last one sounds it’s a sad fate for a product of what is likely the last bastion of artisan coachbuilt gas-powered vehicles still left.

Screenshot (70)

source: Flickr and The Drive

Presenting the Peaceful Rest Camper (I will refrain from the most obvious hearse puns here, but there is a comments section below so go nuts, Autopians). The concept is to throw a Sawzall at a retired hearse at strategically planned places and add the new structure in back.

Myhearsecom 336470060 Copy

source: Shields Professional Vehicles and The Bishop

The idea of adding a fiberglass camper to the back of an existing vehicle is not new. Of course, there are the ones that fit in pickup beds, but I am thinking more about the ones that fit into the backs of SAABs with the rear hatch removed. Mercedes Streeter has reported on these Toppola campers before. Well, this is a Toppola for big Americans, designed for a vehicle used to transport dead Americans.

There are also three or four primary hearse manufacturers so making compatibility kits would likely not be as big an issue as you might think.

Screenshot (72)

source: Jalopnik

Since it’s obviously a bigger vehicle than a 900S, you have more to work with. There is space in back for a facing couch and two lounge chairs, with a fold down table. Next to this is a kitchenette area with sink, burner and microwave above. Behind this is a VERY tight ‘wet’ bathroom, that RV trick for tiny campers where the whole space with the toilet and sink becomes a shower. The skylight shown would likely be filled with roof air conditioning on most units sold. The cut lines in the ceiling are for fold down monitors; four people would need to watch two synchronized screens. Yes, this is a wide angle sketch so the space is a lot tighter than it looks.

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source: The Bishop

The fiberglass structure continues over the front roof area to create a sleeping area which is not very tall but not as confining as… I’m trying not to say a coffin, but it fits. I don’t like the idea of this thing extending over the windshield blocking your view of Mt Rushmore or stoplights, so it could slide back in when not in use.

What is nice, though, is the configuration of the front passenger compartment. A rear seat would be installed, so this thing would be great for family traveling and sightseeing. It could work as a five or six passenger sedan when not camping, and a luxury sedan at that. If you fold the rear seats down and recline the fronts, you end up with a giant additional sleeping space (maybe primary space and leave the kids upstairs).

Img20220928 22042482 2source: Park Superior and The Bishop

Would I be creeped out by owning an old hearse? Possibly, but some much of the original vehicle is either gone or covered up so I know that shouldn’t matter. Plus the cargo in these things was already dead; their souls had departed them before being transported in what you’re using for a camper. At least that’s what I’ll tell myself.

Biggest issue, I think, is likely to be weight. It might need to be the kind of camper that needs to be ‘on the grid.’ Mercedes Streeter has looked at this thing, and after she stopped laughing she said that to be fully self-contained we would likely need to have 20 gallons of fresh water and an equal amount for grey water, and while there is room under the floor for that the weight of 40 gallons is a lot. You would need to beef up the rear axle, which might not be too tough in this front wheel drive vehicle. Would hate to have to go dually, but we could; remember these aren’t driven axles in this era of Cadillac.

I am not an engineer but I know that these issues could be resolved. Hearses really deserve to be ‘upcycled’ and live a second life as a fun vehicle. With the current market for motorhomes, if you think people aren’t going to be looking at alternative choices, you’re dead wrong.

Sorry, I had to get just one in.

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69 thoughts on “Would You Sleep In An RV Made Out Of A Hearse?”

  2. A friend of mine actually did this in the early 2000s with a 1975 Cadillac hearse, although he didn’t modify his, he just slept in it as is. He said it was surprisingly comfortable considering it was never built for living humans.

  3. You’re literally 60+ years late on this re-hashed unoriginal concept. Started prior to 1960, after funeral coaches had lived initial service life. With styles changing more rapidly than modern day, having extended wheelbase and heavy duty suspension/braking, several aftermarket companies popped up to cash in on trend. By the mid-’60s, at least a half dozen hearse-to-camper conversion companies had sprout up capitalizing. Caddy Campers seemed to have been the most prolific among those. Thankfully after another few years the fad had passed.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2585188931701609&set=a.1786165234937320

    Poor idea modern day for a multitude of reasons. First, the prolonged gap to producing on new XT5 and XT6 chassis combined with new chassis backlogs has driven used funeral coach prices WAY up. Funeral directors are hanging onto coaches longer to point that the industry is seeing tens of thousands spent refurbishing a ’00-’05 body style for the first time – which is four body generations back.

    Secondly, the FWD versions mentioned in article are not up to the task. ’97-’11 Northstar are simply not capable enough. (How was this even overlooked…?) ’13+ body styles are still clamored for within funeral industry and nowhere near ‘budget’ mentioned. ’77-’92 body style is too underpowered for such a conversion. ’93-’96 D body coaches could on surface be used as base. Last of the big RWD, largest production funeral coaches produced to date. Other than increasing auxiliary transmission cooler, the ’94-’96 detuned D body LT1 could hand the additional weight of a conversion. All have fiberglass roofs / rear bodies on tubular steel frames as well. Problem here is that ’93-’96 have become rather collectible. Sourcing a decent example reasonably will prove an exception. Another hurdle to overcome would be staying under GVW.

    Thirdly (and this lesson remains absolute when referring to funeral coaches), the more it strays from stock – the more you marry it. Know in advance that all money spent modifying is pissed away never to be seen again. There’s no room for wiggle or attitude here. History proven over decades proves accurate, which supersedes opinions.

    Autopian’s reach and responsibility should be used on more thoughtful articles than this nonsensical poorly thought out & researched proposal.

    1. Funetorium: Where fun goes to die. . .

      The link is proof of concept! Convergent Evolution in Vehicles!

      Most of the hearses I’ve driven were already 5,500+ lbs in curb weight. By the time you slap on a fiberglass shell and the internal bits and bobs, you won’t be drastically altering the weight of the vehicle. The old ones seldom got more than 10 or 15 mpg anyway. The hearse has enough power, especially since you will be losing a lot of weight by pulling out the casket table and hardware. Many hundreds of pounds, those things are heavy. If it could move before being a camper, it will still move after.

      Yeah, this is a one-off, but a fun one. You get what you pay for, and an old Coach goes for a song. If you like to wrench you can and will have a hoot with a body-mod like this.

  4. As an individual who has owned and driven three hearses in his lifetime, I think this article is great. I also think it kinda shoots past the point of hearsing around. I could already put a twin (and in one nearly a full-sized) mattress in the back. Sleeps great, a bit stuffy. All the other amenities are great and all, but are easily replaced by a couple of lawn chairs and visiting a truck stop. I’m not sure I would give up all that sit-up-in-bed room just to have an indoor bucket to poop in…

  6. I once kinda busted in on a deceased at a funeral home we were working at: came through the door, swung hard left, found thermostat with flashlight…on way out my light swung across the lady laid out for a morning viewing. Oops!
    Actually blurted out, “Sorry to disturb you, Ma’am!” before thinking. Made it outside before I started laughing. I don’t care-nor do I think ‘she’ did–but for living people like her family I try to show respect.

    The one in the embalming room I had been warned about & was at least covered fully by a sheet.

  7. Could I do it, sure. Would I be comfortable in such a cramped space? Nope.

    The is why Vanlife doesn’t appeal to me. Small, cramped, low cargo rating (people count as cargo). I go on vacation to relax not be stuffed in a small metal tube. Pun Intended.

    That is why if the time comes I am looking at a Class A or Super C. I want the rolling vacation home with room for three, feline overloads, and to be able to bring more than my favorite box of tissues.

  9. I love the artwork, especially the photorealistic external rendering. The concept, not so much. As Mercedes said, trying to make this thing carry the water it needs is rough, and I think the whole package is going to be a bit too constrained. A van conversion will work better in general.
    But, kudos on trying out a crazy idea.

  12. I think I’d go for the SAAB Toppola, and not a big slushy Cadillac with all the wasted space and weight. I live right next to Sweden, so it should be fairly possible. I don’t mind a used car’s previous uses, if it’s fairly clean.

    But I’d much rather have a more van like one with a better possibility for standing up a bit inside it.

    Owned a fully equipped Reimo VW T3/Vanagon once, but it was a bit too heavy for the aircooled engine, so it’s fuel economy or lack thereof was comparable to a Cadillac. But I could stand up inside it, which was really nice.

  14. This is completely awesome – I would happily use one of these as a camper, especially in the configuration shown here. I’ve actually wanted to buy a hearse for years, just because big Cadillac station wagon = cool in my book, but my wife has expressly forbid it. That would make the purchase of this a bit more difficult should it exist, but that camper-shell addition takes away so much of the original “hearseness” that I’m not sure she would notice.

    Also, what’s going to be scarier after a check with a black light, a hearse interior or a used RV interior?

    1. GertVAG- I admitted the interior view is a bit distorted. If you look at the fisheye lens pic of the interior of the SAAB Toppola it also looks deceptively wide in there as well!

  16. I would daily drive a hearse no questions asked. You bet I want the weird looks and the storage space. Why life has refused to yet offer me a hearse for sale is a tragic mystery.

    1. I’ve run across them occasionally. I’d be tempted, but the gas mileage is atrocious. They overbuild them to be sure they can handle a heavy casket with a heavy human inside.
      But what makes them less than ideal as a daily driver means they’d be great to build up as an RV.

  18. This article is not just humorous, it’s hearsterical! (Meaning, most of the humor was DOA.)

    That said, I like the idea! I’m not sure I’d want to waste space on a shower, but the bathroom would be convenient. I wonder how much it would REALLY cost?

  20. Yes, and I’ve contemplated it. The 1996 Fleetwood I owned in college and a little bit after is still my favorite car of everything I’ve owned. Just a ludicrously comfortable ride and acres of room inside to stretch out. A Fleetwood-based camper van would seem a pretty solid road trip vehicle.

    However, the work involved is a bit beyond my abilities. Hearses on Fleetwood Commercial Chassis have low, station wagon-like roof heights, which would basically make for a teardrop camper type sleeping arrangement, unless you cut out and raised the roof (ideally with a fabric-sided pop-up panel so it stayed low for driving). And that’s a lot of modification on top of what is already an aftermarket coachbuilt roof structure, and who knows what that looks like under the vinyl top.

  21. I’m obviously not a camper guy because I never understand why people complain when they don’t have a shower and toilet. The last thing I’d want to deal with on a vehicle is plumbing and waste water. Bring along an outdoor shower bag and you’re done.

    Cool idea.

    1. Most, well, nearly all, campgrounds have shower & bathroom facilities anyway. Most of the people I know who have campers don’t even use the bathrooms in them unless they’re staying somewhere for at least a week, if it’s a couple days or so, they just use that room for storage and walk to the public facilities

    2. I’ve camped both with and without my own bathroom and I can tell you it is drastically better to have one, enough that I happily(-ish) deal with dumping the tanks after a trip. You have no idea the warm fuzzies it gives me every time I wake up in the middle of the night needing to pee and only have to take 3 steps to the bathroom instead of going outside in whatever weather to find a bathroom.

      There’s also no comparison between my trailer shower and one of those camp shower bags. I will admit there’s some charm to showering in the middle of the woods, but I still very much like my hot, running water that can be comfortably used in any weather conditions.

    3. My thoughts as well, I would happily do without running water. I’ve survived tenting for this long, something like this would still be more comfortable and convenient without an included washroom

  22. I think it’s a great idea! Let’s put the “fun” back in “funeral.” Folks are just dying for alternative RV ideas, let’s not be too stiff in the definition of what’s acceptable.

    Seriously (ok, not that seriously) though; it’s just a big station wagon modified to carry a specific type of cargo. Doesn’t bother me in the slightest that that cargo was someone’s Aunt Petunia. She doesn’t care; why should I?

  24. Wouldn’t bother me a bit. It’s not like anyone died in there, but even if so, I’d still be fine with it. I’m not superstitious or religious, to me it’s just a car like any other.

    1. Yeah, I’m with you. When it comes to the dead I think there’s a certain amount of dignity that needs to be afforded the deceased and their family. For instance, I wouldn’t pitch a tent on someone’s grave, since that’s just being an edgy dickhead.

      But this hearse is simply a work vehicle which has hauled so many corpses that any specific family’s tragedy has been diluted to the point of meaninglessness. Similarly, I think pretty much everyone is fine with the idea of buying surplus cop cars, despite God knows how many of those having been party to the violent abuse of people’s constitutional rights.

      But it does raise a question: What is the most disrespectful way you’d be comfortable using a car that previously held a dead body? I’d totally be down to drive Kennedy’s limo around Dallas the next time I’m visiting if there was some kind of macabre Avis that rented it out at the airport.

        1. And, they were placed in another container, the casket, before being put in the hearse. I mean, do people refuse to shake hands with the pallbearers after a funeral because they also transported the casket?

          1. Boulevard- yes, but what if someone (non-celebrity) died in an RV and it was unsellable? Could you make THAT into a hearse? Or a mobile funeral home?

            1. I like the mobile funeral home idea. At a minimum add another tank for embalming fluid, some fresh black paint, and most importantly – some out-sized landau bars – and I’d say it’s ready to roll. One of those class A diesel pushers could have a waiting area, a working area, and a viewing area all on the same platform. To finish it off, paint something inspirational on the side: “Majestic Mobile Funerals: The end of the road is just the beginning!”.

      2. This brings us to a good point. Ghosts haunt the places they die, not the vehicle that takes them to the cemetery. I bet the average ambulance is just filled with ghosts. Practically tripping over each other.

        1. Long time EMT here. Life does not end in the back of the ambulance. Life ends when we stop doing CPR and the doctor calls time of death, and that happens in the ER or over the phone on the scene.

          Also, life does not begin the the back of the ambulance (if I can help it). Babies are delivered at the scene or in the hospital, simply because I really don’t want to clean that up.

          1. A buddy of mine who was an EMT said that their motto was “Saving lives through liberal application of Diesel fuel”.

            Never delivered a human baby, but have been there for the birth of countless cows and pigs. Placenta is hard to shovel because it likes to ooze off the side.

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