Part 2: Custom Nissan Xterra DIY Camping Conversion Build 

Personally, the 1x10 as the main height is good for our usage, and I think a 1x8 would be too short. While the 10 gives plenty of space in the forward compartments, I think the drawers would be too shallow to hold enough gear. Let me know what you end up going with and we can compare notes.

@@Down2Fly Thanks for the reply, I'll let you know what I end up doing. Starting out my goal for my setup is simplicity and low weight and preserving as much head room as possible. I already have a 2-piece(chair and foot stool), 6" thick single bed/chair futon mattress that is super comfortable (and multi use). If I sit straight up on it my head hits the ceiling of the "X". (I'm 5'10" with normal torso height). With the front passenger seat back pushed all the way forward and angled all the way forward, I can recline against it with my back and have a fairly upright comfortable "recliner" for reading in bed. Adding a full length deck with 8" - 10" of storage height will have an adverse effect on the recline angle. Everything is a trade off in the design of this tight space between comfort and storage/organization. I'm at the very start of it all with no experience camping in it yet so I need to figure out that balance as I go. I'll probably build some kind of deck eventually, sacrificing the up-right recliner and when/if I do that, I will look into fiberglass board....a very rigid (like plywood) sheet with foam in the middle sandwiched by a very thin fiberglass layer on each side for a super light weight and strong material. The stuff is expensive and using fasteners on it not as easy as plywood. Hope you are getting lots of use out of your camping set up.