Here’s How I’d Turn A RAV4 Into A Fuel-Efficient Avalanche-Style El Camino

I’m so sick of RAV4s. These ubiquitous things are absolutely everywhere, as you would expect one of the best-selling vehicles in the United States to be. I feel the need to find some way to make a few stand out. How about an El Camino-style Avalanche-adjacent pickup that could also become the first three-row RAV in some time? Trust me, it will make some sense after I explain. Maybe.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t dislike Toyota’s popular crossover; far from it. Honestly, if anyone who doesn’t really care about cars and keeps their vehicles for a long time asks me for recommendations on small- to mid-sized SUVs, the RAV4 and a CR-V are all I suggest. Naturally, they ignore me and buy some crap like a Buick Encore or a Kia they “got for a few grand less” that ends up falling apart before a mere 100,000 miles rolls onto the odometer. Or they get a used Euro crossover, which must be fine since I drive those things, ignoring that I put up with a Christmas-tree dashboard despite spending thousands a year to keep it going. Oh, well. I told you to get a Toyota.

No, the RAV4 is fine, but I couldn’t help but wonder how it could be so much more, a truly versatile multi-purpose machine that puts more “sport” and “utility” into this top-selling but rather dull crossover.

I was inspired by a few car-based utes from the past like the Chevy El Camino:

Or even smaller ones, like when Dodge did the same thing with the Omni-based Rampage:

Hyundai most recently turned the Tucson into a four-door car pickup for several years:

Toyota, of course, has never done this sort of thing for the US market, and likely never will. Still, could we bolt something on to change it into a car ute? Impossible, right? Who has ever done that? Surprisingly, one Chinese company has.

You see, Geely built a sport utility called the Boyue for the Chinese market.

It’s just a rather normal-looking, unremarkable crossover:

However, Geely also offered a short-bed pickup version of this vehicle called the Farizon FX:

If you ever thought old American cars had more overhang than anything else in the world, think again. Look at this thing!

Ah, but look even closer: based on the “bed,” the design appears to be something that was literally added onto the SUV. They likely added some chassis extensions below the skin and simply grafted the short bed into the body, creating a a space that I assume can be expanded by opening a few panels behind the fold-down rear seat, as on the aforementioned Avalanche.

This has to be one of the strangest-looking things I’ve seen in a while, but it’s worth noting that the extended-wheelbase Land Rover Defender 130 has what looks like an inordinate amount of overhang behind the back axle. No, it’s much better balanced and not even close to the Chinese truck, but the same basic thinking.

Could we do this with the ever-present RAV? Let’s give it a try with a RAVamino conversion kit. A quick look at the RAV4 shows that the seam line for the rear bumper occurs way up the back of the rear quarter panel.

This means that if we unbolted it and the hatchback, we’d have a lot of void space to work with.

I’ll add more overhang than I should, but still less than that Chinese monstrosity. Once the RAVamino chassis extensions are bolted or welded in place, the new skin can be installed. The kit would reuse the taillights and as many stock RAV4 parts as possible; maybe even the tailgate could be cut down. How do we deal with the seams on the greenhouse? That’s where a fiberglass “targa” bar similar to that on the old Chevy unibody truck comes into play. This helps the looks of the thing be a little more cohesive, as well as adding an off-roader feel to the truck.

Let’s look at the animation of the add-on:

Now a view from the back:

Of course, you guys like animations so here’s an animation of that as well:

A removable rear wall installed behind the rear seats would seal off the passenger compartment, and the former rear cargo area floor would be covered by the add-ons as well.

What if you want an enclosed cargo space? Well, the RAVamino could give you the luggage capacity of a much larger crossover with a removable rigid cargo cover to make a “trunk.” Not enough space? Fine. An optional mini-hardtop could bolt in place to enclose the entire space and create a massive cargo area.

This expanded, enclosed space might possibly hold a small third-row seat for two children or adults that aren’t six-foot-three. Truthfully, a permanently enclosed add-on back might be an option as well, called the RAVanyero.

How much would a RAVamino kit cost with installation? I’m not sure, but whatever the price, you’d be getting something that no one else offers on the market today. You’ll get legendary Toyota reliability and durability while standing out from the crowd.

A quirky, sort-of-ugly but versatile machine that’s dependable and affordable? How can you beat that? This might be the most fun RAV4 since they discontinued the convertible model nearly thirty years back.

Wow, to realize that was three decades ago makes me feel old.

Top graphic base image: Toyota