Giving Up on Sleeping in My Vehicle

[pith helmet]

we have considered going back to a tent for the same reasons you have, looking mostly a the RV4. however, the packing and unpacking is an ordeal, even with a quick deploy tent. you also have the sand/dirt/mud to deal with when packing. i am convinced that we will stay inside the vehicle for the foreseeable future.
if it was strictly up to me, we would be using my 4x4 sierra with a high top cap.

 

[BLand Cruiser]

Decision made: I am going to get a Gazelle T3X or T4 tent. I like the roominess and ease of set-up. Also, the packed size is short enough to fit in the back of a smaller vehicle. I am considering going from the Land Cruiser back to another Subaru, but that's another thread. I have well over a thousand miles to drive before I ever get off pavement. Literally 75% of the cost of my trip to Utah last spring was just gasoline.

Thanks for the advise, everyone.

 

[calicamper]

Decision made: I am going to get a Gazelle T3X or T4 tent. I like the roominess and ease of set-up. Also, the packed size is short enough to fit in the back of a smaller vehicle. I am considering going from the Land Cruiser back to another Subaru, but that's another thread. I have well over a thousand miles to drive before I ever get off pavement. Literally 75% of the cost of my trip to Utah last spring was just gasoline.

Thanks for the advise, everyone.

I dumped my CVT Subaru and won’t own another. Servicing them has become an issue at dealers its a simple drain fill 30 minute service but dealers are so hard up for techs that can follow manufacture service procedures they either play stupid and say its non serviceable, or charge you 10x what it should because they somehow manage to screw up and trash the cvt every couple of cars?‍♂️?‍♂️. Having a non dealer do it runs the risk of junky parts not covered by Subaru if they figure out it was serviced by anyone other than Subaru?‍♂️?‍♂️. Yes!! The cvt fluid is a service item and yes it makes a difference.

If I were looking for a Subaru like vehicle today? The Bronco sport and the Maverick Pickup would be top of the list. Solid 8spd Automatic, solid engine, better power, better mileage, better capability, better load ratings.
??
Oh and I totally get your mileage issues with the Land Crusher!! Its a big reason I sold it. The Sequoia was better but my 2019 Expedition is way better. In fact the Expedition is only about 2mpg different than my Subaru was on road trips and actually beats the subaru towing the same 4x6 trailer with bikes by 2mpg on the same exact trips?. So really loving the 400hp 9200lb tow rating, 2spd transfer case 4x4, 10spd AT, and locking rear diff with only 2mpg mileage penalty ??.

 

[dbhost]

Just my $.02 worth, and you will likely get the value you paid for it...

I am a bit younger than you, but have some injury caused issues, When I was a young guy, I could easily sleep in a tiny little A tent and get changed from bed to day no problem. Or do the same in a VW bug...

Times have changed as have my needs. I now use a standing height instant setup tent, and 18" high air mattresses. So stooping is not something I have to do much...

I am building out a truck bed camper with sit in bed height, and plan on DIYing an awning with sides for a private changing room at the tailgate.

From your description, I woul probably look into a DIY awning rig for your Land Cruiser. Give yourself the luxury of room and do it off the side of the truck, and enclose it with tarp fabric or whatnot.

There are so many ways to make this work for you. Let your imagination run wild!

 

[pith helmet]

From your description, I woul probably look into a DIY awning rig for your Land Cruiser. Give yourself the luxury of room and do it off the side of the truck, and enclose it with tarp fabric or whatnot.

I like this. I have been working on something like that. Poly canvas tarps are really nice options. This will eventually have the changing area you mentioned.

 

[BLand Cruiser]

Great idea. I will dig into that.

 

[alanymarce]

We've travelled extensively with a set up to sleep in the vehicle - it's worked well for us. How?

1) We travel with the minimum of stuff.

2) We have the bed set up on a frame below which we have storage and the fridge - on "big trips" we've had roof racks on which we have stuff like camp chairs, sand ladders, extra fuel cans, etc. So, we have no need to move anything to sleep - most of what was inside the vehicle stays inside below the bed, although the camp table may be left outside overnight. Most of what's on the roof stays on the roof, although once again the camp chairs may be left outside overnight.

3) We have mosquito nets to fit over the windows so we can open them for ventilation while preventing unwelcome visitors - we adjust the opening to create the ideal temperature during the night.

It takes a couple of minutes to set up to sleep, and a couple of minutes to rig down.

 

[PlacidWaters]

My next vehicle is going to be KIA Soul. I would completely remove the rear seat (seat and seat back) and the front passenger seat. I would build a sleeping platform with hatches that open to the space below for storage of things that don't get used often. I would sleep on the passenger side and build efficient storage cupboards and drawers on the driver side. In the space where the passenger seat was I would build a unit with shelves and drawers for all the things I need for a day on the road: laptop desk/table for eating, water, food, clothing, etc.

I wouldn't devote the entire passenger side to a mattress. That's a waste of space. I would probably sleep on an inflatable mattress and use the space for something else during the day.

I think the main mistake people make with small vehicle conversions is that they don't remove the rear seat, which takes up an lot of volume. There should not be any need to store anything outside the vehicle overnight (except furniture as mentioned above) if you pare down your gear, although a roof box might make sense if you don't have other things on your roof. Personally I wouldn't store a cooler outside, and it's illegal in some places. (On the other hand, sleeping in a car with a cooler in grizzly country could be risky.)

I think the above configuration would be better than your original Subaru setup. Another great but now discontinued vehicle for conversion is the Honda Element with a roof conversion. Check out this slide-out kitchen in an Element:

 

[BLand Cruiser]

The Element was awesome and there was a company that made a pop top for it

 

[pith helmet]

We loved our element, a little short for sleeping but doable if you’re sub 6’. I think ursa minor made that top.

 

[JackW]

A friend of mine just bought this Element to carry his dogs around. He is removing the graphics.

 

[4x4tripping]

What you are looking for, is something with a Popup Roof: Here you can stay inside, sleep comfortable, cook.

Here I did compare some of these vans:

Ford Nugget vs VW California vs Campmobil

Market overview of bus solutions with folding roof and camping extension: the minimalist motorhome or already glamping?

vanlife.4x4tripping.com

All of them come with enough ground clearance for driving off pavement, some of them are available as 4x4 and with difflocks. No Low Gear - but those arent build for real offroad either.

They come with kitchen, even hot water, toilet and shower is possible. More a tiny home than just a van. Together with the embedded hot air parking heating system - you can see them getting used even at winter condition for overlanding / skying in switzerland.

And they arent bigger than a ford ranger ute or a Audi Q7, there is just some more height.

trippin

 

[john61ct]

silly toys for people with too much money

 

[4x4tripping]

silly toys for people with too much money

Depends.

For people who use them as daily driver, they got a nice toy for weekends and holidays too.

With the small diesel engines they are very economical to use them too for a extended range

There are not much reasons, not to use them for something like the panamericana or silkroad, with some decent mods.

On the left you see my travel land cruiser, I did sleep inside over an year.

 

[SFP]

I think you will enjoy the Gazelle tent. A few people I know have recently bought them and love them and even I am looking for one for longer trips or for when I want more space.

At 51 with a history of BMX and skateboard related injuries and broken bones, yeah I get the whole "as you get older comfort becomes more important".

For the past few years I have been using a 1991 Volvo station wagon, rear seats are completely removed - it gives me a TON of space, is cheap on gas and has a good stock ground clearance - gets me 70 to 80 percent of where are real off road truck can get me. The thing has over 483,000 KM and my crew I do back country with all laugh every time I bring it along but we all love old Trinity.

I have been car-camping since I was a kid. Everything from full size GMC vans/converted cargo vans, down to a Jeep Liberty (that sucked for the record, slightly better than trying to sleep two adults in a 2010 Mazda 3).

The Volvo with high quality Thinsulate sleeping mats (self inflating) work really well. I have two 2 and a 1/2 inch ones, as well as two 4 inch ones. Both sets roll up tight and take up very little space compared to a blowup bed/Air bed. They are also WAY more durable. All four mats are now over twenty years old and still as good as the day I got them. The thick ones are Eureka brand and the other two North 49. People are always stunned how comfortable they are when the first use them. As others have mentioned it comes down to "Less is More" as well as using rooftop and back of car storage solutions. With the Volvo set up two full sized adult men (I'm five nine, my friends all seem to be over six feet) have enough rough to stretch out and have a good night sleep.

That all being said I also use/have an Eureka AT-4 all season tent. This thing is amazing in all weather, monsoon level west-coast rain storms that last for days and even blizzards and windstorms. Handles wind very well, and its design keeps heat in very nicely. But as I get older I am looking at the Gazelle and/or an off-road trailer solution.

I just purchased an 2002 GMC Jimmy 4 door which is going to be my next build for the back country and overlanding. Nothing extreme, no rock crawler, etc - just something with real 4x4, 2.5" lift, 31X10.50 tires and a bit more room than the Volvo. I have yet to measure it all out but it will be close to or hopefully slightly larger than the Volvo. I am not a fan of rooftop tents as I am okay with ground tents - so we will see over the next few years where things end up going as it were. Again with this build my big concerns is proper secure and water/dust-proof storage outside of the cab on the roof and out back of the truck (as needed). Figuring out what one really truly needs for a day, a weekend, a week takes practice and time - it's funny what things one will hold onto and what one can end up deciding one doesn't need. Quality and intelligent storage solutions (which typically means $$$) make a world of difference. I love my Pelican cases, ARB makes some damn nice stuff but boy it is not cheap. Things like recovery gear, medical/first aid and basic survival gear of course can't be excluded.

Health wise it is the cold mornings that kill me - and as someone who camps year round those morning aches in freezing or cold damn weather can suck.

To help with body aches and the cold I have learned everythign I can about aftermarket insulation (van has it done, Volvo is half done, Jimmy will get it done). While car camping a 12V car heater can provide enough heat to make a difference on a chilly night (ideally plugged into a house/second battery and not the primary/master battery). It really makes a difference.

As mentioned Fuel is an option.

I have access to a 1974 Dodge B200 raised roof van, upgraded to one ton suspension including a spring lift and all the steering goodies that go along with lifting an old domestic truck. Again it can go damn near everywhere (minus narrow & low hanging branches trails). But that big V8 318, raised roof and 18' length kills ones bank account when compared to say my Volvo or the Jimmy. But it does have a heater, stove, oven, fridge etc - it's a Class C old school conversion van.

Pop-tops.

I have seen them done to Rovers, Troopers (there's a cool build on here using one) and other mid-sized SUVs/trucks. Those who have them seem to love them - myself I have zero first hand experience. For myself, I have to ask about the loss of roof top storage can I load them up with stuff? They are not a cheap aftermarket solution but there are places that do build custom ones for clients around if one looks for them. With a good rear bumper storage system ($$$) and/or a rear basket I suppose one can use the back of the LC with ample storage room and sleeping space in the pop-top.

As stated... we all have our own opinions and ideas of what works for us. Keep us posted and let us know how you enjoy the Gazelle tent.