Giving Up on Sleeping in My Vehicle

[BLand Cruiser]

The appeal of just pulling up to camp at night and crawling in the back and going to sleep is hard to resist. However, I have found reality to be different. When I first started car camping I had a 2007 Subaru Outback. On my first trip to the desert I brought my tent, but my plan was to sleep in the back of the car. The first night had the potential for rain so I was glad I would be dry. I pulled up to camp and it was immediately clear that my inexperience had me ill prepared. As I piled all my gear out on the ground I had to figure out what to do to keep all this junk dry outside on a night that may be rainy.

I had brought big "contractor" trash bags, so I stuffed all my tubs into those and set them out on the ground. Sure enough, it rained and I did stay dry and so did all of my gear, but what a mess the next morning. All of it had to be put back together and back in the car. On top of that, the car was pretty small. No room for changing clothes or even sitting upright. The rest of the trip, I slept in my tent.

The Subaru served me well. It would go 90% of the places I needed to go and the gas mileage was amazing. I still liked the idea of a steel tent on wheels, plus a little more off road ability would be nice. I gave the Subie to my daughter and got a 2003 Land Cruiser.

On my last trip, I loaded it down with all the gear I could imagine needing and still could not tell I had a significant load in the back. The back had a lot more room than the Subaru. Even so, the problem of what to do with the gear while I slept in back still remained. What I did was set up my tent and piled all my gear into it while I slept in dry comfort on the air mattress in the back of the Land Cruiser.

It was a lot more comfortable than the Subaru, but still pretty cramped. There was room to sit up, but changing clothes was a chore. That may have something to do with me being 62 years old. I slept in it for two nights and the rest of the trip I slept in my tent.

A drawer system would be nice, but i don't want the weight and that would make the sleeping situation even worse.

Another option might be to get an awning/room add-on to hang on the side. I looked into the "SUV tents," but the quality on those sound pretty bad.

Should I just bite the bullet and get a new Oztent or Gazelle or is there another option for sleeping in the back that I have not thought of?

 

[PA Slammer]

I have spent nights out with my 25’ toy hauler with a tv, fridge, toilet, shower and cooktop.

I have also spent nights out up at 14,000’ with only a 25lb pack for up to 6 days.

Perhaps it’s not “how do you fit it all” and instead it’s more of a question “do you need all that stuff”?

 

[chet6.7]

You didn't say what your budget is.This is an option, as is a small trailer.

 

[john61ct]

So much of this depends on user preference.

Carrying the least possible amount of gear

and having easily accessible well organised storage systems

definitely helps as a general guide.

fast setup RTT for the sleep space maybe?

 

[Rovertrader]

Took my wife on a weekend motorcycle trip 25 years ago and gave her an entire saddlebag (mine shared space with spares, tools, etc)- best thing I ever did! We scuba dove until having kids and she was super effecient taking what she needed, not what she wanted. Then a trip to Central America (as well as years of family camping) with the whole family taught the kids less is more. Fast forward 25 years, now a nice bed and a toilet are the norm for us…
Life changes, but you can adapt and continue to explore, just try out the changes close to home first.

 

[krick3tt]

I have tent cots and OZtent RV3. Depending on the situation either one will do. I have also spent many nights sleeping in the LR, a bit cramped but relatively safe from bugs. I would mostly opt for the OZtent as it really has room and sets up and comes down quick. I am taking it on a week trip next month and have configured it to attach to the rear of the LR for a shaded attachment.
Experimenting for 40 years has gotten me to fine tune my camping. I used to backpack a lot but I now find the vehicle to be more of a comfort.

 

[BLand Cruiser]

Reducing the gear is going to help no matter what I decide to do.

Another option would be a full sized van. I can't swing a 4x4 van, or pay for the gasoline for one, but 2WD would work.

 

[vintageracer]

You might want to consider a Shiftpod.

We have one. For ground camping we really like it. Quick set up and take down, Very stable in the wind along with cooler in Summer and hotter in the cold compared to normal tents.

It's also handy for other uses such as music events and such.

Shiftpod | Your Adventure Starts Here | Shiftpod

Shiftpod offers system solutions for festivals, outdoor camping and harsh environments. Check out our new products for 2020.

shiftpod.com

 

[MiamiC70]

Gazelle T3X or T4 done

 

[pith helmet]

With the rear seats removed the only thing that must come out at night is the cooler. We are in the process of reducing gear so that we have more headroom. Wife really likes not being in a tent, especially where it’s really windy.

 

[billiebob]

I love my Square Drop..... Always setup, just park and roll into bed.
Next morning if it is raining.... or snowing.... same roll out of bed and drive away.

Never any packing or organizing the bed is always made

 

[Regcabguy]

I tent camped in Baja until I was invited into an Alaskan for a chilly one. I was out of the Baja elements sitting at a dinette and sharing beers with a new friend. Went home and bought a new Northstar popup. That was 21 years ago. No more dome tents or sleeping bags.

 

[calicamper]

Reducing the gear is going to help no matter what I decide to do.

Another option would be a full sized van. I can't swing a 4x4 van, or pay for the gasoline for one, but 2WD would work.

Full sized van will get the same or better mileage as the land crusher. Number one reason I took my Outback more places than my Land Cruiser was the mileage and 2x the range. I did many solo trips sleeping in a 4runner, outback, Sequoia, only slept in the LC once it was the worst of all the cars I crashed in. The strangest and oddly surprisingly decent was the 2001 jetta sedan with the rear seats flipped down ?. The best was the Sequoia.
I always used a back packers pad or cot which left plenty of space for an Ice chest and other gear. Front seats got stuff dumped in them. Roof box came in handy too. Never once considered dumping gear outside the vehicle, given I was typically sleeping inside the vehicle for various reasons that all made it nonsense to dump valuable gear outside lol.
Packing less stuff, dumping the huge Walmart inflatable bed is a big step in the right direction.
Best setup is the backpackers cot, rolls up small, quick to setup or just leave setup. Half the floor space is open for gear and just elbow room etc.

 

[Rovertrader]

Always used a hammock and rain fly when on 2 wheels or rock climbing hanging off the side of a mountain. Cheap, quick, easy and sleeps well!!
A tent cot is also comfy and quick/easy setup.

 

[BLand Cruiser]

The Gazelle and Shiftpod look good. Reviews on both are impressive and the ease of setup would be hard to beat.