Camping in a Car?

[simoid]

General Gassing? Travel? Homes, Garden and DIY?

Anyway...

Inspired by TG in Africa, has anybody done this?

I reckon it can't be any worse than camping in a tent, surely.

Or are you just as well getting a tent?

[iva cosworth]

I am sure many here ,including myself have slept in a car planned or emergency.

[tbc]

of course it's better than sleeping in a bloody tent

[g3org3y]

My mate has a Merc W124 estate that he has toured around Spain in. 9/10 times he has slept in the back.

[poing]

Have done this a couple of times and the only real memory of each time is restricted foot space and being incredibly cold. Each time was a small hatchback though and I was really tired which probably didn't help with the cold, and the fact I only had my clothes I was wearing and no sleeping bag etc.

[LiamM45]

i plan on doing this when i go to VW shows this year, now I have an Audi Avant which can fit an airbed in the back, i don't see the point in messing about with a tent!!

[magpie215]

sleeping bag in the back of my estate (too windy to pitch tent)

Not too bad really had wind deflectors on all the windows so could leave the windows ajar to help with ventilation.

I had a cracking nights sleep unlike everyone else who had pitched the day before :-)

[davepoth]

So long as you have a decently flat bed it's fine. It can get a bit cold in winter, but it's much better than a tent.

[zcacogp]

tbc said:

of course it's better than sleeping in a bloody tent

Ummm, I disagree. A tent, with a lilo/campbed, is a heck of a lot more comfortable than any car I have ever slept in. In my experience, cars don't have space to stretch out, are cramped, and the seats are designed to hold you in only one position (which makes for an uncomfortable night's sleep). They are also cold and suffer from bad condensation.

Give me a tent any day.


Oli.

ETA: Only cars I have slept in are a Mk1 Golf and 944. And I slept in the front seats of them, and the back seat of the Golf on a couple of occasions. I can't recommend either.

[billzeebub]

Back in the day I kipped for a week in a classic Saab 900, due to burning my bridges with 2 girls at once after a particularly taxing month for bar bills! Those were the days, a devil may care attitude and every day was an adventure!... back seats down it was incredibly comfortable

[anonymous-user]

I'm short enough that I can sleep, corner to corner, in the boot of my 9-5 with the seats down. It's great. When me and a bunch of mates go away with the bikes/boats, I always sleep in the car. Warm, off the ground, dry. Makes the car a bit minging but a £10 trip to the Kosovans and it's all ship shape again. Estates rule.

Eta a set of blinds and sleeping under the in-place parcel shelf meant nice dark mornings too. Not quite as good sleeping as a proper camper with a double bed etc but close.

Edited by OpulentBob on Monday 4th March 22:32

[JQ]

zcacogp said:

tbc said:

of course it's better than sleeping in a bloody tent

Ummm, I disagree. A tent, with a lilo/campbed, is a heck of a lot more comfortable than any car I have ever slept in. In my experience, cars don't have space to stretch out, are cramped, and the seats are designed to hold you in only one position (which makes for an uncomfortable night's sleep). They are also cold and suffer from bad condensation.

Give me a tent any day.


Oli.

Same here, give me a big tent with an inflatable bed and quality sleeping bag any day.

[Horns]

Been there, done that - in a Micra, no less.

Now I have a camper instead.

[Pet Troll]

I have a blow up mattress and a duvet stowed away in the back of my car just in case! I've used it once and it was much better then tenting.

[LC2]

Most rally fans will have camped out in their cars.
I must have done 15 years of sleeping in various cars watching the RAC, including 3 or 4 in an MG Midget.

[lufbramatt]

Slept in my passat once, the seats fold flat so you get an almost 6' long "bed" to stretch out on which was fine for me (I'm 6'2"). It was bloody cold though and the windows get soaked in condensation, and it's not very private due to cars not having curtains. Prefer a tent with an air matress tbh.

[New POD]

tbc said:

of course it's better than sleeping in a bloody tent

Depends how big the tent is and how small the car is.

My parents spend May, to August last year with Tent, and Focus Estate, driving around Europe. Denmark, Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Spain mainly.

I don't think they spelt in the car ever, because cars for some reason are cold at night and tents are not (or that's what my dad reckons)

[iva cosworth]

LC2 said:

Most rally fans will have camped out in their cars.
I must have done 15 years of sleeping in various cars watching the RAC, including 3 or 4 in an MG Midget.

Yep,backseat of Escort RS2000

Load area of VW Caddy van

The Recaro suite at Hotel Cosworth is pretty ropey too

[fivetenben]

Car/Tent? Why not have the best of both worlds?



As well as the rooftented Porsche, I've found myself sleeping in many a vehicle, from a classic Mini to my current Alfa 159. Provided there's somewhere to pitch it properly, for a decent night's sleep I've found a reasonable tent beats a car every time...

[anonymous-user]

Used to often put a mattress in the back of my Honda accord! loads of room and very cosey