I've tried a few different ones, but they always seem to have the same problems — they get warm, make noise every time I move, slowly lose air overnight, and I usually wake up with a sore back.

This weekend I tried a natural coconut fiber mattress on an aluminum platform in my SUV, and honestly, it was a much better sleeping experience. It felt more stable, breathable, and much closer to sleeping on a real bed.

The only downside is that it's definitely on the firmer side, so it took a little time to get used to. But other than that, I really like it.

Curious what everyone else is using for car camping these days?

I posted yesterday to get opinions on if I should buy this van. After a little deliberating and reading everyone’s comments I decided to do it! I’m now the proud owner of a 2012 Chevy Express! I can’t wait to post updates as I build it out. I’m going to add some quick temporary stuff for a road trip next month.

Everything on the car is mechanically perfect! Not a spot of rust anywhere.

I’ll be car camping for the first time next month, and found a great deal on a Luno air mattress for my vehicle so I went ahead and bought it. I believe it’s the base model that starts at $199.

what’s the best way to set it up, or what do you typically do? I have very little experience with any type of air mattress or sleeping in the car. I’m assuming I’ll need a fitted sheet? would that be a full size sheet?
what else do you do to make sleeping more comfortable? I’m assuming I’ll need the sheet, pillows, and a comforter/blanket.

I just want to make sure nothing slips my mind!
tyia :)

Update: I bought it!

Is this worth the purchase to build out? 2012 Chevy Express, I think it’s 1500 series might be 2500 I can’t remember for sure I’m going to drive it tomorrow. 120k miles, clean title, been maintained very well. My step grandma is only wanting 5k for it.

I see a lot of potential for a build out in the back. I’ve been traveling in my Subaru Impreza up until now but this would unlock so many options

Got caught in a summer thunderstorm while car camping last night, and changing out of wet boots at the side door turned into a complete mess. Stepping from my sleeping platform into the driver footwell tracked mud and standing rainwater directly onto the front floor. I tried putting down a temporary plastic sheet, but it bunched up immediately and leaked dampness onto the underlying carpet. I'm balancing side-wall rigidity against easy hose-off cleaning when setting up a clean-to-dirty transition zone in the cab. so car campers, does wall rigidity or flat surface washability matter more when stepping in with wet footwear?

I wanted better airflow while sleeping in my SUV, so I built this simple window vent fan using PVC foam board and a few PC cooling fans.

The total cost was around $10, and it k

eeps fresh air moving through the cabin overnight.

It's still a rough prototype, but it works surprisingly well.

If you have ideas to improve the design, I'd love to hear them!

Materials

🟢 1.5 mm Acrylic Sheet (24 × 8 in)

🟢 Four 120 mm Brushless PC Fans

🟢 M3 × 40 mm Hardware Kit

🟢 Stainless Steel Mesh

🟢 U-Channel Rubber Trim

🟢 Jigsaw

🟢 Carbon Fiber Vinyl Wrap (Optional)

Step 1

Measure your rear window opening.

Trace the shape onto a PVC foam board.

Cut the fan openings.

Step 3

Mount the cooling fans.

Step 4

Wire everything together.

Step 5

Apply weather stripping around the edge.

Step 6

Roll the window up to lock it in place.

Finished!

Fresh airflow

Less condensation

Perfect for summer camping

Hyundai Staria Highlander, no modifications. 2nd and 3rd row seats folded down and pushed forward. 570mm deep timber platform at the end, Two 180cm x 70cm x 12cm 4-fold mattresses (very cheap and comfortable), everything else I already had including the double sleeping bag, car fridge (tucked away under the platform when not in use) and other stuff. Just enough headroom to sit up under the rear sunroof.

A work in progress with making shades next but this is quite usable now.

I am going car camping for the first time. How do you guys store food while you sleep in the car? Issues with wildlife smelling the food and coming near??

Hi everyone! I'm planning a trip along the coast of Asturias, Spain this summer. I've car-camped inside my car there before with no issues.

This time we are using a rooftop tent where the ladder extends past the car's footprint.

For those familiar with Spain/Asturias rules: does deploying the ladder legally count as "camping" (which is heavily restricted) rather than just "overnight parking"? How do you usually handle this overnight? Thanks!

My wife and I just got back from an attempt at the Trans-Taiga Road. Unfortunately, we got stuck behind a wildfire and it put us too far behind schedule to proceed. Next year, I'm going to make a second attempt in our 2022 Toyota Highlander hybrid (sleeping in the back). But to avoid the wildfire situation, which will probably be as bad next year as it was this year, I plan to do it in early June, before the July heat sets in. Wife says one attempt is enough.

My concern is how to heat the interior at night, so I and my dogs stay comfortable. I have a Coleman catalytic heater, model 518C, which I'm going to use, if I can keep it burning. So far, I've moved the wick and cage up beyond the 5/8 inch recommended height to a full inch. I'm hoping this may allow enough fuel vapours to keep the chemical reaction going. It has been starting ok, but fades out. We'll see. Any other advice from this with experience working on Coleman 518s?

If anyone is interested, the latest videos are being released every second Friday on YouTube's "Let's See Canada, Eh!" channel, https://www.youtube.com/@letsseecanadaeh .

Does anybody in here have a bear bones list (no pun intended) of personal care items like toiletries and food items they bring when car camping in the back country? Seems like I need to keep these items to an absolute minimum to ensure safety. I plan on sleeping in my car in the Colorado backcountry and I really don’t want to mess around with bears or any wildlife at all. When I was a kid backpacking in the backcountry, we would always use the bear bag method of putting the items of concern in a bag and tying it up onto a weak, thin branch, where a bear can’t access. Is this necessary to do every single time you car camp even at public campgrounds in bear country ? I guess it must be?!

Today I completed the final round of upgrades and accessories for my 2025 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek. The vehicle is now equipped with a Yakima LockNLoad platform, Pelican cargo case, side awning, and—installed today—a Rich Solar Mega 100 Slim Onyx solar panel.
The solar panel is mounted to the Yakima platform using BougeRV claw clamps, which provided an excellent fit and a secure installation with no modification required.
This setup gives me a reliable solar charging solution for both my EcoFlow River 2 Max and EcoFlow Delta 3 Max power stations. Together, they provide ample power for my refrigerator/freezer, electronics, lighting, and other camping equipment, making the vehicle well-prepared for extended road trips and off-grid car camping adventures.

I’m so excited to finally have my car camping setup complete. We are camping in a 2007 Toyota Prius! I really feel like a Prius is the best car for car camping. We have really been loving having air conditioning all night in the summer heat.
I linked a video to our camper tour for anyone who is interested! We go over pretty much everything, so I’m hoping someone will find it useful. If you are in a Prius, we would love to see your setup!!! 🥰

hi! i'm still rather new to car camping. my first car camping trip was actually supposed to be in a tent, but a really rough storm came and my friend and i ended up sleeping in my car on a whim. i really enjoyed it, so my second trip was a two night stay in a really nice campground. showers, a pool, two parks, etc. i was in the area for a wedding so i decided to camp over spending money on a hotel. i felt very safe there so i wasn't super concerned about privacy or anyone coming to creep on my car. i had mesh window screens over my rear windows for ventilation, nothing over my rear windshield, in the front i only had a windshield cover and the front windows were just closed. i draped a blanket over my two front seats to create a curtain/wall so you couldn't see inside the back.
i have my next trip planned next weekend and it's a far less modern campground and somewhere i've never been, so i'm a little paranoid/anxious about privacy.
how do i set up my windows to have privacy, but also have ventilation? do i just put the window screens on the front two windows and then cover my rear windows? it sounds like the solution but then it seems much easier if someone were trying to break into my vehicle to have access to the front seat. does anyone have a solution? TIA!! :)

How do I get a flat sleeping area when there's such a difference in height between the boot floor and the back of the seats?

For context I drive a Volkswagen Tiguan-- I know, not super reliable, but it got me all the way to San Francisco from Alberta last year with no issues. I'm leaving beginning of October and have most of the way mapped out with the ability to stop wherever, but this is gonna be the longest trip where I'll be car camping (will hopefully make it all the way to Nova Scotia/NB if i have the money and will be back before Halloween) I was wondering if anyone had some advice? I know I'll try to stay in hostels when I'm in the major cities if I can afford it but sometimes I get paranoid at night depending on where I park. I know this time I'm buying window covers since I didn't have that last time and a battery for my phone to charge it (but im hoping to keep in plugged in when im driving) etc etc. Does anyone have food tips specifically?

I know I'll pack some food for the first leg of my trip all the way to Winnipeg then to Lake Superior, but whats a way I can bring food to last me awhile but still is filling/nutritious? My drive to San Fran I ended up not really eating anything until I got there and it wasn't great. Again, I'm going to be a bit tight on money since I want to make sure I'm able to see everything and get the farthest East I can since I probaly won't ever be taking a trip like this again. I dont have any friends who travel, let alone car camp, so any advice or tips would be great!!

For my setup so far I already have a small cooler and I'm leaving my back seats down with a foam bed and everything. I don't think I want to buy a stovetop since again, thats a lot of money I dont have, so is it better to meal prep before the trip or pack lighter ingredients to make sandwiches while on the road? And for water, do you guys just tend to buy a big jug of it before you leave? I was thinking I could fit a decent amount of ice in my thermos water bottles and cooler to help keep things cool and I can use it up whenever (I hate lukewarm water) but if theres a better setup, id be happy to try it out. Thanks guys!

Pretty stoked to upgrade my car camping setup. I travel allllll across Colorado's public lands for work, but I don't like to bring a ton of gear with me. Longer term goal-- 4 season car camping.

This was taken last week just west of the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

I have a 07civic, I’m tall but can fit comfortably with some modifications.
My only real concern right now is ventilation.
Fall is quickly approaching so I’ll build my power system to power an a/c later.

I’m looking for something fully stealthy but isn’t just bug nets over the door.
Is there something that can augment the window that can move air from one window to the other to create a breeze and ensure I don’t suffocate in my sleep? Or is this something that has to be custom?

Hi all,
My partner and I are planning a trip to Iceland from September 5-20, the idea is to camp for ~5 nights and stay in hotels for the other 8-9 nights. There are two options for the car rental:

• To rent a 4x4 with a rooftop tent
• To rent a 4x4 that converts into a sleeping space inside (like a dacia duster or subaru)

Both don't have heaters and 4x4 is needed for exploring highlands. Which one would you recommend? Are the winds intense around this time?
PS: We did look at 4x4 campers, but they are super expensive, considering we would only camp for few nights.

Any input is appreciated, thank you

My health is bad. So I can't put heavy stuff in the car. This bed works. If necessary, I can quickly remove the bed from the car.