Does anyone have any suggestions how i can secure this plastic seat belt trim so i can add weight to it (i have a pole that i need supported) or how i can secure something to hold the pole from inside?
The other end of the pole is supported on the cab shelf and with a hook on the handle about the rear passenger door.
Asking here as car campers are a creative bunch and so i can take my pole leaving space for my bed/ sleeping
Thanks
My setup is complete and i wanted to share with
You guys the final product which is a mix of multiple Reddit comments recommendations. Thanks for everyone that gave input along the way on how to do diy projects
Ps sorry for my bad English accent im french Canadien 😅😭
Im starting to list everything i would need to car camp for weekends in my tiguan but one question i have is do people pack up their sleep system and equipment back into their boot when not sleeping?
Like my plan is to go somewhere go for walks then find somewhere to park in the evening and go to sleep then get up next day drive somewhere else go for walks etc.
My worry is having all the equipment and bed just there for anyone to see when going past the car whilst i am out walking. So do people pack it all away into the boot and make their car look like an empty car during the day?
Thank's to u/Brewer1056 post, I now have a much better bed setup with minimal effort. And because of the way they fit together, I can still make it compact and save some space while not in use!
My car camping setup! It is a box and it pulls out to make a bed and pulls up for storage. I have a little deck and can sit on it to chill in the car as i am a winter camper. I also have hidden storage in the trunk.
edit: 2012 Prius v is the car btw
Pics posted in reversed order. See the third pick for just the platform, or see my original post for more details. .
I will almost always be camping alone. Priorities are a good night's sleep and good camping meals. What are your best tips for these accommodations in addition to my planned improvements listed below?
First, the positives- platform worked exactly as planned. Easy to assemble and disassemble, converted back to shelving in my basement quickly. I left the top shelf unattached basically because of the height where the shelves need to go but also so that I wouldn't have to remove all of the leg pieces every time.
Some planned upgrades:
- Plan to make PVC telescoping legs with star bolts that I can use to adjust level directly on the platform as needed and to buy some leveling wedges for the vehicle as well. I had a pretty flat spot for the test trip and just used some thin wooden shims under the platform legs on one side but I'd rather not have to keep track of those. And I know level-ish parking will be somewhat hard to find at times.
- Need to construct some sort of the shelf to span the gap between the front seats and the platform so that pillows and things don't fall down into that space.
- I put some magnetic mounts inside the cabin to hold USB rechargeable light bulbs. Those worked well except for my placement of them, I knocked the lights down a couple times. Getting situated. Will need to rethink those.
- Used the bug screens that stretch and slip over the whole door assembly. They were okay but didn't quite reach the bottom of the window area and one of them has a slight tear after just one use. I'll be looking for magnetic or other attachment system screens.
Hi friends! I currently own a 2016 Mazda CX9 that is for work and personal use. I car camp occasionally, after concerts and such or if it’s just an overnight with other friends who also car camp/have roof tent set ups. Otherwise, I set up my regular tent if it will be longer/more than just me and one other person.
By the end of the year, I will be in the market for a new SUV. I love the size of my CX9, trunk space is great with the 3rd row down. It’s roomy for me and my dog or myself and a friend overnight. It’s great for road trips with friends. But I no longer want a 3 row SUV or one that has the fold down like I have because it has now made me the default driver to haul around ALL of my friends but I still want the trunk space that those size SUVs have. I am a full time, career nanny so I need the trunk space to be able to fit big strollers, kid bikes for park trips but also for my own stuff when I’m not working.
My top choice was the Land Cruiser but after further research, it’s not good for a quick set up for car camping (just setting up a sleeping pad/car mattress on the folded down seats) which is what I prefer. There’s a 60kg limit for on top of the case for the battery in the trunk, which also counts it out to use for Home Depot/Lowe’s trips for garden things.
I’ve always been more practical and finally wanted to go for the “fun” option which would work for both personal and work only to find out that there’s the weight limit. I also would prefer for the SUV to fit into my standard size garage, so no longer than a CX9 and the height of the LC is maximum height to fit.
I am open to any and all suggestions, but obviously would like to go for something more on the “fun” side, as I guess we could also just about call this my “almost middle age fun car” purchase.
Photo of a last minute decision to car camp in the rain for a concert last summer
Based on some googling I bought Reflectix Bubble Pack Insulation for window coverings. Cheap. Easy to work with. Removable.
One window done. I did hear somewhere that this will trap humidity between itself and the glass and could cause mold. I’m thinking if the vehicle is well ventilated and not holding heat or humidity I’ll be fine. I’ll just need to sleep in warmer gear. Am i thinking about this correctly? TIA!
Edit: I was originally going to tint the widows so seeing out would have been permanently difficult. Doing this, yes, I can take them out - but I was thinking about leaving them in the rear most windows full time. Vehicle has cameras for seeing blind-spots.
My partner made me this platform for sleeping in my 2023 Tiguan. The feet fold down into a flat surface and he also added cross bars (not pictured) for easy folding. The front legs rest in the footwell and on the centre bump. I tried it out for three nights this weekend and it was great! I used a thermal pad and a foamie but I think I will try to get a denser memory foam pad.
Made with 2x4 and a sheet of plywood that has a fuzzy blanket stapled to it.
I’ve still got a lot to do, but my sleeping platform is coming together. It’s going to be tight, but comfortable.
Hey, im new to car camping. I have a 2013 hyundai ix35 and am just going to use blankets and pillows as a cheap way to sleep in the back of my car in the australian weather (dont need layers yk). I was just wondering if anyone had a simple power setup that they use for charging a laptop, a phone, and powering cooking stuff? or is it worth getting a smaller setup and going for something simple like a butane stove to save on the cost of batteries? happy for any advice, as im taking my first trip soon! thanks
Tri fold base that acts as a false floor. The draw system sits flush with the folded seats. The matress is a foam double from a caravan and rolls up to give me a full car load for travelling from spot to spot
Hi, I'd like to do some car camping when I am traveling alone for a few days, and my car is set up and ready to go. I was wondering whether I should just opt to find a campsite (preferably with electric hookup) for catching 8 hours or so of rest (and a shower) before the next day's drive. Are most campgrounds set up to accommodate car camping?
Hey folks I hope this is an appropriate post for the sub! I do a lot of road solo road tripping so I took my passenger seat out to put in a custom bed I made in my 2019 camry. My issue is now that i’ve done that the airbag sensor keeps going off. Its not an issue and I can drive but it makes my dash screen unusable. Ive heard I can bypass it with a resistor but have no idea how much resistance is needed. Does anyone know how I can figure out the correct resistor?
Hello! Looking for that perfect minimal space cook kitchen set up.
We keep getting closer and closer to the Jetboil Genesis Basecamp but before I drop 350 - on sale at rei atm... i thought I would dig in one more time for advice.
Any replies appreciated. Thanks so much.
I was planning on a minivan for my next car so I could also use it for camping, but the way gas prices are going, and since I’m going to be driving it every day, I think it’s more practical to buy a car. Does anyone car camp in a car, rather than a van or SUV? What kind of car, and what is your setup like?
Went for a one night camp in Northamptonshire over the weekend, in a car park that should have been closed but wasn't. I was there for 6 hours and left no trace. I noticed a trail cam on the way out, does anyone know if I'm likely to receive a fine?
Also, on a related but more sketchy note, I also beleive I may have been caught doing some things outdoors that one should not do outdoors by a different trail cam in a different spot 😳 the trail cam will also have handily picked up my number plate, because clearly I was behaving like a teenager and had no thoughts in my brain. Has anyone had a similar experience and am I likely to get pinched for public nudity even though no people were present? 😂
I've been thinking about building a platform for the back of my Odyssey minivan, but I still need to keep the middle seats
the main purpose of the platform is to have a flat floor ( the odyssey floor is bumpy and so boxes and tubs go in all crooked, making it hard to stack
I see lot of build photos where the structure is super tough and rigid, but often it means there are all these long 2x4 or other poles that run long ways inside the cabin
I just imagine that these are going to be dangerous/deadly if there were a accident, like a rear end that crushes the back of the vehicle, these long bars are just going to be spears going thru the backs of the front and middle seats
does anyone have a build design that takes some crash safety into consideration, so that the vehicle occupants have a chance to survive in an accident?
for example, I've been thinking of my simple floor platform to not have large solid pieces of plywood for the floor, but instead cut them into narrow strips, so that if I get rear ended, the plywood doesnt shift as a large solid piece but a bunch of smaller pieces
trying to think of how to handle the floor beams that would normally go front to back in the minivan
anyone think of these things when they layout their car builds?
Whats the best cheap truck for camping? I want one where i could have a setup in the bed. It'll probably have to be at least 6 feet long. I'm fine with older trucks, like a 2003 tacoma or smthn.
2013 Honda Pilot. Plano 5-Shelf Extra Heavy Duty Plastic Storage Shelves (72.5” x 36” x 24”) and Gaialoop 3 inch Memory Foam Camping Mattress.
7 inch drop from front to rear, center legs at 3.5 and 3.75 inches. Close enough to level for me!