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.

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.

My first car camping experience was spectacular. I drove from Georgia to New England and back. I used a mixture of campgrounds and Hipcamp sites. Now that I know what works and what doesn’t, I’ll be ready to head out west and try my hand at dispersed camping 🌵

Hello, first post in a while, new acc and everything. I intend to go car camping in the next few weeks and I’ve tried to find good bedding? I plan to sleep in the trunk space of my 2011-CRV which I’ve measured out to be a cramped but doable 45” x 55” space… of course this is a little bit of a rough measurement. I was hoping anyone would know of a good bedding option? I plan to sleep in the car frequently so comfort is important. I was considering like foam mats, camping mats, the non-inflatable investable car mattresses, and even dog beds! With a few XL orthopedic ones looking good. I leave the 30th of this month so it has to be shipped to me before then, preferably with time to spare… Any suggestions would be helpful, I’m trying to stick to $100 or less budget wise. I wanna go camping a lot and I’m prioritizing sleep so longevity is also a concern. I’d like this to last/be easily cleanable.

Looking for the best option here.

I currently have a c1000 gen 2. I go on 30 day road trips through cities and sometimes more remote, but usually within range of civilization. I live out of my car. Sleep and drive regularly. Wondering if it would be more beneficial for me to invest in an alternator charger for the c1000, or to buy a 2nd bank (s2000). The s2000 pre order is $849 (Canadian dollars), while the Anker brand alternator charger is $599, plus the price of having it installed (I don't have the skills to do this myself.) so essentially probably similarly prices around $1000 with tax for either option. I'm lead to believe only an Anker alternator charger will work for my c1000, or else I'd be definitely open to buying considerably cheaper (under $200) 3rd party versions. Less space taken up by only 1 bank is definitely nice. And the alternator charger seems more practical, since idle gas cost of running the car long enough to charge the c1000 I already have makes sense. but what do you all think?

In the past, I’ve visited a few nature landmarks like the Porcupine Mountains and Sleeping Bear Dunes, but I stayed at hotels, which I feel takes away from the overall experience.

I want to get into car camping, possibly renting a Nissan Rogue or Mazda CX-50, folding down the back seats, and trying car camping. However, I’m not sure what setup would be comfortable and practical.

Is it worth buying something like a Luno Life Mattress, which can cost anywhere from $300–$500? Or can I create my own setup with a mattress topper, air mattress, and sleeping bag/mummy sleeping bag while still being comfortable? 

Has anyone found a good car camping tailored mattress or specific products on Amazon that are actually worth buying? I’m looking for something designed specifically for car camping rather than a generic air mattress, so it fits properly and makes the most of the available space.

Also, what are some tips for someone trying car camping for the first time?

Brand is KMF sunshades- I got some for my 2013 Highlander. When we pressed them all the way up against the window, it was almost completely dark in the middle of the day and extremely private the KMF brand have both reflective foil on one side or blackout on the other.

My goal is to find a dual-temp car refrigerator that fits between the passenger seat and rear seat in my 26’ Honda CRV Hybrid Trailsport. Ideally, it also fits under my sleeping platform when the rear seats are folded down. Research led me to the Vevor 25L portable refrigerator, model NLS35. I’m still looking for a good power station to keep this running for a few days of camping.

Is this too snug of a fit? Does anyone have any experience with a setup like this? Would love any thoughts or suggestions!

Camped in the Ozarks this week. I’ve camped my whole life, but this was my first time car camping AND first time camping solo with just myself and my dog. Overall, I loved it. It was so peaceful and relaxing. My dog sadly did not. He loves hiking and being outdoors, but he was not thrilled at the idea of sharing such a small sleeping space. If we go again, I might try a tent instead that has a little more room for him. And likely won’t try again until the cooler months because the heat was definitely a problem even though I used a lot of tricks I picked up from this group. He’s just a thick coated dog and couldn’t relax.

At the end of the day, my dog is my priority. So if he wants to live a glamping lifestyle and relax in a cabin instead of a car or tent, I’m all too happy to oblige as long as it means we get to have great adventures together. But at least we can say we tried and at least one of us had a good time!

I’m going on an impromptu camping trip and planning on sleeping in my car. I don’t have time to order privacy screens so I’m looking for some creative options. I’m thinking maybe I can just cut out cardboard? Any other ideas?

*Nothing is a perma-build as this is a lease*

This is just a rough layout test as I get prepared to do a real dry run! Its safe to say that the cx30 can sleep someone such as myself whos 5'8 since I filled the footwell with my cooler and lap table! ( cooler was $40 at an outlet store, and the table was a hand-me-down from my mom)

Diy window covers with reflectic insulation ( about $20usd) since that photo I used Gaffer tape ($10usd for 50yds)to black out one side without them being shiny like you would get with duct tape. And my 3inch foot pump sleeping pad ($25usd) levels out the back seat dip surprisingly well! Im just waiting on my magnetic screen($15usd) to go over my sunroof so I can get some airflow. The bin is collapsible and just lives in my car ( walmart $16usd)

So far this build totals to under $150 usd, but ive had the cooler and camping pad from other trips so it was really just the reflectics and magnet screen that I needed to buy for this specific endevor.

My friend is having a bday camping trip but I’m also bringing my bf so we have to stay in a separate place (party is mostly girls). I was thinking about taking my car and sleeping in there. I could put down the backseats and it would be a relatively big place to sleep in. Anyone have any tips on what to do? I’ll definitely roll some windows down and bring blankets and stuff but I definitely don’t have any type of mattress to go underneath us. I’d love any tips!! :)

Hi all,

New camper, lover of coffee. Whats my best option for making espresso without plug in power? Ive been doing some research and found aeropress, mocca pot and the usb/manual pod espresso makers. Any thoughts on these/other options? Dont want a super pricey setup. Ta!

I thought I had my setup pretty organized but after almost my first week car camping, I am losing everything. I have had to tear everything apart to find it again, including the most recent, one of my two key fobs 😬

I’m going try to always wear my Fanny pack for my keys and other important small things. But I would appreciate any advice!

Hello everyone I am going on 2 week road trip in Aug. Will be doing mainly camping away from services. What's your tips or tricks to keep your cooler cold longer and deal with all the water. My current plan is to precool my cooler and fill it over half way with ice. Will probably get zip lock baggies for my meet so it doesn't get wet.

I have been using my Gladiator for weekend camping, and the part I did not think through is where all the mud goes when I am getting in and out at camp. If it rains, my shoes end up dragging dirt right into the footwell before I climb back toward the sleep setup or start moving gear around.

I tried tossing an old towel down, but then the towel is wet and gross by the next morning. The cheap trim-to-fit mat I have now also shifts around when my shoes are wet.

what would you do about raised edges, easy hose-off cleaning, or the mat staying put when you are stepping in with wet shoes?

I’m looking to replace my camping dishes mainly because I only have a couple of melamine cups, and some miscellaneous other things. They don’t have to match each other, but it’d be nice to have at least 2 plates. I’d prefer something without microplastics. I’m a klutz, so they have to be able to withstand being dropped several times. That rules out thrift store ceramic plates. Even Corelle breaks. I like trees, so I feel guilty about using paper plates. Besides stainless steel, any other ideas?

Stay safe out there.

Just wondering if anyone can recommend websites or sources for model-specific items to outfit vehicles for camping. For example: window covers cut to fit, or curtains meant for vehicles, custom fit mats - or anything really.

I search Amazon/etc for items as needed, but I really just want to 'browse' and see what cool items I might not even be thinking of. Thanks!

Not my first time car camping but by FAR the worst.

First time camping in the new car. My wife and I and the dog in a small car, 1989 corolla wagon. We had a full sized air mattress in the back it wasn't the worst setup theoretically plenty of space to sleep.

I brought my milwuakee fan, which was fantastic last time I camped in my truck on a hot night near the coast just like this. Slept great all night with it on low and it was still on when i woke up. It was not enough this time.

We had it on high and slept for 2 hours before it died and couldn't get back to sleep due to the immense heat and sweat.

We forgot to bring any sort of bug nets so i rolled down the windows as much as I could and put pillow cases over them but there wasn't enough airflow. I'd turn on ac for a few minutes at a time but didn't want to keep it running due to risks of co poisoning.

It was actually quite nice outside every time I put my head out the window it was cool, but inside the car it was unbearable.

What's your best tips for staying cool? Do I just need some nets over my windows or are there any specific fans or products you swear by? I also have a giant rear hatch since it's a wagon so is there any cheap or diy ways I can utilize it?

Hey campers!

I am new to camping and so I want to try out car camping first. I don't have a lot to splurge on for camping supplies so if you could choose the absolute must haves what would you suggest I get? Note: I plan on camping at state parks with bathrooms since i'm still new. I also can't build onto my suv, since it's leased.

Any advice will help thank you!

Edit:
A few things I have already:
- cooler
- tent
- sunscreen
- blanket/pillows I can use
- a picnic blanket
- regular flashlight

I don't really have ideas of what food I can bring in a cooler and how long that would last so any ideas on that as well would help!

I am going to be going out of town this weekend and I wanna sleep in the back of my SUV. The seats fall down and it makes an almost flat surface. But there are places if you put pressure on it, part of the seat flips up. You can kind of see it in the picture. Is there something I could put under these spots to make it sturdy so it doesn’t flip up and down so I can sleep on it better? Do I need to Jimmy rig something or is there something out there that works well? For reference this is a 2014 Ford Explorer LT

*edited talk to text mistakes

I’ve done a lot of research, but I’m worried I’ll miss something crucial