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I've slept in vans and cars and tents and a big class A motorhome with a slide out living room and now sleep in a travel trailer towed by a big diesel pickup. B

I've slept in vans and cars and tents and a big class A motorhome with a slide out living room and now sleep in a travel trailer towed by a big diesel pickup. But, this is bonkers. While I'd love to improve my fuel efficiency, this takes it a little too far in the direction from "most of the comforts of home" to "no comforts of home". There has been a real move toward fuel efficiency in some categories of motorhome in recent years. Several really nice models are available that are built on the Sprinter chassis, which gets 14-22 MPG if you're not in a hurry. There's class B (van-like), class C (cutaway van chassis with a boxy house and cabover), and even a few class A (has a bus-like body that covers the whole chassis and usually provides the most living space) models. And, I've started looking at replacing my big diesel V8 F250 with a newish Ford EcoBoost 3.5 liter V6 F150; similar towing capacity, much better fuel efficiency (though towing a whole house will drop the efficiency by a lot). What I'm trying to say is, while I love Tesla cars and a mobile lifestyle, this is goofy. A tent on the ground would be more comfortable, assuming you're camping in decent weather. A hybrid minivan or pickup with a topper would be smarter if you wanted to do minor conversions on a fuel-efficient vehicle to make it camp-friendly. I mean, I guess if you already have the Tesla and want to sleep in it every now and then, that's not so crazy (though I couldn't, as I'm 6' and can't sleep comfortably on my side).

illumin8 9y ago
Did you read the article? You can lay the seats flat and sleep two 6'+ individuals side by side. You also get a panoramic view of the night sky, and a climate-controlled, HEPA filtration system. This seems like an incredible way to go camping to me. I've gone camping for years, and this would be great to be able to experience the star-filled night sky, in a comfortable climate controlled environment, without having to pitch a tent.
- whitepoplar 9y ago
  Things like this are what make a car appealing to me. Lots of cars drive well and are inexpensive to operate. There are only a few that seem to augment one's life. Designers will say It's the little things that people notice and I 100% agree. While Tesla obviously didn't design "Camper Mode" into the Model S, it seems like the sort of company that would embrace it.
- dotancohen 9y ago
  > great to be able to experience the star-filled night sky ...with the dash lights on. That's a problem for seeing anything more than a faint smudge of the Milky Way. Andromeda is right out.
  - illumin8 9y ago
    Easily solved by placing a towel over the display (as the article author did), or using the iOS app mentioned in the article.
    - planteen 9y ago
      Or you know, actually sleeping in a tent or in the open instead of a car.
  - AnimalMuppet 9y ago
    Then actually turn the thing off. You won't get climate control that way. Instead, open the windows and pick the right weight of sleeping bag. (Sure, you don't want to do that if it's raining. But if it's raining, you weren't going to see Andromeda anyway...)
    - dotancohen 9y ago
      Then you are no longer Telsa-hacking but rather just sleeping in a car with a sunroof. The climate control is the crux of differentiating Camper Mode from Cant Afford Motel mode.
- rconti 9y ago
  This was always one of my dreams when panoramic sunroofs were unheard of -- buy an E34 chassis BMW 5-series wagon with the dual sunroof option, sleep in the back with the "middle" roof open for a nice view of the night sky! https://drivetribe.com/p/touring-double-sunroof-E2FIZEvbQuiJ6XL1G4p7GA?iid=WC1NP1qeROCoGOpMsQ-_Pw https://drivetribe.com/p/touring-double-sunroof-E2FIZEvbQuiJ...
- planteen 9y ago
  That sounds more like glamping than camping. I go camping and backpacking to get away from technology. I can get a far better view of the stars by sleeping in the open in the desert in summer.
- SwellJoe 9y ago
  "You can lay the seats flat and sleep two 6'+ individuals side by side." I did read the article. It said this: "However, the flat bed on the compact Model 3 is long enough to accommodate only someone who is about 5 1/2 feet long, stretched out."
  - bm1362 9y ago
    Yeah, that’s the new model. The review is on the S which is bigger.
  - illumin8 9y ago
    This article was written in 2016. Other articles have said that the Model 3 design team made modifications to ensure it was compatible with "Camper Mode."
    - illumin8 9y ago
      Replying to myself: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-31/driving-tesla-s-model-3-changes-everything https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-31/driving-t... Ready for Camper Mode Last year I wrote about a subculture of Tesla drivers who go camping in the back of their cars. It sounds crazy at first, but the car’s massive battery can maintain perfectly controlled climate all night while only losing about 7 percent of the car’s range. With the glass canopy overhead and the view of the stars, it’s a great way to enjoy national parks without the bother of a campsite. I tried it myself and loved it. With the new Model 3, there’s great news for those Tesla campers and others who like to haul long cargo. The seats of the Model 3 fold completely flat, and with the front seats in their most forward position, the back bed measures an impressive 6 feet 9 inches long (206 cm). This is a car that’s dying to be slept in.
elif 9y ago
Good luck stealthing in a tent in the middle of a city, near the highway, at the beach, with a girl, etc. You also can do this on a whim at any time. I don't suppose you tow your travel trailer around everywhere with you? Besides, there's no saying you can't throw a hammock or tent in the tesla and use that when it truly would be preferable.
- SwellJoe 9y ago
  "I don't suppose you tow your travel trailer around everywhere with you?" No, but a motorhome was my only motorized vehicle for about six years. Spent plenty of nights camped on city streets. A trailer is certainly less amenable to that sort of camping...but, is stealth camping really what these folks have in mind? In the most noticed car on the road, that doesn't have an enclosed sleeping area? I'm all about stealth camping, but a Tesla isn't the right vehicle for it. Again, if you have a Tesla and want to sleep in it, more power to you. It's just a silly thing to make a trend out of.

illumin8 9y ago

Did you read the article? You can lay the seats flat and sleep two 6'+ individuals side by side. You also get a panoramic view of the night sky, and a climate-controlled, HEPA filtration system. This seems like an incredible way to go camping to me. I've gone camping for years, and this would be great to be able to experience the star-filled night sky, in a comfortable climate controlled environment, without having to pitch a tent.

whitepoplar 9y ago
Things like this are what make a car appealing to me. Lots of cars drive well and are inexpensive to operate. There are only a few that seem to augment one's life. Designers will say It's the little things that people notice and I 100% agree. While Tesla obviously didn't design "Camper Mode" into the Model S, it seems like the sort of company that would embrace it.
dotancohen 9y ago
> great to be able to experience the star-filled night sky ...with the dash lights on. That's a problem for seeing anything more than a faint smudge of the Milky Way. Andromeda is right out.
- illumin8 9y ago
  Easily solved by placing a towel over the display (as the article author did), or using the iOS app mentioned in the article.
  - planteen 9y ago
    Or you know, actually sleeping in a tent or in the open instead of a car.
- AnimalMuppet 9y ago
  Then actually turn the thing off. You won't get climate control that way. Instead, open the windows and pick the right weight of sleeping bag. (Sure, you don't want to do that if it's raining. But if it's raining, you weren't going to see Andromeda anyway...)
  - dotancohen 9y ago
    Then you are no longer Telsa-hacking but rather just sleeping in a car with a sunroof. The climate control is the crux of differentiating Camper Mode from Cant Afford Motel mode.
rconti 9y ago
This was always one of my dreams when panoramic sunroofs were unheard of -- buy an E34 chassis BMW 5-series wagon with the dual sunroof option, sleep in the back with the "middle" roof open for a nice view of the night sky! https://drivetribe.com/p/touring-double-sunroof-E2FIZEvbQuiJ6XL1G4p7GA?iid=WC1NP1qeROCoGOpMsQ-_Pw https://drivetribe.com/p/touring-double-sunroof-E2FIZEvbQuiJ...
planteen 9y ago
That sounds more like glamping than camping. I go camping and backpacking to get away from technology. I can get a far better view of the stars by sleeping in the open in the desert in summer.
SwellJoe 9y ago
"You can lay the seats flat and sleep two 6'+ individuals side by side." I did read the article. It said this: "However, the flat bed on the compact Model 3 is long enough to accommodate only someone who is about 5 1/2 feet long, stretched out."
- bm1362 9y ago
  Yeah, that’s the new model. The review is on the S which is bigger.
- illumin8 9y ago
  This article was written in 2016. Other articles have said that the Model 3 design team made modifications to ensure it was compatible with "Camper Mode."
  - illumin8 9y ago
    Replying to myself: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-31/driving-tesla-s-model-3-changes-everything https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-31/driving-t... Ready for Camper Mode Last year I wrote about a subculture of Tesla drivers who go camping in the back of their cars. It sounds crazy at first, but the car’s massive battery can maintain perfectly controlled climate all night while only losing about 7 percent of the car’s range. With the glass canopy overhead and the view of the stars, it’s a great way to enjoy national parks without the bother of a campsite. I tried it myself and loved it. With the new Model 3, there’s great news for those Tesla campers and others who like to haul long cargo. The seats of the Model 3 fold completely flat, and with the front seats in their most forward position, the back bed measures an impressive 6 feet 9 inches long (206 cm). This is a car that’s dying to be slept in.

elif 9y ago

Good luck stealthing in a tent in the middle of a city, near the highway, at the beach, with a girl, etc. You also can do this on a whim at any time. I don't suppose you tow your travel trailer around everywhere with you? Besides, there's no saying you can't throw a hammock or tent in the tesla and use that when it truly would be preferable.

SwellJoe 9y ago
"I don't suppose you tow your travel trailer around everywhere with you?" No, but a motorhome was my only motorized vehicle for about six years. Spent plenty of nights camped on city streets. A trailer is certainly less amenable to that sort of camping...but, is stealth camping really what these folks have in mind? In the most noticed car on the road, that doesn't have an enclosed sleeping area? I'm all about stealth camping, but a Tesla isn't the right vehicle for it. Again, if you have a Tesla and want to sleep in it, more power to you. It's just a silly thing to make a trend out of.