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Since the article is actually about an SUV, not a sedan: After seeing a post on Reddit years ago, my partner and I built a sleeping platform for her Camry out
by tbran 5y ago
Since the article is actually about an SUV, not a sedan:
After seeing a post on Reddit years ago, my partner and I built a sleeping platform for her Camry out of plywood that she used for a months-long cross-country trip.
On some cars there is a pass-through hole to the trunk. We removed the rear seats and used the plywood to make a level surface from the trunk up to the back of the front seats. Two hatches gave her access to the space underneath and was good for hiding things from view. We used indoor/outdoor carpet in the same color as the interior and it almost looked like it came with the platform from the factory.
You sleep with your torso in the rear seat location and legs in the trunk. It was a very stealth setup and cheap to build. It eliminated several minutes of tent/bedding setup and takedown.
She brought her tent so that she wasn't always in the car and occasionally supplemented with a hotel. I joined her for part of the adventure. It was pretty comfortable for her, but a little cramped for the two of us.
Condensation in the morning was usually pretty bad, which is pretty normal sleeping in a vehicle. She'd dry it with heat/AC and windows down, if possible.
* Partner sewed cheap bug netting to make window covers.
* For privacy (not mentioned in the article), she cut Reflectix that she pushed into the windows and sewed a couple of curtains.
* Jetboil stove (and we often use a sub-$25 canister stove for camping).
* Inexpensive air mattress and her sleeping bag.
* Inverter plugged into the lighter port for 120V. Coffee shops, Dunkin, McDonald's, lots of other places have fast, free WiFi and 120V.
Article has crazy suggestions, but affiliate, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I get the impression that this person hasn't really car-camped that much since there isn't much practical advice.
- zemvpferreira 5y agoCuriously the author claims to have lived IN a van for five (5) straight years! That certainly supplants 99.999% of people's experience with car camping. That said I can't imagine he had this level of gear during that period.
- datameta 5y agoPerhaps after so long living in a van one expands what gear feels allowable/necessary to the point of long leaving basic setup territory.