Car camping?

[Weston52]

I see a number of folks who have rigged their vehicles for sleeping. I assumed that with all the open tailgate pics of mattresses and so forth that that was how they crawled in/out of bed. But then it occured to me that so far as I can tell, there’s no way to open the tailgate from the inside. Are you car campers crawling in the side doors which looks like a torture exercise to me?
Secondly, the Ford privacy curtain that drapes over the open tailgate looks like a great way to extend your sleeping and living space with an open tailgate for $100. Anyone tried or doing that?

Sponsored

 

[dakman]

I sleep on the pass side and enter and exit thru the rear driver side door when I'm set up.

 

[LV2ROAM]

If you keep the remote dongle nearby you can use it to open the tailgate, which is what I did in the morning. But I did squeeze through the door at night to use the restroom because I didn't want the dog jumping out.

The dongle seems to me the most logical way, I'm doing that from now on.

 

[SLJ]

I used a screen pop-up over the back, put a rope on the inside handle so I could pull the hatch closed from inside. Wife made me screens with privacy flaps so I could keep the rear windows open. I got a Coleman twin air mattress that fits in the back.

 

[Weston52]

I used a screen pop-up over the back, put a rope on the inside handle so I could pull the hatch closed from inside. Wife made me screens with privacy flaps so I could keep the rear windows open. I got a Coleman twin air mattress that fits in the back.

Looks like a great combo. What brand is the popup?

 

[Major Kong]

Wife made me screens with privacy flaps so I could keep the rear windows open.
.

 

[SLJ]

Looks like a great combo. What brand is the popup?

It's a Coleman 10x10 with the optional screen sides. Don't know if they still sell it but there are others.
I did this a few times before we got our teardrop camper to pull behind it.

 

[Robert Flavor]

My sleeping system is only for one person, but I'm able to fold down the larger section of the rear seats and leave the other one up. It's super nice, I don't have to awkwardly get in the car and I have space for taking off my shoes or putting on clothes in the morning.

I also have it where my head is facing the back of the car and my feet go towards the front. My drawer system raises me off the back a few inches so my head lines up closer to where the rear glass is, which gives you a couple more inches of headroom. This is also better since most of my weight is supported by the drawers and my fold-out extension only has to support my legs. I'm 6'2" and sleep comfortably in my car, great for having a spot to rest on long road trips or somewhere warm and quiet to camp in winter camping. I'm actually sending this from the back of the car on a trip right now...

 

[Roblands]

I used a screen pop-up over the back, put a rope on the inside handle so I could pull the hatch closed from inside. Wife made me screens with privacy flaps so I could keep the rear windows open. I got a Coleman twin air mattress that fits in the back.

Great thinking. This way you can drive off and not have to repack the car.

 

[Tawnygal]

I keep one of the rear seats upright and then it's easy to get in and out. You just get in the backseat, shut the door and stand up enough to rotate your butt onto the "bed" side. I sleep with my head at the rear of the vehicle, so once I've sat on the bed, I just scoot/lay down that direction. (The photo shows my pillow at the other end, but that was before I realized the other direction was better for me.) Since your feet are near the upright passenger seat, you just slide into that seat and open the door to get out. My biggest complaint with the BS is that the 2/3 rear seat split has the wider side behind the driver's seat. That makes it so you can't just get in and drive without out sliding the seat back again. Would've been perfect if the wider side was behind the passenger seat. Hop in and go.

 

[AndyMac204]

are any of you using a heater inside when camping? we are looking to do more winter camping this year, and are contemplating a heater of some sort with our jackery.

 

[NMhunter]

I slept with the back open an mosquito netting attached to the tailgate and a pole in front. For summer camping in the desert, it was too hot to close things up. For winter camping, I have a 7x11 Springbar tent which will fit two cots and a small table. So nice to cook inside when it is freezing outside. I have a catalytic heater that keeps the inside warm as long as I'm up. I don't sleep with the heater on. The Springbar tents are bombproof in wind, rain, hail, sleet, or snow. I can set mine up in 5 minutes by myself. Not cheap, but worth every penny. Kodiak makes a clone of the Springbar tent.

 

[the.harold.c]

I keep one of the rear seats upright and then it's easy to get in and out. You just get in the backseat, shut the door and stand up enough to rotate your butt onto the "bed" side. I sleep with my head at the rear of the vehicle, so once I've sat on the bed, I just scoot/lay down that direction. (The photo shows my pillow at the other end, but that was before I realized the other direction was better for me.) Since your feet are near the upright passenger seat, you just slide into that seat and open the door to get out. My biggest complaint with the BS is that the 2/3 rear seat split has the wider side behind the driver's seat. That makes it so you can't just get in and drive without out sliding the seat back again. Would've been perfect if the wider side was behind the passenger seat. Hop in and go.

THIS!!! Thanks for replying to my other post. This is exactly what I needed to see to confirm that my (eventual) plans with the goose gear kit are going to be the right fit!

 

[Tawnygal]

THIS!!! Thanks for replying to my other post. This is exactly what I needed to see to confirm that my (eventual) plans with the goose gear kit are going to be the right fit!

It's a blast. I also can recommend the Kelty Backroads shelter. It's not a tent, there's no floor. But a 3 sided "clam shell" that attaches on either a side door or the hatch (all still openable while it's setup), allowing you to get out of your Sport into a completely private outdoor room. It only attaches to the vehicle with two well-placed easy-to-use straps, so it's easy to unhook if you want to go somewhere. You can roll up and secure the sides open, or stake them shut. There is also a big zip-open door, like a regular tent, with a zip window. I loved it for a room to change, or hang out if it was raining.

 

[the.harold.c]

Very cool!!!

Sponsored