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I've worked out the rear of my car (sans rear seats) is over 6ft2 long and flat floored-no lips/brackets etc. I can stick the single mattress in- if I stick a few towels over the tops of each window/close em- surely better/less hassle n windy that packing my huge tent etc etc for just one night??
Anyone done this?
I've slept in a few cars over the years rather than pitching up for a few hours (especially in summer when that means braving midges).
I don't know what it is about it, but I never seem to get a good sleep at all (not that I sleep very well in a tent either mind you). I'm always a wee bit worried about the electrics too - two people in a relatively closed up car all night, can't be good if you do it regularly?
If you can get the mattress flat I'm sure it will be fine. My mat never seemed to be flat due to the way the seats folded.
It is pretty convenient getting up and just jumping in the drivers seat and getting on the road though!
should you not get a small car that you dont fit and then say its a perfect fit then search for the ultimate small car sleep vehicle?
Dont forget to test the suspension
I have done and its ok at best not sure why it just seems wrong for some reason and I am not that fussy where I sleep [ you can do the punchline there fella]
They do warm up quick and can get damp and let the light in so dont expect much IMHO
Always sleep in my cars, touran now and 3 series touring before that. Drove round Europe for two weeks in the BMW and slept in the car every night. Brilliant just sleeping where/whenever I needed. Must do it again soon.
Do it all the time - never chuck a tent up these days unless it's a few days stop. I have a small roll mat which is always in the car and a sleeping bag, bosh the larger back seat down, headrest out, turned round and back in again as a pillow job done. takes about 10 mins either end. I specifically will only buy a car with fold flat rear seats for this reason!
Only minor issue is when it's raining - then water gets through the open window but i normally just open the back window where the bikes are a bit so it's not a massive issue. I keep meaning to get wind deflectors cos that means you can crack the windows without worrying about it.
The only thing i'd say is try not to do anything to avoid condensation towels etc, wiping - just give it 10 minutes to air out the next morning if you do get any. Obviously crack a window and lock the car from the inside and don't alarm it. My new car is a bit of a pain, as when you have finished with music etc and turn the ignition off to go to sleep, you have to open the drivers door and close it to kill the car, and then every light on the bloody thing turns on and illuminates everything around you... can be awkward on a campsite!
Loddrik how did you (if you did ?) block the light?
Oh - and i've only ever done it in estates with dark privacy glass rear - i'd feel a lot less comfortable if it was clear glass.
Used to sleep in my old marea all the time. Not convinced it's any warmer than a tent and they do get condensation. Bought three karrimats from lidl or aldi and cut them to the shape of the windows to block out the light. Need to think about what you do with your stuff while you're sleeping in the back.
Can't block it out completely but sleep with feet at tailgate, and put two towels/blankets etc over the rear windows just held in place with the windows up. Does a surprisingly good job. Rear windows are also privacy glass which helps.
I've done it plenty of times before races, it saves drying out a tent as well as cleaning bikes etc if there's not much time left on a Sunday.
Insignia estate gives just enough room for two 6 footers, crack the windows and if you don't want to be awake early in the summer then get a pair of these,
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/design-go-the-nightshade-p295806?gclid=CMOR4-yv1L0CFSMYwwod2ygAig
Roll mat and a sleeping bag and you're good to go.
Hot_fiat its quite a wide car. I can actually sleep alongside but I'd stuff the bike in mateys van
What car is it btw?
oh and if you want privacy just leave the windows closed, they'll soon steam up 🙂
What about getting one of those snow/ice protectors that just cover the top half of the car like this
[img] 
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That should block plenty of light out.
I sleep in our Kia Sedona all the time, take all the seats out, throw a sleep mat in the back and off I go.
I've got blacked out windows which makes it easier though!
I have spent many nights in my pug 306 estate. Pillow, roll matt and sleeping bag and jobs a good'un. It has somewhere to charge my phone and a stereo. In fact I prefer my motor to a tent.
Just buy an easy pitch tent?
Or sleep in the car. I know which I'd rather do.
Done it a few times and condensation was always annoying, that and it's significantly colder than a tent and the light comes in early (or late if people are still around). The Van was lined, insulated and much more comfortable.
We had a cheap tent from Argos that was tough and easy to pitch. If it ever got that bad it was only £20 so no issue with binning it.
To keep the light out and eyes just spray the window with water and cover with tin foil also works to keep the car cool during the day if sunny
To keep the light out and eyes just spray the window with water and cover with tin foil also works to keep the car cool during the day if sunny
I believe this method is also an effective barrier to muslamic ray guns.
Hassle pitching a tent? Sounds like you need a T5 Hora 😆
😆
My car
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I had one of those once. Tried to convince myself it was practicable and a solid work horse.
Then I realised I was just being stupid, got rid of it and got a proper car
Blanket over front seats and put bike there will leave nearly all rear for sleeping quarters.
looks like you should have bought a pope mobile ...
bike with wheel in down one side and sleeping on the other.
for one night as one person its ok ....
i lived like that for 4 months ..... it gets claustrophobic in there after a bit - esp when your stealth camping.
Agree with loddrick, put your bike in the front of your car. If you think its going in my van so you can wake me at 5am asking for my keys to get your bike so you can go home think again.
Others have said it, but make sure you leave at least one window open a bit; you'd be amazed how much moisture will build up overnight. A good tip is also to not quite shut the boot (if it's a hatchback, estate or tailgate-doored van), this leaves a nice gap to let the car ventilate but means that rain won't get in.
I sleep in my berlingo - much better when it's warm enough to leave the boot open but I sleep better in that than a tent. We do have a camping conversion kit that you can take in and out which has nice thick cushions and blackout blinds. Condensation does build up a bit.
should add that getting up off the floor makes a silly big difference to your heat loss . i found in winter even in a -20 sleeping bag on a thermarest i would get cold - consistantly cooled big floor area thats a pretty good conductor ....
putting in a foot of air gap by raising my sleeping platform - the same sleeping bag - still in -10 at strathpuffer the following year i was too warm.
Booo skip rat. You could chain your bike up outside and keep my bike safe? Guess thats a no 😀
I would say go for it, if it isn't comfortable or you wake too early then you didn't drink enough the night before 😀
Thats one thing I don't like about drinking when camping- fight your way out of the sleeping bag, find the zip, hold enclosure straight whilst using zip, quickly shut zip or migs will get in, fall over, fight another zip, return, (repeat) and then try re-arranging airbed etc.
Repeat again in 2hours.
You need to learn the art of the en-suite empty plastic 3pint milk bottle with lid 😉
You just don't like putting your tent up!! Long Mynd proved that. Rich is with me so i'll have 2 bikes and stuff in there anyway plus your 5am wake up calls don't even come with a cup of tea.
Just strip your bike down, take your bits home and leave the boxy frame there.
IHN or a Comfort bottle, safer lid incase you roll over during the night 😉
[i]IHN or a Comfort bottle[/i]
I hope you mean my [i]idea[/i], rather than [i]me[/i] 😯
Yes the idea, not you. Eeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!
I'd be sleeping in the car, saves fannying about putting tent up and tbh I never sleep well on first night camping anyway.
I hope you mean my idea, rather than me
Why? I'm a kind, considerate yet powerful lover.
Don't light a BBQ, then bring it into the vehicle for added warmth will you? will you? 😯
I read about that bloke - post race event. Still sad thinking about it.
last summer the company van died on me. it would cut out whenever you gave it some gas... not good on alpine roads! i ended up using the bosses Sharan for a week.
worked really well. i removed all but one of the rear seats. had my bike and gear in there plus another 9 suitcases during the day. drop luggage off and goa nd find a spot to park up. in fact sleeping in there was better than in some of the vans since not all the seats fold flat in the vans. i've got a sheet of ply that i cut to lay across the seats if that is the case.
really like the convenience of parking up and sleeping without having to faff around with pitching a tent. hence my planned purchase.
Take a tent….
[img] 
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I think I slept around 100 nights in my Volvo estate. It folded completely flat and was far far comfier than a tent in most situations. Bit of a faff getting everything onto the front seats but in fact no more difficult than it is now with the T5 (though we do have 2 kids now).
It was really really good, so much more handy than a blasted tent and so much quicker. Didn't have bikes with us much at the time though.
As whatsitsname says, if you open the tailgate a bit then it ventilates without the rain being able to come in.
The light polution wasn't a problem, just stick a t shirt over the eyes when sleeping.
It was somewhat precarious kneeling down trying to piss out of the back door without overbalancing and falling in a puddle...
I used to regularly sleep in the back of my Citroen Dyane in Cornwall for skate / surf trips. I can't remember ever being that cold since.
As whatsitsname says, if you open the tailgate a bit then it ventilates without the rain being able to come in.
A simple block of wood (or shoe)
The light polution wasn't a problem, just stick a t shirt over the eyes when sleeping.
As soon as it gets light- I'm awake at home. Its a throwbackto when hora junior used to wake up at 5.00am sharp. So no probs 😀
I can't remember ever being that cold since.
A few of those comments- must be in part the extra condensation coupled with air temp to create a mini 'fridge'. I guess put something thick and blanketty under the sleeping bag AND thick duvet.
Slept in the back of a Toyota previa, seats folded flat-ish, with a mate for 4 nights in mid scotlandshire, in September. Used cardboard cut to slot in the windows to block the light. Was cosy, but did the job.
What you really need is one of [url= http://www.swissroombox.com/index.html ]these[/url]
Dunno what the Picasso's like, but I modified my boot lock's mechanism with some string so I could unlock the tailgate from inside the car.
[i]As whatsitsname says, if you open the tailgate a bit then it ventilates without the rain being able to come in.[/i]
Oi, that's Mr Whatsitsname to you.
Stop over in ours all the time and now use it for our normal camping sleeping accomodation. Every time I do I put the money I've saved over Hostels/B&B's towards something to make it a little comfier.
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tinted-Car-Window-Wind-Rain-Deflectors-Fits-Citroen-Xsara-Picasso-1999-on-Pair-/231147290556?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Model%3AXsara+Picasso&hash=item35d173bfbc ]Wind deflectors[/url] so you can open the front windows a little without worrying about the rain to deal with the moisture.
[url= http://thecaravanwarehouse.co.uk/ShowDetails.asp?id=489 ]Caravan Bed[/url] and cut down an old memory foam mattress. Cut the bed legs down to a height that gets you below the windows but still allows for storage under the bed. Our MPV has a 4ft loadspace so we have 2 side by side for when we both go away. Great for overnight drives on the continent as we take it in turns to get a good sleep. Leave the UK late evening and be ready to ride in the Alps or south of France by mid morning.
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Correx-Corrugated-Plastic-Sign-3mm-Fluted-Sheet-600-x-1200mm-Pack-of-8-New-/181315299874?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a373bea22 ]Corrugated plastic sheets[/url] in black cut with tabs to fit behind trim and a few mm larger than your windows so that they stay in place by friction around the edges to block out the light. One side benefit is that they just look like tinted windows unless you really look close but keep your bike and kit hidden when your in the pub/nip to the shops. Same as the cardboard trick above but more durable and way less obvious from the outside.
We've also added leisure battery, split charge, 240v hookup and charge. Cheap electric heater until we can afford an eberspacher. Dome tent awning for living space on multi night stays, plus the usual camping stoves and gear etc Eventula aim is to do a self build camper but this keeps getting delayed as we are more than happy with what we have atm.
Forgot about the 12v cooler for post ride refreshment.
what hora really needs to camp in a Picasso is one of these:
[url= http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/Motorhomes/Reviews/Motorhomes/East-Neuk-Picassette/_ch1_rw1250_pg1 ]Ow, my eyes![/url]
has anyone ever slept in their car in (fairly) extreme cold? -10 to -20c?
yes.... at least -10 on the Bernina Pass a few summer ago. fortunately i had both the sleeping bags with me, mine rated to -5, hers rated to -15.