Has anyone here gone car camping before? What are the pros and cons? It could save us on a tent, but I'm not sure what the protocol is, especially with camping sites.
You mean sleeping in the car instead of a tent? I've done it occasionally, when I'm just using the camp site as a "hotel" for a few hours sleep before hitting the road again. I've never seen a campground that requires you to pitch a tent...as long as you've paid the fee it's fine to sleep in your car. But usually my car is loaded with gear, so it's easier and more comfortable to just set up the tent. I think for most of us here, the term "car camping" usually refers to camping near the car, rather than backpacking or paddling into the backcountry a significant distance away from the car.
I have never camped in my car before. I feel like it would be too uncomfortable. I have heard of a few people doing this though. Just make sure your bring a lot of blankets for padding to lay down, so it doesn't get too uncomfortable.
Slept in a car a few times, especially during college days on weekend impromptu ski trips and it is not very comfortable. And those old 60 era chevies had big seats. Much more comfortable to stretch out along side of the car.
A truck, SUV or station wagon makes it more comfortable. Throw your air mat in the back and skip the tent. Check the rules before going if going to a campground. Some places require a tent or camper.
That's what a friend of ours suggested--putting the seats down and using an air mattress. It is kind of strange to me that there are rules for proper camping. To me, it shouldn't really matter, but it is what it is.
I've done camping in the back of a truck. I really actually enjoyed that quite a bit. Could sleep out under the stars but a bit up from the ground! I've never tried car camping, though. I'd be interested to hear how it goes for you.
I've slept in the back of a truck many a nights, and tried a SUV a time or two. Even had some trips were I've pitched a tent and couldn't sleep because of back pain, and wound up sleeping sitting reclined in the passenger seat of the vehicle just fine. Pros are quick set up time, just pull in and your almost done. Doesn't necessarily have to be in a designated campground, if you can find a place you feel comfortable parking, and it's legal. Have Heat and AC. Cons - stinky morning breath, moisture (in my experience the windows have had to stay cracked no matter the weather). Have to be careful if you run the engine too much, don't want to run out of gas or get carbon monoxide poisoning. They do make some tents that attach to the rear of a SUV or set up on back of a truck. With those I don't suppose you could run the engine any.
Strikes me as being very uncomfortable, since the seats are small. I don't think I'd do it unless I had to for emergency purposes. At least with a tent you can stretch out while in a car you are a little cramped.
I have done it a few times at trail heads and put ins when I get there late and/or there is no where to really set up a tent or hang a hammock. If I can set up a tent or hang then I normally will. Not the worse nights I have had. I have never seen a campgroud where a tent or camper is required, but not going to fight those that say they have (specially since I have never tried in an campgroud so never really looked into that rule).
I used to sleep in a 1965 VW bus. It was snug and comfortable.Some people still sleep in vans and station wagons. I often sleep in the back of my longbed pickup with a canopy on the back.
Speaking of sleeping in longbed pickup with canopy. I have seen a few kayakers that have set up their trucks this way. They have camper tops and have built in a sleeping shelf with plywood. So they are able to still store their gear in the buttom of the bed, then can still sleep uptop. They also make tents that are desinged to utilize both truck beds or SUV back hataches as part of the tent (just set up over them). I have also seen people who have used PVC and tarp to make their own. If you are parked their for the weekend they would be nice, but most would be a pain if you want to use your car at anypoint during the weekend. You would have to break camp then set back up.
I have never been camping in my car but I have seen people camp in their cars before on campsites. I don't think sleeping in my car would be too comfortable unless I'm stranded somewhere and I'm forced to. It would totally be a different story if I had a larger vehicle though, then maybe I would consider it.
I just can't get comfy in a car, but I've tried, especially after a long drive to the campsite with no willpower to set up a tent. It just doesn't work too well for me, and I end up with an achy neck.
The closest I ever came to car camping was a full size pickup truck with a cap. It had four sheets of sealed cell foam covering the bed and a carpet laid over this. At the rear on the passenger side, I had a small wood burning stove which was custom made for the task by a place called Ardmore Boatworks. The exhaust went through the side of the cap and there was a detachable chimney pipe that extended several feet above the top of the cap. The coldest weather I ever used it in was -20 degrees and it was 70 degrees inside. All of my gear went into a boat, also made at Ardmore Boatworks. It fit perfectly into the bed of the truck (8 feet 6 inches) so I could close the tailgate and cruise down the road. I used to cook by setting up a camp stove on the tailgate but if it rained there was a cooking surface on the top of the wood burner so you could do it inside. It was the best and most efficient camping system I ever had (15 years). I still have the stove.
I can't imagine camping in a car but I know people who do it! I think I would rather sleep out on a sleeping bag. Seems like a car would be really hard to sleep in.
