Camping in my car?

[User76443998]

To cut a long story short….

My child will be away for a week in the summer on a music camp. My child wants to go but often struggles being away from home and there is a 50/50 chance I will need to visit during the week or take my child out for a night “off” midweek (I would book a local hotel for a night if this happens).

There is also the possibility that they will be fine and not need me!

I would LOVE a break while they are at camp. A night or two away by the sea. The camp is in Devon and I love Cornwall.

I don’t want to book anywhere because a) money is as tight as tight can be and b) I might need to cancel for the reasons above.

I know Cornwall really well. Is it crazy to think I could go down for a few nights and camp in my car? Just parking on quiet residential roads? There is a local leisure centre in the town I would stay in that I can use for showers and I’d be swimming in the sea every day anyway. THIS IS JUST FOR ME, I ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT CAR CAMP WITH MY CHILD.

Is it safe? I’d curl up on the back seat with a window open a crack and be covered with a duvet…

AIBU? I’m sure I’ll get some interesting replies. Off to sleep now so hope for some wisdom in the morning!

The campsites I know wouldn’t allow sleeping in a car (I have checked) and are expensive in the summer anyway. And the problem remains that if I can’t make it down I’d lose the money…

I’ve only slept in my car once when there was an accident and the road was closed so I had no option! But it was surprisingly ok and not too uncomfortable!

God forbid she doesn't look "fresh and lovely" 🙄. And your other concerns all boil down to, some random people, if they even notice, might be miffed. So what.

Do it OP. I would. I've slept in some mad places. Agree with others about blacking out the windows if possible. I wouldn't give a fuck if someone slept in their car outside my house, fwiw. I wish I lived in Cornwall (for many reasons), you'd be welcome to sleep on my drive!

Go for it.
Don't leave any rubbish behind. Pack WetOnes. Remember to lock your car.
Ideas of where to park ..
Inland church yards and cemetries often have a car park.
Sports ground.
Inland service station (sometimes have laundrette attached)
Remote surf beach car parks.
Supermarket car parks.
Near parks.
With permission of a farmer, parking near a dairy or barn. My parents welcomed stranger campers two or three times to their farm land.
In the grounds of a quiet pub, with permission.

There are plenty of pubs and places like that that do cheap over night parking in exchange for buying a meal etc. most adore toilet access to. There is a fb group for car campers and it’s worth having a look. Plenty of petite also camp with their kids. I don’t see why car camping is a no, a car is much more secure than a fabric tent if you park up in the right place.

I regularly sleep in my small van. It isn’t a camper van, just a van variant of a car. I often stay in pub car parks and outside churches (no one lives there!). 24 hr McDonald’s and supermarkets have toilets if you need a pee. Block the windows with sun blinds. Buy a windscreen sun cover. Just don’t draw attention to yourself. Park up late, leave early

I've done it. It makes me dehydrated for some reason, so I've made sure I had water and one of those hydrating face sprays. There are packs of gel that absorb 'toilet products' into a smell-free, solid block. You need a bucket, some bin liners and toilet roll. Worth having in case your brilliant plan to use toilet facilities lets you down.

I agree it makes more sense to park at a service station, all-night supermarket or some such, but it's more romantic to stay in a field or something. You're not booking in for the week, you're free to experiment with different locations!

A blow-up mattress is a good idea, or at least a roll of thick foam. Experiment with your particular vehicle to see what works for you. Just sleeping on the back seat's horrible, they aren't flat and make your back ache.

My friend & myself did a one night-slept in her car when we arrived at a holiday town too late to get a B&B, it was fine for a night & that was in her sports car.
Just one question-how will you charge your phone to be able to take a call if your DC needs collecting?

@Wonderlandpeony- I love true crime as well, but you can run into trouble anywhere in the world. I live near Olympic National park and I hike alone often. I'm always aware of my surroundings but I never feel unsafe. I'm more wary of running into a bear or mountain lion than a serial killer.

Many years ago, my then-H and I used to do this for a few nights here and there, just for a little break, quite often. We never slept in a residential area though,we'd park up off the beaten track somewhere, and never the same spot two nights running. I've considered doing it again now (and I'm 65), as I love the idea of just driving to wherever I fancy at a moments notice. I have no worries about safety, but these days my bladder isn't as iron clad as it once was, so that's a worry. But if you don't have that worry, then I'd say go for it. Make sure you get black out blinds, or even just sun blinds, for the windows though...

I've done this on occasion in Scotland as an alternative to tent camping if midges are bad. I put up blinds all around the back seat area, magnetic ones around the windows and then ones on a cord and a pole to block off light from front seats and boot space (my dog has the large boot space area) I also crack the back windows for fresh air and have midge nets over them and for extra darkness and privacy.

On one of the back seats I strap over a baby organiser system with multiple pockets for water, phone, toiletries, book etc so it is close to hand and I clip a car bin on a carabiner to the head rest of the other seat.

I've worked out I can leave a key in the ignition whilst locked within in to get some ventilation for a couple of hours before sleeping, (good for midges again in Scotland) and leave car interior lights on if I want to read/ watch a film on my tablet / charge any devices (but this is best done during the day when driving) I ran some maths on the car battery life to ensure it wouldn't go flat with this, so you'd probably want to do similar.

Got to say it worked very well for me curled up on the back seat (am pretty petite mind) and strangely my back pain even improved as I sleep awkwardly on my stomach when in a bed.

In Scotland I was able to choose spots completely out of the way from others and I used facilities on the road, some places have card operated showers now. It was an adventure!

I don’t understand the “people wouldn’t like it” posts. Unless the OP is parking on private property or the “people” are the police, why should she care?

I don’t think it’s appropriate on a residential street though fine in a rural lay-by. I couldn’t due to the toilet situation myself- can’t you find a cheap camp site and borrow a tiny tent? I paid £10 a night last year in Devon, only facilities were a toilet block and £1 for the shower.

This re small tent. Just ask someone.

Charge phone in car?

We have a tent. Heck, we have two tents! It’s more trying to avoid the campsite costs (not cheap in the summer)

Don’t park in a motorway service station. They fine you if you stay more than a couple of hours. I think you will be very hot rather than need a duvet.

I will make sure it’s charged during the day and I also have a power bank

I promise that won’t happen 😂😂😂

If you go on park4night it will tell you about lay-bys etc locally. I’m in Cornwall and can see quite a few local to me.
You just need to be prepared to move on if asked, leave no trace and make sure that you tell someone where you are going.
Get a whizzer camping loo (wee only!).

A post helped by AI is never going to make my heart leap with joy 🫣
I’m going to be away for a night or two. Not a week.
And as for “fresh and lovely” 😂😂😂 I’d look tired and a bit stressed if I’m called to get my child regardless of where I’ve slept. Also, I can brush my teeth and wash my face anywhere with a bottle of water (I won’t be spitting toothpaste anywhere antisocial, don’t worry!). I promise.

This is the 'toilet gel'. Comes in all kinds of packs, with & without extras.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GWPZ7SJ1/

You cannpay to overnight usedvto do it when travelling from Scotland to Cornwall.

Thank you so much for the helpful and encouraging posts. Some really brilliant advice.

Im not broke but I also don’t have loads and loads of spare money in the summer holidays and I know I can sleep fairly comfortably in my car. Tbh it’s also the sense of freedom and independence that appeals.

To be crystal clear, if I had a child with me car camping would never be plan A (but in an emergency they’d probably find it quite exciting!).

When we’re on holiday in Cornwall we’re often out and about from first thing until bedtime and obviously there are loos in most places I might go (cafes, the beach, galleries etc).

Im going to join the car camping groups and see what extra tips I can glean about safe locations…

I know this isn’t what you’re asking but have the organisers said they’d be ok with your taking your child out for a night & bringing her / him back the next day?

Or is that something you’re going to deal with when / if it happens?

Can you house sit or pet sit for someone? Stay in cheap accommodation -- university or church? Airbnb in one room of a farmhousr?

In my neighbourhood you would be taken for a new drug pusher, sex worker, homeless person, or someone fleeing violence. Some of us would be knocking at your window with tinned food and the council number, and others would be calling 101.

This is a dreadful idea. So quietly intrusive.

Yes, that would be fine. It’s happened before.