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!

Do it, but make sure you can defend yourself if need be. When I was a younger woman I would often wild camp alone, sometimes in the woods just outside a town.

I put the back seats down and slept in a hospital car park one night. We live miles from A&E and relative was being seen. I was falling asleep and there were no seats in the waiting room.

Roger Deakin, the writer who wrote the wonderful Waterlogged, used to camp out in his car regularly on his journeys around the UK. He used to take an old parachute with him too and use it as a sun shade.

I think it sounds rather wonderful, though I’m not sure where I’d feel safer, on a residential street with people walking by or parked on a verge somewhere in the middle of nowhere, which is probably statistically safer but perhaps feels less so.

Could you bivouac? Sophie Pavelle (another great nature writer) does it regularly, and seems safe enough. i’ve done it as a teenager and great fun, though not sure I’d love it now. Or, as you own a tent and are just wanting to avoid campsite costs, wild camp? It’s legal on some moors - Dartmoor certainly which is always a great experience.

I remember when I was quite young, driving down to the South of France with my family and we slept in the car on the way. Wonderful fun - though, being 6 or something I was genuinely rather worried we’d be eaten by wolves (not that that did anything except add to the excitement). We weren’t eaten by wolves though one night we stopped to camp by a lake, opened a window and were instantly covered in midgies and dashed away fast to find somewhere else. Think my parents only just about coped with the journey but I loved it.

Yes do it! What an adventure. I’ve done it years ago. Go for it

I've seen plenty of people do this, both in the UK and the US.
Really it is only viable if you park in the car park of somewhere that has toilet that is open most of the time (a Macdonald's for example)really a residential street is not viable unless you are willing to risk using bushes as a toilet. A car park near a wooded area is also a possubilty. It's not strictly legal , so you can be asked to move on.
The more pertinent questions are- why is your child going on a music camp when money is so tight, especially as they are sometimes too anxious to be away from home.
Save the money for the music camp and the car camping and work on your child's anxiety, they are of an age where going away from home for a few nights should not be a problem.

This is something you need to work out for sure. The car camping pages will have info but check your cars manual for details of how to lock it and turn off the alarm.

Also make sure that if you’re leaving your boot open you’re not draining the battery with the automatic light. You can use a carbiner to hold the boot down while leaving a gap for fresh air but do check that the lights aren’t on.

Do you know anyone in the area you could stay with. Some holiday places don't allow this from what I have heard I do not think you would be safe to be truthful. Is there a caravan site nearby that would be much safer.

I've done very similar a couple of times in a much smaller car than yours. It was ok (ish). Right now, I'd do almost anything for a solo early morning swim in the sea in Devon or Cornwall at the moment. So good luck, and have fun.

Or a camping ground were they have toilets and showers

If you want to do it, then just go for it. It will be an adventure. Why not.

Don't faff with window coverings. An eye mask and some ear plugs are all you need. You'll be up at 5 and on the beach - amazing. And probably knowing Cornwall you will meet some really nice people.

I don’t have a partner and I won’t lose my phone.

@Laurmolonlabe
”Save the money for the music camp and the car camping and work on your child's anxiety, they are of an age where going away from home for a few nights should not be a problem.”

I wonder if you can see how patronising your post is. I sincerely hope you don’t work with children and have blanket expectations of people based solely on their age. Not sure I even mentioned how old my child is 🫣🫣

Thank you. Wise words indeed xx

I haven't read the full thread so this may have been posted already, sorry!

Aldi have a car airbed going on sale on Thursday for 19.99. https://www.aldipresscentre.co.uk/product-news/aldis-latest-specialbuy-range-transforms-cars-into-campervans/

Good luck, have an amazing time.

I did it some years ago in wales. The Park4night app is useful. Just use children’s sun blinds and have a great time!

I think it sounds like fun. If you know you can sleep reasonably well in the back and you’re not averse to 5am starts with the light then go for it. I personally wouldn’t recommend putting towels or covers over the windows, because residents who are used to (and annoyed by) people car camping will spot you from a mile off and call the police to move you on. Use vinyl to make the rear windows black-out.
Also, in terms of the car alarm I don’t imagine you can turn many off but you can leave the car unlocked and then use rope or bungee cord to thread through both door handles either side of the car and then tie it tight in the middle (or stick a padlock on for extra secure) so neither door can open until you untie it. Use all black sheets & pillow cover in the back and you’ll likely be fine.

Firstly, just want to say I completely understand your reasons for wanting to be nearby for your child, as well as wanting to try and enjoy yourself and have some peace!
Secondly, I don't see the huge issue with camping in your car for a few nights, apart from toileting, but you seem far more confident with your bladder and bowels than I am with mine, so clearly not an issue for you 😂
What I would suggest, as clearly I'm in the minority of people not being horrified at the thought of someone spending a few nights in a car, is to post on local Facebook groups and ask if anyone has somewhere you could park up. You'll open yourself up to the same sort of criticism as here, but I can almost guarantee there will be at least one nice person who will let you use their drive/parking space.

A lot of supermarkets near me have 2-3 hour time limits. Many years ago though we left the car in a supermarket car park (with no restrictions) and got a bus to the nearby airport leaving it for a few days!

This has to be one of Mumsnet's usual wind-ups. Who would sleep on their own in their car in a car park with blacked out windows, unlocked and tied across the handles with rope...where's the fun in that?

The sunshades would work as blackout blinds for the windscreen too.

Have a look on those car camping facebook groups mentioned. They will also be able to advise about alarms and suggest places to park. Also black out / cover solutions for the windows (velcro?) There are loads of women on the groups who solo car camp. I would go for it if you have a strong bladder but my biggest problem would be needing a wee in the night! You can get bags to pee in with crystals in and I have used them in the tent when my son was little but I am not sure I could manage it without standing up! Enjoy your trip :)

It's sounds great fun and good plan. I knew posting on mn you'd get loads of naysayers. I know an app that shows good locations for this type of thing but I won't post it here. Send me a dm and let me know so I can check it worked.
You'd probably be better off in a public beach/woodland/nature reserve car park for the quiet side of things. No one will know or care. Definitely second the turning alarm off. Then you can sleep inside car and have it locked. Mine let's you choose to turn inside alarm off and keep outside alarm on. Not slept in car just used when taking my adventurous cat places. 😂

There is a car camping group on FB, people can be quite helpful on there

I don't understand why you don't just book campsite anyway? Why would you have to cancel? I can't remember anywhere I couldnt cancel if needed without losing money and anyway even if music camp gets cancelled you could both go on holiday couldn't you?

@User76443998 there is a car park in Tintagel town and one in Hartland - you can camp overnight and there are public loos.
there are lots of Campervans and vans in summer.