Camping in an SUV

[XelaM]

Ok, I know this sounds a bit weird, but we don't own a caravan as we don't really go camping, but I would love to try camping for a long/short weekend and I have seen online that people do manage to camp in their SUVs. We have a Toyota RAV4 and could definitely fit some kind of a mattress inside the boot/back seats. But is do any caravan sites in the UK allow camping in a car/SUV? Would it be totally embarrassing and would we be asked to leave? Has anyone done this and could recommend anywhere to ho where we wouldn't be looked like as total weirdos? 👀 It's only me, my 13-year-old and our dog.

I have thought about that but once the jackerey battery pack has been run down, how do you charge it again unless you buy a solar panel which isn't stealth. Unless you have access to mains electricity, it will end up being a very expensive empty large box in your car. A car battery gets recharged every time you drive it. I only use the three prong plug for low wattage devices like my heated throw. You can't use anything over 300 watts with that inverter I have. So forget a kettle.or hairdryer 🤣

If I'm worried about my car battery I take my car for a half hour drive.

Please tell me if I'm missing something but that's my reason for not having a £800 jackerey.

You charge it from the 12v socket of the car.

So you have the Power Station in the boot, connected to the 12v socket and it's charging all the time you're driving about. When you stop for the night you use the Power Station battery for your devices.

It all depends how serious you want to get about it. I wouldn't spend more than £200-£300 on a Power Station unless you're doing this very regularly. But it's the peace of mind that the engine is going to start in the morning because you haven't been using the engine battery to power devices overnight.

As you mention a kettle, boiling water for a brew is always better done with a small gas stove.

Ahhhhh yes! That makes sense and is helpful ☺️ if u can charge it that is a game changer 👍

What I did with my blanket was did some test runs at home to see how long I could keep it on for without emptying the car battery. I found I cud have it on 4 hours and no problem starting the car, so that gave me confidence when I was away overnight, that I was safe!

But I agree a decent power pack that can be recharged at more reasonable price is something that is definitely a good idea. Thank you 😊👌

This thread was too good to be forgotten.

Can I ask @Winnipeg23 or anyone else what you do to prevent condensation when car camping in cold weather?

Also you mentioned that you use a stove to make coffee. Is that a gas stove ? Is it safe to use a gas stove in a car? Where to you put it whilst it's brewing in the car if there's a mattress in the back? Front seats? Floor ?

Thanks

So firstly the condensation issue. I never had a problem or even noticed condensation...and I actually car camped last year in -10 degrees a couple of nights 🤣 well i think I never noticed condensation because firstly all my windows were completely covered and sealed with insulated covers and taped round the seal bits. So if there was C I wouldn't have seen it. Secondly you are actually only in there, tucked away for maybe 7 hours while Ur sleeping..then the car is opened up and air is circulating as per normal. I don't think u get damp and mould in 7 hours? I may be wrong. But the window covers etc just lift off after I'm finished car camping, andncar returns to normal, so yeah no issue there.

Sleeping in cars is cold and lacks ventilation so usually ends up uncomfortably damp and stuffy (can’t imagine it with the dog in there too!) and can be very noisy if it’s raining/windy … tents have lovely ventilation & therefore often end up warmer, and definitely less noisy! I’d only sleep in my car if I absolutely had to (yes, I’ve done it before) - tents are much more comfortable for me!

Thanks

@Winnipeg23

Did you use a gas stove in the car or outside?

No I definitely don't use gas stove in the car. Way too dangerous on so many levels.
I normally just go to McDonald's for a coffee and pour it into my Starbucks travel cup. Less hassle. But if I'm using the stove I pop open my boot in a place where nobody can see in, and put the stove on the car floor and boil the kettle, fill up my travel cup etc. But to be honest, I use the stove less than I used to because its difficult to find a discrete place and I don't want people watching me.
Having said that if I use the car on holiday with my husband and we go away for a while, I've made a removable parcel shelf at the back, which I will lift out and use as a table. My plastic storage boxes will act as legs. I'll put on a picture if u want 🤣
I'm just making it up as I go along. But just been away for an overnight and I do love it. So comfy. And the person that said, cars are freezing at night, well honestly it just depends how u set it up. I'm so toasty and comfy. I love it. Really restful to get away from it all and no hassle.

Oh yes re heat. My window covers are all superinsulated. And the bulkhead thing is very insulated too. Plus in winter I put a low pile rug down and shove insulation into the space beside the spare wheel...u know that bit under the car floor. So everything to keep cold out. Then before I get tucked in for the night, I blast the car heater so the place is ridiculously hot. And everything is toasty toasty..I jump out the front and into the back and lock myself in. Don't leave any doors open longer than they need to be.
And it stays warm for hours. You just got to work out where the heat will exit and work against that happening.
Hope that makes sense. It's all a bit of fun and an adventure.

Thank you @Winnipeg23

I'm going to do this!
I had a trial run in my suv, put down a foam mat and spent 5 hours in the car relaxing and had my dinner there too.
It was surprisingly warm inside without any heating considering it was 9 degrees outside.

I was just wondering if you to tend to stay in car parks or camp sites or just parked on the side of the road. It's increasingly difficult to find car parks that are free overnight.

If I stayed on a camp site I may invest in an electric hookup cable and run an electric blanket off it in the coldest months. Would you be allowed / would it be safe to run an electric blower heater inside whilst you slept?

Also what's type of insulated curtains window covers did you make and do they attach well to the windows without light leaking in?

Please do post any pics if you can!

Thank you

Firstly I normally park in a big supermarket car park. Quite a lot around where I am and go, don't have any time restrictions. And I have access to a toilet as well as snacks🤣 and there are people around...and cameras ... So I think all that makes me feel safer. Or because I am totally stealth, no light shines out at all, I might park in a residential street ..but I don't want to be spotted, so u don't want nosey residents curtain twitching 🤣

Now re fans and blowers ... Definitely dangerous i wud say and why wud u need a fan blower? You have one inbuilt in the car. Just drive the car round on full heated blast until it's a veritable sauna. Then make sure all the insulation is done in Ur car so heat is trapped. And have lots of duvets throws pillows and blankets. Honestly I'm always cold in normal life, but I never am in the car because of my heated blanket. Another person mentioned a jackary thing to plug blanket into and that's a good idea. I have a live 12v socket in boot so I don't need a jackary.

I'll take a pic of my window covers and post. Give me 2 mins.

One of my side window covers. Made of that silver insulation roll stuff with polystyrene sheet inside and covered jn black tape (so it looks black on the outside)
I don't have any curtains. Just polystyrene boards, cut to size, covered in insulation etc
Oh yes and a pic of mattress I use. I think a foam thing might not be comfy enough for me . But all that is personal taste. I want a home from home.

This one was missing! I because that are made with flexible polystyrene they pop in and out. Before a trip I tape round the edges with duct tape so no light is showing though.

Hope that helps. Any more questions just ask😊

Thanks so much for that @Winnipeg23

(Sorry for the delay in posting, my life is an utter nightmare - I'm trying to get out of an abusive marriage.)

I had some more questions but feel free to ignore me if I get annoying!

Your window covers - how do you attach them to the windows? Do they just squash in and stay there and not fall out?

Can you give any tips on what you use for the bulkhead curtain behind the front seats? Is it also insulated? How do you attach it so no light leaks in or out around it?

Thank you

So sorry to hear about what you are escaping and absolutely no problem at all to answer those questions.

Re window covers...yes they do squash in. My car came with Volvo sunshield things in the back windows ..and they bend and pop in, so I used them as my template. And then I made the side window covers out of b and q polystyrene sheets. I left a lip around the edge so it inserted nicely in and then added the insulation to the rest of it. Maybe get a bit of cardboard from the side of a box and experiment with it. There is room between the window and inside the seal.

My whole thing was just an experiment and I kept what worked.

Now the bulkhead is more complicated to explain 🤣 why I haven't talked much about it. But I have got it sorted and it works a treat. A lot of fiddling about and adding bits and bobs to get it perfect but can be done. I'll take some pics to start with and post them here later today. Give u a visual. And I seal any cracks with duck tape. Give the tape a spray of sprayglue I'll show u. And stick it to the car. Just peels off when u finished and remove any mess with WD40. My car is 2010 so it's not a show piece. It's a very loved workhorse 🤣

Definitely invest in a heated blanket. Ill post a brilliant one that I use all the time.

I might make a video and post on you tube because it will be impossible to explain...it's really simple once you see it.

Take care of yourself and I hope you have got someone somewhere to go to if u escape...don't just live in your car💖

I'll get on it a bit later 👍

This is intriguing. I made my window blinds with suckers on, like the ones you buy commercially. But they're not light tight around the edges. I love the sound of the pop in/ out ones. I think the only edge mine might have is that I lined them on the inside with vintage fabric.

Looks cosy and very elegant with the vintage material

Thanks so much @Winnipeg23

Would love more pics etc to see how to do it . X

Suckers are a good idea! You can seal the light gap with duck tape. But it kinna has to stay all sealed the whole time ur car camping. Not practical to do every night 😝
I buy duck tape cheap from b &m. Then spray the tape on the sticky bit with some spray glue and stick it on over the gap. Any residue comes off with WD40 when Ur dismantling the whole thing at the end of Ur trip.

Loving the vintage touch!

I'm also thinking of doing this. Does anyone know if you have to keep windows slightly open for oxygen if you're sleeping all night in the car?

Nah...cars aren't hermetically sealed!

They have ventilation and extraction vents designed into them. Obviously, they work better when the car is moving but you won’t suffocate in a stationary car either.

Thank you!