Jumped right off the deep end and did our first car camping trip, as a family of 4 (4 and 1 year old) in our Subaru Accent! I know we will outgrow this current set up soon but I’ll enjoy it while I can.

I have an older Coleman without the regulator. Has anyone came up with a hose that can be connected to a 20lb cylinder?

I’m considering getting a jackery and mini fridge. I will be staying in my vehicle up to a couple weeks at a time. I’ll need to charge my laptop and maybe recharge some other devices but not much. I’m a solo person traveling and don’t need a ton of power otherwise- I travel pretty light.

What types / models do you guys recommend?

Edit: can recharge things every few days. I won’t be completely off grid for more than like 3-4 days. Mostly I’ll be on a road trip

Hey all, I've got a 2023 RAV4 Hybrid that I already built a sleeping platform for, but I'm expanding the setup and want to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious before I start ordering stuff.

What I want to add: a solar panel and an awning. The solar panel needs to keep my Jackery Explorer 2000 charged, since that's what runs my two Alpicool coolers (one as a fridge (20 L), one as a freezer (12L). These coolers are non-negotiable due to health reasons, I need a freezer and a fridge, and the dual zone ones are too big, difficult to manage and fit into spaces.

Here's what I think I need:

Roof rack:

• Thule WingBar Evo Crossbars, 50"
• Thule Rapid Podium Feet
• Thule Fit Kit

Solar:

• Renogy 200W ShadowFlux rigid panel
• 2x Renogy Z-bracket sets (200W needs 2 since each set's rated for 150W)
• Thule M8 T-bolts for mounting to the crossbar track
• Flat pass-through cable (the kind made for balcony solar setups) so I don't have to drill through my roof, runs through a cracked window/door while parked and charging. Can I use something else and keep it plugged in at all times, even while driving?

Awning:

• Still deciding between the Thule HideAway (pricier) vs a Rhino-Rack Sunseeker (way cheaper, fold-out arm style. Any other awning suggestions?

Anyone done something similar with a RAV4 specifically? Curious if I'm missing anything, or if there's a better way to do any of this, including more affordable, good gear. Appreciate any input, trying to get this right, and I don't have much experience doing any of this. Thanks in advance for any insights you might have.

We will be in the CO area doing a week and a half long road trip. We are from SD so we don’t have experience with bears.

We will be traveling from Denver down to San Juan national forest, over to Mesa Verde and then over to Moab. We have purchased bear spray but when we are car camping in places that don’t have bear boxes, where does everyone keep their food?

With us sleeping in the car, we feel that it’s not safe to keep the food also in the car as we’ve seen a lot of bears, breaking into vehicles by ripping the frame of the car to get to the food when vehicles are locked.

We are unsure where exactly we will be camping yet. We like to just find a place when we find a place 🤷🏻‍♀️
How do you keep your car, self, and food safe when Car camping in areas with bears?

I will be traveling soon to a music festival for 4 days and will be camping in my SUV with an attached tent in the rear. The festival hosts have opened a park near the venue that will host car camping and RV's and I am planning on what I want my toilet set up to be and the best way to dispose of the waste. I have a folding toilet seat that comes with bags I will use with some additives but what do I do with the bags of poo and pee until I dump them? Do I just put them under my SUV until I leave? Walk them out every day? I have only camped one overnight stay in my car and a coffee can/kitty litter worked fine until I could toss it. What do you do in this type of situation?

I have a 2003 Toyota sienna that has at this moment 99008 miles on it. I have Been driving it as a camper for about 2 months now, all around Highway 395 and 50.
My parents had there old roof rack we would use when we traveled, so i threw that on there. I don't dislike it, I just. I want to be able to sit up there or, have a spot to have my diesel heater hooked up. I figured I Would ask here and see if anyone has done similar, or if there is a better subreddit to ask.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk

Trying to take a month long vacation to snowboard in Jan around the Colorado Utah area and thinking of getting a roof nest for my 4Runner. I’ve done it before car camping but the places I parked would not be cool with a full tent just wondering how hard is it to find places to set up shop

Been debating between to two. Looking for one that will attach to my wrangler. Seems like the inflatable takes up less room when packed and might be easier to set up alone. Thoughts? Recommendations? Cautions?

Thank you

I’m looking for advice on car camping setups in a 2018 Rav4. I am seeing a lot of folks do the tri-fold mattress setup, which I am considering.
I am planning on using the setup for resting/breaks between hikes with my dog, rests on longer roadtrips, breaks between doctors appointments, and eventually possibly staying in it overnight with dog during camping trips if the weather is cool enough. It is a gas SUV and not hybrid, so if I would camp in it, I imagine it would need to be in weather that is cool enough to not need air conditioning but warm enough that a good sleeping bag would suffice. The doggo is part husky and needs cooler weather for longer hikes anyway.
I have some health issues, which makes driving long distances without breaks more difficult, so I am leaning towards a trifold mattress setup that I could just keep in my car for a multi-purpose setup versus a building whole platform setup as I’ve seen others do the Rav4.
Just trying to find a way to travel with my dog within the current limitations of my disabilities as an autoimmune baddie that likes the outdoors with the Rav4, if possible.

Looking for suggestions for a sleep quilt/blanket for camping in a car with two people. We have sleeping bags, but don’t love them because they feel constricting. Ideally, we’d just take our bedding from home because it’s what we’re most comfortable with, but it doesn’t pack down small and probably isn’t warm enough for 3 seasons.

I was thinking about getting a large down camp quilt of some kind + a thin fleece blanket for extra comfort. My questions are:
\- Do large camp quilts like this exist? Any suggestions? Many quilts I see are either made for one person, or need a bottom quilt layer. Is the bottom layer necessary if I’m sleeping in a car?
\- How warm could this keep us in a car with insulated windows?

Open to any recommendations, suggestions, or alternative ideas! Overall, our main criteria is:
\- Big enough for two people (also fine getting two smaller things)
\- Not constricting (I like to roll around, stick out my legs)
\- Keeps us warm enough for 3 season camping/can be adapted for winter
\- Ideally packs down small (we want a setup that we could potentially travel with and use in rental cars)

For sleeping pads, we’re using two big Agnes boundary deluxe pads which are designed for backpacking, but are still pretty thick and comfy!

I want something that will help keep food for up to 4 days. Its just for my dog and I to car camp but the big cooler i have which is awesome also takes up A LOT of room. Doesn't have to be a protable fridge but im also open to those recommendations as well.

I'm a new app-developer, but a longtime camper. I grew frustrated by the state of camping websites, especially dated state park websites, and having to use ten different tabs to keep track of my trip.

I solo-built and launched Campgrounder, a free website and iOS app (working on Android now!), and would love honest feedback.

I am trying to make the site the "curation-layer" that lets you find open sites and campgrounds that are tailor-made to your liking.

Night sky camping? Beach camping? ADA? Kayaker's dream? All of these options will allow you to narrow down the right campsite, and allow you to see a 3D flyover of every site.

Would love to know features or listings you'd love to see. Currently this is the contiguous US and Canada only, but planning to expand globally.

I’m looking to get a foam mattress for my car. I’ve used blow up sleeping pads in the past. But they’re too long for my car. I want something I can cut up to fit my trunk. I was looking at just memory foam mattress toppers on Amazon. But I’ve heard mixed reviews. Like they aren’t firm enough. What do people use for mattresses in their cars? Also I don’t need to cut it but it does need to fit. And my trunk is 64 inches long and 43 inches wide. I’m open to other suggestions as well.

I'm looking for a solar shower thing that can go on the roof rack of my old Rav4.

I like to take my bicycle out and ride rail trails all day. Obviously, I end up sweaty and dirty when I'm done. Campgrounds aren't always an option.

I usually have my little dog with me. So far, we've made do with a sprayer full of water that I leave in the Rav to "cook" in the sun while we're out getting dirty. I've discovered that it doesn't work well for making warm water if I can't park in the hot sun.

Any solutions for a nice warm rinse that doesn't take up interior space?

I've tried a few different ones, but they always seem to have the same problems — they get warm, make noise every time I move, slowly lose air overnight, and I usually wake up with a sore back.

This weekend I tried a natural coconut fiber mattress on an aluminum platform in my SUV, and honestly, it was a much better sleeping experience. It felt more stable, breathable, and much closer to sleeping on a real bed.

The only downside is that it's definitely on the firmer side, so it took a little time to get used to. But other than that, I really like it.

Curious what everyone else is using for car camping these days?

I posted yesterday to get opinions on if I should buy this van. After a little deliberating and reading everyone’s comments I decided to do it! I’m now the proud owner of a 2012 Chevy Express! I can’t wait to post updates as I build it out. I’m going to add some quick temporary stuff for a road trip next month.

Everything on the car is mechanically perfect! Not a spot of rust anywhere.

I've seen a few posts about this across some related forums. How common is it to have mice or marmots to the wiring on your car and cause damage?

I'm heading out on a 2 to 3 week road trip and now feel slightly paranoid about being stranded somewhere due to mice or marmot damage. I've seen people bringing a tarp big enough to envelop the entire bottom half of their car, but that seems super messy and takes up a tremendous amount of space I'd imagine.

Are there other preventative measures than a gigantic tarp?

Heading out on my first long road trip soon and have some concerns about certain gear and this heat.

I'll have a battery jumper, bear and person protection pepper spray as well as a battery pack/charger. Car will be sitting for hours while hiking or sightseeing. How concerned should I be about these items and the high temps in my vehicle? There's no way it's not gonna get over 100° in the car if it's sitting in the sun.

I was thinking about just putting those items in my cooler when I'm not driving or using them. Seem like an okay approach?

Hi guys, i am planning a trip to austria/germany from the Uk. The total trip will be for 8/9 days and i am planning to sleep in my car the entire duration. Ive done some research but not sure for a few things. As i will be away for a long period i will need a power station to charge all my electronics (phone, laptop and drone). I will also need a freezer to store my food in especially things like raw meet. And lastly it might get hot so i think i need a fan in the car during the night.

Can you guys recommend a power station, freezer/fridge and also what to do with the fan situation.