Hello, I'm new here, so hope I haven't posted this in the wrong place.
Has anyone tried car camping? My husband and I only need to sleep out for one or two nights occasionally, so don't want to think about a campervan or a tent just yet. How practical is it to put a couple of mattresses in the car on top of storage boxes, for example? We could add an awning perhaps for sitting out and eating. Still mulling things over, but any thoughts would be welcome
The only difference in my opinion between a campervan and a van with tent camping gear thrown in the back is that tent camping gear is screwed down in a campervan
So, in my opinion again, if you want to live and sleep in your car, why not? Some campsites might not allow it although I have seen people living out of an ordinary van on one campsite. Whether or not the campsite realised they were sleeping in the van rather than in the pup tent they had thrown up next to it I don't know.
If you are camping rough and not booking into a campsite then of course you will need a porta-loo and privacy to use it, plenty of water etc. I know one person who seems to float around in his car but usually ends up at a campsite somewhere with a small tent for a shower and fresh water.
When car camping you will find that you might annoy other campers by car doors & boot opening & shutting all the time.I had one at the side of me in a small tent, all there stuff in the car,7oclock in a morning isnt funny, opening and shutting the boot and doors,I got up and watched,Boot opened tooth paste, shut boot, Then come back boot open tooth brush, It went on, God told them just to leave the doors and boot open!!
------------- Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!
Thanks for the reply
I have bought a porta-loo and will buy a little privacy tent too we can pop up to change in. The only thing I don't want to skimp on is a comfortable mattress, so any thoughts on brands would be good.
Before we got a campervan we sometimes slept in our estate car in motorway services in France after a late crossing. We just used our normal self inflating mattresses covered with a duvet, another over the top. Not ideal as we had no curtains, but the services were full of people doing the same. Perfectly comfortable otherwise.
We've got a Peugeot partner tepee which has room on a flat floor in the back for a 6' x 4' mattress. In theory, it could take a raised wooden floor, say 1' high, for the mattress leaving room under for your kit. The floor could fold in 3 sections and fit in the boot.
At the risk of sounding like the "we lived in a shoe" sketch, first OH and I used to car camp - we slept on the front seats with the seat backs flat, in various quiet car parks. Boy it was uncomfortable, I was seized up for much of the morning. Zero marital relations for a fortnight... The hardest tent floor was more comfy and better for the relationship.
We got chatting to a couple with the Berlingo set up as described by Nawer. We very nearly went down the same route ourselves, but then got the campervan. If you have the same type of bedding as in a tent, you sleep well enough. But like I always joke to people, you have to be good friends to share a bed in a 'van.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: camping in a car
