Sleep in a Van or S.U.V in campgrounds

[RoadTripper Brad]

You could pick up a cheap tent at Walmart or Target for 2 people if you prefer.

We are only 2 with 2 X-travel bags + 2 backpacks. All that stuff goes on front seats.

The choice of sleeping into the car is because we'll fly from France, so we can't bring tent...

Regards
Flo

[PNW Judy]

While I'm not a big Wal-Mart fan, you can't beat their prices. You could easily purchase a tent, sleeping bags, inexpensive foam sleeping pads, and pillows for around $100 total.

Unless you're doing camping in severe weather conditions, you don't need to pay much for a tent. My current tent was bought from Sears for about $25. I've been using it for 6-7 years for 3-season camping. It works just as good as the $300 REI tent we bought in the 1980s that went after about 6-7 years of use and appears to be sturdier. Go figure.

I didn't think about the fact you would be using a rental. You probably won't be able to put up the velcro and fashion curtains then. Unless you want people peeking in on you and to be awoken at the crack of dawn by the sunrise, I would go with the tent. I can set up camp by myself in about 7-8 minutes. As a team, it should really be a snap. Takedown takes a bit longer. Maybe 12-15 minutes. I'm not sure if it's just because I move slower in the morning until I've indulged in lots of caffeine or because it takes longer to told that tent to fit back in the bag than it does to take it out. :-)

[996TURBO]

Rental vehicle is not really a problem with velcro, i think i can stick them on glasses and clean it after easily.

Ok i must admit, sleeping into the car is an excuse for renting a S.U.V.

Thanks to all for you advices.
Regards
Flo

[RoadTripper Brad]

You might have a bit of a problem with the velcro. The adhesives can be tricky, and aren't always easy to clean off. It might be cheaper all around to rent a smaller, fuel efficient car and a inexpensive set of camping gear. The gas alone will hurt (about $3 a gallon in most places in the US.)

I would recommend not renting the SUV if you really don't need it.

Rental vehicle is not really a problem with velcro, i think i can stick them on glasses and clean it after easily.

Ok i must admit, sleeping into the car is an excuse for renting a S.U.V.

Thanks to all for you advices.
Regards
Flo

[PNW Judy]

You might have a bit of a problem with the velcro. The adhesives can be tricky, and aren't always easy to clean off.

I have used solvents on it and still had to use a razor blade to get the excess off. Even after it loses its stickiness, it tends to leave a residue that is really hard to get off.

It might be cheaper all around to rent a smaller, fuel efficient car and a inexpensive set of camping gear. The gas alone will hurt (about $3 a gallon in most places in the US.)

I would recommend not renting the SUV if you really don't need it.

It's more like $3.25 here right now. $3.50 if you need premium. Yikes! The $100 spent on inexpensive camping gear at a Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Sears, etc. would be saved many times over in gas on a long roadtrip. Unless my math is really off (always a possibility), if one rented a car getting 10 more miles per gallon than an SUV gets, in only about 300 miles of driving, you've paid for the camping gear. Anything over that would be a bonus.

[NickF829]

this may sound dumb, but from my experiences sleeping in my yukon, it gets real stuffy real quick, but w/ windows down in the summer you'll have a bug issue. quick and easy solution..

buy a cheap roll of Screen Door material at homedepot when you goto pick up the velcro, then buy 20-25 or so small but powerful magnets (about quarter - halfdollar sized), and a pair of cheap scissors. cut the screen in sections big enough to cover the entire opening of the window, place the screen over the window opening, use 4-8 magnets on top of the screen to hold the corners and centers in place, you now have bugscreens for all 4 windows for less than 10$, this way the windows can be all the way down and no bugs get in, at least minimal bugs get in. and every morning you can remove the screens and magnets in less than a minute or two, and resuse it the next night, and not leave anything permanent on the vehicle for rental company to fuss at

[Mark Sedenquist]

this may sound dumb, but from my experiences sleeping in my yukon, it gets real stuffy real quick, but w/ windows down in the summer you'll have a bug issue.

Good solution.

Mark

[996TURBO]

this may sound dumb, but from my experiences sleeping in my yukon, it gets real stuffy real quick, but w/ windows down in the summer you'll have a bug issue. quick and easy solution..

buy a cheap roll of Screen Door material at homedepot when you goto pick up the velcro, then buy 20-25 or so small but powerful magnets (about quarter - halfdollar sized), and a pair of cheap scissors. cut the screen in sections big enough to cover the entire opening of the window, place the screen over the window opening, use 4-8 magnets on top of the screen to hold the corners and centers in place, you now have bugscreens for all 4 windows for less than 10$, this way the windows can be all the way down and no bugs get in, at least minimal bugs get in. and every morning you can remove the screens and magnets in less than a minute or two, and resuse it the next night, and not leave anything permanent on the vehicle for rental company to fuss at

Hi NickF829, many thanks for this tip. May you give me how you proceed for shade and curtains...
Best Regards
Flo

[NickF829]

no problem. but i've never really had a need for curtains or anything. usually i goto sleep late and wake up early. im sure you could bring along 2 sheets, put the corner of 1 sheet in the very front of the front door jam, and the corner of the same sheet in the very rear of the "Hatch" jam, and close them both, pinning them in place and that will be enough to at least block some light and peepers from looking in at night, then just do the same on both sides of the vehicle... the front window you can use a simple sunshade, the rear window you could drape a towel or another sheet in front of and close in the hatch-jam as well... just an idea, never really tried it. usually i have nothing to hide, and i find i like to know whats happening outside in case anyone is trying to mess with stuff i might have out of the vehicle

[Quebec Gen]

For the front and back windshields, I usually use a sunblocking shade they sell in every Wal-Mart. In my experience, the best way to make curtains for the side windows is to put wrapping paper in thesaid windows, use a pencil to draw the shapes of the windows to make a pattern. I put X's on the spots where I want to put something to make the curtains stick. I used to put velcros but like Judy pointed, they tend to leave sticky spots even if you clean them very well. I now use suction cups. You can buy dark material and suction cups anywhere and go to a tailor with your patterns if you're as mediocre as me with a sewing machine!;o)

Of course, this implies that you actually have access to the car/truck prior to your departure because every make has a different window shape. If this seems to complicated for you, you can still buy baby sun blocking shades to put in your windows but it won't be as efficient.

Plus, if you travel during the summer and want to leave the windows open, it probably won't work. The velcro could still work if you design larger curatins and put the velcro on the material a few inches higher than your window but then you've got to find a way to remove the velcro sticky stains. You also can buy a camping fan that works with batteries for about 20$ to avoid suffocating.

Happy designing!:o)
Gen