Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Truck Camping

posted in: Accommodations, Travel Tips | 20

People make funny faces when we tell them we sleep in our truck.  To clear up the confusion, here’s everything you ever wanted to know about truck camping (or ‘tramping’ as my wife likes to call it), including why we do it.

Truck camping is simply camping inside your vehicle instead of in a tent, be it a pickup truck with a topper or a simple SUV like ours.  I’ve heard of plenty of people who car camp as well.  Usually, they just sleep in the back seat or drop the back seats flat if in a hatchback style car.  While car camping could work, it would be very cramped with more than one person.

A quick search for the term truck camping will show you examples of people who completely trick out their vehicles for truck camping.  I’m a firm believer in the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle and so I haven’t modified anything.  We still use our SUV as a primary vehicle and only camp in it a few nights a year so it doesn’t make sense to do too much.  That and I’m lazy.

Truck Camping 101 – The Why

My interest in truck camping began when I was trying to figure out how to long-term travel the U.S. affordably.  Staying in hotels every night would add up to some serious cash.  After considering all of the options available including camping trailers, Class A and B motorhomes, and pop-up campers, I determined the best option would be to buy a large van and put a bed in the back to turn it into a makeshift camper.

It would allow us to have a vehicle that’s easy to drive and that could be parked anywhere while giving us the option of camping when hotels were not affordable or readily available.  The only problem is that we do not currently own a van, and since we’re not traveling long-term at this time, it doesn’t make financial sense to buy one… yet.

Ideal Camper Van
This is my dream camping vehicle. It’s easy to maneuver, gets decent gas mileage, and has all the basic amenities.  Being able to haul it’s own matching scooter is just a bonus!

Determined to have the camping option available to us, I dropped the back seats down on the old Hyundai Santa Fe and laid in the back. As long as I moved the front seats forward, I found that I could lay flat with my legs fully extended.  It became obvious that, until we purchased a van, our little SUV was going to be my viable alternative.

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Truck Camping Essentials

I considered all the possible obstacles: What if it is hot or cold out?  How do I let fresh air in without letting bugs or rain in?  If we’re sleeping in the back, where do we put all of our stuff?  What kind of bedding could we use?  And most difficult of all, how would I get Angela to agree to it?

Fresh Air, Rain and Bugs

Two bodies in a vehicle can get pretty warm when the windows are fully closed.  If it’s already warm out, the added heat will make it too hot to sleep in.  Two people breathing creates lots of moisture as well.  If you’ve ever napped or made out with someone in your car when it’s not running, you may have noticed the windows fogging up.  The only way around this is to let fresh air in by having a window open, even if it’s just an inch.  The problem is that an inch is a lot when it’s raining, and it’s enough to let bugs of all sizes in as well.

I was able to solve these problems by adding a few things to our vehicle.  I started with an Auto Vent Shade.  This allows us to leave the windows cracked without worrying about rain getting in, and also has the added benefit of keeping the car cooler when parked on hot days, since it allows the hot air to escape the vehicle.  The windows look fully closed because the vent shade hides the fact that they are open at the top.  Bugs don’t seem to find their way in with the windows cracked, but if you’re particularly worried about mosquitos or spiders, you can’t go wrong with a Window Bug Screen.

Hot and Cold Temps

Hot and cold issues are something that the modern camping trailer has eliminated.  Tent and truck campers still have to deal with this.  I like colder temperatures as I’m a naturally warm person, and it’s always easy to add layers to stay warm if necessary.  Being cold is less common when camping, because many campgrounds that are located where you have true winter weather only have an open season from spring to fall, eliminating the coldest months of the year.

That being said, we always have a down comforter that we sleep on top of for additional padding, which can be used as a very warm cover if it gets too cold.  I’ve already pointed out that having two people generating body heat in an enclosed space keeps the inside temperature quite a bit warmer than the outside as it is.  All this to say that between residual engine heat, body heat, and a warm comforter, you are much more likely to be hot than cold.

Let me begin by saying that if the temperature at night is forecast to be really warm, I wouldn’t plan on camping in a tent or a truck.  I can’t sleep when it’s hot out and I’m pretty much guaranteeing a night of torture for myself if I attempt it.  If it’s going to be hot, I’m going to plan on having air conditioning and staying in a hotel.  That being said, if the low temperature for the night is between 35 and 75, I’m good to go.

Even temps in upper 60s can feel slightly warm to me when sleeping in the truck, however, and for those times I bring a DC Powered Fan.  I simply plug the fan into my Jump Starter with Built in Compressor , which can power the fan for two nights straight without being recharged.  The fan keeps me cool, while providing the white noise I like to fall asleep to.  It also eliminates what little outside noise is left, since being in the truck blocks out most of it.  The noise I’m referring to is usually occurring on the weekends when most people are staying up late to party or when you are at a campground within earshot of a major highway.

Interior while truck camping
Here’s the interior view looking towards the back of our Hyundai Santa Fe. You can see the Jump Starter by my feet on the right.  It is charging our phones and running the DC powered fan.

The Jump Starter with Built in Compressor is extremely useful to have in your vehicle at all times.  I not only use it to run my fan, but I also use it as a light when camping, to fill up my bicycle tires at home and on the road, and to charge our cell phones when the truck is not running.  It also works as another power source to jump your own vehicle battery should it die on you.

Amazingly, if you plug the jump starter into one of the DC outlets in the vehicle while driving, it will be back to fully charged in just 15 minutes.  Since we are usually driving around during the day, I can count on a fully charged jump-start battery to power us through another night of fan running, cell phone charging bliss.

Managing all this Stuff with so Little Room

With the back seat down for sleeping, there’s not much room for extra stuff.  We keep the bikes on a hitch rack bike carrier, so that keeps them out of the vehicle, but what about our clothes, cooler and folding beach chairs?  When we initially set up camp, we slide the front seats fully forward.  Then we move our backpacks containing our clothes and put those in the front seats.  The folding chairs come out and are put near the campfire.

We use a smaller cooler that fits behind the front seat and we are able to keep it there, although we have to slide it forward after the front seats are moved forward in order to get the back seats down all the way.  Now that everything is moved to the front seats, we can then drop the back seats down and pull the padding and sleeping bags up from the back of the vehicle.  It really just takes a few minutes to set up.

The next morning, after we have showered and are ready to leave, we just throw our pillows to the back, roll the padding and sleeping bags towards the back, and lift the back seats to their upright position.  Then we put the chairs, if we bothered to bring them, in the back and throw the backpacks onto the back seats where they originally were.  I slide the cooler and front seats back to their regular positions and we are ready to drive off.  Easy!

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Camping in our Santa Fe
Truck Camping in the Santa Fe with the bicycles. The tinted rear windows provide added privacy.

The Negatives

I don’t want this to sound like the perfect solution for everyone.  It’s not.  If you hate camping, you should just stop reading now.  For anyone else who has tent camped before, this is certainly an option for you if you can overcome the negatives.

Camping isn’t Free

I remember camping for under $10 a night as a kid.  It seems like most campgrounds average around $25 a night these days.  There are some that are cheaper, but then they may not provide showers or flushing toilets.  There are also many that cost more, but usually you’ll be getting more for your money with very nice bathrooms and swimming pools.

While we haven’t done this, I’ve known people who have spent the night in rest areas or Walmart parking lots.  This may make your night free, but it isn’t camping, and I need a shower to start my day, which neither of these options provide.  They might not be a bad choice if you have a trailer and are just trying to put as many miles behind you as possible on your way to your planned destination, but it’s less than ideal for truck camping.  My wife points out there is a high probability that people would mistake you for being homeless if you decided to truck camp in a Walmart parking lot.

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Bathrooms

Most of the restrooms we’ve used have been well maintained and clean.  Now that seemingly 90% of all campers use trailers and RVs, fewer people seem to use the provided facilities in favor of using their own.  This is good news for truck campers.  The showers and sinks are vacant most of the time, and my memories of waiting in line to access them no longer prove true.

While bathrooms are readily available, they’re still not always clean, and it remains inconvenient to have to bring everything with you from your campsite to the bathroom when showering in the morning.  It’s definitely one of the biggest downsides of truck camping, or regular tent camping for that matter.  Getting up to use the restroom in the middle of the night is also an inconvenience, made easier by the fact that I just leave flip-flops outside the door so I can slide my feet into them and walk to the restrooms when I inevitably have to go.

Sleeping

Even though I’ve got foam padding under the sleeping bags and a comforter to sleep on, it’s still not as good as a real bed. (Update: we now use a trifold mattress which is as comfortable as a bed. Read our review about the mattress here.)  I don’t use an air mattress because our SUV isn’t large and I’m not willing to give up the headroom that using one would require, although it would certainly be more comfortable for those will full size SUVs or pickup trucks.  Bringing a familiar pillow helps immensely whether camping or staying at a hotel, and I recommend it.  I can’t promise you’ll get a good night’s sleep on the first night, but you’ll be snoring away by the second, even if it’s just because of your lack of sleep on the first night!

Three’s a Crowd

Unless the third person is a small child, two is the most you’ll comfortably fit in the back of your vehicle.  This isn’t really a good option for larger families.

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The Positives

There are many positives to truck camping, aside from spending more time in nature and enjoying smores by a camp fire.

Angela Collecting Firewood
Angela collecting firewood for the night. We truck camped alongside some friends of ours who have a larger SUV than we do.

It Beats Tent Camping

When compared with tent camping, truck camping has many advantages.  One night we arrived at a campsite while it was raining and windy.  Tent camping would have required us to position a light to see, so we could try to find a level and relatively high spot on the ground to set up a tent to avoid waking up in a puddle.  We would have been drenched after setting up a tent in the rain, and the wind would have made that an even more difficult process.  Instead of this nonsense, we stepped out of the truck and had it set up for sleeping in minutes.

The lighting was already provided by the interior lights in the truck.  The inside remained dry.  There are no worries of animals trying to get in your sleeping area.  You’re off the ground so you don’t have to worry about sleeping on a rock, or setting up in a low or uneven spot.  You’re protected from rain, hail and high winds.  The vehicle keeps out most noises compared to a tent, and ultimately set up and take down are much faster when truck camping.

The only time I think tent camping might be better is if you plan to stay put at one place for a few days or more.  This means that you set up just once, and can take the vehicle out during the day without undoing your sleeping arrangement.  If you have a large enough tent, you can stand in it to change, which you certainly can’t do in a vehicle.   Tent camping also allows you to pack your vehicle to the gills with camping equipment, which is something you can’t afford to do if you plan on sleeping in it.  Since we’re usually on the move, most of these benefits are lost on us.

Inexpensive Compared to Hotels

This one really didn’t need to be pointed out, but camping is definitely cheaper than staying in hotels.  I like to use the money we’ve saved on dinner and drinks later in the day.

Increased Flexibility when Traveling

Unless you’re traveling in a really popular area, there is almost always a tent or ‘primitive’ site available.  Since you’re just staying in your vehicle and wanting access to the bathrooms and showers, you might be able to negotiate staying in an overflow parking lot if the campground is full.  If that doesn’t work, a quick check on the cell phone should let you know if there is a hotel with vacancies in the area. For shorter trips within a days drive of home, we don’t bother reserving lodging anywhere.  This lets us change our plans at the last second, based on what we’re doing and how the weather holds up.




It’s what the Cool Kids are Doing

We were truck camping this past weekend and just two sites down from us was a new BMW X5.  I noticed they didn’t have a tent and they were sitting by their campfire enjoying a few drinks. Since I don’t see many car or truck campers, I assumed they simply hadn’t set up their tent yet.  Imagine my surprise when we arrived later that night from our bike ride to see that they were laying inside the back of their BMW, reading to the glow of their vehicle’s dome light.

We like Truck Camping

Camp fire while truck camping
Enjoying the fire after a day of exploring. Love me some truck camping!

The first time I suggested to Angela that we’d be sleeping in our SUV on a long weekend exploring Michigan, she was very hesitant and skeptical.  I convinced her to give it a shot by saying that if she didn’t like it, she could just say the word and I’d book hotel stays for the remainder of the trip.  We made it through all four nights and actually enjoyed staying in the different campgrounds.

I have one particularly fond memory of us drinking wine around the campfire on our last night during that trip.  The fire was crackling as we sat under the light of a full moon.  I leaned into Angela’s ear, and in my most romantic voice I whispered, “We just saved $300.”

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Have you camped in a vehicle before? Let us know about your experience in the comments below.

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Truck Camping

20 Responses

  1. Mick C.

    That was a good article! I just need to find a truck or van to sleep two adults and two kids.

  2. James Bergman

    I will second that truck camping beats out tent camping for comfort and convenience. Mostly when it is raining outside. It is one of the reasons I have a truck cap. It means that all I have to do is put a mattress or foam pad down and go to sleep. It is one of my favorite ways to get out for a weekend.

    • Dang Travelers

      Hello James. You’re setup sounds perfect. We already owned the Santa Fe which isn’t the ideal vehicle for truck camping, but it works. With a cap you’ve got plenty of space to sleep and store your stuff. We’ve considered a pickup/cap combo like yours as an option for the future, although we’re currently leaning towards a large van for our next vehicle.

  3. John from LifetimeTrek.com

    Great article! I built a truck camper with a leer camper top in the bed of my truck. I built an independent electrical system and it works great. It feels like a home on the road.

    • Dang Travelers

      Your setup sounds pretty sweet. We will check out your site. We just bought a minivan and are turning it into our camper for the next few years. Working on it this weekend actually. Safe travels!

  4. Drazen

    I car camped many times in my Jeep Liberty. You can make it very comfy without any permanent changes to the car. Most important thing is that the car’s boot is FLAT when you fold the back seats down. Avoid cars that have a ridge or raised surface over back seats. That’s a major problem. Second most important thing – black out the windows. I just used some regular black window blinds, cut them to match the windows and glued some velcro dots around the edge of all the windows. Being able to sleep longer is a big bonus, and also privacy is total. Third most important thing is to get a roof box. You will be able to bring much more gear and it can really help with space management. Other amenities you can try are 12v pet showers – excellent for cleaning yourself up in the morning, but obviously you need to be in a secluded place. My major reason for car camping is that I hate regular camps. I want to go where I want to go. During summer my wife and I drive along the coast, find a non paved road, drive a bit into wilderness and just set up camp where ever we like. It’s really a great experience. P.s. Make sure to park in shaded areas during summer!

    • Dang Travelers

      Great tips Drazen! Sounds like you guys know how to make it happen! I love it. We are in the process of converting a minivan into a camper (just about to announce it on the blog actually). We’ve installed a fridge, microwave, electrical unit, blackout boards but still have some more work to do. We are hoping to do the same things as you and your wife with just pulling over for the night. We will be buying a shower and makeshift toilet too. Thanks for the great input!

  5. François

    Hi,

    Alternatively, is it possible to lay down the front seats to sleep in it?

    thank you very much 🙂

  6. Millie Hue

    I totally agree when you said that truck camping is much cheaper, and I like that you mentioned that we will also be using the extra money on great food than paying for the hotel. This information just made me want to do this activity with my boyfriend more. We have planned to celebrate our anniversary this way since we wanted to gaze at the stars and start a bonfire. However, we still needed some items such as camper covers and tops. Thanks for the information!

  7. Useful Tips to Make Your Truck Camping Trip Awesome! - Dye Autos

    […] Truck camping is simply camping inside your vehicle instead of in a tent, be it a pickup truck with a topper or a simple SUV. Some people prefer roof top tents or pickup truck and canopy combos, but it all stems from your truck as the place you sleep. […]

  8. Steele Honda

    Thanks for detailing what to know about truck camping. I appreciate that you mentioned that it allows you to have a vehicle that’s easy to drive and that could be parked anywhere while giving you the option of camping when hotels were not affordable or readily available. My husband and I are thinking about going truck camping more so I think it would be smart to invest in a camper shell so that we can make sure we’re comfortable when we do.

  9. Den

    Hello from Grand Haven, Michigan! This is why we placed an order for a Tesla Cybertruck!

  10. beverly minyard

    I like that you mentioned how flexible truck camping is especially if it is a short trip! My parents have recently taken up truck camping on the weekends because they love going on vacation but both work full-time jobs. Truck camping has been an awesome balance for them to be able to easily get out on the weekends.

  11. Maurice Woodmansee

    Save your car battery. Buy 2,4 or a dozen Dollar Tree LED , push on/ push off lights and velcro them at points in your van for convenient bright lighting. The AA batteries seem to run these lights a long time.

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