Car Camping: A Different Way to Rest on the Road

The urge to pack up for a cross-country road trip and explore all the weird and wacky places you stumble upon hits almost all of us at some point in our lives. Itineraries are made and budgets are formed, but often the biggest roadblock, especially on open-ended trips, is finding a place to sleep. Motels dot the highways but can devour a budget with fluctuating prices and last-minute leverage over road-weary travelers. Motels can suddenly start eating up tons of money you didn’t plan for. Even traditional camping has become costly, as many popular parks require passes that cost as much as a motel, with many requiring advance booking as well. To battle these budget busting uncertainties, many people have turned to in-car camping to keep on the trail for longer.

Different from just pulling over and reclining your driver’s seat, car camping is the outfitting of trucks, vans, and station wagons with bedding areas atop a truck sleeping platform that create a stable, comfortable place to rest no matter where travels lead. With a little pre-planning and mapping, campers can identify RV and truck stops that allow overnight parking before the trip, as well as stores with parking lots that do the same. Pulling in and going to bed in the back of your vehicle effectively eliminates the cost of sleep and shelter every night while still giving you a good night’s rest.

These homemade sleep-support platforms are usually outfitted with compartments or drawers to efficiently stash gear beneath the bed area so you don’t lost out on storage. Some people put down a basic camping mat or closed-cell pads to catch some shut eye, while others use a bunk mattress or design their own foam mattress. When not in use, these mats can usually be rolled up to access storage compartments as well. If you have the tools and talent to create one of these in-car sleeping platforms, you can get the best rest you’ve ever had on a trip.