Has anyone out there ever had to camp out in their vehicle due to inclimate weather or no room at the inn? Will it cramp our style? 2 adults in an SUV?
Thanks

We were Red Cross Volunteers who had to sleep in our car until our next shift because the shelter was full.
It was so uncomfortable--it was only for a few hours, but I would never want to do that again. Do yourself a huge favor, make reservations in advance and enjoy a bed. Your trip should be relaxing, not feeling cramped with a sore back and stiff legs the next day.

Ah, youth! Many years ago, my then boyfriend and I went on a cross country trip. We were students and on a tight budget, so we mostly camped in state and national parks along the way.

At Glacier National Park, we found that, due to bears, tent camping had been prohibited in the campground we had driven to. So, we improvised by stretching out in the car in a parking lot near the campground. We were in a Saab, and you could fold down the backseat and really stretch out and get comfortable, believe it or not.

So, there we were, nearly asleep, or maybe not nearly asleep, come to think of it....when a park service ranger shined a flashlight in the car. He told us sleeping in your vehicle was prohibited in the parking lot and to move on. What to do, what to do, in the middle of the night?

We drove on to Many Glacier Lodge and found a beautiful parking lot full of cars. We found a space for the Saab in the midst of the cars and slept in the car there, instead. Of course, noone noticed us in the crowded lot.

So, the moral of the story is, if you do car camp, be sure you find a place where noone will notice you or care. Also, be sure you are in a place where you either keep your windows shut or can crack them without worrying about mosquitos. (If you want to get fancy you can buy screen material and tape it to your windows so you can open them.)

Just for one night, in our hippie, volkwagon bus days, on a last minute jaunt to Chicago (I think) for a science fiction convention. Four people, one VW, in some godforsaken lonely spot off the highway. I think I loved the idea of it more than the actuality. The convention was pretty good though!

I don't want to travel like that again but to be honest, I wish I still had some of that impetuous-ness in me.

I've camped out both because of severe rain and also due to being caught in an area with no hotel rooms available. One time I even was able to remove bicycle from back of car & leave it in the police station (E Bridgewater MA) so I could sleep in the back of the car where bike had been. I've also slept in the bed of a pickup and had no cap - both at the last stop on NJTP headed south and once in PA on I-81. Will it cramp your style? I don't know - what is your style??

our style? well, "cramp" was more of a play on words instead of "camp".
thanks, michelle

I guess it depends on how loaded with stuff the SUV is. If you can lie down in the back, it's not too bad. If both of you have to stay in the front seat - not so good.

I remember driving a VW Beetle to the jersey Shore when I was stationed in Bainbridge MD. My pal, who owned the car, declared that HE would have the back seat, while I would get the front seat, sharing space with the shift and steering wheel. I felt I got the better part of the deal, as I could hang my legs out the window, while he was pretzeled up in the back. I'd sleep on the ground before doing that again.

I have relatives who drive from Michigan to Florida each year and take a full sized van. They bring down their clothes on a pole etc. with them for a several week trip. They said they keep an inflatable air mattress i the back of the van and sleep in the van on the way down. Don't know where they stop or for how long though.

Long ago in a land far, far away...

We were on a camping trip and it started pouring and pouring rain and our tent blew over, so we shifted to the car and slept in the car. It was one of the most uncomfortable nights of "sleep" that I've ever had.

I love your question. It's kind of like "ever been young and penniless"? Haven't we all?
Two adults in an SUV sounds like four-star accomodations, compared to my husband and I spending more than one night in our two separate VW bugs, with our Alaskan malamute! This was many years ago, when we were moving all our belongings from southern Cal. to Denver. We took the scenic route, but it poured rain every single blasted day and night. We couldn't even see the Grand Canyon for the deluge. Not a fun trip, but a funny memory!
If you can put the back seat down, then you'd have some room to relatively stretch out in the SUV. It wouldn't be the worst Plan B in the world, if you have soft and warm bedding.

Two adults in an SUV provided you can stretch out is probably no worse than camping out in a tent, is it?

I often sleep in my van (some antique shows I do you can't find a motel nearby, or you're blocked by your tent and can't drive out). That's a safe environment, a la wagon train.

I take a self inflatable sleeping pad (Timberline I think) which folds into a roll, which is always in my vehicle. I truly do get a fantastic night's sleep -- no kidding. And I'm not young either. Forget the air mattresses; I've never had one yet that didn't wimp out in the middle of the night.

Showers can be had at a truck stop following your "night out." No suggestions of "safe places" to stop -- parks and campgrounds perhaps?

B/

I've camped out in the car before and as others have said, compared to tent camping it really isn't much different as long as you can stretch out all the way.

The thing to be concerned with is local laws if you are not planning on staying in developed campgrounds. If you are camping in developed campgrounds then no worries.

I remember having to sleep in the car in Iowa, in a rest area on a recently completed section of I-80 [1966]. We had a rented pop-up camper that my parents didn't want to risk damaging from heavy rain/wind. Every place we tried was full. So finally my Dad did like many others that night and pulled into the rest area. Three kids [7,10,16] had the back of the station wagon with mom and dad each taking a bench seat. Never so glad to get home the next day.

Funny you ask!

A week ago I arrived at Shenandoah NP late in the afternoon, planning to use the next few days for hiking. Weather.Com had said cold with a 20% chance of rain each day. The ranger at the entrance noted the chance for cold. When I pulled into the camp grounds it was beginning to rain, so I just decided to sleep in the car, a Mazda 323. Not much room, but I'm a person who can sleep just about anywhere.

I couldn't hear any rain coming down after 10 pm that night, so I figured I'd get in some good hiking the next day. When I awoke there was an inch of ice on the road, covered by three inches of snow which was still coming down. I got to the the lodge just as the roads were all being shut down. Being stuck in a mountain lodge due to snow is romantic when you're with your spouse; when you're alone it's not quite the same!

About fifteen years ago my wife and I both slept in our car (not terribly well) at Monument Valley when the wind whipping around our tent made it impossible to get any sleep. We awoke to the glory of Monument Valley, not a bad way to start a day!

We do it all the time, at times when we are on the road for for an extended period of time (3-6 weeks) we will crash a night or three in the vehicle. We travel in an extended full size van and we plan our packing to allow the "ZZ" time. With an SUV and just two people you should be able to do the same. I would suggest taking a back seat out, with only two you will not need them. If at all posssible take all the seats out except the front ones. This is what we do. We also camp in various parks the same way. Saves on pitching the tent if you are only going to be there a night or so and plan an early departure. Makes you appreciate a motel once you do this a few times but it will work.

Once. There is an annual family reunion in a cornfield in Wilmington, Ohio and since I didn't bring a tent, my two young sons and I slept in a tent with my parents. Except my dad SNORED SO LOUDLY that after what seemed like hours I climbed into the comfort of my Dodge Caravan and enjoyed a quiet restful (okay, there were seatbelts digging into me) night. How the hell have my parents stayed married 46 years?

Maried for 46 years. Most likely because they spent the night in a corn field, more than once??. Could it be you are a child of the corn? That is a beautiful area of Ohio, several nice state parks close by, at one time we lived in Gahanna, just to the north and east of Columbus.

Once on the way to Washington D.C. I planned to stay at a motel in Breezewood, PA. (the halfway point). I did not think we needed reservations. Well turned out we didn't. They tore down the motel a month before we got there. My friend took the passenger side folded down seat, and I folded down the back seat so I was half in the trunk and half in the back seat and to this day I don't know how I got a nights sleep out of that? Must have been really tired!

Used to do it often when we were in "traveling" mode. Would stop at a KOA for a safe location and hot shower in the morning. Unload coolers and stuff on picnic table for more room in vehicle. Favorite trip was in a 70's Monte Carlo. One would stretch out on the front seat, one on the back seat and got a good night's sleep and a hot ahower and an early start on the road.

Once TRIED to catch some sleep upon early arrival at the Grand Canyon in a fully loaded SUV. Not comfortable, and the ranger made us move from outside the locked park gates - even though there wasn't anywhere really to go.

LOVED car camping in Canada. Beautiful, free and safe roadside campsites.

ttt