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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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We have a 25' travel trailer now, but when we used to camp, it was in a tent in campgrounds with pit toilets. Back in 1970 a friend and I did a 2-1/2 month road trip, 18,000 miles and 44 states. While we did stay with family or friends in some states, most nights were camping in my 1964 Buick Skylark sport wagon. He slept in the back with the back seat folded down, with all of our stuff. I slept in the front bench seat with a pillow against the armrest. We would park in any quiet spot with little traffic, and most of the time no one noticed or bothered us, We did get rousted by the cops about 5-6 times but they just told us to move on.
I haven't slept in a vehicle since the '80's but I'll stay at a state campground with a big tent, full cooler & rain tarp up over the picnic table and Coleman two burner stove. I usually had a canoe on top of my truck to go fishing in. these days I'll add a large cot with a good foam pad, so I sleep better.
I used to hike a couple miles in on a trail but "old bones" require less effort and more comfort.
The only time I have slept in the car was one night camping in the sierras and it got colder than expected in the tent. The car was warmer. However, unless you are short it’s very uncomfortable. I’m 5’7” and the back seat wasn’t long enough. Now if you have a station wagon it would be better. Still can’t imagine traveling like this unless you are young and broke with no other option.
I found at night there is a much larger chance of being disturbed especially at rest stops.
This reminds me of a horrific incident in New Mexico where a young guy traveling from out of state parked at a rest stop one night to sleep. He woke up to some other young guys knocking on his window asking if he had a cigarette. An argument developed and the young guy ended up shot in the head, dumped in the trunk of his car, and the car set on fire. A group of teens were eventually found guilty.
Sleeping in the car? No way. Did that in 2020 on a three day cross country trip to outrun COVID; I'm WAY too old for that noise.
To me, "car camping" does NOT mean sleeping in the car; it means using the car as your transportation from place to place, as opposed to "backpacking". "Car camping", as I and everyone in my generation always understood it, means "roll up to the campsite in your car, pitch your tent, lay out sleeping bags, and because you didn't have to carry it all on your back, you can have a vertical-sided tent, charcoal grille, lawn chairs, 5 gallon jug of drinking water, etc., etc." You might be towing and sleeping in a pop-up Coleman camper.
Typically on backpacking trips, we'd camp the first night at a supported campsite, and we'd have a nice dinner - steaks, cold beer, canned goods - and sleep in the big tent, sometimes even on cots - then in the morning, stow all that in the car and take off on foot. (I never went backpacking in serious bear country where they'll tear the doors off your car to get at the Baby Ruth wrapper left inside.)
"Sleeping in your car" is a totally different thing, reserved for emergencies, or cross-country get-there-as-fast-as-possible trips, or extreme penury.
True; sleeping or overnighting in your car in urban areas on a road trip in lieu of buying a hotel room is very different from CAMPING out of your car in the wilderness or LIVING in your car long-term. Perhaps the title is misworded (although that's what it's called on other forums), but it's too late to change it now.
Some states have outlawed car camping - TN comes to mind but I'm not sure.
I car-camped one night out of a five-day road trip a year or two ago and feel I saved enough money to account for all gas and food on the entire trip. I first stopped at a highway rest area, but became uncomfortable about some of the activity there and moved on to a truck stop. I inquired of the manager at the truck stop, who said it was fine to sleep in a particular area. I parked in the specified area, placed covers on the windows, and slept soundly all night. Other car campers and RVers also overnighted there. I bought breakfast and gas at the truck stop to show I was not freeloading.
I sleep in the bed of my truck often. Usually I'm waaaaay the hell out there hunting birds on BLM ground in NE Montana. Hours away from anything. I like to get up well before sunrise and be in the area I want hunt, and avoid the heat of the mid-day.
I assure you I'm not homeless, LOL. Some days I wish I were!
Car camping is "a thing." There are FB and Reddit pages and other message board forums discussing it. It's an economical way to travel domestically by car, especially if you're (as I am) single and alone. Above all, I'm frugal, and as I've been traveling more lately, I find myself frustrated at spending over $100 just to basically sleep at night, so have been exploring alternatives, and this is one of them. I used to dream of buying an RV; now I realize all I really need is my back seat!
I've actually done it three times now -- just experimentally -- on short trips, and have lived to tell the tale; even been satisfied with the experience.
Anyone else?
(I forgot to add "rest area," which is of course a popular one.)
What you are describing is minimalism or frugal traveling not camping. For my overnight trackdays I typically just sleep in the back of my SUV at the track. For my mountain bike trips I usually just find a dirt road in a natl park or natl forest, drive off the main highway a bit for some peace and quiet then find a spot.
Camping is not for frugal living but rather for reconnecting with nature and unplugging from devices and TV. For location I prefer the white mountains of AZ and NM or the NorCal (north of San Francisco) coast. My setup is just a 3man tent and bags, an old coleman burner plate for cooking and a few chairs.
Interesting thread from a regular poster. What's spawned this, OP? Some of your poll choices sound like they're referring to "homelessness". I don't know who else would car camp in a parking lot or on a city street by choice.
I have taken many "naps" in my car at rest areas, truck stops, or even supermarket parking lots during road trips but I wouldn't consider that camping. Just snoozing for a few hours because I'm too tired to drive.
When I car camp it's usually with a pickup truck somewhere out in the wilderness, either national forest or BLM land, with no amenities. I choose to car camp for security reasons, mostly because I'm afraid of bears or the weather looks bad, so I'll sleep in the back of the truck.
Boondockers camp in those type of places. I follow several groups on Facebook and they talk about many places you can stay for free. They travel all over the country like that.
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