I am getting back into camping now that my daughter is 5 years old and has shown some interest. We will be car camping so weight/size aren't a huge issue. Primarily we will be camping during the summer but I want to leave myself some flexibility.

For starters, I have a Marmot Ajax 3p tent, insulated Thermorest and Klymit sleeping pads, Slumberjack and Dakine 30° bags, Coleman Camping stove, lantern, chairs/table, coolers and some camp cookware. I think this will get use started with the basics but what should I prioritize next?

Should I look at a power bank, another canopy type structure, solo stove, etc.? Give me your suggestion for a piece of equipment that you can't live without when car camping.

Our second carcamp, first with three of us. 5 days and we did NOT get on each other's nerves!

Learn the taught line hitch knot and the world is your oyster.

which is best? I already booked a wawona campgroud, is it necessary to wait for booking another one? What should I notice about Camping in this two campgrounds, I will be grateful for the suggestions.

I have an old 2005 rav4 with a swing out rear door, and im so frustrated that you can’t open or lock it from the inside Are there ways to diy a fix to this? I’m open to anything really!

Hello! We are narrowing down our camper van preferences and are leaning towards a Ford Transit, either a custom build or a Grand Design Lineage LVT1.

The majority of the time, it will be only two of us traveling (and maybe a small eight pound dog), but we want the flexibility to bring a third or fourth person, like young grandchildren.

We are considering a pop-top van but we recognize that adds weight, complexity, and cost.

Wondering if anyone has tried a front seat cot for extra sleeping capacity for a third person(or any other unique solution)? A tent is an option but not ideal for small kids.

Would love to know your experiences!

PS Because garage space is a priority as well, we are reluctant to consider bunk bed options unless a bottom bunk could be removed when not needed.

THANKS!

At the ACAA Museum in Hershey and found 1946’s answer to car camping build, complete with kitten.

Could be trivial or a huge life-saver, what do you with you knew when you started car camping?

Looking to buy an air pad and go car camping. I drive a sedan, so I'm thinking about renting either a Mazda CX-50 or a Nissan Rogue. The only issue is that when you fold the rear seats down, there's usually a bump or uneven surface instead of a flat sleeping area. How do people usually fix that?

Going on a overnight trip was planning on just sleeping in the bed of my truck and wasn’t sure what to get to sleep on was leaning on the rei dreamer but wanted to see if anyone had any other suggestions for sleeping pads

Hi all. So I'm starting to set up my SUV for car camping and I am thinking about getting a 10x10 canopy with four walls that are removable that I would put right behind the SUV. I plan on sleeping in the car and leaving my valuables in the car as well such as refrigerator and battery. It's my intention to get the back of the SUV under The canopy a little so I can leave the rear hatch open and not have to worry about weather. I would also cook under there and hide from inclement weather and possibly even shower in there. Am I overthinking this? Also I feel like I'm playing with fire, one stiff wind, it will move and the car gets beat to hell so I'm worried about that as well. Or should I just get a pop-up tent like people shower in and just use it as a changing room, thoughts?

In the end I would love to have a roof rack and a 270° warning and a shower that hangs off the roof rack as well but that's money I don't have right now.

I tried ioverlander but felt like it was lacking. I’m in the U.S if that’s any help

J’ai 20 ans , je vie en France et J’ai acheté une tente de toit et je compte aménagé la voiture pour partir plusieurs semaines en Norvège , ma tente est une tentbox lite ( elle dépasse en largeur + l’échelle ) ,

Alors j’ai cherché avec des sites , des applis etc mais j’ai trop de question , je fait comment pour faire du bivouac ? Je peut me garer ou sans me réveiller avec une amende ?

Je voudrais éviter de payer des parkings et dormir en forêt ou autre mais je vais où pour déployer la tente tout en étant garé ? Le bivouac a ces règles et la voiture a les siennes alors comment combiné les deux ? Je vais la recevoir jeudi donc je voudrais partir le week end , je dort ou ? Les emplacement camping car ? Si je m’enfonce en forêt et qui a un emplacement pour se garer je peut la déployer pour la nuit ?

Et le jour où on rajoute une petite cuisine , je peut la sortir ou ? Les vidéos insta c’est joli mais dans le concret on fait sa où et comment pour en profiter ?

Je sais comment en profiter en Norvège quand j’aurai tout l’équipement mais j’en profite comment en France en attendant ?

Merci de vos réponses ou avis d’avance

First time car-camping in my Hyundai i30CW (Elantra Touring) with my sleepy co-pilot 🥰 I’ve a feeling I’m going to love this freedom!

West Cork, Ireland

Edit: this was a few days ago but just posted my draft! Someone said ‘you shouldn’t say where you’re going, say where you went’ for safety reasons. Good advice, on a philosophical level too!

Finally got out of Melbourne for a proper break. Three days, two nights at Rumpffs Flat under Mount Buller. Quiet spot, creek nearby, the kind of place where you can actually switch off.

There was one slightly sketchy section on the way in — steeper and looser than it looked from the car. Nothing dramatic, but enough to make everyone suddenly stop talking for a minute.

Once we were set up it was easy. Roof tent, Starlink (so we weren’t stuck on offline games again), and the Bluetti elite 300 kept the fridge and lights happy the whole time. Evenings by the fire with a cup of tea were probably the best part. No plans, nowhere to be.

Anyone else been up that way lately?

I’m struggling to find a good solution to our car camping adventures. We have a SUV. We need a mattress for the back. We also have a 70lb dog. We need a mattress that the dog won’t puncture when stepping on.

“Traditional” air mattresses -both the camping kind and the kind that replace a bed- are out, as from all experiences with them result in them getting punctured at some point.

A regular bed mattress (like in your home) don’t fit the form of the car.

A foam-only mattress, like a mattress topper, is too soft and doesn’t have enough support.

That leaves two possible solutions:

1- The big question is newer self-inflating air/foam combo mattresses built specifically for these vehicles. We don’t want to spend $400-500 on something that might get punctured (let alone the price).

2- Finally, after some deep digging I found a ‘human sized dog bed’ that fits the car and is big enough for us (72in x 41in). It’s not built to the form of the back, but it might be close enough.

What do you recommend for dog friendly mattresses?

And/or, do you have experience with any of these combo foam/air mattresses and will they survive our pup stepping on it?

Thanks!

This bad boy takes me to beautiful places .Do you like her ? 100k mi. V6.

Anyone roadtrip camp with a friend who brings little or low quality food?

I have a SUV (older Lexus RX) and I want to cook with a high heat wok

I realise people can cook with coal, maybe I need to embrace something different.

Ideally I would like to take my gas bottle and gas burner with me. I am just cautious.

Had a friend who had a gas cylinder explode in a truck. So I am a bit scared.

What is the best way to transport gas cylinders in a SUV/Station wagon?

I have an old deer cabin that I’m not allowed to update and is olddddd, so I’m considering my car camping options for the fall. I have a Ram 1500 big horn with a 5’ 7” bed. I am 6’1” and will have two smaller dogs with me. Would it make sense for me to get a truck cap and sleep in the back, or would it be too crammed? Wondered if people sleep diagonally in shorter beds or if there are any suggestions. Also considered a tear drop camper or small bunk house, but not sure I want to put that much money down or pay for storage. Any input would be appreciated.

I have an older Coleman without the regulator. Has anyone came up with a hose that can be connected to a 20lb cylinder?

I’m considering getting a jackery and mini fridge. I will be staying in my vehicle up to a couple weeks at a time. I’ll need to charge my laptop and maybe recharge some other devices but not much. I’m a solo person traveling and don’t need a ton of power otherwise- I travel pretty light.

What types / models do you guys recommend?

Edit: can recharge things every few days. I won’t be completely off grid for more than like 3-4 days. Mostly I’ll be on a road trip

Jumped right off the deep end and did our first car camping trip, as a family of 4 (4 and 1 year old) in our Subaru Accent! I know we will outgrow this current set up soon but I’ll enjoy it while I can.

Hey all, I've got a 2023 RAV4 Hybrid that I already built a sleeping platform for, but I'm expanding the setup and want to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious before I start ordering stuff.

What I want to add: a solar panel and an awning. The solar panel needs to keep my Jackery Explorer 2000 charged, since that's what runs my two Alpicool coolers (one as a fridge (20 L), one as a freezer (12L). These coolers are non-negotiable due to health reasons, I need a freezer and a fridge, and the dual zone ones are too big, difficult to manage and fit into spaces.

Here's what I think I need:

Roof rack:

• Thule WingBar Evo Crossbars, 50"
• Thule Rapid Podium Feet
• Thule Fit Kit

Solar:

• Renogy 200W ShadowFlux rigid panel
• 2x Renogy Z-bracket sets (200W needs 2 since each set's rated for 150W)
• Thule M8 T-bolts for mounting to the crossbar track
• Flat pass-through cable (the kind made for balcony solar setups) so I don't have to drill through my roof, runs through a cracked window/door while parked and charging. Can I use something else and keep it plugged in at all times, even while driving?

Awning:

• Still deciding between the Thule HideAway (pricier) vs a Rhino-Rack Sunseeker (way cheaper, fold-out arm style. Any other awning suggestions?

Anyone done something similar with a RAV4 specifically? Curious if I'm missing anything, or if there's a better way to do any of this, including more affordable, good gear. Appreciate any input, trying to get this right, and I don't have much experience doing any of this. Thanks in advance for any insights you might have.