Sleeping in Truck vs. Tent? (1 Viewer)

[AppleTech]

Whenever I see people camping out here in the desert, I see them set up a tent and sleep out in the cold and wind all night and I think to myself... why not just crash in the 80?

If you put the seats up, there is room for two people side by side in sleeping bags... is there a reason why people don't camp IN their trucks?

Granted, I have only gone camping once, but I'm getting back into it and think i could save money by sleeping in the truck... what is the reason to want to sleep in a tent?

-Phil

 

[lx450landcruiser]

i dont know about you but with my seats up (unless your a midget) theres not enough room to sleep in the back. if you remove the middle row completely theres enough room for people under 6 feet. or if you have a platform but not with the seats up
'

 

[D'Animal]

Condensation in the morning can be a pain to deal with.

 

[charleston]

My 80 sleeps two very comfortably! I have built a rear drawer system that is the same height as the mid seats when folded down. I then blow up the queen air mattress and slide it in and it fits perfectly. Get some screens and either tape them or use magnets to secure them to the sliders and your set. There are pictures of it here https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/209816-new-cargo-drawers-my-first-mod.html#post3118475

 

[mkfour]

I sleep in the back all the time on shorter trips of 1-2 nights. Any longer than that then I set up a base camp style tent with a cot and other stuff. If the middle and rear rows are removed, a couple can fit in there as long as they aren't obese or are under 5'9" or so. The length is about 6 feet, but you need a little wiggle room. I open the window a little bit when I sleep in the back. No condensation problems so far.

 

[photogod]

I'm 6'-2" and have plenty of room. Move the front seats up a couple inches and you have plenty of room. I have a full length storage system with no second row seats.

 

[Skillet]

Moving all of my crap-o-la in and out of my rig and leaving it on the ground would not be cool. Not to mention, it could get ripped off.


Plus, my Engel resides on one side of my drawer system.


RTT, baby.

 

[High Desert]

I'm with Skillet and D'animal..
Condensation, even in the desert makes a mess outta the windows and even the sleeping bag. If it happens to rain or snow and you crack a window..more h20 in the rig.

And I already load and unload to many times..with a modern quick pitch tent I just sleep in the lee of the rig and leave all my stuff locked up...save your coins and go RTT..sleep ON the rig not IN it..

 

[mabrodis]

Sleeping in the vehicle is great I think. Only issue is having to move a bunch of stuff either outside or cram the front seats to the ceiling...I've never had an issue with condensation, just left a few windows open maybe an inch, also just leave the sunroof open a bit, which works fine around here...since it never rains.. One of my buddies only sleeps in his 4runner when we go camping (not backpacking obviously)...everyone else was out in tents getting pounded by rain and hail...he was in the 4runner watching Simpsons episodes on his laptop...it was awesome!

 

[sprocket3]

I have done it close to 10 times and had no trouble. Even the wife and i did it a few times in the 80. I'm 6'3" and can make it work with no middle or 3rd row seats. I need to move the front seat all the way forward though.

Crack some windows and tape screens over them if there are bug problems in your area. The only problem is moving the stuff around to make room in my opinion.

I'm finishing up a rear storage system that will allow everything to be underneath and i'll sleep on top so i don't have to pile it all up on one side or leave it out at night. I think it's great if you are on the move and not going to spend a long time in one place. A few times i just pulled off on a dirt road and got in back for the night, then get up and go in the morning.

 

[webelk6]

Me my two boys and myself in the middle fit just fine in my former fj62

 

[619TOY]

I sleep in my rig almost exclusively. I have two very good tents but they are usually more work than they're worth. As far as unloading everything - I unload everything anyway, no wasted effort there. I will say that merely folding the center seats forward isn't a viable option though - either take out all of rear seats or build a platform as metioned earlier. I'm 6'2" and sleep in complete comfort in the rig. I'm not worried about somebody stealing anything either - I have a couple of light sleeping companions

 

[Brentbba]

I sleep in the truck if it's just one night. Two nights - I'll pitch a tent. I built a drawer extension to Jeff Kaufman's excellent drawer system ( not near his quality work), but functional. It gives me a sleeping area 76" long (rear of drivers seat to hatch glass) and about 3' wide. Just perfect for my 5'11".

Much better on cold and especially windy nights than a tent. Just ask Cruiserdrew's son about windy nights in a tent vs in a truck!

 

[bluto]

I sleep in the truck and dont see myself ever sleeping in a tent outside.
Primary reason are the elements - rain, wind, snow, bears, mtn lions, and etc.
Second - I snore VERY loud. Totally uncool when other people are around me.

If I ever get a fridge, I should still have room for my medium build 5'6" frame.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Sleeping in your rig is okay in the desert.
In more humid climates you will get a lot of condensation inside unless you keep the rig well vented. This can be a problem in cars when it is raining. You could rig a tarp over the rig which would allow the windows to be open and also give you some privacy.

 

[Fedyschyn]

If you want to go camping, sleep in a tent. A proper tent for the season and situation paired with the right sleeping bag and pad will be perfectly comfortable. I can understand sleeping in the truck if It was just to catch some sleep on a trip or if I was in a time crunch. I have camped 30+ nights in the past 5 years and spent only one night in a vehicle.

 

[Bogo]

For me sleeping in the truck means speed and protection. I want to be able to get up before dawn, and travel to the where I'll catch the sunrise. Likewise at the end of the day I'll photograph the sunset, then go to my camping spot. Using tents that means setup and tear down are at night. Lately I've been camping in grizzly territory often and have had a few to many bears interrupt things because of previous campers bad habits. As is I've been looking at converting my 4x4 Hilux into a micro RV for 1-2 people. Right now I sleep on the bench seat in the cab or in then bed under the cap. It's a bit cramped, but it works.

 

[The Dude]

We sleep in our truck on our drawer/bed system. On humid nights we open the sunroof or crack a window. Never noticed it to be much of an issue, we love it. Bedding stays deployed and it is super quick to find a spot to park and hop in the back.

We also carry a tent for extended stays in one area or from a base camp.

 

[AdventureBuddies]

depends on how much stuff you carry and if you mind hauling it all in and out every night and if the places you camp are secure enough to leave stuff out overnight. RTT solves your woes.

 

[Trollhole]

PO gave me this when I bought the 80. Great idea and works very well. I take the rear and middle seats out. There is a simple little platform goes behind the front seats. I use a full air mattress which fits perfectly.

I like it because you have the whole tailgate to put stuff on. It's also has 4 windows with screens and a big large one over the rear. Very solid.