Range Rover Sport Camping Bed
Discussion
Despite liking the idea of camping, I really can’t be doing with the having a stone sticking in my spine, freezing, and waking up in a puddle, but I do quite like the idea of “camping” in my Range Rover Sport.
Given I’ll probably only do it once or twice so don’t want to buy an expensive custom-made solution, is there any sensibly priced mattress to put in the back, or would an Argos air bed do perfectly well?
It’s not to be used in Patagonia, but joining my brothers at one of the festivals that they do, or just having a night up a mountain or by a lake seems like something that’d be a bit fun.
Given I’ll probably only do it once or twice so don’t want to buy an expensive custom-made solution, is there any sensibly priced mattress to put in the back, or would an Argos air bed do perfectly well?
It’s not to be used in Patagonia, but joining my brothers at one of the festivals that they do, or just having a night up a mountain or by a lake seems like something that’d be a bit fun.
Have you measured it? I'm planning to do the same in my D4 just to save putting a tent up. I have thermarest mats anyway but suspect the space is a little short for them so I'll end up tucking and end down.
The main reason for having a mat aside from comfort is insulation from the ground which is obviously not an issue in a car. So anything comfortable will do.
The other issue with cars is the windows mean it gets chilly and you get condensation. Plus it gets light very early so an eye mask is essential.
The main reason for having a mat aside from comfort is insulation from the ground which is obviously not an issue in a car. So anything comfortable will do.
The other issue with cars is the windows mean it gets chilly and you get condensation. Plus it gets light very early so an eye mask is essential.
We bought a foam mattress from Ikea, unzipped its fabric case to reveal its foam rubber innards and then just carved it to shape. Made the whole thing a bit shorter and narrower, and removed a scoop from each side to accommodate the wheel arch intrusions. We then zipped it back into its case. Voila, the back of the Surf was now a perfectly comfortable double bed. Privacy glass, windows open a bit overnight for some air circulation; worked really well.
If we weren't carrying much kit we'd usually leave the mattress down with luggage liked on top while driving. And when we wanted to sleep we'd just shift the luggage onto the front passenger seat.
If we were carrying more crap, particularly wet crap, we'd fold the back of the mattress up to reveal the floor of the boot for the wet stuff while driving and use a car tent over the back of the car at night. Luggage would then go out the back into the tent and wet walking gear could hang in the tent overnight to dry out. Tent is like a big igloo with an umbilical on the side that you can reverse into/drive away from.
If we weren't carrying much kit we'd usually leave the mattress down with luggage liked on top while driving. And when we wanted to sleep we'd just shift the luggage onto the front passenger seat.
If we were carrying more crap, particularly wet crap, we'd fold the back of the mattress up to reveal the floor of the boot for the wet stuff while driving and use a car tent over the back of the car at night. Luggage would then go out the back into the tent and wet walking gear could hang in the tent overnight to dry out. Tent is like a big igloo with an umbilical on the side that you can reverse into/drive away from.
Bill said:
Have you measured it? I'm planning to do the same in my D4 just to save putting a tent up. I have thermarest mats anyway but suspect the space is a little short for them so I'll end up tucking and end down.
The main reason for having a mat aside from comfort is insulation from the ground which is obviously not an issue in a car. So anything comfortable will do.
The other issue with cars is the windows mean it gets chilly and you get condensation. Plus it gets light very early so an eye mask is essential.
It’s 2m, so long enough. The issue is that the back seats don’t go flat, so for something nice it’ll need a thicker portion in the boot and a wedge shape to go on the back of the seats.The main reason for having a mat aside from comfort is insulation from the ground which is obviously not an issue in a car. So anything comfortable will do.
The other issue with cars is the windows mean it gets chilly and you get condensation. Plus it gets light very early so an eye mask is essential.
You can get thick (10, 15+ cm), comfy self-inflating mats - they're not just a backpacking thing. Can get double ones too. Less "bouncy" than an airbed and usefully more insulating too.
We've got a 10cm one for tent camping, just put it on the floor and it's super comfy.
https://thefamilytentshop.com/product-category/equ...
Have a look at Duvalay ( https://www.duvalay.co.uk/ ) for bedding that's designed to be rolled up and put away - much nicer than a traditional sleeping bag.
We've got a 10cm one for tent camping, just put it on the floor and it's super comfy.
https://thefamilytentshop.com/product-category/equ...
Have a look at Duvalay ( https://www.duvalay.co.uk/ ) for bedding that's designed to be rolled up and put away - much nicer than a traditional sleeping bag.
Northernboy said:
It’s 2m, so long enough. The issue is that the back seats don’t go flat, so for something nice it’ll need a thicker portion in the boot and a wedge shape to go on the back of the seats.
Have you considered something like a fishing bed? The 6 legs on this have independent adjustment, so you should be able to get it flat on a non-flat surface. Great night's sleep too.https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15904923/westlake-pro...
Bill said:
Have you measured it? I'm planning to do the same in my D4 just to save putting a tent up. I have thermarest mats anyway but suspect the space is a little short for them so I'll end up tucking and end down.
FWIW - The length of the load-space on the D4 is 1.98m... All Thermarests (other than the XXL) should fit.M
Northernboy said:
It is, and I think that that sounds like the way to go. I’m definitely looking more for a home-bed in the car than a “true” camping experience.
Another alternative to cutting round the wheel arches is to build a frame that would lift the mattress up to the level of the wheel arches and give you some storage underneath. We did this with an old futon and a Toyota people carrier years ago. If you're handy with a jigsaw, you should be able to make it something you can easily remove for non-camping weekends.
I'd be tempted to buy or build a drawer unit to lift the boot floor, then get a solid foam wedge to sit on the seat backs making a flat bed. The only issue is losing headroom.Cut down IKEA mattress seems a good idea. I looked at similar in my D4 but ended up buying a Campervan instead. For the Windows to both reduce light and increase insulation have a look at the suction on blinds campervans use, eg https://vanscape.co.uk/campervan-accessories/therm... should reduce condensation too.
Oh and daft as it sounds put the vehicle key in the glove box or something when you’re sleeping off the beer. It is a bit of an urban myth but theoretically you are ‘in charge of a motor vehicle’ if you’re in it and have the keys to hand and you can’t be in charge of a motor vehicle whilst pissed. Like I say, probably urban myth but why chance it. And anyway if you’re like me if you don’t put the keys somewhere safe you’ll lose them down the nearest seat gap or something!
Oh and daft as it sounds put the vehicle key in the glove box or something when you’re sleeping off the beer. It is a bit of an urban myth but theoretically you are ‘in charge of a motor vehicle’ if you’re in it and have the keys to hand and you can’t be in charge of a motor vehicle whilst pissed. Like I say, probably urban myth but why chance it. And anyway if you’re like me if you don’t put the keys somewhere safe you’ll lose them down the nearest seat gap or something!
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