My Experiences: Car Camping

A bit of a disclaimer: this post is to talk about my experiences and some questions that people have asked me. I am not an expert and this is not something that I do for extended periods of time. Hopefully this post will be interesting / useful to someone on the internet!

What is Car Camping?

Simply the act of "camping" in your vehicle as opposed to a tent! Alternatively, sleeping in your car / vehicle. I believe it is also referred to as urban camping.

When and Why Did I start Car Camping?

I first slept in my vehicle in June 2015 on my Flinders Ranges trip in South Australia purely to save money. There were two options I was presented with: (1) Pay for accommodation for $250 p/n; (2) Pay for an unpowered camping site for $13 p/n. Naturally Option 2 was more attractive.

These days, I car camp on all my roadtrips for a few reasons:

Save money on accommodation where motels are easily $100+ p/n. I am - and have always been - quite a frugal traveller and really want to stretch my dollar as far as I can.
Sense of freedom and being able to wake up and leave at the crack of dawn and generally not being as restricted
Being able to see the stars when I am lying down before I fall asleep

I have now car camped for 5 separate instances with the longest being 4 nights.

How do I Car Camp?

I don't own a car so all the cars I have slept in have been rentals. I rent the Toyota Corolla hatchback or equivalent on all occasions (due to cost) and always hope that I get a free upgrade. Of course if I had my own vehicle, things would be a lot simpler as I could make the space infinitely more comfortable over time. However every car model is different and subsequently some experiences are more comfortable than others. Nonetheless I have made do!

I am 5'1" or 1.55m and therefore not the tallest individual. I fold back the two seats flat, lay out my sleeping bag and when I lie slightly diagonal, I can stretch out completely. Although it is not the most spacious vehicle (obviously) it doesn't bother me too much since I am a side sleeper in a feotal-esque position meaning that I take up less room anyway. The downside to this position is that my hip digs into the floor and at some point, I will invest in a sleeping pad. I was at a campsite once where there were four girls simply sleeping in their seats upright / slightly reclined in their compact SUV. If that is how you can sleep - I cannot fall asleep in any position apart from being horizontal- then that would be infinitely better!

My latest addition has been a solar powered string of fairy lights. Although it is very Instagram-y, it is quite practical especially when I am staying somewhere with no / minimal lighting. My torch is often too bright / harsh and the lights from the fairy lights effectively means I am not sitting there in complete darkness at campgrounds.

I use the passenger seat as the equivalent of my "living room"; this is where I will lounge in the car when I am not ready to sleep. I'd usually be in that seat reading my Kindle or eating.

Where do I park the vehicle?

I originally stayed at low cost campgrounds and have slowly transitioned to free campgrounds. I have stayed at the outskirts of suburbia once and also at free camping spots / assumed camping spots. I recently downloaded the app WikiCamps which lists all campgrounds in Australia with reviews which has been super helpful. I have also used CaravanCaravan in the past.

As I am staying in an everyday vehicle and not a campervan or refurbed van (you know the ones I am talking about), I have the factor of stealth and I could definitely stay in the suburbs. In the future, I would see business parks / industrial areas / streets close to parks as possible overnight locations.

Admittedly, it can be a slightly messy affair. I had already picked up for this photo - haha. Here you can see where I sleep, where I put my luggage. Usually I keep my food on the floor of the passenger seat when I am driving.

But is it safe?

At paying campgrounds, yes probably. At free campgrounds, yes probably. At another location, possibly. It is definitely very reassuring to see other people (usually in their campervans) at the campsite although arguably that may also be a sense of false security. I must admit, it can feel a little daunting being the only person there (happened to me twice), but it all boils down to common sense / gut feelings. If it doesn't feel right or you experience the heebie-jeebies, simply move onto the next location.

But what about toilets / showers / facilities?

This isn't an issue at campgrounds as there are often facilities such as toilets / showers / BBQs. However, these are generally only available at paid campgrounds; depending on the location, prices range from $5-$30 for unpowered sites. Prior to Mongolia, I had stayed once at a campground without showers for one night and survived. After Mongolia, I realised that I can mentally go by without showers for a lot longer than one day. I have read that you can pay a small fee to use showers at paid caravan parks / hostels and there may be showers at petrol stations (used by truckies). Toilets are everywhere! Shopping centres, parks, public toilets in suburbs / towns; there are more toilets than you realise and there is also a directory which I find slightly amusing.

I am still refining my approach but if you have any questions, please leave them below!