Sleeping in your car can be strategic, economic, or just something fun and different. Maybe it will be out of convenience or necessity. Here are some helpful ways to make roughing it in your car a little more pleasant.
Finding a place to sleep overnight can be expensive or impossible, depending on the situation. Hotels can quickly reach capacity during wildfire and hurricane evacuations.
To get the best rate on a hotel, you often have to sign up for another booking agency instead of just going to the front desk and paying the price on the sign (often significantly higher than a booking agency’s rate).
By sacrificing a few amenities, you can save a lot of time and money.
Pros & Cons of sleeping in your car overnight
Pros
- It’s free.
- It’s your own place
- More flexible options
- Your car is clean
- No one else was sleeping in your car the night before
- The sense of adventure
- The bugs will differ from the ones at the hotel
Cons
Okay, I’ll be generalizing here, but when you sleep in your vehicle, you’ll probably be missing out on a few things you would (or wouldn’t have to deal with) if you were in a hotel.
- It’s not as comfortable
- Security can be an issue
- It can be risky
- Police or security may wake you up depending on the location
- Breakfast isn’t included
- Finding a place to let you sleep in your car overnight
As you’ve likely guessed, not every business or neighborhood enjoys having a stranger sleeping in their parking lot or on the side of their road. There are several locations that allow you to spend the night in their parking lot. Or at the very least, are more accepting of it.
The RV crowd has a special name for camping out with only your vehicle; they call it boondocking. It typically refers to camping at a dispersed campsite without water, sewer, or electricity. Campsites, some store parking lots, and rest-stops can all be great places to spend a night in your vehicle.
Sleeping overnight in primitive campsites (dispersed camping)
Primitive campsites are one of my favorite spots to sleep. This land has been set aside for minimalist camping.
Dispersed campsites will not have running water, electricity, internet, or any of the traditional creature comforts of a typical campground. A dispersed campsite is normally off the main road a bit and into the country.
This can be a great option if you want to escape the street noise. During summer break and weekends, you can expect to find more traffic here. Depending on the location’s popularity, you may find it deserted on weekdays. Feel out the crowd (or lack thereof) and decide if you’re comfortable spending the night there.
Sleeping overnight in a Walmart parking lot
This is a convenient spot for RVs, especially. Walmart has plenty of room to park in the back of their parking lot for large vehicles. You’ve probably seen them before. Walmart is well known throughout the boondocking community for having a lax approach to people spending the night in their lots. Not all Walmarts allow this. Consider calling the store ahead of time and getting permission from the manager.
Sleeping in your car overnight in a Walmart parking lot offers a lot of advantages.
You’re right next to a store that has every amenity you need! The parking lot is well lit, some have security driving through them, the stores have open Wi-Fi, and best of all, the bathrooms are right there if you need one!
Walmart is often the last store to close and one of the earliest to open, though I personally still really miss the 24-hour locations.
Twenty-four hour gyms, hospitals, and casinos may be other locations to check with if you want to sleep in a business parking lot.
Sleeping overnight at rest-stops
As the name implies, this seems to be the perfect stop to kill a little time and catch up on some rest before heading on your way again.
A rest stop is going to provide a few of the creature comforts you’re more accustomed to. Rest-stops will typically have restrooms, water, and maybe a variety of vending machines. The steady flow of traffic can also be comforting- or annoying.
You’re only seconds off the highway, making this really convenient for overnighting during a long cross-country trip.
For a list of what each state allows at their rest stop see this article.
Before you get there
Before you make it to your overnight location, make one last pit stop to top off a few things. Grab some comfort items and top off the gas. Draining your other tank can make the night a little more pleasant too, if you know what I mean.
Make sure you have at least half a tank of gas, more if you plan on running the car at all. Grab some water, a meal, and snacks. Use the bathroom while you’re stopped. Public restrooms can be sketchy, but there’s running water.
Purchase/packing list
- Food
- Water
- Battery pack
Optional
- Pillow
- Blankets
- Activities (books, downloaded movies/audiobooks, hiking shoes)
- Mattress
- Sleeping bag
- Snacks
- Toilet paper (and small shovel or trowel)
Sleeping in your car safely
Safety can be one of the biggest factors in how well you can rest in your car. I arrived at one location after dark. I wasn’t comfortable at all. The wind was howling. It was mostly deserted. Cars would randomly drive-by past midnight, and I could hear someone making noise not too far away but couldn’t see them. I got little rest that night. It still felt better than paying $150 for 6 hours in a hotel.
I learned to do things a little differently after that. Security should be a top priority for successfully sleeping in your car overnight.
Know your environment
I like to arrive in daylight for primitive camping sites. This gives you a chance to scope out the area and get a feel for the environment. If you’re satisfied with the site, you can choose to set up your vehicle or go stock up on supplies.
Be sure to check the weather and forecast for your area too! For storm outlook and radar see our Disaster Dashboard.
Know what you’re broadcasting
Knowing someone is watching or could watch you while sleeping is very unnerving. To prevent this, you can use a window cover or get tinted windows. A reflective sunshade can cover up the front windshield and provide privacy. You can use sunshades for the passenger doors or do it yourself by cutting out cardboard or stuffing some blankets and sheets over the windows. A tension rod placed across the vehicle may work as well.
Having the windows covered means a person walking by doesn’t know if a 140-pound single person is in the vehicle or four bodybuilders. It’s one piece of information you can keep to yourself.
By placing sheets, cardboard, and sunshades up at night, you’ll make it rather apparent that someone is sleeping in the vehicle. It can be good for some environments and less ideal for others. Choose the method that suits your environment best.
Defensive measures for sleeping in your car
Having a defense strategy will help you feel more relaxed in any environment. Having easily reachable defensive weapons is also a good idea.
Keep your keys on you.
Keeping your keys on you gives you instant access to the panic button. Someone eyeing up a car will not stick around long with the horn blaring and lights flashing.
Back into your parking space.
Position your vehicle so you can get out quickly.
More tips for sleeping in your car
Get some fresh air
Leaving a window or two down can help circulate some fresh air. We don’t recommend leaving your car running. Carbon monoxide can build up inside the vehicle.
You can place a small mesh screen over the window to keep bugs out.
Setting up your sleeping environment
Vehicle manufacturers built some cars with a way to lay the seats down in the back to give you more room. In older cars, you may remove the back seat and have access to the trunk. This gives you the ability to stretch out all the way.
It’ll take a few attempts to figure out what your most comfortable sleeping position is. I’ve found lying in my back seat with my legs bent can be rather comfortable. I stacked my luggage on the floor of the back seat to make the whole space level.
While doing some other work on my car, we made my backseat removable. This allows me to put my feet into the trunk and rest with my head in the middle of the car.
Have something to do
Audiobooks or movies are a great way to pass the time. Depending on the time of year, sunset can come pretty early. If you didn’t have a chance to explore during the daytime, it’s probably best to stay close to camp (aka your vehicle).
Having a movie downloaded on your phone can help pass the time until you’re ready to fall asleep.
When you wake up
You probably won’t feel completely refreshed. Sleeping in your car isn’t the most optimal way to rest unless you’re in an RV or have converted a vehicle to do it well. Stretch your legs and move around a bit! Sleeping in a car can lead to a few stiff muscles. Use a baby wipe to freshen up a bit.
Rearrange your vehicle for driving. Keep all the essentials near the front seat.
Sleeping in different vehicles
Sleeping in a Car
I wrote much of this information with cars in mind. Sleeping in a car offers the least amount of space but can still provide some great rest.
Sleeping in a truck
Trucks offer a lot of versatility. They also offer even less space than a car when sleeping in the cab. The nice thing about a truck is it already has a bed built into it! A truck bed can be a nice flat surface to pop a tent up in or just sleep under the stars.
Sleeping in a truck bed will offer you less physical protection. It makes setup and packing a little easier if it’s hard to find a clearing or you’re just going minimalistic.
You can really step up the game with a truck camper shell. This opens the door to a lot more possibilities and you can even toss a real mattress in the back of your truck now!
Sleeping in SUV/Minivans
These also offer a great deal of space if they’re set up well. Store the seats or remove them to get all the extra room you can. If it’s just one or two people, you can stretch out quite a bit. There are mattresses made specifically for a lot of these vehicles.
If you’re looking for long-term possibilities, consider an RV or conversion van.
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