Best car models to sleep in

I'm 5'10.5" and I've slept in my '08 Outback. I just barely fit on the back "floor" with the seats folded down and my legs fully extended. The back of back seat has a little ridge that sticks up maybe 1" that could be annoying if you're trying to extend the floor, but it helps keep a pillow from going over. Nothing that really sticks out to jab you elsewhere. If you're building a platform to put on top of it, you could easily get a few extra inches.

For the outback people - if I have a foam or inflatable mattress (camping-style), then would it make the ridge better you think?

For me, the problem isn't the ridge so much, it's the slope of the back seats when they fold down (don't lie flat) and the gaps around the head area because the seatbacks are so short. Google: Outback rear seats folded down - and you'll see what I mean. I sleep on my side/stomach, so I don't do well unless it's pretty flat. There are easy ways to build up the back a little to have a flat bed, but you lose some precious headroom. Spent a few long cold nights in mine BC skiing in the Tetons and it was a PITA to change clothes, sort gear, etc. I was spoiled by my Sienna though...

Slept for four years on the weekends in a Toyota Tacoma with a shell. I was the envy of every tenter. Plenty of room and since I had the older 3.4L engine, it got 25 mpg. The only problem I ever had was keeping your cooking stuff in the same space you were living in, where the car people usually put a RocketBox on top to store stuff.

I am 6'2" and the Tacoma had a 6' box, so I was never able to fully stretch out unless going diagonal. And all toppers will eventually leak, so bring your silicone caulk.

Super happy, 6-2, sleeping in my VW Tiguan with fold flat passenger seat, but not all models/trim have that option 

Tom Sherman wrote: Super happy, 6-2, sleeping in my VW Tiguan with fold flat passenger seat, but not all models/trim have that option 

I am curious about the VW Toureg. Nice looking vehicle, and a tad larger with better towing numbers. Did you investigate that before buying the Tiguan?

Take a look at the Honda Fit. It's small, gets amazing gas mileage, and the seats fold 100% flat. Even someone larger can sleep comfortably in it, and two can sleep in it if they're close. It doesn't have much clearance but other than that it is ideal.

Toyota 4Runner (1995 - 2002)  is right in your price range and has great room when you fold seats down.  I spent $35 to make a platform to get even more room to fit 3 people - my wife and I are both over 6' and we have room for our 4 year old child too.  Right now they're going for +/- $5K for a decent one.

i sleep in back of my 09 vw jetta wagon and 06 xterra with no issues. 

Franck Vee wrote: Hey,

Possibly going to be buying a (used) car soonish. Ideally would be a model you can sleep comfortably in the back with some sort of clearance for rough roads.

A Subary outback would probably be a good example - I haven't tested, but it seems 2 not-too-tall persons could fold the back seats & have a pretty flat-ish sleeping plateform. I'd like to know about similar options folks have tried (can be any models 2005-2010 roughly). I'm 5'7" so doesn't need to have huge space. Mostly looking for something that folds as close to flat as possible with decent space for 2 (small) persons and preferably not a whole bunch of things sticking out of the backside of the folded backseat awaiting to spear you in the sides as you roll over in your sleep.

Looking for something ~5-k10k$, preferrably in the lower range of that.... what's your experience?

You have to build a platform into the back of the newer Subarus, as the seats do not lay flat to the back when put down.  Lots of cars are like that now.
This platform reduces the overall clearance to the top by maybe 3-6", but it is better than sleeping on a 3" step the the middle of your back. 

A friend who is small did this to theirs and we fit fine, but you have to not mind being pretty close.  It is snug for sure.

Probably doesn't look like it but I have spent many nights in the back of my Honda Fit. Roll the front seats forward and there is plenty of room and the seats fold down almost perfectly flat. Stuff all your stuff inbetween the seats. I have a few other friends with this setup. It works well. Add some mosquito netting for the windows at night (doubles for some additional privacy) and you are in good condition. Pop the back trunk and add a tarp for some livable space. throw some mosquito netting in if you want to be cushy.

You can also pop out the backseats and build a platform to increase your storage area if that's your jam.

Land Rover LR3/4. Seats lie totally flat, the tailgate is extra room for tall people. You can even buy an inflatable mattress for it. The sunroof has mozzy netting built-in, if the bugs are bad and you need to seal her up. The suspension is self-levelling at park, the vehicle is flat for a good night's sleep. There are three sunrooms, you can see the stars at night. There are nalgene holders in all four doors, easy access for a drink at night. Goes anywhere does everything.

My girlfriend and i have been cruising around in a 2000 Toyota Sienna for 4 years now and absolutely love it. We're definitely at well over 100 nights in it at this point and it is perfect for weekend to two week trips. I'm 6'1" and can fully stretch out with room to spare, it gets OK gas mileage and is super comfortable to drive. We were going to build a platform but opted for the extra space while sleeping so we just pile our stuff in the front seats and unroll the bed when its time to sleep. A full size mattress topper fits perfectly in the back. Not as good on dirt as a Tacoma or Outback, but when its time to go to sleep my friends with those vehicles are jealous.

Franck Vee wrote: I hadn't really thought of the pickup with shell option, like a Ranger (or Tacoma, but that's getting pretty big imo to also be an everyday car).

I didn't really know about the Honda Element, it looks really awesome. But used model seems pricier than similar mileage/years compared to other stuff.  I currently have a 250k miles + car, which is fine but I can see that it's getting increasingly hard to keep it alive. Seems you can get a CR-V for the same price that's much younger/lower mileages. I do get it's not as good as an outdoors cars.

Hadn't given too much considerations to minivans... I might look into it further. I don't mind the soccer mom aspect of it. My initial opinions on used minivans is that they tend to have tons of problems and be harder to maintain. This may or not be based on facts (surely some models fare better), but my personal observation is that they don't tend to age as well as other car types...

my parents still have their 1999 Toyota sienna with close to 300K miles and still running. Go Toyota or Honda if youre considering a minivan. They will last forever

Chris Owen wrote: Land Rover LR3/4. Seats lie totally flat, the tailgate is extra room for tall people. You can even buy an inflatable mattress for it. The sunroof has mozzy netting built-in, if the bugs are bad and you need to seal her up. The suspension is self-levelling at park, the vehicle is flat for a good night's sleep. There are three sunrooms, you can see the stars at night. There are nalgene holders in all four doors, easy access for a drink at night. Goes anywhere does everything.

How's the reliability of the LR3/4? My experience with land rovers in general is they are expensive to maintain and have a general high cost of ownership...

curt86iroc wrote:

How's the reliability of the LR3/4? My experience with land rovers in general is they are expensive to maintain and have a general high cost of ownership...

I had an LR3 from 2008 to 2012. I did all my own maintenance so cost of ownership wasn't bad. it was a 2006, I bought it for 25K, it had 9500 miles on it. I now have a 2010 Range Rover, same deal, a give away with low miles, and I do my own maintenance. If you pay for maintenance then yes - they are expensive.

A couple folks asked about Prius V.  So, for my situation, it works great: usually it's just me sleeping in it on 1-4 night trips while guiding or playing. I only remove one of the seats for my platform, so I have somewhere to sit in the back, and the platform becomes a table.  I put the rear seat back in when I get home, becuase the rest of the time it's the family/work vehicle.  Removing the rear seat is simple: 5 bolts.  it is kinda heavy though.  

Does the Prius V require a built platform to work?

Well, sort of. the rear seats fold almost, but not totally flat.  Then you have to decide whether to push them forward or back.  I have slept it in a few times without the platform.  slept fine, but it's more trouble to fill in the gap, and you want to park the back of the car uphill a bit to level yourself out.  There's a couple pics of the seats folded in the album below.

Mike Watson wrote: Can you post up some pics of your Prius  V with the platform?  

Sure, here's a little google photo album, with my deal: Prius V platform etc

ultra simple, I already had that pieace plywood that just happened to be the right size, and just screwed two pieaces of 2X4 to it.  easy to take in and out, and there's lots of storage space underneath (just don't block the traction battery intake vent)
A friend of mine has been living out of his Prius V all summer with a similer system and loving it.

I originally got the idea here: How-to-Make-a-Prius-V-Into-a-Camper.  This is obviously way nicer and way more work.
looks like somebody else made one that doesn't require removal of the rear seats: Prius V Sleeping Platform  Looks pretty sweet.  Less headroom and storage though.  

The nice thing about Prius V is of course the gas mileage, and also the ability to hang out in there with the A/C or Heat on just running off the hybrid battery!  Maybe not the best choice if you're wanting to sleep two, and will be constantly moving the seats in and out.

Tried a night in a honda fit before getting the Prius V.  It's nice how the seats fold totally flat, but without building it up a lot it's not long enough for me to stretch out, which I found pretty annoying.  I'm 5'9".  

Best minivan build out I've seen. My current Rifle runner is a 2000 Sienna I picked up for $1200. Spend less. Climb more. 

It’s hard to beat the headroom inside an Element. Less clearance than a Subaru (unless you lift it?), but better clearance than something like a Fit or Prius. Plenty of height above and below the platform. It takes me <5min to remove the rear seats and swap in the platform I built

Son has an Element with a platform similar to the above, and he pretty much lives out of it on weekends.  4'x8' 3/4" OSB tongue-and-groove sub-flooring in two pieces (one 4' and another 2').  Big piece got five PVC caps bolted underneath (four corners plus middle); small piece got four PVC caps.  Removable PVC pipe "legs" with caps friction fit into the caps on the underside.  A little carpet pad on top with some inexpensive carpet.  Left tongue-and-groove exposed on both pieces, so they can fit together.  The 2' piece fits in when the seats are folded forward, giving a nice 6' platform, and stows away nicely when not in use.  Great stowage underneath (cut the PVC pipe to accomodate your bins of choice).  I've got an old Taco daily driver-- and, no, the older models aren't "too big" to get around in all the time (and they're super-reliable).  Could easily see living out of that very comfortably with a cap on it and a similar platform built in to maximize gear storage.  Guide buddy of mine swore by his Honda Odyssey from which he'd removed one rear seat and thrown in a cot; he lived out of it most seasons other than winter.  Lots of options.  Depends on your needs and preferences.