Best car to sleep in back with no modifications?

JamBandFan · Jul 13, 2018

What the best cars to sleep in without having to take out the back seat or build a platform? Are their any hatchbacks or SUV's where the seats fold down mostly level?

I'm in the market for a new daily driver that I could also sleep in the back during extended road trips. I would rather not have to take the back seat out or have to build a sleeping platform. Would just like to lay a camping mattress in the back. I'm 6'2".

The Prius, Mazda5, Forrester, Outback seem pretty good. Any other hatchbacks might work? Mini-vans don't get as good gas mileage and have lower clearance. And tend not to be as reliable. There are a lot of small SUV's out there...Honda CRV, Rav4, Rogue, Mazda CX-5...not a huge fan of these but they may fit the bill. Just don't know if any work for sleeping in the back without modifications. I like the Toyota Highlander a lot, but very pricey even used high mileage.

Any favorites?

dawnann7 · Jul 13, 2018

I have a 2010 Dodge Journey and its seats fold down almost flat. I do have to fold the front passenger seat down to add a little extra length but I can sleep quite comfortably in there. The surface is a little nubbly but I have a couple of laminate flooring sheets that I lay down between the surface and my mattress.

I'm actually setting up for a road trip in a couple of days so if I remember to take photos of the layout I will post them here.

PS - Love my Dodge Journey. Gets decent mileage and hasn't let me down yet.

PPS - With the front passenger seat folded down I measured about 96" (8 feet) from back to front.

user 15857 · Jul 13, 2018

Here's an early model that fits your needs: 1950 Nash Airflyte . You would be popular at the vintage rallies for sure.

Let me know if you find one, would love to see it!

MOD edit, the above link takes you to Face Book

Wander Woman · Jul 13, 2018

My Outback is comfortable to sleep in. Seatback, when down, is raised a bit, but I like having my head raised up an inch or so when I sleep. There is a gap between the back seat and the back of the front seats, but if you need extra length you can stack a couple of plastic storage containers in that gap, and then slide your sleeping pad over them. I’m 5’6” I only wish I had a model with a moonroof so I could see the stars.

JamBandFan · Jul 13, 2018

Thanks for the replies, Dodge Journey I will have to look into that. And seems like the Outback is popular with lots of car dwellers/campers.

I will have to get out there and look at a lot of cars and fold down the seats.

Matildas mate · Jul 13, 2018

Oops, i didn’t see your mention of the Highlander at the end of your original post but i thought this still may be of interest. Perhaps you may be fortunate to run across one used at a reasonable price.

A few months ago i took a measuring tape down to the Toyota dealership and took measurements of the cargo area of a Highlander with the second row seats down and i liked what i found. Since the highlander hasn’t changed much over the years, the measurements i took might apply to older years. I know someone who has owned her Highlander for 15 years and she says it is the best vehicle she has ever owned and it looks very similar in outside dimensions to the newer models. It is also highly rated by Consumer Reports.

I think the Highlander may come in a hybrid electric version and if it is anything like the Prius (which i have seen on this forum described as a generator on wheels) that may be a good choice as a car live out of.

My interest in looking at the Highlander was exactly as yours - a car i could live out of without any modifications.

Ken in Anaheim · Jul 13, 2018

The Prius is great to sleep/camp in. Great mileage, the ability to leave it "on" and have A/C all nite if needed. Can also get a 1 or 2KW inverter and power an induction cooker,microwave,Magic Pot, fans,lites,Tv etc etc.
Also, check out TailVeil.com

Spaceman Spiff · Jul 13, 2018

JamBandFan said:
What the best cars to sleep in without having to take out the back seat or build a platform? . . .
I'm 6'2".

I spent three summers living out of a Subaru Forester. I had to take the front passenger seat out and build a platform so I could stretch out when laying down; very important to me. I also lived in a pickup with a topper, more room and more comfortable.

Go around to dealers and lay down a few different makes/models to see if one will work for you.

JamBandFan · Jul 13, 2018

Yes the Highlander is really a great vehicle, I owned one about 12 yrs ago. Up there with the Camry as one of the highest rated vehicles for reliability. Just pricey.

Suburu's seem pretty good, but I have always found them overpriced on the used car market. It's like their owners think their Subaru is plated with gold or something!

They aren't quite as good in reliability as cars like Camry, Highlander, Accord, etc... and don't get quite as good gas mileage. For smaller SUV AWD Honda CRV & Rav4 has better reliability history then the Subaru. I'm just not a huge fan for some reason of those smaller SUV's like the CRV though... even though they are really great cars.

I wouldn't mind a pickup + a shell, but there are few pick ups that get decent gas mileage and most are barely average reliability. Nissan Frontier, Tundra, and Tacoma are only ones on consumer reports above average reliability. And Tacoma's are REALLY overpriced on the used car market! Those guys really hold their value. There aren't any American trucks that get above average reliability ratings or good gas mileage, or I would love to buy one with a shell. Just can't afford them.

Full size SUV's would be great for sleeping but bad on gas, high on price and most low reliability ratings. 4Runner seems to be the only standout on reliability, and the price tag with low miles is VERY high (and gas mileage LOW).

velojym · Jul 13, 2018

I can't speak for the later models, but my wife used to have a '96 Jetta (Trek edition... came with a roof rack and a bike!)
We rode the 2004 Hotter'n'Hell ride in Wichita Falls, and there was no lodging available the preceding night. So, we took the Jetta to a campsite and folded the back seats down. I'm 6'4", and she's exactly a foot shorter. We were both perfectly comfortable with the flat space available, but not as comfortable with the ambient temperature. Fortunately the humidity was low, so a little airflow helped a lot.

Beeps and eats · Jul 14, 2018

I've watched "wonderhussy" on YouTube
She has a rave 4 that she spends time in and she only added a sheet of plywood and a few blocks to level up the floor.
I guess anymore finding a vehicle with a truly flat floor is like finding the Grail.

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JamBandFan · Jul 14, 2018

Beeps and eats said:
I've watched "wonderhussy" on YouTube
She has a rave 4 that she spends time in and she only added a sheet of plywood and a few blocks to level up the floor.
I guess anymore finding a vehicle with a truly flat floor is like finding the Grail.

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The car manufacturers need to get on cheaprvliving.com and see that a lot of their customers want flat level fold down back seats to sleep!!

JamBandFan · Jul 14, 2018

I think pound for pound in terms of solid reliability, low total cost of ownership, nice hatchback and sleeping area, gas engine automatically kicking on to recharge battery, fuel efficiency, etc...the Prius is probably the best overall choice of a car to sleep in on long road trips/camping trips.

But something in me is not crazy about getting a Prius b/c so many other people have them. Even though this is not rational or logical thinking on my part! Ever other uber driver has one, etc.... I just don't want to be another generic clone. Something irrational in me just never wants the same thing as most other people have.

Plus I may (or may not) spend a decent amount of time in snow country and possibly on dirt roads (not sure of this yet...depends on some family stuff and choices I need to back where to move and base myself).

Pixelchrome · Jul 16, 2018

When I went shopping for a vehicle for road tripping, I picked the a 2005 Toyota Matrix.

1. Toyotas (in my experience) are super reliable.
2. It gets 32mpg / 14km/L (gas is expensive up here - $1.50 to $1.75 a liter)
3. It's an older vehicle that I can work on myself - unlike newer cars that have to go to the dealer to change a bulb.
4. It has enough space to be comfortable for car camping. All the seats fold flat making a large single space.

I made a two piece bed board out of 1/2" plywood, and with the seats folded down and the passenger seat pushed all the way forward, I can stretch out completely with about 6" gap for my feet to hang down into.
I'm 5' 11".

PS Pontiac also released the Matrix as the "Vibe" - same car just with Pontiac trim.

Pixelchrome · Jul 16, 2018

Here's some pix of the interior.

I made the bed board in two pieces so it's more manageable if I have to get into the rear storage space (where the spare tire is etc), and also so I can fold up the rear seats if I want to.

With the passenger seat folded down, it makes a great little table for putting my butane stove on or as a counter top.

Beeps and eats · Jul 16, 2018

Very nice rig, lots of flat surface. Is there some storage under the seats when folded?

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closeanuf · Jul 16, 2018

Well done ! Matrix and Vibe are very reliable long lasting vehicles. And if you need service there are plenty of parts and mechanics to work on them; great choice.

Pixelchrome · Jul 16, 2018

Beeps and eats said:
Very nice rig, lots of flat surface. Is there some storage under the seats when folded?

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When the seats are folded down, there's more than enough space in just one footwell to get two 2.5 gal Reliance water jugs plus other items.
(I only use one 2.5 gal jug, so with it is a insulated cooler bag for my pantry.)

In the other footwell, I have a toolbox and my electrician's toolbag, and a pile of other camping stuff.
There's also storage space underneath the passenger seat, and a few cubic feet in front of the passenger seat.
In front of the passenger seat is where I store my daily items - my day pack with ipad, camera etc, my laundrybag and trash bag.

In the back, the deck opens up for the storage compartment for the spare tire - there is also space for miscellaneous items in there.
In between the spare compartment and the seats, there another compartment about 6" x 48" x 5" - it is meant for the folding cargo cover that comes with the car, but I have no use for that so I store infrequently needed items in there like jumper cables etc.

To the left and the right of the hatch at the rear, there are two small storage compartments about a cubic foot each.
Since that's where the head of my bed is, they're like twin nightstands for the stuff I want to get at when in bed.

The white plastic drawers (i got at Walmart) are my kitchen, with a pot, skillet, utensils, spices etc.
I cut a bamboo cutting board to fit the recess in the top perfectly so it stays put in use.

Behind that against the door, goes the box sleeve that holds all my reflectix window covers - it gets them out of the way, and yet they're easy to access and put away each day.

There's lots of nooks and crannies to stick items.
I originally figured I might need a Thule roof cargo box, but all my stuff fits in fine.
(I'm glad I didn't need the Thule...it's more stealth without it.)

Pxl.