sleeping in SUV

[dicooley]

hey all: as it turns out we are only able to attend for 2, 3 days at the most. rather than spend alot of $$ on an RV we were thinking about sleeping in a giant SUV. doable or not doable? I've only read one post from a person contemplating this, responses were not highly positive. thanks

[Eric]

I've only read one post from a person contemplating this, responses were not highly positive. thanks

You have your answer right there. The inside of the SUV will be filled with dust, and unless you build a shade structure over it it's going to turn into an oven by 8-9am. You'd be much better off getting a tent, there are plenty of threads on here discussing them.

[Savannah]

It's doable. You'd better be really good friends or mates with the person you do this with, however. You will not be able to sleep past 8:00am or 9:00am in the vehicle, most likely, so plan your sleep accordingly. You could also get a tent and use either the tent or the vehicle for sleeping and the other for storage.

Cargo vans also work for sleeping. If I had a choice betwen an SUV and a cargo van, I'd go for the cargo van.

If you were going to be there for the week, or even just wanted to compare prices, you might also want to look into getting a box truck from Budget Rental on Gentry Way in Reno. (Google it.) Box trucks make great bedrooms, and a little bit of natural shade, to boot. The Budget Rental on Gentry Way is specifically Burner-friendly.

[mudpuppy000]

I've done it solo for three years, and may this year also. I throw a tarp over it, which will scratch the shit out of your paint, but it's my vehicle so I don't care. That keeps it a little cooler in the morning. I wouldn't advise doing that with a rental. Lack of dust is the main reason I sleep in my truck, and also it's much quieter than a tent. Just make sure to keep the windows/doors closed as much as possible.

[pizzamancer]

Pick up a cheap tent. The last thing you want to do is return a rental that is full of dust.

[dicooley]

Thanks for all the input, much appreciated. i did see a post where someone recommended put an old comforter over the SUV (the post was actually much more elaborate & involved than just that), maybe i could use the comforter & a tarp over that. Or maybe I'll get off my lazy ass and pitch a tent. anyway, thanks for helping.

[Bob]

You're from DC? Picture yourself sleeping in that SUV in a parking lot at Tysons Corner at 2pm in August. Add sandstorms.

[Savannah]

Two people really does compound such an arrangement.

I could stand my own company trapped in an SUV for hours, but not most other people.

[Bob]

Why don't you people fill out your profiles and tell us where you live?

[dicooley]

Bob: Checked out your site on structures. wow. very humbling. pictured myself in my car at tyson's as you suggested and realized I would go check into the ritz...maybe i'm not ready to burn...

[some seeing eye]

Doable, done it, for 2, same situation Thursday-Sunday experience.

Use the blue masking tape+space blanket method to block every window on the outside of the glass. Completely cover the inside of the vehicle with sheets. You are going to be getting in and out of the vehicle in dusty clothes. Garbage bags for dusty and clean clothes. We were able to sleep to about noon in a white vehicle. Worst case, there are plenty of spots to sleep at BM and some can even be pleasant, though you could wake up all written on with sharpies. I've "never" seen hippies, I mean burners, sleeping in Center Camp. And I've "never" heard of burners who hook up with RV'ers for a night or two of rest and relaxation.

Sleeping in a rental is going to cause it to be returned dirtier than if you kept it sealed and camped properly, so take into account cleanup and detail the car yourself. If there is dustpocalypse this year, you could have a real mess.

Have fun and tour around to see ideas for future camp setups.

[dicooley]

thanks for the advice seeing eye, great to here from people who've done it.

[Ugly Dougly]

Do it ghetto style. Get a tarp and strap it to your SUV, maing a lean-to off the down-wind side. Put another tarp on the ground and make your camp there. The vehicle is your windbreak, see. You'll need something to keep the wind from blowing under the SUV, but I leave that to you as an exercise.

You probably won't die, and your pleasure will likely exceed your misery.

[mudpuppy000]

Do it ghetto style. Get a tarp and strap it to your SUV, maing a lean-to off the down-wind side. Put another tarp on the ground and make your camp there. The vehicle is your windbreak, see. You'll need something to keep the wind from blowing under the SUV, but I leave that to you as an exercise.

You probably won't die, and your pleasure will likely exceed your misery.

Haha, I did that my first year. Worked pretty well. My neighbors had a SUV that they attached 2x4's to the roof rack and made a porch on one side. That was less ghetto than mine and had a nice amount of space under it.

[skippy3k]

Last year we met a guy who flew in from Australia and rented an SUV for the event, which was parked right by us. We would watch him stumble home after the sun came up and sleep most of the day away in the SUV. I was concerned a few times when he never emerged...envisioning heat stroke, choking on vomit, all kinds of horrible stuff. He was totally fine. But keep in mind;

a) Last year had very mild temperatures
b) He was from Australia

[dicooley]

you guys are funny! ghetto sounds perfect for our short stay. i'm having a hard time picturing this porch your neighbors built but I am definitely intrigued. i went around looking at tarps today. i'm thinking of just buying one here and lugging it out there just in case the local places run out, at this point it's looking like a tarp is going to be an essential part of my experience and i'll be fucked without one.

[FIGJAM]

Don't buy a blue tarp!

[nilasnake]

very do-able in SUV...just go to bed at 11pm with ear plugs, and get up at 7 am!! or to sleep longer, get a cot to put in the shade of your SUV. this being that there are no dust storms, though i don't rightly recollect dust storms in the early morning hours.

[Ugly Dougly]

If you see the dust storm (Simoom/Condition Alpha etc.) get in your SUV before the dust rises; otherwise you're bringing it in with you - or more than you would normally bring.

[theCryptofishist]

Or if you hear the dust storm sirens go on.

[dicooley]

FIGJAM no way in hell I'm getting some cheap ass blue tarp. Have been reading boards (some might say obsessively) and realize that blue tarp is insufficient for the playa. I plan to become a tarp expert over the next couple of days. Of course you could shorten the learning curve and lay some of your extensive knowledge on me --or not, I know it's all here somewhere, the search engine told me so

[ranger magnum]

My first year was similiar. Was there only a few days. Slept on a couch. Woke up with an inch of dust on me. Never knew if it was the wind or people fucking with me but i was fine

[FIGJAM]

Heavy duty silver tarp withe the plastic re-enfoced corners.

Grommets every 18"s

[Bob]

Blue tarps can be made to work, you just need to stretch them over a frame that quiets them down. Anything can be made to work.

[captain mcguiver]

Blue tarps can be made to work, you just need to stretch them over a frame that quiets them down. Anything can be made to work.

Wrong- hippies can not be made to work.

[vargaso]

I sleep in my minivan with the back two rows of seats taken out/folded down, it's WAY better than a goddamn tent. FAR less dust, much quieter and if you go to the trouble of making a monkey hut and parking under it and also using a windshield sun shade, it stays cool enough to sleep comfortably in until about 11am. Monkey hut design I used is here:

http://www.chromatest.net/Lovemonkey/

Cost of materials is about $100, much cheaper than renting an RV. Use can use a cheap tent to store gear and use as changing station if you want. We slept in a tent our first two years and now that we sleep in the minivan, we'd never go back.

[BBadger]

Amazon.com now has the Harpster heavy duty silver tarp, so now I don't need to pay for all the shipping from Gemplers (and costs less too). Hmm... I just noticed that the 12x20 ones I bought have just sold out. Must be popular!

[mgb327]

Well, here's my 2 cents...I went in my Suburban last year. Loved it. I took the seats out before I left, and had a nice air mattress and blankets. I parked and put a beige tightly woven shade cloth structure over the entire vehicle and an area for my table and chairs. I think the shade canopy is about 16 by 16. Then I put good silver reflective material over the windows towards the sun. I parked so the lift gate was "downwind". Set up a table, solar shower stall, some folding chairs, it was heaven. I used good candy-cane bent rebar, and very good straps and tiedowns. never had an issue with "looseness", even tied the solar shower stall to one of the canopy poles. The Sub was never hot inside, even during the day, as it was always in the shade. It was very quiet inside at night for sleeping. Not bad on the dust issue, and had plenty of room for myself. I think it would still suffice for 2 people, if they are a couple, or "familiar". I am doing EXACTLY the same this year. It affords great security for "valuables" while out and about, has an awesome factory CD sound system, plenty of room, just couldn't have made a better decision....for me. I spent a little time visiting some friends in their RVs, but all the time, I was looking out the windows wanting to get back outside. I would not consider sleeping/camping in a vehicle unless it was completely uinder a shade srtucture...and a good one is quite simple to acquire and construct. Use good materials and a very good, solid, basic design. By taking all the seats out but the drivers' seat, I had plenty of room for supplies, coolers, the bike, etc. I drove over 6000 miles round trip. It was heaven.

[Ugly Dougly]

Blue tarps can be made to work, you just need to stretch them over a frame that quiets them down. Anything can be made to work.

It's just that there's been too much damn blue tarp.

[waynerd]

I'm with Mgb.
I'm driving down in my Xterra, which I have already put through more "sleeping tests" then I can count. 4 month road trip across Canada through the WINTER, 4 Month road trip through the Southwest US during summer. I know and fully understand that the playa will be different monster but know I can adapt.

I've popped the bottom portion of the back seats out so the backs lay down flush, lots of room to stretch out and since the back compartment has no carpet I'm not too worried if it gets a little extra dusty (was also a pro auto detailer in my younger years, two hours at a car wash an I'm golden) but will be trying to keep it to a minimum. I use an "SUV" air mattress, have a great sleeping bag (good for minus 20C), a few extra blankets and pillows. I've ridden out minus 30 weather with high winds and been cozy and warm. To be honest, I sleep better in it while on the road then at home in bed.

I plan on having a smallish tent for storage/changing, some sort of shade cover attached to the vehicle and rebar'd down, to create a little room for a table and camp chair underneath. Staying with Baal Mart so hopefully can get a little shade from a nearby RV but not worried if I can't.

I'm also a photographer so most mornings I'll be trying to be up for the dawn golden hour and perhaps finding a place to nap a little later on. I have no doubt I can make this work.