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Camping in the 3
- Thread starter d3lerium
- Start date
Haven't done it yet but I've got some thin blow up mattresses from Aldi a few months ago.
Suggestions seem to be remove the rear seat cushion (need to unclip one wire) for a fully flat surface and more room in the mid-section.
There are also some dedicated products
Best Model 3 camping mattress?
Hi, I'm going to be camping for 4 days in my Model 3 and I'm wondering if anyone who's tested some M3 mattresses can give me a recommendation. I see there are products like Tesmat, Tescamp, Dreamcase and a host of air mattresses. I'm 5'8 and a side sleeper. My understanding is that the...
teslamotorsclub.com
That's a good idea, didn't think about taking that route. Was laying in the back yesterday thinking what could be done about the lowered back seat angle. This could work.Haven't done it yet but I've got some thin blow up mattresses from Aldi a few months ago.
Suggestions seem to be remove the rear seat cushion (need to unclip one wire) for a fully flat surface and more room in the mid-section.
There are also some dedicated products
Best Model 3 camping mattress?
Hi, I'm going to be camping for 4 days in my Model 3 and I'm wondering if anyone who's tested some M3 mattresses can give me a recommendation. I see there are products like Tesmat, Tescamp, Dreamcase and a host of air mattresses. I'm 5'8 and a side sleeper. My understanding is that the...
Chuq
Active Member
I'm really keen to try this. I picked up an Exped DeepSleep Mat 7.5 LXW a month ago as it was on special at Snowys. Haven't had a chance to give it a real life test just yet. Just went to have a look at their website and it seems they aren't selling them any more, there is the slightly thicker but twice as expensive Exped Megamat 10 LXW. But for that price you better get a lot of use out of it! (They're pretty high quality - can double as a guest mattress at home)
What drew me to Exped was the MegaMat Duo TXY (was only available in the US for a limited run and now sold out). Although I do notice the Exped site says "**NOTE: Currently sold out for 2021. MegaMat Duo TXY will return in [Northern Hemisphere] Spring 2022 as the MegaMat Auto.**"
I've been looking for other kinds of accessories - you can get a set of full window shades that fit every window, for example. Will share here when I find things!
What drew me to Exped was the MegaMat Duo TXY (was only available in the US for a limited run and now sold out). Although I do notice the Exped site says "**NOTE: Currently sold out for 2021. MegaMat Duo TXY will return in [Northern Hemisphere] Spring 2022 as the MegaMat Auto.**"
I've been looking for other kinds of accessories - you can get a set of full window shades that fit every window, for example. Will share here when I find things!
The megamat duo looks awesome. Re the windows shades, I think an eye mask would do the same job keeping the light out and the perception of privacy as you won't be able to see the outside world, hell of a lot cheaper. I say let the people look in
CaptUAL
Member
My idea of camping is two mints on my pillow. The Tesla has no shower, bathroom, TV, Security, toilet or real bed. I guess if one failed to plan and got caught out somewhere, it would do.....After filling up the whole back end with camping crap. Rent a cabin, sit on the porch and have a martini with hot brie cheese, and forget RV life.
I've done a few nights in the back of the Model 3. We got the Exped Megamat Duo 10, which fits well in the back. I just put the back seats down, I find I can sleep just fine with my head elevated slightly.
But that’s not camping, is it? That’s called staying in a Hotel.
Model 3 does have a TV of sorts… you can stream certain content to the display. And for security it has Sentry!
CaptUAL
Member
Yup-As I sit in the hot tub…you have fun in your car…that’s called comfort.
Think I could replicate the hot tub by filling the frunk with hot water and sitting in that
OK. For new years I did a quick camping trip in the hot tub equipped mobile hotel.
-- Camp Bed --
I removed the rear seat cushions to give a good flat surface to sleep on. This involved pressing in two clips, these clips were located visibly under the left and right passenger seats. The rear seat heater cables (two of) also needed to be unplugged. These were located under the left passenger seat.
Before folding down the rear seats, I placed the rear cushion directly behind the driver and passenger seats, foam facing forward. I then proceeded to place some cardboard above the high voltage service panel (??) and frame, layering a yoga mat for extra padding to protect the folded rear seats.
After folding the rear seats down, I pushed back the front passenger and driver seat to push the placed rear seat cushion sugg against the folded rear seats head rest, until there was little to no movement in the cushion.
Bedding consisted of a picnic rug below a 50mm foam mattress topper. The only one on hand was a queen size, a double would have been sufficient.
-- Camp Mode --
After setting camp mode the screen will eventually turn off/dim. Transition from main screen, to animated camp scene with tent, chairs and fireplace, and finally a dimmed black screen. This transition took possibly 20-30min. This is a guess, felt like it took longer than expected.
A/C, I decides to set the fan level to 1. Not sure this was the right move. 3 or 4 would have been a better option to regulate temperature throughout the night, with minimal noise levels.
Temperature was set to 18, but due to the outside temperature and the selected fan speed, it felt significantly lower.
-- Sleeping --
I'm 6'1, and it was a tight squeeze, especially having my partner there, she is 5'8". I needed to sleep diagonally to sleep on my back, or with a slight bend in the knees to side sleep.
Sleeping on the foam mattress topper was generally comfortable, but a foam mattress twice as thick would have been perfect for longer camp stays without compromising leg height space.
We were staying in a noisy environment, and there was no outside noise inside of the car. Incredible sound insulation, was very impressed.
Sadly it would have been nice to have more visibility of the stars, but due to the factory tinting, it's not as spectacular as watching clouds on a sunny day.
I used an eye mask over blocking out the windows. This was a great choice, both from a cost perspective and the zero light in the morning. Worth finding a good one.
-- Conclusion --
Overall good experience, felt pretty relaxed and refreshed in the morning. Thicker mattress recommended. Would like to experiment with including something behind the rear folded seat to extend my leg room when with a second person. Setup and pack up was quick, only pre work done was unplugging the rear heater cables prior to leaving as it was fiddly with big hands.
-- Camp Bed --
I removed the rear seat cushions to give a good flat surface to sleep on. This involved pressing in two clips, these clips were located visibly under the left and right passenger seats. The rear seat heater cables (two of) also needed to be unplugged. These were located under the left passenger seat.
Before folding down the rear seats, I placed the rear cushion directly behind the driver and passenger seats, foam facing forward. I then proceeded to place some cardboard above the high voltage service panel (??) and frame, layering a yoga mat for extra padding to protect the folded rear seats.
After folding the rear seats down, I pushed back the front passenger and driver seat to push the placed rear seat cushion sugg against the folded rear seats head rest, until there was little to no movement in the cushion.
Bedding consisted of a picnic rug below a 50mm foam mattress topper. The only one on hand was a queen size, a double would have been sufficient.
-- Camp Mode --
After setting camp mode the screen will eventually turn off/dim. Transition from main screen, to animated camp scene with tent, chairs and fireplace, and finally a dimmed black screen. This transition took possibly 20-30min. This is a guess, felt like it took longer than expected.
A/C, I decides to set the fan level to 1. Not sure this was the right move. 3 or 4 would have been a better option to regulate temperature throughout the night, with minimal noise levels.
Temperature was set to 18, but due to the outside temperature and the selected fan speed, it felt significantly lower.
-- Sleeping --
I'm 6'1, and it was a tight squeeze, especially having my partner there, she is 5'8". I needed to sleep diagonally to sleep on my back, or with a slight bend in the knees to side sleep.
Sleeping on the foam mattress topper was generally comfortable, but a foam mattress twice as thick would have been perfect for longer camp stays without compromising leg height space.
We were staying in a noisy environment, and there was no outside noise inside of the car. Incredible sound insulation, was very impressed.
Sadly it would have been nice to have more visibility of the stars, but due to the factory tinting, it's not as spectacular as watching clouds on a sunny day.
I used an eye mask over blocking out the windows. This was a great choice, both from a cost perspective and the zero light in the morning. Worth finding a good one.
-- Conclusion --
Overall good experience, felt pretty relaxed and refreshed in the morning. Thicker mattress recommended. Would like to experiment with including something behind the rear folded seat to extend my leg room when with a second person. Setup and pack up was quick, only pre work done was unplugging the rear heater cables prior to leaving as it was fiddly with big hands.
Attachments
CaptUAL
Member
The dreamcase no longer fits the MSLR or MSP (refresh). The new MS no longer has a recessed area in the back for the Dreamcase hard shell to fit in. I contacted Dreamcase and they said they are working on it. I got this for the MSP I have: Amazon.com
Chuq
Active Member
Clearly I wasn't that keen as I've only just tried it for the first time
(16 months later)I did all the wrong things… tried it 2.5 hours drive from home, in a place that got down to 1 degree Celsius (according to the car display) and with very little planning (I started packing about half an hour before leaving, although I did have some idea of what I needed). I used an Exped Deepsleep 7.5cm camp mattress, a basic flannel blanket and a couple of pillows.
My site for the test was Westbury, a small town with a council provided free AC charger. This was to ensure I didn’t run into issues with camp mode running all night! Two issues: There is a big floodlight just to the side (which I guess is a good thing for safety, but I didn’t have window shades) and there is a residence on the other side of the road (I just had to switch my headlights off manually and ensure I was quiet). I wasn’t 100% sure that the council would approve if someone complained and I was dobbed in! There was also a public toilet about 20m down the road.
The other issue is that the back of the Model 3 isn’t fully flat with the seats down, but I did my best by putting towels and pillows under the mattress. It’s also difficult to get in and out of the back, and get changed in!
I set camp mode (about 19 degrees) hung a jacket on the hook on the floodlight side, curled up facing the non-floodlight side and tried to sleep!
It went ok - slept from about 10:30, woke up a couple of times (about 3:30 and 5:30) and then up at sunrise (about 7). That’s about what I’d expect if I was in a tent, except warmer!
Car was charged by about 1am and used approx 1 kW the rest of the night keeping the heat going (so I imagine 9-10 kWh for the whole night)
Would I do it again? Yep! But I would sort out the bedding/mattress so it was more flat, and get some shades for the windows! I would imagine a Model Y would be way better in this regard.
Camping in the Y is pretty good though I haven't tried doing it in the 3 to compare (I suspect there's a lot more space to move around in the Y). Shades/blinds for the windows are good, the first set I bought from Tessories were missing clips for the rear windscreen but they sent out a set quickly and now all is good.
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So were you dobbed in?
Just keep in mind which states it is legal to sleep in a car in, and if there are any local laws against it. Other than that, camp mode works well.
Is It Legal to Sleep in Your Car? (2023 Update)
The laws surrounding whether you can sleep in your car vary in each Australian State. Find out the rules for each State here.
lawpath.com.au
Chuq
Active Member
No, all good. Either they didn’t care, or maybe they just assumed I parked the car there to charge overnight and left.
