We’ve slept in our 4Runner all across the Western USA (Hawaii, Colorado, California, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada).
Through these adventures we’ve learned a thing or two about organizing your vehicle for a trip.
When it comes to sleeping in your vehicle, space is worth its weight in gold.
This article is all about tips and tricks to maximize the space in your vehicle through organization.
Tip 1 - Elevate the sleeping platform in your vehicle.
We believe that an elevated sleeping platform in your vehicle is the most important way to optimize the relationship between space, organization, and comfort.
Here’s why:
- If you are laying on the floor of your trunk area, where does all your gear go? A car sleeping platform allows you to stow gear underneath your sleeping area, increasing the storage capacity of your vehicle.
- Sleeping platforms should provide a full 6ft of sleeping length so you don’t have to contort yourself when it’s time for shut-eye
- Provides instant access to your bed so you don’t waste precious time setting up or breaking down a sleeping apparatus.
- An extra layer of safety for a quick get away & protection from wildlife (bear vs. man?)
There’s a ton of videos out there for building DIY sleeping platforms with wood and power tools. DIY systems can be customized (which is pretty cool) - the trade off is their weight (heavy) and space they take up in your garage/apt if you manage to remove them from your vehicle in the off-season.
The other option is to opt for a modular vehicle sleeping platform that fits in a wide range of vehicles.
The Hele Box is the perfect solution if you are looking for a lightweight, compact, and easy to remove car camping system. It’s height adjustable so you can dial in the perfect ratio of storage space/headroom and it fits in most SUVs/Trucks.
It’s trusted by hundreds of customers, has 50+ 5 star reviews, and has been tested by experts in the outdoor gear field.
“The Hele Box elevates car camping to a new level of comfort” - GearJunkie
Tip 2 - Storage Bins
Okay, now that you’ve elevated your sleeping platform - let’s make sure the gear your store underneath is easily accessible and organized.
Storage bins are a great way to compartmentalize your various car camping products. If you are wondering what to bring on a car camping trip, check out this ultimate checklist!
There’s a ton of awesome options out there for storage bins. Our personal favorite for larger items are the storage totes you can purchase from big box stores like Home Depot, Lowes, and sometimes Costco!
They come in a wide range of sizes depending on your needs, the height/width of your sleeping platform, etc. These retail between $20-$50 depending on the size/brand.
Maybe the best part about them is the un-packing process. When you come back from your trip (likely exhausted from a long drive) all you need to do is pull out your storage tote and place it on a shelf. Done!
We talked about the Hele Box vehicle sleeping platform earlier - something unique about this product is that the carrying case actually doubles as compartmentalized storage.
Once the platform is set up, it has a hard-bottom and adjustable dividers so you can neatly organize all your gear/goodies. It conveniently slides right underneath the sleeping platform for easy storage as well.
You can actually purchase the storage case separately here.
Tip 3 - Water Containers
Are we really about to talk about organizing water? Yup!
Water is life - making sure it’s properly organized and stored is critical, especially if you are taking the road less traveled.
We recommend that you think of water in two ways - drinking & washing. They should have a separate carrying case for each.
I like to keep my “washing” water in a big 5 gallon tote/jug. This is what I’ll use to wash dishes, hands, and shower.
My drinking water is usually in one-gallon jugs stored in my cooler or a separately labeled tote.
It’s important to separate/organize them because you don’t want to mistakenly use the water set aside for drinking on a dirty camping plate.
This is the best way to make sure you have ample drinking water on your journey.
Those are our three biggest tips for organizing your vehicle for the next car camping trip!
There’s a ton more that goes into setting up your vehicle for a successful car camping adventure. Let us know what else you’d like us to write about in the comment section below.
If you have questions about the Hele Box car camping platform & storage system, please reach out to us here!