Find out which cars in the EU and UK are best for camping. What are their boot measurements, how to convert them into a camper.
Cars are sorted by NimbleCamper rating – best on top, by default. Find the best car for camping by its boot size, comfort, consumption or other criteria. Add to comparison and easily view in a table. See images and tutorials of camping conversions for each car.
If there is a good everyday car for sleeping in and camping in the EU or the US, you will find it here.
Showing 40–70 of 70 results
The Prius gives you unmatched consumption whilst still boasting a good-size boot for a station wagon/estate body type, even with the battery being in the boot. So if you are looking for a low-fuel cost car that you still can sleep in, the Toyota Prius is a very good choice.
Good boot length and standard SUV height with better width between the wheel arches. Good for camping when you are planning to venture off the road (albeit not as rugged as the Mitsubishi Pajero (Shogun).
You can sleep in the back of the Audi A4 Avant easily – even without any camping conversion – the rear seats fold down flat, tilting upwards slightly, which is ok for sleeping (might depend on the model). It’s long enough if you only put a mattress down (not too thick), and it’s also tall enough to sit on your bed. But of course, it’s still an estate – not as big, especially not as high in the boot as MPVs.
With quite a short boot and barn door (not tailgate), this isn’t the best option for a camping conversion – you’ll find better ones in our database. But people still do convert their Dokker for sleeping and companies manufacture camping boxes for it. Find out more below.
The most common approach seems to be a full professional camper conversion (rebuild) or a Dokker-specific camping box, which will give you the most sleeping length and storage space. As you’ll be throwing out all the seats anyway, check out the van version if you still like the Dokker, but want a much longer boot – without paying for the seats in the first place.
Dacia Duster is surprisingly spacious and offers high ground clearance (200mm) and 4×4 four-wheel drive, making it a great microcamper. It offers a perfect blend of practicality and affordability. The boot size is shorter than an average SUV, but still, the Duster provides enough room for sleeping inside.
Looking for something bigger and more rugged? Try the Mitsubishi Pajero (Shogun).
User ratings for the Dacia Duster among camping enthusiasts have been generally positive. The vehicle is appreciated for its affordable price point, spacious interior, and off-road capabilities. Many users have praised the Duster for its versatility. With its reliable performance(1,2,3) and practical features, the Duster has garnered a loyal following among camping enthusiasts seeking an affordable and reliable camping companion.
Feedback from a fellow Duster owner: “With seats folded, the boot floor is not completely even. Back seat’s backrest is on an incline, so the real height from the top of the backrest to the car ceiling is around 70cm.”
This successor of Dacia Lodgy seems to be boasting everything you need from a good car for camping – SUV features to take it off-road, MPV size with 7 seats + a long and spacious boot at a very affordable price. This could be the next best everyday camping car – if you are prepared to let go of a few comforts, slightly lower boot height or accept a lower safety rating.
Combined with Dacia’s own Sleep Pack, you can easily turn it into a camper (or try a DIY camping conversion too).
It’s a good enough camper if you push the front seats forward – giving you enough room to sleep. But its main advantage is that it’s a 4×4, not its size (there are bigger cars in our DB for that).
The Kia Ceed is a typical hatchback that still offers enough sleeping area when the seats are folded away properly. You can sleep in it, but there won’t be much storage or headroom, therefore a roofbox might come in handy.
This is one of the best SUVs in our database for car camping – a big boot overall, but its width stands out the most (see comparison with other SUVs). But – it’s not very well rated on top car reviewing websites and it does eat a lot! You might find the Subaru Forester a bit better (2.8/5 Nimblecamper rating – similar size, better consumption and comfort), or, if you are after something more rugged and mostly for off-road camping, try the Mitsubishi Pajero (Shogun)
The Vauxhall / Opel Zafira Tourer is one of the more compact MPVs – close to a Ford S-Max or the VW Touran in terms of size and luxury (only the Tourer, the older Zafira is even smaller and less luxurious). Its rear seats fold flat (newer models), opening up a spacious boot that’s good enough for sleeping two people.
A very popular SUV amongst camping enthusiasts – not the biggest one, but has enough room for sleeping, plus offers an excellent safety rating and is one of the best cars you can take off-road, well rugged and well-built, matched only by the rugged Mitsubishi Pajero (Shogun).
You can sleep in the back of the Passat Combi easily – even without any camping conversion – the rear seats fold down flat, tilting upwards slightly, which is ok for sleeping (might depend on the model). It’s long enough if you only put a mattress down (not too thick), and it’s also tall enough to sit on your bed. But of course, it’s still an estate – not as big, especially not as high in the boot as MPVs.
The Chevrolet Orlando was aimed at the MPV market, albeit unsuccessfully – it’s not as big as its rivals a fact that even its lower price didn’t rectify. It’s about as big as a VW Touran, with a smaller rear opening. On the positive side, it does offer some clever storage solutions and its seats fold completely flat, so all you need to do is throw in a mattress and you’re good to sleep in it. Could be a good quick camping solution – just carry the mattress and sleeping gear in the boot and you are always ready for an impromptu camping stop.
Although it might strike you as a big car, its boot is on par with most SUVs – about the same length and height. It is a big city SUV, not that well suited for rugged off-road conditions, like the Mitsubishi Pajero (Shogun) for example.
The Land Rover Discovery offers about average boot length and height compared to other SUV Campers but gives you more width. It is a luxurious (and hence expensive) car so it’s not the usual choice people go for when looking for an SUV camper. It offers great off-road capabilities and more luxuries than your average SUV. It’s consumption is also a bit higher than a typical SUV in our database.
The Volvo V60 is a very reliable and safe car. It offers an average size boot for a typical estate/station wagon (combi) body type and slightly higher consumption than other estates.
It’s a good enough camper if you push the front seats forward – giving you enough room to sleep. But its main advantage is that it’s a 4×4, not its size (there are bigger cars in our DB for that).
The Kia Sportage is a typical SUV that offers enough sleeping area when the seats are folded away properly. It doesn’t offer anything in terms of size that any other compact SUV in our database doesn’t offer too. It’s boot is 7 cm narrower and 5 cm lower than it’s closest rival, the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V. If you like it’s size, but prefer a more rugged outdoor SUV, I’d suggest Subaru Outback.
It is one of the smallest MPVs out there, but sleeping two people in the Nemo is still possible. Preferably average-height people as anyone taller than 180cm might struggle. The 2-seat van version has a slightly larger boot than the Multispace version, but no huge difference.
The 3008 is a comfortable car that’s good to drive, its boot is on the shorter end of the spectrum, but still good 175cm. With front seats pushed forward or sleeping with the bottom tailgate open (and top closed), you can gain even more room. The boot height is 75cm, so don’t put a very thick mattress in if you want some headroom. Make sure you use the removable boot floor (double floor) for storage.
Models until 2016 were classified as MPV, models since then are SUVs.
What Tesla can you camp in? The Model X for sure! The boot easily turns into a bed. You can sleep comfortably in a Tesla Model X – easily fit a 200x100cm mattress inside. There are some DIY conversions to be found out there too (see images and videos below). The biggest advantage of the Model X is the hidden storage compartments you don’t get in many other cars (two big ones in the boot [or one if you have a 7-seater] and one in the front under the hood). Good to store most of your camping gear. There are two things that might put you off – the price tag of course and the relatively low boot height.
Skoda Yeti offers about 10cm shorter boot compared to other SUV Campers but comes with much lower consumption. It has been awarded Family Car of the Year by Top Gear Magazine. It’s a good car that you can convert into a camper easily, but don’t expect too much headroom or storage space. It’s best combined with a suitable car tent that will give you plenty of living room when camping, whilst you sleep in the boot.
This little fella wouldn’t be the first car you’d think of when going camping. But it is still possible to sleep in it, albeit not very comfortably.
The 500 is shorter than its uglier brothers, the Punto and the Panda, but it is ~13cm taller inside the boot. For this small difference, it consumes quite a bit more!
This little fella wouldn’t be the first car you’d think of when going camping. But it is still possible to sleep in it. Especially for a single person, the typical conversion extends over the front passenger’s seat. The older models (not sure about newer ones) passenger seat backrest folds down almost flat, allowing your bed area to go over it.
This little fella wouldn’t be the first car you’d think of when going camping. But it is still possible to sleep in it. Especially for a single person, the typical conversion extends over the front passenger’s seat. The older models (not sure about newer ones) passenger seat backrest folds down almost flat, allowing your bed area to go over it.
The Punto is a little bit longer than the Panda, but for this small difference, consumes quite a bit more.
Boot length ESTIMATED as no reliable sources found. (Estimation is based on our 30+ cars database using averages).
The Xbus brings a new take on a small camper bus/people carrier. Its main competitor is the VW ID Buzz, albeit the Xbus leads with its modular base and configurable components. It is a very promising concept that has gained over 1.5 million EUR in crowdfunding in 2021 and I’m sure will lead the way of electric camper vans in years to come.
The Xbus is not for everyone – it is being developed with environmental and economic credentials as the brands’ main priority, therefore some compromises in terms of how many people it can carry or top speed need to be made. But I am sure it will find its place in many people’s hearts. I am definitely looking forward to it! The company behind the XBUS (ElectricBrands) has hired 13 new employees in 2022 with the work on Xbus underway, albeit with possible delays because of the unprovoked attack on Ukraine by Russia. BTW, the Xbus Camper is the most sought-after variant of the Xbus (in the private sector). Campers know what’s good, especially nimble campers! ;) That’s also the reason, why the company has decided to build the camper as their next test vehicle that they will take to shows and exhibitions to collect feedback. Real images (not mockups) to follow soon. Watch this space!
I have estimated the interior dimensions, but as the vehicle is a camper by design, it can’t be compared fairly to other MPVs. I am giving it a 4.5/5 rating for now, as it’s looking to be a great camper, but will adjust this accordingly as more information surfaces.
