Check out some of the best MPVs you can sleep in and take camping. Compared to SUVs and other cars, they tend to be bigger and offer the biggest boot length and height. They are the favourite type of car people convert to campers, most camping boxes (DIY or manufactured) are made to fit them. Perfect for most car camping trips, even some off-road locations, but usually no 4×4 (4WD) and slightly lower ground clearance.
Showing 40–48 of 48 results
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.
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.
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.
The development of this car has been terminated by Sono Motors in February 2023.
“A spacious electric car with a range of up to 305 kilometres that charges itself through the power of the sun.” – this says it all! It is the cheapest electric car out there and on top of that, it has built-in solar panels that can charge the car and your appliances. Or even other cars and things around you.
There isn’t much information available beyond the prototype specs on Sono Motors, but the Sion is looking very promising as a camping car. It isn’t the biggest – but it’s big enough (about as long as the short version of the Caddy). What sets it apart is its ability to charge itself – if you are driving in a sunny country, you could add 112-245km to your range for free!
The boot length is 163cm – not that much for sleeping, but with the front seats pushed forward, you could get 180cm of actual length.
It won’t dazzle you with comfort – it wouldn’t be able to keep its low price tag, but the comfort and luxury-seeking crowd isn’t Sion’s target audience. It’s the environmentally conscious, practicality over comfort and EV-enthusiastic buyer that will find all this in the car.
As it is still a prototype, its dimensions might change – we’ll keep it updated as much as we can!
Boot length ESTIMATED as no reliable sources found. (Estimation is based on our 30+ cars database using averages).
![[CANCELLED] XBUS camper](https://nimblecamper.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/xbus-camper--500x375.webp)
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.
