How to sleep in a car: Best small car camping conversions

It always amazes me how creative folks who like car camping are – so many ways one can sleep in any car and turn a standard car into a camper. Here are some of the best conversions of small cars into campers, in my opinion, that fit our simple car camping criteria.

How to sleep in any car – featuring VW Touran

By Mechanical Rhino – who is quite handy with all kinds of random DIY challenges. This camping conversion should fit any other everyday car – estates, other minivans/MPVs, and even SUVs. It is a completely removable home made camping kit.

What I like especially:

• simple enough – take the seats out, bring the rack in, put a mattress on it – and you’re done
• the rack requires a good bit of DIY skills, but it’s still pretty minimalistic
• clever tricks like the boot door safety lock to keep it ajar 🙂
• removable camper conversion – it keeps the car as it is – no hardcore irreversible conversion (where your car is only a camper, not a 5 seater anymore)

Ford Galaxy DIY Campervan Conversion kit

by Will’s Whereabouts – who really puts the #microcamper to the test! Ford Galaxy is quite a spacious car and offers a luxurious drive on top of that – read more about it on our Ford Galaxy camper page. This camping conversion has it all – a comfy bed plenty of storage space, electricity and sockets, lights and personal touches to make it homely.

What I like especially:

• simple enough – use of standard wooden crates for storage under a simple enough rack (not taking into account the additional wiring & battery, that’s more advanced, but not a requirement)
• the rack doubles up as a sofa too!
• clever tricks like the down-to-earth but multi-functional window curtains from linen mesh

And here’s my one! I don’t have a video though

WV Sharan (5-seater) reversible microcamper:

I have converted my Sharan twice already. The first camping conversion is on the left, the second is on the right.

Easy to advanced ways to sleep in any car – featuring Skoda Roomster & Skoda Yeti

These conversions are easily adjustable to fit any other car. Skoda Roomster isn’t a very big car, you could use these ideas to sleep in any other similar car – estates and SUVs. Skoda Yeti is also a smaller SUV, but it’s still possible to sleep in it – something you can apply to any other SUV too.

How to sleep in any American 🇺🇸 Minivan?

US Minivans like the Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna are very specific in their size (bigger than European MPVs). Check out the Honda Odyssey conversions below, or the Toyota Prius ideas for smaller hatchbacks.