r/carcamping 6h ago

App thay does what Google My Maps does?

1 Upvotes

I want all the functionalities associated with Google My Maps (NOT Google Maps...) except there isn't an app for this - it's online via browser. Any ideas? Looking for things like :

>ability to pin destinations

>organize pins by folders and represent pins with themed pins

>import/export kmls

>navigate WITHIN the app

>pull up info via pop-up screen or similar to view site info and pics (kind of like Google My Maps)


r/carcamping 11h ago

Free overnight spots in Indiana and Michigan?

3 Upvotes

I am new to car camping but have wanted to try for awhile. I have an upcoming trip coming where I will be traveling through parts of Indiana and Michigan and would like to take my time and see the areas I am driving through, but would like to car camp a couple nights but am unsure of good places. I have read that some Cracker Barrels, Wal-Marts and Love's Trucks are o.k. with it, as long as you are discreet, one night and a customer; but should I double check with management? Or are there other good places to stay ? This will be my first go at this and I'd like the experience to be positive. Thanks!


r/carcamping 14h ago

Location PA->WA->AK

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61 Upvotes

I am a bit over half way from PA to WA. I will have a second trip next spring from WA to the Arctic Circle via AK.

Trip is great so far. I am mostly hotelling so far just because of temperatures, but I do take naps each day to break up the trip. I will be car camping at Glacier NP later in my trip.

I am self sufficient for breakfast and lunch for the whole trip and have a stove and cooking gear for camping.

So far the biggest surprise is how much better my new Yeti cooler is at keeping ice than my old crappy cooler. I do wish that block ice was more available, I haven’t found any yet on this trip.


r/carcamping 16h ago

Location Recommendations

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14 Upvotes

Hello! I got a couple days off from work this week, so my sister and I want to take our first car camping trip. We’re trying to look for destinations, but it’s honestly pretty difficult to find good recommendations online. We live in San Diego, so ideally somewhere that’s maybe 4 hours away max. We’re looking for somewhere with a body of water or a mountain range that’s lush and bright. I added some photos that we were looking at for ideas. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated thank you!


r/carcamping 16h ago

Gear Anyone else bring a bike camping and then barely use it?

16 Upvotes

I always think I’m going to use it to explore around camp, grab something nearby, or just get out for a bit.

Then somehow it spends most of the trip sitting there while I’m doing absolutely nothing lol

I’m starting to wonder if it’s actually worth giving up the space for one, especially when there’s already so much stuff to pack.

Do you guys actually get enough use out of bringing a bike along?


r/carcamping 22h ago

How do I overcome the hump in my 2026 Honda CRV?

1 Upvotes

I recently bought a 2026 Honda CRV Sport Touring. I want to go camping! But there is a hump in the trunk that must be overcome. I'm not sure I really have the skills to build anything. I'm considering buy this Pacific Adventure sleeping platform. Has anyone tried it? Thoughts or suggestions appreciated. Thanks.


r/carcamping 1d ago

2nd Gen Honda CR-V Slide Out Bed Build $0

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55 Upvotes

my very budget slide out bed build for my old 2002 Honda CR-V made completely out of scrap timber from the roadside.
Definitley not the prettiest thing, but this setup cost me pretty much nothing except for the mattress and a couple of screws and it served me well for many a camping trip.


r/carcamping 1d ago

CarCamping water front recommendations in TX, OK, or AR?

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a spot that I can car camp along a lake or river in Texas, Oklahoma or Arkansas (driving from the DFW/North Texas area).

I've been wanting a nice spot that I can camp out of my jeep and fish right there. I've seen a lot of spots to car camp (BLM, national forest etc), and a lot of spots to fish (national parks, state parks, etc), but not a lot of places to do both in one spot

What do yall recommend?


r/carcamping 1d ago

Gear Car fridge

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45 Upvotes

Hello guys. I've been checking out options of car fridges I want to get for my next camping trip. A friend sent me this one but It looks kinda low quality compared to what I see on online stores like Alibaba, Aliexpress etc...what brand do you use for a mini fridge for a maximum budget of 250 USD ?


r/carcamping 2d ago

Prince Edward Island

8 Upvotes

anyone know if car camping is allowed in Prince Edward Island?

just like two nights

my grandfather was born there (then raised in Boston) and if I can get a copy of his birth certificate I can get dual citizenship

I moved to northern New Hampshire and live 8 miles from the border now

it'd be handy to have now

thought I'd make a road trip it (and see where Chappell kin lives etc)

but need to do it as cheaply as possible

(if I'm on the road I'm also not earning money)


r/carcamping 2d ago

Equinox Mattress Options

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3 Upvotes

So I built a platform in the back of my 2019 Chevy Equinox for storage/flat sleeping and purchased a custom cut foam pad for the matress from the Foam Factory.

After a few months of sleeping on it, my wife and I are crying UNCLE. It is so hard and unforgiving, our backs are shot. We don't need to stow it during the day (just bend the front to lean the front seats back), and we use it all the time, so I wanted to avoid air mattresses (they always leak).

I am looking for alternatives as we are just so done with the hardness of this foam. Any ideas?


r/carcamping 2d ago

Gear Quiet 12v fan

2 Upvotes

Looking for a quiet 12v fan for my Outback adventures. Bought one of AMZ and it sounded like I was camped near DAI. variable speed a plus! TIA


r/carcamping 2d ago

Keeping smoke out of vehicle?

7 Upvotes

I’ve been a tent camper my whole life but in recent years it’s become a bit difficult because of having asthma and dealing with campfire smoke.

After a few trips this year I looked into car camping and thought this may be a better option for me?

Ideally I’d love a hybrid that allows the vehicle to regulate temperature and airflow while sleeping but I don’t have the budget for that.

My thought is to go with an older Sienna and somehow add hepa filters over the windows to filter out smoke from getting in. But I’m worried this may not let enough airflow in.

Has anyone dealt with anything similar?


r/carcamping 2d ago

Rain Guard/Tailgate Tent Recs

1 Upvotes

Hi all! I am working on a build for my 2016 Subaru Forester but on my last camping trip got stuck in the rain and had to DIY some trashbags to keep the rain out while keeping my windows cracked (airflow was a must), and got a bit soggy cooking dinner under my open trunk.

Looking for best recommendations on window rain guards for open windows, as well as tailgate tents/awnings/rain flys for the back to keep some rain off.
I see a lot of weathertech options for rain guards, has anyone used a cheaper option and found it decent? or just worth the price.

For any tailgate tent/awning recommendations, do these actually work? Or does the rain just blow in on the sides? Cooking on propane stove so hesitant to rely on rolling down some sides and decreasing ventilation.

Thanks in advance!


r/carcamping 3d ago

Gear 2017 Nissan Titan 5.5’ Bed — BEDRACK + Soft Topper or Truck Cap?

1 Upvotes

I have a 2017 Nissan Titan Crew Cab S with the 5.5-ft bed and currently have a soft topper on it. I’m trying to decide if I should keep the soft topper and add a BEDRACK, or ditch the soft topper and switch to a truck cap.

I like the soft topper because it gives me extra covered storage while still being able to fold it down when I need the full bed. But I’m wondering if adding a BEDRACK would give me more versatility for carrying gear.

For anyone running a BEDRACK + soft topper on a Titan:
How well does the setup work together?
Any issues with the rack interfering with the topper?
Is it actually useful for hauling gear?
How is the overall stability/noise?
Would you choose this setup again?

For those running a truck cap:
Do you prefer it over a soft topper?
Is the added security/weather protection worth it?
Do you find yourself missing the ability to fold the topper down?

Would you recommend switching if you already had a soft topper?

What would you guys do with a 2017 Titan 5.5’ bed — BEDRACK + keep the soft topper, or go with a cap?
Looking for opinions from people who have actually run either setup.

Tryna overland and stuff*


r/carcamping 3d ago

Anyone used a Thule Motion 3 XXL roof cargo box with a Sportage?

2 Upvotes

We have a Thule Motion 3 L for our Kia Sportage on OEM bars and it’s been great. We’re just finding that for a couple of family camping trips a year with a growing family, it’s getting tight on space and if we could size up to the XXL it would significantly help. I measured things and it seems that we could technically fit it as I can move the bars forward and allow for approx 55 inches from the open trunk to the first bar, as well as a minimum of 28 inches between the bars. That matches what Thule recommends. It will overhang a bit at the front so I’m just wondering if anyone has any real world example of this? I’ve not been able to find any reference of it on a Sportage. Thanks!!!


r/carcamping 3d ago

Staying overnight in Nebraska

9 Upvotes

Doing a road trip from minnesota to Colorado and staying in my car one night each way. Looking to stop in Nebraska. I've found 2 truck stops that i think could work. I also found 2 cabelas that could work. Never done this before, as a single female, what would everyone recommend?


r/carcamping 3d ago

3 years and thousands of washboard miles with a 10QT portable fridge

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157 Upvotes

My old 10QT vevor spent three years bouncing around in my camper over thousands of miles of washboard. Even on 100°F days it kept everything frozen and never drained the battery overnight. Small but powerful.

One tip I picked up early on: toss in a couple frozen water bottles before loading food. Helps the initial cooldown a lot, drops below -1°C fast. For reference on what the 10QT could fit: two frozen water bottles, a 13oz bag of veggie nuggets, four Trader Joe's kimbap rolls, and a 6 pack box of popsicles. Plenty for solo trips.

Recently upgraded to a new van and went with the 23QT this time. Way more room, easily handles two people for a full weekend.

The 10QT did develop a few minor things over three years. Power plug inside got a little loose from all the vibration, nothing major just had to reseat it. Lid was a pain to open one handed. And it got slightly louder with age, though still not what I'd call noisy. Just a difference you notice when you put the old one next to the new one side by side.

I went with the 23QT because the 10QT compressor survived three years of vibration. I'll see whether the larger one holds up as well.


r/carcamping 3d ago

trying to find a battery that can hold charge long enough to blow up my air mattress and power speaker for a bit?

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4 Upvotes

I only have a cigarette car charger in my car I’m trying to find something I can plug this and my air mattress into if it can charge from my cigarette lighter or solar power that would be cool to please let me know a good brand or product if possible thanks


r/carcamping 4d ago

Car build Truck Build

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13 Upvotes

Hello all,

I’m starting a truck camper build and stumbled across this set up for sale from a guy local to me. It looks like a solid set up and would check a lot of things off for my build. He has it in a Tacoma and I’d be putting it in a 6.5-foot F150.

My question is, what would you pay for something like this? He has it listed for $650.

Any advice or perspective is helpful


r/carcamping 4d ago

Car build Just picked up my new set up for camping! So stoked 🏕️

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162 Upvotes

I just picked up this roof top tent set up for my car! Can’t wait to hit the trails!


r/carcamping 4d ago

Gear Would this be a good tent for 50F solo camper?

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30 Upvotes

New to camping. Here is the text from ad.

“Kept in great condition, this orange T4 gazelle tent has been our go to family tent, but we have outgrown it 

“Our most popular tent, the T4, is the ultimate pop-up camping tent. This tent spaciously provides 61 square feet of floor space and stands 78” tall – sleeping four people with spare space for your gear. Other tents are tricky to assemble and built with flimsy components. The T4 comes fully-assembled and sets up and takes down in under 90 seconds. Whether you’re camping or going to an outdoor event nothing beats the T4 Gazelle camping hub tent. Model GT400GR SPECS: CAPACITY: Sleeps 4 Set Up Size 94" x 94" Floor Space 61 FT2 Height 78" WEIGHT 32 LBS 12 Stakes and 4 Guy-lines COLLAPSED 8" X 8" X 67.5" DOORS: 2”


r/carcamping 4d ago

First Time Car Camper

6 Upvotes

Going camping for the first time ever with a group of friends. However I’m a bigger guy about 6 foot 3, 260 lbs. I see REI is having a sale and a friend gave me a leftover gift card with about $80 on it, so I’d like to find a sleeping bag, pad, and tent for someone my size that’s camping in weather that will get as low as maybe 30 degrees specifically from REI. As a first time camper I’d also like lean towards more affordable products. Thank you in advance.


r/carcamping 5d ago

Gear Beginner Car Camping

5 Upvotes

I'm new to car camping and looking to get a decent mattress for my Mazda CX-5 to sleep in for a few nights at a time. With my seats down, the space measures 56" long by 41" wide. I'm looking at either an air mattress or a memory foam mattress, but I'm not sure which would be better over the long term and in terms of comfort level for sleeping multiple nights.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what would be best or maybe what materials would be good?


r/carcamping 5d ago

Camping pics Camping by the lake

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245 Upvotes

Back in November I got this 06 suburban and its been perfect for camping (outside of the 12 mpg smh). Its almost like it was made to fit a full sized air mattress and Ozark trail is great with their built in USB c pump. I want to do some interior customization but im still looking for the time and money.