Does anyone sleep in their cars?

MandaMoon · Post by **MandaMoon** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 8:41 pm

Just curious. I'm not talking RV or VW van here, but cranking that front seat down and snoozing away. Advantages? Disadvantages? Thought I'd bring a hammock/shade for daytime sleeping, but at night...is this an insane thought?

Tancorix · Post by **Tancorix** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 8:54 pm

In 2002 I did that during the day as I had a hard time acclimating to the heat and altitude so I ran the A/C, and I slept in there a couple of times at night. I've seen others do it too. So to answer your question, imho it's a perfectly reasonable idea. Whatever it takes to get to the playa and enjoy your stay...that's what counts.

vulgaris · Post by **vulgaris** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 9:07 pm

Better idea. Go to the center camp, sleep there. If you're lucky you can score a couch. If not you can always steal a pillow. Theres also a lot of big pillows and things on the ground to sleep on. I did it most nights after realizing waking up in a hot tent was retarded.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 9:23 pm

Definitely check out the coin-op circular vibra-beds at Ranger HQ.

vulgaris · Post by **vulgaris** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 10:06 pm

Woah! o__o

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 12:17 am

Definitely check out the coin-op circular vibra-beds at Ranger HQ.

Why is it you feel compelled to give away damn near every one of our secrets Bob?

Thanks. Thanks a lot!

Fuck.

Tancorix · Post by **Tancorix** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 7:36 am

Isotopia wrote:
Why is it you feel compelled to give away damn near every one of our secrets Bob?

Iso is a Ranger, Bob is DPW. It sounds like a case of perk envy to me.

zzberlin · Post by **zzberlin** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 9:37 am

I slept in the back of my saab hatchback my first year. I was with an old
girlfriend and her new boyfriend and decided I didn't want to share
(a largish) tent with them. I was out there three nights, slept two in the
car and one elsewhere, but both nights in the car were reasonably
comfortable because I was completely exhausted.

I accidentally set the car alarm off at one point which
annoyed me and a couple neighbors.

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 6:43 pm

Advantages: wind resistant and quiet and a view of the open sky through the windows etc.

Disadvantage: You are talking about sleeping in the front seat. Can't exactly flop around there. This might be okay if you are arriving at night and want to wait until morning to set up, but I wouldn't want to sleep like that all week.

honeyfire · Post by **honeyfire** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 12:10 pm

I'm dragging up this older topic as i have further questions on it, and didn't want to start a new thread. I did a search on "sleeping in the car" and it gave dozens of threads! 'Course, it came up with every thread that had the word "car" in it... *snork*

Anyway, i'm thinking in terms of renting a minivan (or possibly my friend's VW bus) and using it as a tent. I'm thinking that the windblock/waterproof/low dust/lockable aspects would be tres useful, along with reducing the amount of un/repacking.
I figure i can drop a (coupla?) rug(s) out the side or back and make a little patio area for entertaining, and then roll out the bedroll/futon/whatever and sleep in it when it's that time (i'm not even 5' 7', so i'm not worried about enough sleeping room).

What i'm thinking is: Shade structure that will keep the van almost entirely out of the sun, windows open when i am present and there's not a lot of blowing dust. Windows closed when i'm gone or there's weather going. I am pretty familiar with temperature management by way of closing windows/opening windows/crossbreezes/etc (don't remember when i last had central a/c). I realise that it cools off at night, i think i'll be comfy enough in a nice sleeping bag in the van with the windows mostly up, and i'll be bringing plenty of warm layers (i get overchilled much more easily than overheated).
What i'm wondering is: Am i deluding myself that this could stay cool enough not to melt everything in the van? Would draping the body of the van help any? What if the drape for the van has a few inches of vent space under it? Will i go to sleep (in the dark) in my down bag and thermies only to wake up (under a shade structure, but in the day) in an oven?

I'm also contemplating some fabric covers for the windows to allow venting but maybe reduce the dust. Will this do any good, d'ya think?
The dust is actually my biggest concern. I don't care about getting dirty, but dust is my single most dangerous asthma trigger. I'd really like to avoid the expense and embarrassment of getting airlifted somewhere because i can't breathe, ER's are pricey enough ...

Another thing i'm thinking is a little deck. When i say "drop a coupla rugs and make a patio", i'm for some reason picturing a couple of pallets (shipping skids) staked to the ground and lashed together, with the rugs duct taped to the pallets. Why do i have this conviction that i should raise my patio a few inches? I keep seeing it raised and when i think about it, i can't work out why it would make a noticable difference. I mean, it would allow airflow under the patio, but would that help any if it's already under a shade structure?

So, that's what i have so far. Am i missing some big obvious thing? Does anyone have any refinements to suggest?

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 12:53 pm

honeyfire wrote:I'm dragging up this older topic as i have further questions on it, and didn't want to start a new thread. I did a search on "sleeping in the car" and it gave dozens of threads! 'Course, it came up with every thread that had the word "car" in it... *snork*

Anyway, i'm thinking in terms of renting a minivan (or possibly my friend's VW bus) and using it as a tent. I'm thinking that the windblock/waterproof/low dust/lockable aspects would be tres useful, along with reducing the amount of un/repacking.
I figure i can drop a (coupla?) rug(s) out the side or back and make a little patio area for entertaining, and then roll out the bedroll/futon/whatever and sleep in it when it's that time (i'm not even 5' 7', so i'm not worried about enough sleeping room).

What i'm thinking is: Shade structure that will keep the van almost entirely out of the sun, windows open when i am present and there's not a lot of blowing dust. Windows closed when i'm gone or there's weather going. I am pretty familiar with temperature management by way of closing windows/opening windows/crossbreezes/etc (don't remember when i last had central a/c). I realise that it cools off at night, i think i'll be comfy enough in a nice sleeping bag in the van with the windows mostly up, and i'll be bringing plenty of warm layers (i get overchilled much more easily than overheated).
What i'm wondering is: Am i deluding myself that this could stay cool enough not to melt everything in the van? Would draping the body of the van help any? What if the drape for the van has a few inches of vent space under it? Will i go to sleep (in the dark) in my down bag and thermies only to wake up (under a shade structure, but in the day) in an oven?

I'm also contemplating some fabric covers for the windows to allow venting but maybe reduce the dust. Will this do any good, d'ya think?
The dust is actually my biggest concern. I don't care about getting dirty, but dust is my single most dangerous asthma trigger. I'd really like to avoid the expense and embarrassment of getting airlifted somewhere because i can't breathe, ER's are pricey enough ...

Another thing i'm thinking is a little deck. When i say "drop a coupla rugs and make a patio", i'm for some reason picturing a couple of pallets (shipping skids) staked to the ground and lashed together, with the rugs duct taped to the pallets. Why do i have this conviction that i should raise my patio a few inches? I keep seeing it raised and when i think about it, i can't work out why it would make a noticable difference. I mean, it would allow airflow under the patio, but would that help any if it's already under a shade structure?

So, that's what i have so far. Am i missing some big obvious thing? Does anyone have any refinements to suggest?

I'll tell you what I found out recently--- renting a minivan can cost twice as much as renting a car. So this is not a cheap solution. I like the idea too, but it will be cheaper to rent a pickup truck and work out a plan from there.

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 1:25 pm

honeyfire wrote:I'm dragging up this older topic as i have further questions on it, and didn't want to start a new thread. I did a search on "sleeping in the car" and it gave dozens of threads! 'Course, it came up with every thread that had the word "car" in it... *snork*

Anyway, i'm thinking in terms of renting a minivan (or possibly my friend's VW bus) and using it as a tent. I'm thinking that the windblock/waterproof/low dust/lockable aspects would be tres useful, along with reducing the amount of un/repacking.
I figure i can drop a (coupla?) rug(s) out the side or back and make a little patio area for entertaining, and then roll out the bedroll/futon/whatever and sleep in it when it's that time (i'm not even 5' 7', so i'm not worried about enough sleeping room).

What i'm thinking is: Shade structure that will keep the van almost entirely out of the sun, windows open when i am present and there's not a lot of blowing dust. Windows closed when i'm gone or there's weather going. I am pretty familiar with temperature management by way of closing windows/opening windows/crossbreezes/etc (don't remember when i last had central a/c). I realise that it cools off at night, i think i'll be comfy enough in a nice sleeping bag in the van with the windows mostly up, and i'll be bringing plenty of warm layers (i get overchilled much more easily than overheated).
What i'm wondering is: Am i deluding myself that this could stay cool enough not to melt everything in the van? Would draping the body of the van help any? What if the drape for the van has a few inches of vent space under it? Will i go to sleep (in the dark) in my down bag and thermies only to wake up (under a shade structure, but in the day) in an oven?

I'm also contemplating some fabric covers for the windows to allow venting but maybe reduce the dust. Will this do any good, d'ya think?
The dust is actually my biggest concern. I don't care about getting dirty, but dust is my single most dangerous asthma trigger. I'd really like to avoid the expense and embarrassment of getting airlifted somewhere because i can't breathe, ER's are pricey enough ...

Another thing i'm thinking is a little deck. When i say "drop a coupla rugs and make a patio", i'm for some reason picturing a couple of pallets (shipping skids) staked to the ground and lashed together, with the rugs duct taped to the pallets. Why do i have this conviction that i should raise my patio a few inches? I keep seeing it raised and when i think about it, i can't work out why it would make a noticable difference. I mean, it would allow airflow under the patio, but would that help any if it's already under a shade structure?

So, that's what i have so far. Am i missing some big obvious thing? Does anyone have any refinements to suggest?

I'll tell you what I found out recently--- renting a minivan can cost twice as much as renting a car. So this is not a cheap solution. I like the idea too, but it will be cheaper to rent a pickup truck and work out a plan from there.

honeyfire · Post by **honeyfire** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 1:36 pm

Well, i wasn't figuring it'd be cheaper than renting a car...
I actually have a tent i like very much, i just feel like i may as well drive something i can sleep in as something i can't. I may look into the pickup aspect but, as i said, the ability to batten the hatches against dust is a big factor in my choices. If it weren't for the dust and wind, i'd be fine w/ sleeping in an open truckbed. I like trucks. I think it's yet another side effect of having lived in Willits, along with an appreciation for good country music, guys in tight Wranglers, and indoor plumbing.

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 6:01 pm

honeyfire wrote:Well, i wasn't figuring it'd be cheaper than renting a car...
I actually have a tent i like very much, i just feel like i may as well drive something i can sleep in as something i can't. I may look into the pickup aspect but, as i said, the ability to batten the hatches against dust is a big factor in my choices. If it weren't for the dust and wind, i'd be fine w/ sleeping in an open truckbed. I like trucks. I think it's yet another side effect of having lived in Willits, along with an appreciation for good country music, guys in tight Wranglers, and indoor plumbing.

We are driving further than you, so your costs will be less. So enjoy the minivan. I think it's a great idea to beat the dust and wind and occasional rain. It's also much more secure to lock up your stuff with.

KellY · Post by **KellY** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 6:16 pm

vulgaris wrote:Better idea. Go to the center camp, sleep there. If you're lucky you can score a couch. If not you can always steal a pillow. Theres also a lot of big pillows and things on the ground to sleep on. I did it most nights after realizing waking up in a hot tent was retarded.

Talk about giving bad advice. The cafe has been fighting the impression that it's the Black Rock City Homeless Shelter for awhile now, and gets a little more hardcore about it every year.

Nobody is likely to get too annoyed if you're taking a drousy snooze in the middle of the day, unless you're taking up too much space. Try to camp there and you'll be sent on your way - or at least you will be if you're noticed.

Anyway, couches are being phased out just because of this sort of behaviour. Expect more wooden benches this year, less soft comfy things.

And don't fall asleep in your car with the windows rolled all the way up, natch.

messy_stench · Post by **messy_stench** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 8:29 am

thought i should tack this question onto your original post:

i have heard from a few people that if you take your car to b.m. and park it in the desert next to your camp (even if you don't open the doors at all), the dusty wind and desert conditions will trash the thing and you should expect hefty tune-ups when you get back to civilization. we were told to leave the car at home and take a rental vehicle, but this isn't in our cards, since we're also moving our car across the country (moving from chicago to LA) at the same time.

drop some knowledge on me, bruthas.

we'll be driving about 2000 miles to get there and then 600 miles to our final destination and need the car to be okay for this sorta' journey. now we're looking into parking the car in reno for a week and finding a ride up to b.m. and not having much luck!

Tancorix · Post by **Tancorix** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 8:45 am

Someone's talking smack if they made it sound that bad. Sure there is dust, but as long as you don't leave your doors wide open in the middle of a dust storm for 4 hours, you have little to worry about.

Most likely you won't be running the engine except to drive in and out. And if you do, your air filter will catch much of the dust. I change mine as soon as I can when I get off the playa, I also change the oil and that's it. As for the interior, I spray things down with 303 Protectant spray so the dust isn't as attracted to the various surfaces. When I get back I detail the truck inside and out, and that's it.

Playa dust storms are bad but it's not going to eat the paint off your car, or blast it off in a storm. Your engine is not going to self destruct due to running it through a little dust or nobody else would visit the playa the rest of the year either. Bring the car, exercise common sense, plan to put some elbow grease into cleaning it up and that's all there is to it.

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 9:20 am

messy_stench wrote:thought i should tack this question onto your original post:

i have heard from a few people that if you take your car to b.m. and park it in the desert next to your camp (even if you don't open the doors at all), the dusty wind and desert conditions will trash the thing and you should expect hefty tune-ups when you get back to civilization. we were told to leave the car at home and take a rental vehicle, but this isn't in our cards, since we're also moving our car across the country (moving from chicago to LA) at the same time.

drop some knowledge on me, bruthas.

we'll be driving about 2000 miles to get there and then 600 miles to our final destination and need the car to be okay for this sorta' journey. now we're looking into parking the car in reno for a week and finding a ride up to b.m. and not having much luck!

If you are already driving your car across the country, then don't bother to rent one. The reason we rent is because if the car gets slammed by a truck in Chicago or Cleveland or whatever, we want to have a car waiting for us when we get home. We also like the fact that if that happens, the rental car people will just give us another car and send us on our way again. Do plan on doing an oil change and filter changes when you get to LA. You'd want to do that anyway after driving that far I would think.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 11:11 am

I did just that in '99 for a few nights before my campmates arrived: cranked the seat back, lined it with a featherbed and that was it. Good for catnap-type sleep, not so good for all-out sleep...but then again, catnapping is good on the Playa because you need to <i>HYDRATE</i>. Night is thee time to watch out for that, especially.

Yes, the windows can be covered with fabric, I've been doing that for the past five years. This year I'm actually installing curtain rod hangers in there. Especially put your thickest, least light-permeable curtains on your south-facing windows! Putting a windshield reflector up also helps immensely, it can cool the interior by at least 10 degrees.

I'm also making a shade canopy but it will go on the lee of the vehicle.

Kinetic: what's 303 Protectant?

Another way to cut down on dust is to cover the intake ducts in your hood with something — not duct tape! — and cover the dashboard with an old blanket. Park nose to windward. You can also wet a towel, crack open the windows/moonroof, and stuff the wet towels in them for a low-tech swamp cooler; open the back hatch to get the Bernoulli effect.

Tancorix · Post by **Tancorix** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 11:28 am

Do a search for 303 Protectant on the web to learn more about them. It's a protectant that doesn't leave the film that Armor All does, and it protects against UVA/UVB damage too along with neutralizing the charges that attract dust.

I learned of it from a Dagger kayak factory rep, the product helps protect the plastic kayaks I use and it has a lot of other uses. It helped curb my dust problems inside the truck last year. The first year I went I spent hours cleaning up. Last year was much quicker and I feel the 303 Protectant made the difference. (And no I don't work for them or sell the stuff, so the above is just an expression of what works for me. YMMV.)

Does anyone sleep in their cars?

Does anyone sleep in their cars?

See, i searched it! laughing

Re: See, i searched it! laughing

Re: See, i searched it! laughing

ah, but the dust...

Re: ah, but the dust...

will the desert trash my car?

Re: will the desert trash my car?