Thinking of hitting the road for a long road trip? Dreaming of camping out of your Jeep parked looking out over the Grand Canyon or Lake Powell? The good news is sleeping out of the back of your Jeep Wrangler easy, comfortable, and safe. I have been traveling the most remote places in Utah for the past 4 years primarily sleeping out of my Jeep. I am going to break down how I do it, how I have seen others do it and showcase exactly what you will need to set something up for yourself.
Benefits Of Sleeping In Your Jeep
There are a ton of benefits of sleeping in your Jeep vs a tent or some other type of shelter. Here are the top reasons we like sleeping inside the Jeep.
A. Shelter From The Elements: The Jeep Wrangler makes a great shelter from the elements. Nothing makes for a worse night’s sleep than a super windy night where your tent is flapping so loud that you cannot sleep. I’ve been on multiple trips where the wind was so loud that other travelers using tents were not able to sleep due to the noise and trying to keep their tents staked in. It’s also great for rain and snowstorms where you have a nice dry spot to keep warm and dry.
B. Camp On Any Surface: It’s not always easy to find a level soft surface to camp on. Sometimes our only option is hard Redrock or extremely rock mountain terrain. Putting a tent on those surfaces is not only very uncomfortable but hard to keep the tent from blowing away. However, in the Jeep, you can park on any surface, and as long as you can get it semi level you have a perfect place to set up for the night.
C. Insulated: We do a lot of Winter and cold weather camping. The interior in the Jeep is far more insulated than a traditional tent. This makes it easier to keep warm on super cold nights. If things get super cold you have the ability to turn your rig on and run the heater long enough to warm things up. This is especially nice on cold mornings, start the Jeep and get it warm while you change clothes and pack up your gear.
D. Access To Electricity: In addition to being able to turn the heat on you can charge devices, run a fan, work or even read using the electrical access you have in the Jeep. Utah deserts can get really hot and having the ability to run a fan at night to keep you cold is absolutely amazing. Our small portable fan can run an entire night but having access to USB charging makes it possible to keep that charged.
E. Safer: I could put together an entire article about just how much safer it is than other methods. But in short, you are safer from the elements, better protected from predators, snakes or other deadly animals or insects. While it is extremely unlikely you will have a negative experience with animals while in a Tent or other camping setup you have an extra layer of protection inside your vehicle. I’ve found I just sleep a little better knowing I am locked inside a vehicle, making it easier to ignore the little creaks of the woods.
F. Easier and Faster: I’ve found that I can set up and takedown our sleeping arrangements much faster than when we use our tent. This makes setting up camp easier which gives me more time to enjoy the wilderness. I also like that if I ever need to leave in a hurry I can quickly pack up and go.
How Much Space Is There?
The first thing you need to determine is just how much space you are actually working with? This depends on the model of Jeep Wrangler you are running. The JL is slightly larger than the JK. If you are running a 2Door JL with the seats pushed completely forward and sleeping on an angle you have roughly 72inches. It’s important to note you would have to sleep on an angle to make this work with your head and feet pushed to the corners.
In a JKU or JLU (4 door Jeep) you have a lot more cargo space. With the seats moved forward you have between 72-74 inches from the tailgate to the back of the front seats pushed forward. I am 6’2 and able to sleep in the back of my JKU with no problems. You have 40 inches of width which means two adults can easily sleep in the back of the Jeep. For most of my adventures I have at least one of my kids with me, and usually, sleep myself and my two boys comfortably.
Our Setup
I like to keep things pretty simple, I use two small pads to help fill the gap created when you fold the rear seats forward. This creates a nice flat surface in the back of the Jeep to work with. I then put down 2 sleeping pads that fill the width of the Jeep. Each of us uses our own sleeping bag and a nice compact pillow. I have spent well over 100 nights in the back of the Jeep with this exact setup. In the warmer months, I ditch the sleeping bag and just use a simple sleeping bag liner and a down quilt blanket. I’m a big advocate of inflatable pillows. Traditional pillows take up a lot of space, all of our inflatable pillows together are half the size of a single compact camp pillow.
Other Setups
Some of the other most popular setups I have seen provide extra comforts. For example, there are several sleeping pads specifically designed for the back of the Jeep.
A. Deep Sleep For Jeeps: Deep Sleep 4 Jeeps have an air mattress system designed especially for the shape and contours of the back of the Wrangler. From all of our research, these are extremely comfortable and an excellent way to make enhance sleeping out of the Jeep.
B. Soft Pad: Several companies make a soft pad that you do not inflate. The pros are that you do have to worry about getting holes or inflation. However, they are not quite as thick and take up more space in the back of the Jeep. This mattress from Xprite has excellent reviews:
C. Cots can really be a nice addition to any sleeping setup and putting a cot in the back of your Jeep is a very viable option. It allows you to store gear under the cot, and a small sleeping pad combined with a cot is a very comfortable setup. Make sure to take all of your measurements so you can ensure you have enough space to set up a cot.
E. Jeep Hammock: If you are comfortable sleeping in a Hammock the JKloud is an excellent option. Attach it to your rollbars and you have a nice place to lay down and sleep in the back of your Jeep. If you have never slept in a Hammock you may want to test one first before you buy one to make sure you are comfortable. It can hold up to 350lbs and can even double as a sunshade which is a nice addition. Add in that it is made in America and less than $200 it might just be the perfect fit for you.
No Perfect Setup
There is no perfect setup but with a bit of testing and creativity, you can find one that you will really be happy with. While we like the simple setup of a regular sleeping pad and bag some of these options are really intriguing and something I hope to test out this year. Do you have a setup you really like? Share it with us in the comments.
