Sleeping in the back

I am thinking about spending the night a few weekends up at the pass this winter in the back of my car with some thick Therm-a-rest and warm blankets. I would only be in the car for one night and think it will be much better and cheaper than driving home (80 miles).

Has anyone tried folding the rear seats down, and sleeping in the back of a jetta?

Maybe if you are a small guy it would work, but I could not imagine doing it. I am not huge... 5' 10", ~200lbs, but the cars are way too small to sleep comfortable. I wouldn't be able to stand straight for a week!

I would rather throw down a sleeping pad and bag on the ground.

I've been sleeping in my car one night/week almost each week since march (200 miles from home).

Blanket and hoodie work ok, but only 2-3 of those nights were near freezing temps. Sleeping in the car is like camping for me, I cant get good rest. Once i actually slept 8 hours, but for the most part i only can sleep 4-6 hours.

I just move the front seats up and hop in the back. The only issue is that sometimes one of my knees is in pain. I've never tried leaning back in the passenger seat...but i'm also only 5'11.

But you also brought up a very interesting option, but too much work to make a bed lol. I could see that being ok as when my trunk didn't open i had to crawl through the rear seat and i could see that being an ok sleeping option, just probably can't turn over much.

I did it several years ago on a mountain trip. If I remember right, there is a bump where back seat folds down. If you lock the car from inside, remember to unlock before you open the back door. Alarm is LOUD early in am.

5'10" 185lbs I had to sleep in the back of a 1965 Corvette Coupe once, so a Jetta would be like a kingsize bed.

Wife and I have slept in the back of the JSW a few times. It is better than nothing. Enough room to stretch out, just very tight side to side. I've gotten a little claustrophobic sleeping back there. Alone would be OK, or maybe I've not have quite enough to drink, either.

I lived in my Jetta for a while, and yes, you can sleep pretty decent in the back with the seats folded down. You can also sleep okay across the back seat with one rear door open-in good weather. (I did that for several weeks or used a tent.)

The trick is, you put your feet in the trunk and your head in the cabin, because the reverse feels very claustrophobic. I slept that way one night in Alaska, in March of 06. I had worked the night shift in Anchorage, the night before, and drove up early to watch the restart of the Iditarod. I got there early enough to sleep 3-4 hrs. It was in the teens. I have a good winter sleeping bag, though, and I also slept in polar-max underwear. So yeah, it can be done.

PS wear thick socks as the trunk interior gets colder than in the car itself, and your feet will be cold.

I have slept just in teh seat many times but I have to be pretty tired.

One morning I had to pick up some bearings for a piece of equipment after I got out of job #1 at 0700. Bearing place only opens at 9, so I took a nap... yeah... woke up it was after lunch

nate379 said:

I have slept just in teh seat many times but I have to be pretty tired.

One morning I had to pick up some bearings for a piece of equipment after I got out of job #1 at 0700. Bearing place only opens at 9, so I took a nap... yeah... woke up it was after lunch

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LOL. I slept in the parking lot at the Wilow Airfield.

Now that I think about it, the one sucky part was that ridge across the width of the trunk where the seats fold down.

I slept comfortably for about 9 hours in the back of my jetta last weekend! Granted, it was after a whiskey night downtown with both back doors open! I prob coulda slept on gravel and been just as happy...

Ah, found a photo from a couple weekends ago. Slept with the wife in the back one night at a campground with friends. 3" memory foam pad, pillows. Comfy, but tight. Wound up opening the back to relieve anxiety.

This was something that specifically appealed to me about the VW wagons - in many vehicles the rear seats don't fold completely flat which makes the space far less comfortable for sleeping. In the Jetta wagon with seats folded down and the seat fronts removed, I can squeeze in 6' worth of bouldering pads and have a fairly legitimate on-the-go bed. Unfortunately I haven't had the occasion to try this out yet but I'll be road-tripping to Utah in a couple of weeks and may give it a try then.

You know, honestly, all this talk about sleeping in the Jetta reminds me of my trip down the AlCan and across Canada. After the 2nd week, I really wished I had bought a Vanagon Westy.

I've slept in my Jetta a couple times, and I'm 6'2".

If you remove the seat bottom cushions, then move both front seats all the way forward, and stuff some luggage and/or pillows into the rear passenger foot wells to the level of the load floor. That creates a flat space about 6' x 3.5'; then just sleep diagonally with your feet in the trunk. The floor is not perfectly flat, there is a bump where the folded down rear seat back meets the trunk, but strategic placement of some padding or blankets can level that out.

Sweet dreams.

I have a snow boarder buddy who sleeps in the back of the mark Iv golf every weekend in the winter months. He told me once that invest in a good foamy and use a pillow to transition the bump from the trunk to the fold down portion of the seats.
Also sleep on an angle to prevent from opening the hatch.

barshnik said:

Ah, found a photo from a couple weekends ago. Slept with the wife in the back one night at a campground with friends. 3" memory foam pad, pillows. Comfy, but tight. Wound up opening the back to relieve anxiety.

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Looks comfy to me.

i bought a car in AZ and drove it back to CT last month, this trip wasn't for fun and i was trying to do it cheap and fast so i slept in my car. i took the back seat bottom and put that into the trunk with the seat folded down, it's just about the same height as the folded down seat so there is no lump. not very comfy and yes you will wake up after 4hrs or so with your feet in the trunk colder than the rest of you, slightly confused, and very aggravated. if you plan ahead and get some padding to lay down in the trunk i'm sure you can actually make a pretty decent bed in there, i'm 5'10" and i had enough room.

last summer i went on a road trip CT to AZ to FL and back to CT. i had a decent amount of stuff with me so i could not fold the seats down but use most of the back seat, i could lay sideways in the back or in something similar to the fetal position to get some rest. i would not advise more than a nap during a long trip to avoid falling asleep while driving with that method. if you really want to plan ahead just try and sleep in your car one night when your home, get in and try a few different positions or locations so you'll know what your gonna need when you have to do it for real.

LOL, I do this all the time 'cept I have a Variant...

Get an air mattress, just THIS will solve beaucup de problems!
Air mattress will cover imperfections better and keep you(s), comfortable AND warmer than not.
Also less volume before/after deflating, can be kept under seat bottoms...

Down sleeping bag to -20(or less), is mandatory 'cause of the refraction of metal sensation from the trunk(in your case), and glass around you!

Oh, yeah! Do not forget to unlock ALL doors before exiting..., or keep an extra key outside of your vehicle !
Or just accept that VW horns are:
very annoying,
horribly annoying AND loud!

the mid 90's passats were good for sleeping in

robinhood said:

I am thinking about spending the night a few weekends up at the pass this winter in the back of my car with some thick Therm-a-rest and warm blankets. I would only be in the car for one night and think it will be much better and cheaper than driving home (80 miles).

Has anyone tried folding the rear seats down, and sleeping in the back of a jetta?

Click to expand...

I do it all the time . Did it in my old 79 diesel rabbit on a trip out west also and I am 6 foot. While I would rather have a wagon I never found one so have used the Jetta and if it is nice I can through my gear out on the ground and sleep or sleep in the front seat with it down all the way. an good 20 degree or better bag is recommended.