Anybody camp in their TDI wagon?

[QuickWrite]

My wife and I are planning a 6-month road trip next year. We've been around and around about buying an RV for the trip. But it looks like we've settled on doing the trip with our 2005 Jetta TDI wagon. We have both slept in the back on several occasions. I've done it by myself for a week at a time on a longer trip.

The experience was OK in both cases. I'm 6'1" and she is 6', and with the rear seats folded, the cargo area is not quite long enough for full comfort. So I want to figure out how to make it more comfortable for an extended trip.

We don't want to haul around a trailer, or hassle setting up a tent every night (we've done both on many occasions).

So I'm thinking about modifying the back of the car as a living space and I'm wondering if y'all have any mods or ideas you can share.

Here's some ideas I'm kicking around:

-- I figured out that if I remove the rear seat bottoms, I can get more sleeping length out of the cargo area, because they won't be in the way when flipped up. This would also add a little cargo area behind the front seats.
-- I'm thinking about building a "chuck box" inside the rear hatchback to hold kitchen stuff. It would have a front that folds down to make a counter that faces the back of the car, exposing compartments inside for a stove, dishes, food, etc. All this would be raised off the cargo floor so our feet could stretch underneath when sleeping. Ideally, a cooler would fit underneath that we pull out when sleeping.
-- I'm on the fence about roof rack vs hitch-mounted cargo box. I have a trailer hitch already, but I'm concerned a hitch box would hurt maneuverability on dirt roads. I already have a Yakima rack and may go with a cargo box on the roof. Or both, depending on how much junk we decide to bring.
-- I was thinking of hanging some kind of small gear hammock from the ceiling on both sides to hold clothes, flashlights, miscellaneous stuff.
-- This Tail Veil tent that mounts to the rear of the car looks like it would be great to have. Anybody have experience with it?

Oh, and by the way, we'll be traveling with our small dog, a terrier mix who weighs less than 15 pounds.

I'll leave you with a pic from that weeklong solo trip about a year ago, from the mountains in central Nevada:

 

[JPDiesel]

I camped for a week out of my 2003 wagon.

When i removed the rear lower seat cushions the rear seat folds flat.

I am 5' 11" and my toes would hang over the end of the seat back but would not touch the front seats. Quite comfortable.

Open a window slightly to reduce condensation.

 

[darkscout]

I've camped in my Mk2 Jetta, Mk3 Jetta and my Mk4 Golf.

I've honestly probably spent 4-5 months total over the last 8 years sleeping in one car or another. Long road trips. Nights out at the bar, etc.

 

[QuickWrite]

Good to hear the seat trick works, thanks JP.

I recently got a set of these Weathertech window deflectors for the rear windows, which allows you to keep the windows cracked while sleeping even when it rains. They worked great on a recent trip when I slept in the car during an all-night rain storm. They kept the rain out, but not the mosquitoes! Now I have to rig some kind of bug screens. :-O

 

[romad]

There is another thread on the same subject somewhere in the forums. IIRC, there were pics of some setups.

 

[ToddA1]

I'm interested in seeing where this goes. There's a girl on Vortex who supposedly lives in her diesel Rabbit pick up. She has a stove in there and cooks in there, too. She seems like a young granola type and she sounds pretty short.

You and your wife are much taller and 6 months seems like a long time to me.

-Todd

 

[waltzconmigo]

quickwrite---have you seen these, they are kind of expensive but i have read people down in the mkv and mkvi sections who have been happy with them.

http://www.windesa.com/Sonnenschutz__en_.html

if this link does not work, google: "sonniboy shades from windesa"

 

[993cc]

A bit spendy, but I've been thinking about this:

http://www.autohomeus.com/rooftop/columbus.php

In combination with the "Tail veil" from your link above (thanks for the link) it could work well.

 

[romad]

quickwrite---have you seen these, they are kind of expensive but i have read people down in the mkv and mkvi sections who have been happy with them.

http://www.windesa.com/Sonnenschutz__en_.html

if this link does not work, google: "sonniboy shades from windesa"

Your link worked but they don't seem to make any for the MKIV.

 

[darkscout]

On my Mk3 I used a pop rivet gun and pop riveted velcro in a few spots. Then took a bed sheet and sewed the opposite velcro on it. It then hangs and acts as a privacy screen.

 

[kjclow]

I've camped from the wagen but never in it. VW has a tent that attaches to the back with the hatch up. I think Coleman has one too that might be cheaper. This would get you the airflow without the bugs.

http://parts.vw.com/vwparts/index.cfm?action=accessories&makeid=35&manufacturerid=1000&catalogid=2376&categoryid=0&subcat1=0&subcat2=0&subcat3=0&subcat4=0&subcat5=0&modelid=0&siteid=9&itemid=405464&jointvehid=0&startyear=0&startrow=1&partnumber=&description=&overlayExtids=&overlayIntids=&retval=%2Fvwparts%2Findex%2Ecfm%3Faction%3Daccessories%26siteid%3D9%26catalogid%3D2376

 

[TDI_]

Not fair lol everyone is giving you a link to something, so it is my turn. I present you this

http://dub-box-usa.com/home

 

[Honeydew]

Sounds like the rooftop camper option might work well for you in that it would boost space and comfort level significantly w/o towing anything. For inspiration, another link! --> http://300td.org/

 

[Scott02]

I slept in a B4V many a time. It was quite comfy for me and all my camping/climbing gear locked inside it with me. I'm 6ft tall.
That said, with a second person, and gear, it might be a bit annoying. But probably doable in a pinch.

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

Vent visors would be good to allow some ventilation as needed also.

 

[Votblindub]

Didn't James May use that thing?

This is the single greatest thing ever

If you dont want to go spendy, remove the rear seats, use the lower portion where the feet go for rubbermaid bins for storage. Place a sheet of mdf with a simple 2x4 support frame under it in the back with a hinged portion that flips up over those bins. You can remove the bins, flip that portion up and adjust the front seats to slide back and forth. This will give you a bit more room. I'm 6'2" and I've planned this sort of a thing multiple times. Bring an air mattress and place it in the back. You dont have to permanently fasten the wood frame to the car. You can make tabs and attach it in spots where the seats used to be mounted. This is so that stuff doesnt slide around on hills, sharp turns or under sharp/sudden braking. Now, obviously, you have to keep that in mind in case of accidents. It may cause a problem, so I'm not responsible for any potential injury because of this. On the plus side, you can remove it after you're done camping and place your seats back in. You can use the grid-like sub structure under the mdf as cubby holes for small item storage. You can make hatces with small/nearly flat hinges and use a small hole saw to make "handles". You can pick up that "lumber" on the cheap. It doesnt need to be pretty, just functional. An air mattress will definitely make it more comfortable and bring pillows too. It helps

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

yes, that was James May.

Let's not forget the mobile flat from Clarkson

 

[Votblindub]

I'd honestly LOVE a TDI wagon as a trailer for a TDI wagon. It'd make a hell of a support vehicle for going to races with my friends. I could fit a heap of wheels, tires, compressors and tools. I know my dad would constantly use it to haul stuff. It'd be amazing for get aways. My niece and nephew would love to bounce around in there. I could save a ton on hotel stays for 2-3 day event trips. Plus it just looks soooooo unusual but so great. I'd be grinning like a complete moron walking by it each time.