Apologies if this has been previously covered...but with too many hits on "camping" and "sleeping" I decided to start a thread w/my questions:

Have you actually gone camping and slept inside the back of your Fit? How did it work out? Sorry you tried? Did you sleep with back seats down and front seats tilted forward, or try to get it into as close to "refresh mode" and sleep in the back seats with your legs on the fronts? Other? What worked (or didn't) for you?

A friend has invited me to camp with him at Kennedy Meadow in the Sierra, to meet up with his world class hiking son who is once again doing the "yo-yo", a hike he invented and was first to ccomplish. (Mexico to Canada and back, on the Pacific Crest Trail, in one year ... late spring to early fall, bracketed with impassable snow at the heights at the start and finish..)

I've tent (or just ground tarp) camped there many times...but since my stroke don't have the ability to set up and break down a tent......let alone crawl into or arise out of a sleeping bag. My buddy will I'm sure be willing to do food prep, so all I have to do is decide if I can physically handle it (+ the 600 mile one way journey there.)

I think it's doable for me if I can manage to sleep inside the fit, which will allow me to work with blankets or my bag used as one. I won't have a lot of stuff with me, we'll only be there 2 nights. So before I do a trial run by sleeping in my driveway in the car (like an 8 year old tent camping in his backyard), I figure I'd see how this went for any of you, and gain some hints from your generous sharing of your sleeping-in-a-Fit experiences.

Thanks,
Paul H

 

Oh, and I will be at an actual campgrond...even bathrooms and running water in spigots. And good roads, most but not all paved, all the way there. A far cry from 7 to 9 day rough desert off-road camping trips I used to take in a modified Samurai!

Paul H

 

You can sleep in the back as long as you don't have a ton of junk you need to keep inside the car.

I'm 5'11" and it is doable with a 72" inflatable mummy pad:



You have to slide the passenger seat forward to do this. It's cramped but actually not that bad. You can hang an arm down into the foot-well which is nice if you sleep on your stomach. I'd also probably want to put something under the leg area of the pad to make it level (the seat area is higher). Good luck!

 

I too, have done a lot of tent camping over the previous 4 decades, and still enjoy camping today. However, as age, numerous aches and pains, chronic lower back pain, prostate problems, and COPD plague me, an alternative is necessary. Although I haven't been camping, (and sleeping) in the Fit yet, I will lower both back seats flat and recline the front passenger seat foward. I have a Thermarest self inflating sleeping pad which will provide the base padding with a sleeping bag over the top of it. Depending on the temperatures, I'll either sleep in another sleeping bag, use a sheet and blanket, or just a sheet alone, on top of the pad and bag. Head foward on the slight upward incline, feet at the rear hatch. All other gear brought will either be fit in behind the driver's seat, (definately the ice chest and other food), or left outside on the picnic bench and table, (stove and latern for example). It will be cramped...there's no getting around it. Eat a good, BIG supper and enough libations to ensure as much sleep as posible. Upon retiring for the night, make sure you empty your bladder, as it will be a BITCH getting out of these cramped quarters!

 

@BlackUp: Thanks for the picture. (worth a ...). I too am 5'11", and can see how tight yet doable it can be. For the purposes of this trip, if I decide to try it, my gear will be really minimal.

My buddy Dave and I have camped together more times than I can count, and is a good friend in every sense. So I know I can ask and depend on him handling food and supplies for the trip if I ask...leaving me to basically just take clothes and sleeping gear/blankets. (lightweight moving pads have always been a favorite add-on to me, adding warmth and they don't deflate when poked with something sharp. :})

After all, he's the one I semi reluctantly sold my beloved ex-CHP BMW motorcycle to after the stroke...a vehicle that impressed me and that I loved even more than the Fit. He says I can buy it back at any time, although he too has grown to appreciate commuting on it. (Traffic magically moves out of your way when they see the B&W BMW bike in their rear mirror...easy to commute at 80 in 65mph traffic, without much weaving or lane splittin.)

As far as 600 miles in a day...I'm a veteran of 6000+ mile cross country vacations many times, and have never had trouble doing it. I average 55-60mph {including stops} and just treat it like a 10 or 11 hour workday. BUT this time I'll probably leave a day early and stop roughly halfway at a motel, to ensure I don't overdrive my admittedly stroke-reduced stamina.

Thanks again for the input and suggestions...If I do take the trip at the end of the month I'll post the results, good or bad.

Paul H

 

Both my wife and I have slept in the back of our fit. We just moved the front seats foward and put all our stuff in the front seats and it was fine for 2 people. My only complaint is the lumpy floor surface. We fixed that the next time but getting a custom air mattress made to the Fits measurements.

 

Well... over a period of 5 weeks, I took an 11,000 mile road trip. From Chicago, Colorado Springs, SLC, Vancouver, SF & SD, Dallas & Beaumont, "Tail of the Dragon" and finally NYC before heading back to Chicago.

Stayed at sister's place in SF for 4 nights. Folks place in SD for 6 nights. An Aunt for 2 nights in Dallas (or maybe only 1 night). Uncle for 2 nights in Beaumont, TX. A friend's place for 4 nights in NYC... and various motels for 5 nights (CS, SLC, Seattle, LV, near Dallas... didn't want to wake Aunt in middle of night). And in the Fit for the rest.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/off-...greetings.html

Incidentally... I am 6' tall.

Edit; best position, if you're by yourself in the Fit... front passenger seat ALL the way forward. Something stuffed in the gap between the front passenger and folded down rear seat (make it higher than the folded seat to make a "pillow"). And of course, you laying down diagonally (just like the picture in an earlier post here).

 

Disclosure: I haven't actually slept in the back yet. BUT, prior to camping a few weeks ago, I tried it out in the driveway - my backup plan and in hindsight, possibly more comfortable than the tent ended up being. A tent sounds great but now I realize you have to crouch down into a little ball just to get inside and getting out is even harder.

I found that as a 5'9" male, the traditional "lying down in the back" position was too short for me. I knew I would be with my wife so I did not try the diagonal. I had more room above my head but because the seats drop off, nowhere to lay down my head if I moved forward in the car. So I tried something interesting: I reversed position so my head was at the BACK of the car. This way my feet could go in between the seats, giving me that extra 5 inches or so that I needed. This is a little bit of a non-intuitive position but I think it would have worked well.

Safety note: this position elevates your feet slightly over your head. You mentioned a stroke earlier and so I infer you may be older, so PLEASE make sure that you are aware if this position is OK before you try it - I do not know the health implications of having your heart slightly higher than your head. The elevation was slight enough to be not a concern for me, although, in general people don't like sleeping with their head downhill - for me, I figured a good pillow would take care of the slope.

On road trips I have slept in the passenger seat for, mmm maybe 1 hr at a time. With a big cushy pillow it's actually fairly comfortable. I don't know if I could sleep all night that way, but some people don't mind for example sleeping in airplane seats and the Fit is more comfy than THAT.

Last, the one bit of useful advice maybe: Remember the hatch can't be opened from inside. Probably easiest to get in and out the doors of the car. I find moving about in the car a little tight so I hope you are a flexible chap

 

I work overnight at the local Wal-mart, and frequently I sleep in my Fit. Only what I do is recline the driver's seat to about 50 degrees, and sleep sideways on the driver's seat. It's amazingly comfortable. It's the only way I've been able to sleep in the Fit. Being 6'1" really sucks when trying to sleep in a small economy car..... >.<

 

I sleep in the fit in-between work and classes. (I work 11-7am and class is at 9am)

I recommend putting down alot of blankets as a make shift mattress because they back of the seats feel like stone. Bring a pillow and a blanket to over you up and you are set.

Im 5'7 and skinny so I can just put one side of the seats down and thats enough for me. Sleeps pretty good depending on what you use under your body.

I live in Florida so I have to have the car on with the AC running for my two hours of nap time.

 

Thanks all for the various ways to make use of the space. I will probably try the front seat all the way forward, then a duffell or pillows filling the space between front seats and folded down rears, to slightly lengthen the room I have to lay in. I had already seen there was no interior latch to open the back, which is a bummer, as otherwise I'd try to park the car slightly downhill and just get in and out the back. I might try that anyway once I see the campsite.

I am not flexible at all, sigh, though I once was! Stroke a year and a half ago pretty much made my right side useless, to the point it's tough to move around in, and get up from, a real bed. With a lot of work I got my right leg ok for the easy-to-handle Fit driving. I keep my heel on the carpet and can swivel the ball of my foot from gas to brake, and have plenty of downforce for emergency braking. For me the super weak gas pedal spring return is a feature, makes it easy for me to regulate the throttle. A stroke specialist doctor, a physical therapist specializing in disabled driving, a professional disabled-driving instructor, and 2 DMV employees all approved my driving without any special controls, and that was in a Ford Explorer, not the much easier to drive Fit I bought cuz it was easier. If I run you over it will have been delibrate, not an accident.

Anyway due to mobility issues is why I won't be tent camping, or using a tarp on the ground. It won't be too cold yet, so I MIGHT try pulling the rear inside light bulb out (Or install a light cover with a switch as mentioned in another thread), and just get in and out the back with the tailgate hatch left open all night.

I used to snow winter camp, a bit of chill doesn't bother me as long as I have good blankets or bag. One time camping in foothills between Mono Lake and Bodie, my buddy's hair froze in the night...served him right for letting it get wet <from dew with his head out the tent opening.> Anyway, sleeping with the back gate open, as long as I'm not killing my battery, would probably be another alternative that will work for me.

Thanks,
Paul H
(61yo, now retired but not by choice.)

 

I might be breaking forum etiquette, but I always remember this post from another Fit forum re: sleeping/camping in our cars.
Awesome photos and creativity. Hope this gives some good ideas and what can be done:

Camping in your Honda Fit - Honda Fit Forum : Honda Fit Forums

 

In regards to your back hatch light issue, you might check out this thread: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...u-have-do.html You can get a light assembly to replace the stock one that has a switch in it. I got one recently, but haven't installed... but others in the thread have tried and report success. Hope that helps!

 

Slept in the car over the 4th of July.

- No problem for a 6-foot guy like me, if I slept slightly diagonally and scooted the front seats forward a bit.

- Use a good inflatable pad. The floor is amazingly flat, but not PERFECTLY flat like an old school Chevy Suburban or Subaru wagon. Your leg will be sore in the morning sleeping on that seat hinge.

- Don't use the tailgate to get air. Buy some mosquito screen and use the side windows instead. It gives you a better cross-breeze.

- One sleeper. While it's fun to cuddle with your sweetie, the back of a FIT is probably not the right ride. Not much room ... unless you are both very small. Or newlyweds.

 

Magdalena, just out of curiosity, how much gas do you burn in 2 hrs of idling the engine? Totally a necessity to get AC for you, I agree, I'm genuinely curious how much gasoline that uses ...

 

Unless she's pumping gas before and after each nap, or she has a gauge, it's gonna be hard for her to tell you.

If my estimates are correct, based on idle consumption of 0.20 gallon an hour (as indicated in ultra gauge). I would say 0.4 with no a/c, and maybe 0.6 to 0.8 with a/c over those two hours.

 

If i'm caught sleeping in my Fit, then you will know immediately that i have made some bad decisions in life.

 

gal/hr at idle is exactly what i was hoping to get to, so 0.2 works for me. brilliant thanks.

 

I couldn't really tell you, but not enough to make me not do it.
I hardly see a gallon taken.

But rather have AC on than be stuck in the heat. Next tuesday will be a breezy day with rain though.

 

you're lucky...where I live, idling like that is illegal