Hello everyone. I'll be buying a new 2011 Honda Fit soon, to drive it cross-country around North America for a year. I'm going to sleep in my Fit every night (with the back chairs folded down and a memory foam mattress topper placed on top).

I will be bringing plenty of layers of blankets for the winter, but set them aside during the summer. And I'll be turning on the air conditioner/heat while I'm sleeping to keep cool/warm during the day/night.

So here is my first question:

By turning on the air conditioner while idling the car for 9 hours straight every night for 1 year, will my Honda Fit experience any short-term or long-term damages as a result of this?

I've heard from various people that turning on the air conditioner while idling your car can be bad, and can cause the air conditioner to break down altogether.

If so, then I'll just buy an electric fan to plug into a DC to AC inverter and just turn that on all night instead (during the summer). If I do it this way, my battery should be fine, right?

And one more thing... the memory foam mattress topper I plan to place in my Fit, I plan to cut and trim to the same size as the interior dimensions of my Fit (with the back seats folded down). But I am faced with a conundrum: memory foam is a highly flammable material.

So here is my second question:

If I leave my memory foam mattress topper in my Fit during the sweltering heat of summer (for hours and hours, or even days), and I'm somewhere out and about at a restaurant or friend's house or something, will the temperature from the summer heat or sunlight be hot enough to cause my memory foam mattress topper to burn up?

 

Your AC may overwork itself while at idle for long periods trying to keep up and burn out but i doubt it. It just wont be cold air but a slightly cool air.

During the winter you need to fit something to the exhaust to keep gases from trying to come back into the car like a tube that extends away from the car.

Get heavy tint on the back windows to avoid possible problems with a mattress.

Dont hook up an inverter unless your going to run your car or else it will drain your battery within an hour or so or less.

For the mattress if you dont want to add tint put a heavy blanket on top of it to suppress the heat into the blanket instead of the mattress.

 

I wouldnt worry about the mattress, unless its going to catch fire at 160 degrees.

 

I don't think I'd leave the Fit idling for long periods (overnight). Not so much for wearing it out (although that's a concern) as for safety (breathing carbon-monoxide) and efficiency.

Consider door visors (outside plastic trim that covers the top of the windows) so you can leave the windows open a bit for ventilation without getting rain in.

Get a warm 3 season sleeping bag with liners for easier laundering.

On the memory foam mattress, that's going to take a lot of room when not in use. Consider an inflatable mattress and a 12V inflator (that doubles as a deflator).

good luck!

 

I would put roof rack to put some stuffs up there as storage.
I would find 12V CO2 sensor and plug in while you sleep in the car.
Side door visors will help on ventillation.
Remote engine starter can be programed to start engine every 15 minutes in every hour to warm up in the Winter or cool down in the hot summer instead of let the car idle all the time.
Clip on insect replerant will keep bugs out while you open windows.
Tint windows will keep temperature down.

 

Cool!

Years ago I wanted to do something like this... and I did
it for a while driving semi... but would like to do it at a more
leisurely pace and go where I want.

I may just do it yet when I retire.

You can place the blankets on top of the mattress for more
comfort when you don't need them.

Quote:

By turning on the air conditioner while idling the car for 9 hours straight every night for 1 year, will my Honda Fit experience any short-term or long-term damages as a result of this?

Two issues here...
The AC is more effective with some measure of airflow over
the condensor.

I'm a former semi drive and used to fast idle the diesel engine
most of the time when stopped to sleep... either for heating or
cooling. Then I stopped doing that when I added a generator
unit to the truck for power... primarily to keep wear on the
diesel down and cut fuel costs.

Diesels on fast idle are designed for this. Gas engines not so
much so; however, you will find plenty of gas vehicles engaged
in extended periods of idling... police and taxi vehicles are two
examples that come to mind.

I'm not certain how the engine will fair after a whole years worth
of idling 8 to 10 hours/night.

Some questions...

-will there be sufficient oil distribution in the internal passages
for that long of an idle?

-will there be sufficient cooling in the hotter climates with virtually
no airflow over the radiator?

Here is an alternative...

Honda Super Quiet Generators

You could cable to chain it to a front tow hook and leave
that run your devices.

Quote:

If I leave my memory foam mattress topper in my Fit during the sweltering heat of summer (for hours and hours, or even days), and I'm somewhere out and about at a restaurant or friend's house or something, will the temperature from the summer heat or sunlight be hot enough to cause my memory foam mattress topper to burn up?

You will want heavy tint on your rear windows anyways... with another
system to block out the front windows. I don't think the internal heat
will build so much that spontaneous combustion will be supported.

I'd also put some thought into your security on the road as well...
especially when stopped for the night sleeping.

 

What's the name of the device that I should google?

Hmm... I plan to power a laptop when I want to use it. Will a laptop also drain my car's battery within an hour while idling?

I thought carbon monoxide poisoning isn't a concern for new cars? Or is that just a myth?

I'm super scared and paranoid of spiders crawling into my car, and depositing icky spider eggs within the nooks and crannies of the Fit's interior, under blankets, under bedding, everywhere. Bugs creep me out!

Yup, also considering this.

I didn't say memory foam mattress. I said memory foam mattress topper! A topper is much thinner

I'm a light sleeper, so even with ear-plugs and a sleep mask, I may wake up to the engine starting up every 15 minutes. Unless of course this "engine starting" process and smooth, quiet, and doesn't shake the car when it occurs. In that case, I googled this for a bit but I don't see an option to program it to start every 15 minutes. How do you do it?

Still scared of spiders sneaking in and offloading their eggs inside my Fit. And many reviews for clip-on insect repellents say that they don't work. They don't work on spiders either (made for mosquitoes only).


I don't know about this one. I want to take in all the beautiful scenery at its purest, most unadulterated form and colors.

When I visit Denali National Park, I plan to lie down in the cargo area with my back against a few pillows, enjoy a steamy sizzling cup of hot chocolate, and just marvel at nature's panorama through the Fit's rear window.

This is my first time buying a car so I don't know much about cars. Why is oil distribution important in this situation?


Eh, if my laptop's going to drain my car's battery within an hour using a simple DC to AC inverter, then I'll just ditch both the inverter and generator, and only use my laptop at coffee shops.

Yup, got this covered. I'm bringing pepper spray and keeping it in the glove compartment.

I've been stopped a few times sleeping in rental cars on my previous trips. Mostly on busy housing subdivisions or busy urban parking lots. The cop or security guard usually just tells me to sleep somewhere else.

The worst areas to sleep in a car are crowded areas/heavily frequented tourist areas.

The best areas to sleep in a car are huge parking lots and hotel parking lots. Quite ironic to sleep in a hotel parking lot, I know. But no one usually bothers you in hotel parking lots, even when crowded with cars. I still don't know why.

Shoot. I just thought of something. Can I idle a Honda Fit with its headlamps turned off, but air conditioner running? I did this with one of my rental cars, and it helped a lot with stealth. On other rental cars, I could only turn on the air conditioner with the headlamps turned on (dim, but still on).

 

I would definitely recommend a Prius in this instance. The rear seats fold flat and have a big cargo space. You can sleep diagonal and have no problem (I am 5'9). One day I went camping on the hottest day of the year. I couldn't take it and ended up sleeping in my car (2010 Prius). I had it running all night. But, it used less than a gallon of gas. You don't need to worry about CO2 since it is parked in an open space. At the same time you can use your computer or anything while the car is running and no worry about a dead battery. I have also done this on several long drives sine then. It is so cheap to sleep in there and in the comfort of AC or heat.

I wonder how much gas it would use leaving the Honda Fit on overnight. When you do it, please document how many gallons you use. I would be interested in finding out.

 

Whatever happened to being a man and sleeping in the car as if it were a tent? Tents don't have fancy pants AC systems.

 

I slept 5nights in a row in my Fit last month on my hiking trip to the smoky mountains. I have a big agnes air core mattress that fits in nicely when the drivers seat is pushed all the way forward.

I wouldn't ever keep the AC running for extended periods of time while the car idles.. my brother made that mistake years ago and coolant leaked everywhere inside and outside of the car.

I also wouldn't bother using the heat in the winter either, you'll be fine sleeping in the winter as long as you get a properly rated sleeping bag.. I would just get a quality one rated for 0-degrees. My sleeping bag is rated for 20degrees and it does well.

One thing I have always wanted to do is to add a vertical bar onto my tow hitch so that i can back my car up to any tree and sling my Hennessy Hammock to it. That would be a good summer hot day option, as hammocks provide cool air from above and below. Only thing is i would have to have someone cut & weld this vertical bar I envision.

keeping the windows open at night to keep cool then you always have the threat of insects coming in.. like mosquitoes

I imagine using a fan plugged into cig-lighter would strain the battery and the alternator. You could get A deep cycle battery, They can withstand drains, but your alternator could still be strained trying to start it if it does get drained too much.

Best places to sleep IMO hospital parking lots, I've slept at numerous hospital parking lots.. they're quiet and usually have security.. just try not to let them know you are in your car.. A lot of inner city hospitals charge for parking now though, i usually sleep at smaller community hospitals.

 

Some Recommendations (based upon Camping across country in a VW Bus for MANY MANY Summers.)

For your windows, find some Mesh screen material and get magnet strips at your local Michaels/AC Moore/Craft Shop. If you can sew even the most basic items, you could sew some screens that would roll up and stow away. Sew a "sleeve" that would slide over the top of the rear passenger doors and at the bottom of the sleeve, sew a magnet strip into the sleeve. This will slide over the top of the back doors and the magnet will keep it secured at the bottom to keep bugs out so you can have your windows down. (also, as a sleeve, it'll be a double screen, one inside the window, one out) we had simething similar in our 76 VW Camper that clamped in the butterfly windows up front and was held in place by magnets all around the window.

I'd highly recommend Planning out your trip as if you were camping. You are putting a big requirement on this trip by leaving the car running a lot of the time. Plan as if that were an emergency option but not a regular thing.

Laptop. Get a Netbook or a 13-14" laptop with a 6-7 hour battery life. Use it on battery and charge it while you drive. You can also get car adapters for a laptop so you won't need an inverter. With the car idling, you won't drain the battery using a laptop but with a decent laptop battery, you won't ever need to use it plugged in (if you charge while driving) Again, like the car and idling, don't plan on using the laptop with the car on; plan on using it on battery and run the car only in emergencies.

Carbon Dioxide is the product of exhaust. The flexible pipe to get the exhaust away from the car could be obtained at a hardware store (more likely at a place like home depot). it will need to handle high heat so i don't know if something like a metal dryer vent tube would work.

As a Side note, upgrade your battery right away. You'll need something with decent power to take care of your driving and recharging needs (not saying that the fit's battery can't handle it) but, it's something that will be taking more of a punishment in this situation. You'll be taking more electronics than you realize that need to be recharged: laptop, Cell phone, Camera are a few that come to mind.

Get a decent "jumper pack" so you can jumpstart your car when needed. get one that has AC ports as well as USB ports and a weather radio. Most have a two-sided cig-style 12V cable that will allow you to plug it into your 12V accessory adapter. You'll want to periodically stop for a recharge on that unit if they can't be recharged while driving. (not sure about this)

Warm, comfortable sleeping bag is very important.

~SB

 

Excellent suggestion. I used to sleep at my cottage in northern
Quebec with only a sleeping bag and was toasty.

The fun would be getting up in the morning and dancing around
in the cold getting a fire going to warm the place up.

Many airports are open 24/7. Likely will need to pay for parking
but one could sleep inside on a bench.

 

All combustion gives off carbon monoxide (CO). It's poisonous.

Engines also emit Carbon dioxide (CO2) in much larger quantities than carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide is not poisonous. Humans (all animals) breath out carbon dioxide. It's a greenhouse gas and gets a lot more bad PR these days than carbon monoxide. Too much carbon dioxide will suffocate you. It displaces available oxygen. This happens in WWII submarines.

A small amount of carbon monoxide will kill you. It's not a myth. If you leave a car running in your garage, it's the build up of carbon monoxide that kills you. If your gas water heater is not properly exhausted, it will kill you and everyone in the house. People die in the winter from improperly vented heaters and generators; it's the carbon monoxide that kills them.

automobile emissions.

carbon monoxide poisoning.

carbon dioxide asphyxiation

The detectors for your home are carbon monoxide detectors. Not carbon dioxide detectors (or they'd be going off all the time).

 

Another issue with stealth and the headlights....You might want to consider disabling daylight running lights (DLR), which engage when you turn off your headlights. Sorry I don't know how to do it but there is a thread on this forum somewhere. It's fairly simple from what I could recall.

 

A Fit's alternator is capable of producing 95 amps while running. Not sure how much at idle, but let's say 40 amps.

40Amps * 12Volts = 480 watts

Most laptop power supplies consume 80 watts.

A Fit is capable of running at least 6 laptops at idle without breaking a sweat.

(note, the Fit's aux outlet is rated at 120 watts).

 

Start the Fit with its parking brake (hand brake) engaged, and the daylight running lights do not turn on. voila.

(The first time I noticed this I thought something was wrong. It's in the manual.)

 

You probably won't need a/c, things cool off quite a bit at night. I'd just get a one person tent that assembles in about 30 seconds, and sleep in that.

 

Buy a motorcycle.

Seriously. Despite the great visibility of the Fit nothing comes close to motorcycling for experiencing the world you're moving through. Bikes are cheaper too. Of course, you wouldn't want to tackle a trip of this magnitude until you had a few thousand miles under your belt. In a car you'll find yourself wanting to stop and get out so you can enjoy the scenery, on a bike you're always out.

 

I agree but i have a feeling that the hospital or airport isn't going to take too kindly to having a tent taking up one of it's parking spots.

If it were Wal-mart, that would be another story - you can expect it there.

~SB

 

Skip the memory foam mattress topper! If you'd like a comfortable sleeping surface, I urge you to invest in a self-inflating sleeping pad at your local camping store. I used to move my memory foam mattress topper between my dorm at school and home. In the winter, the memory foam would stiffen up in the cold car. I would get home and the mattress topper would be a brick. I would throw it on my bed and have to wait an hour or two for it to warm up to my house and be usable, but still stiff. Too bulky.

If you plan on sleeping with the back seats folded down maybe you can fashion a fold down bed using the trunk floor and seat backs. You might want to replace your spare tire cover with something more sturdy, anyways, to support your weight. While you're at it, you can fit your new spare tire cover with more cushion on the floor-side of the cover and find some way to attach cushion to the seat back. Making the bed is just a matter of folding the seat.

Up above I linked you to REI. I'm sure you'd have great luck with any camping-oriented store, but as an REI member I know that they occasionally have a "Camping with your Car" class in their series of classes. You can always try walking into one of those stores and asking for suggestions.