# Model 3 and Camping - a roadmap



## danzgator

Has anyone seen the width between wheel wells? Trying to see what mattress I can fit back there for camper mode on the trip back.


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## Prodigal Son

danzgator said:


> Has anyone seen the width between wheel wells? Trying to see what mattress I can fit back there for camper mode on the trip back.


I thiiiiiiiiiink they took that measurement in the walkthrough video that Trev and whatshisname did.


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## danzgator

run-the-joules said:


> I thiiiiiiiiiink they took that measurement in the walkthrough video that Trev and whatshisname did.


I think so to, but I was hoping someone might know, so I didn't have to run through that hour long video for one dimension.


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## Sandy

danzgator said:


> Has anyone seen the width between wheel wells? Trying to see what mattress I can fit back there for camper mode on the trip back.


Just watched the vid for you. It's 38" between the inner wheel wells. That's the narrowest part of the trunk. Start watching at 12:00. It says at 12:50:


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## danzgator

Sandy said:


> Just watched the vid for you. It's 38" between the inner wheel wells. That's the narrowest part of the trunk. Start watching at 11 minutes:


Thanks! That's would be a pretty narrow blow up mattress, if one even exists...


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## Sandy

danzgator said:


> Thanks! That's would be a pretty narrow blow up mattress, if one even exists...


If it was thin and flexible enough it would be wider in front and behind the wheel wells and turn up the sides a bit at the wheel wells. If it's a thick mat maybe could be cut around the wells?


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## Frank99

How could they miss this? I'll never buy a Model 3 now. A Twin mattress is 39 inches wide, and they designed the car to be an inch too narrow at 38 inches wide. They hate us car campers!

Anyway, almost any twin sized mattress (blow up, or normal innerspring) should fit in that 38 inches without much complaint. You'd never get a hard-frame box spring in there, but I doubt you'd find that usable even if it did fit.

Heh, it looks like the cheap inflatable mattresses cut off an inch to save costs, and are already 38 inches wide:


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## Michael Russo

run-the-joules said:


> I thiiiiiiiiiink they took that measurement in the walkthrough video that Trev and whatshisname did.


Correctness forces me to remind everyone that @TrevP 's distinguished partner in crime is our very own @Kennethbokor ... who deserves to be properly referred to...


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## 3V Pilot

danzgator said:


> Has anyone seen the width between wheel wells? Trying to see what mattress I can fit back there for camper mode on the trip back.


Here is the mattress from Amazon that I was going to order, should fit just about perfectly....


Okay, not sure why the link does not work but search for this on Amazon:

*Milliard Tri-Fold Foam Folding Mattress and Sofa Bed for Guests or Floor Mat - Twin XL 78x38x4½ *


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## Prodigal Son

Michael Russo said:


> Correctness forces me to remind everyone that @TrevP 's distinguished partner in crime is our very own @Kennethbokor ... who deserves to be properly referred to...


That wasn't mean to be a slight on kenneth, I just have a mind like a steel trap: Rusty, and dangerous even to the owner


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## Prodigal Son

Mike Land said:


> Here is the mattress from Amazon that I was going to order, should fit just about perfectly....
> 
> 
> Okay, not sure why the link does not work but search for this on Amazon:
> 
> *Milliard Tri-Fold Foam Folding Mattress and Sofa Bed for Guests or Floor Mat - Twin XL 78x38x4½ *


That looks pretty great, thanks!


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## danzgator

Mike Land said:


> Here is the mattress from Amazon that I was going to order, should fit just about perfectly....
> 
> 
> Okay, not sure why the link does not work but search for this on Amazon:
> 
> *Milliard Tri-Fold Foam Folding Mattress and Sofa Bed for Guests or Floor Mat - Twin XL 78x38x4½ *


Excellent! Does the length work too? It says extra long.


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## 3V Pilot

danzgator said:


> Excellent! Does the length work too? It says extra long.


Yes, I'm 6 foot and I was thinking this should fit just about right and be comfortable to sleep on. Not sure if it is going to hang over a bit with the rear seats folded down but maybe you could let me know if you go with it. Or if you find a better solution please post....with pics! Congrats on the car by the way, we are all a bit JELLY!!


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## @gravityrydr

Mike Land said:


> Here is the mattress from Amazon that I was going to order, should fit just about perfectly....
> 
> 
> Okay, not sure why the link does not work but search for this on Amazon:
> 
> *Milliard Tri-Fold Foam Folding Mattress and Sofa Bed for Guests or Floor Mat - Twin XL 78x38x4½ *


I considered that, but decided to splurge a bit and get something that I can roll up and this thing is super comfortable. Plus it was $50 off when I ordered it. I plan to use it quite a bit during the summer at my weekend job so being comfortable is worth it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018APB96K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Sandy

Wow! This thread reminded me of the last time I slept in my car! 

Mmmmm.....never mind.......


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## 3V Pilot

Okay, so Amazon list the length of that mattress as 78". In the video by Trev and Kenneth the measured the back with the seats down at 66". So, it will hang over but maybe it could be supported or maybe just use the two larger sections and the two smaller sections will fold into the foot-well area. Either way I think it's the best option for now....unless someone else finds something better. For those of you getting the car please let us know if you find a good solution.


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## MelindaV

danzgator said:


> Has anyone seen the width between wheel wells? Trying to see what mattress I can fit back there for camper mode on the trip back.


It is listed in post #1 in the FAQ thread


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## ummgood

@gravityrydr said:


> I considered that, but decided to splurge a bit and get something that I can roll up and this thing is super comfortable. Plus it was $50 off when I ordered it. I plan to use it quite a bit during the summer at my weekend job so being comfortable is worth it.


I wonder if a Klymit sleeping pad would work better. They are super small to carry and only take a small amount of breath to blow up. They should be able to tuck if they are too long for the car.


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## @gravityrydr

ummgood said:


> I wonder if a Klymit sleeping pad would work better. They are super small to carry and only take a small amount of breath to blow up. They should be able to tuck if they are too long for the car.


The Klymit is a good mattress but I'm at the age where I need a good foam bed.

This is the review I used to decide.
https://www.switchbacktravel.com/best-camping-mattresses-pads


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## danzgator

ummgood said:


> I wonder if a Klymit sleeping pad would work better. They are super small to carry and only take a small amount of breath to blow up. They should be able to tuck if they are too long for the car.


I ended up going with the one that was exactly 38", the highest stars available, and with no pump to keep the weight down. If it turns out to be a POS, it's $18 and goes in the garbage. I'll post pics when I get it set-up.


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## Alighieri256

Steam613 said:


> The car trailer idea is perfect and I am kicking myself for not thinking of it.


I did some googling around, and it looks like people don't recommend putting a cover on a car on an open trailer, as the cloth flapping in the wind could do more harm than good. If there is a classic car club in your area, you might ask them what they do when traveling to a show. I'm going to guess that they'd use an enclosed trailer. On the other hand, it's going to depend on the expense you're willing to go through. The car is, after all, intended to be driven on the road. Even just having it elevated on a trailer should provide some protection.

Sorry to come back and dampen this. I would feel terrible if my off-the-cuff suggestion damaged your car.


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## @gravityrydr

danzgator said:


> I ended up going with the one that was exactly 38", the highest stars available, and with no pump to keep the weight down. If it turns out to be a POS, it's $18 and goes in the garbage. I'll post pics when I get it set-up.


I've actually used that one camping. It is reasonably comfortable but not very durable, mine only lasted a dozen or so uses. There is something you may want to consider, there is a cross member that is right behind the rear seats that is only 18" up from the trunk floor. Measurements are here at the 13.32 mark in Trev and Ken's video review. At 7.5" thick you'll only have 10.5" of space at that point.

Postscript:
Moderators, Is there a way to start a new car camping suggestions thread? And possibly move these mattress posts to that?


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## 3V Pilot

@gravityrydr said:


> I've actually used that one camping. It is reasonably comfortable but not very durable, mine only lasted a dozen or so uses. There is something you may want to consider, there is a cross member that is right behind the rear seats that is only 18" up from the trunk floor. Measurements are here at the 13.32 mark in Trev and Ken's video review. At 7.5" thick you'll only have 10.5" of space at that point.
> 
> Postscript:
> Moderators, Is there a way to start a new car camping suggestions thread? And possibly move these mattress posts to that?


Those are the two reasons for my choice of the above mattress. It's only 4.5" high so it gives a good amount of vertical room plus it will never deflate. The downside is that it's more bulky when not used but I'll take that trade off for something that will always work.


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## @gravityrydr

I tested the Therm-a-Rest MondoKing 3D this weekend. The mattress self Inflates to its full thickness of 4" with no effort. At that point, it has a bit of softness which I found to be very comfortable. if you want a firmer mattress a few breaths brings it to full pressure. The mattress comes with a stuff sack. Because this is a combination foam and air mattress it did take some effort to roll up. A couple of compression straps would make it easier to get in the bag. The build quality looks good and it looks like it will hold up very well but a longer-term test won't likely happen till the Spring. This mattress is a bit pricey but I was lucky to get a good deal on it so I treated myself. Now all I need is a solar water heater and I'll be set.


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## FunkyJunk

Just to add a data point here: I'm 5'10" and in my normal seating position, there is a total of 73" (6'1")from the back of the front seat to the back of the trunk. If you move the seats forward all the way you should get a few more inches of room as well. As was mentioned, though, the mattress would overhang the rear seat footwell area. Some judicial packing of items to fill this area might help support that part of the mattress.


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## swimgeek

I used this mattress this weekend - perfect fit for the 3, ikea is easy for last minute camping decision (2 day prime shipping too slow!) and folds nicely flat in half with the seats up.

Tussoy twin from Ikea

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00298147/


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## [email protected]

Hi Everyone 

We are planning to release DreamCase for Model 3 this spring. We have a new design that is lighter but still have the capability to maximise space efficiency and easily fold out to make a double bed. DreamCase for Model 3 will also be substantially less pricy than the one for Model S, but still have the quality that a DreamCase for Tesla requires. 

We will post further updates in the following weeks. 

William Frost 
CEO DreamCase


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## danzgator

This air mattress fit between the wheel wells perfectly, and was as comfortable as an air mattress usually is: 
With the mattress inflated, the vertical distance between the top of mattress and the underside of the trunk deck is probably only 14", so there is not a lot of room for flipping around. If you have a big butt and/or belly, your it will be sandwiched between the mattress and trunk deck. I'm only 5'-8" and could not fit comfortably front to back. I either had to lie diagonally, or fold my legs so that they didn't hit the back of the trunk. I slept on the mattress a couple times, but then found the front seat fully reclined with a neck pillow more comfortable.


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## @gravityrydr

[email protected] said:


> Hi Everyone
> 
> We are planning to release DreamCase for Model 3 this spring. We have a new design that is lighter but still have the capability to maximise space efficiency and easily fold out to make a double bed. DreamCase for Model 3 will also be substantially less pricy than the one for Model S, but still have the quality that a DreamCase for Tesla requires.
> 
> We will post further updates in the following weeks.
> 
> William Frost
> CEO DreamCase


I look forward to seeing that.


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## [email protected]

danzgator said:


> I slept on the mattress a couple times, but then found the front seat fully reclined with a neck pillow more comfortable.
> 
> View attachment 4898


That's what we experienced with air also, it simply doesn't give the stability required for a good night sleep. 
It was a challenge to make it both compact like a suitcase, with all included : mattress, duvet, pillows, combined with 
great comfort. We can't wait to show you what DreamCase got for Model 3.


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## oripaamoni

[email protected] said:


> That's what we experienced with air also, it simply doesn't give the stability required for a good night sleep.
> It was a challenge to make it both compact like a suitcase, with all included : mattress, duvet, pillows, combined with
> great comfort. We can't wait to show you what DreamCase got for Model 3.


Any updates on the Dreamcase for the mode 3? Very interested. The wife and I are planning a road trip from San Diego to Washington this summer.


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## [email protected]

oripaamoni said:


> Any updates on the Dreamcase for the mode 3? Very interested. The wife and I are planning a road trip from San Diego to Washington this summer.


DreamCase for Tesla Model 3 and Model X is released today.










Here is a video showing a bit more : 




Will produce a lot more material through the summer !

We aimed to make it really compact with Tesla Model 3 in mind, and achieved this through a new pillow design and other solutions. It will contain Mattress, Duvet and pillows and stands just about 30 cm tall. That is quite the achievement we believe for a full bed, including pillows and duvet. Space is important, we pay a lot for our cars, why waste the space ! 
The top material is made out of Carbon Leather, and side material is a high performance rubberised suede. The inside is fully sewn in microfibre, same as the mattress and similar to the Alcantara in the skyline of Tesla's. It also has a strong carry strap on the backside, and the weight is significantly reduced compared to Model S, due to no need for propping device.

The price is 549 $ - although we had a target of achieving, 490 $, the Carbon and Side material's are very expensive. 
We though, what does the customer prefer us to do ? Skimp on lower quality solutions, or add 10 % and make the product awesome ! We went for awesome...

Deliveries in end of May and through June, early orders are prioritised !

www.dreamcase.eu


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## Travelwolf

I have a 4200 mile road trip schedule for this summer in my Model 3, going from Kansas City to New Brunswick Canada and back, visiting with college friends all along the way. I will be gone about 2 1/2 weeks and have 3 nights I will sleep at destination chargers in national parks b/c of distance between stops and lack of superchargers in New Brunswick.

Because of this, I made myself a bed in a bag to take on my trip, and fits perfect in the frunk! (will have to snap a pic of this- I have it folded out to sleep on tonight). It is not a sleeping bag- it is a mattress with a slip cover and sheets/pillowcase to match that I made myself. Much more comfortable than sleeping flat on the seats/ trunk floor without any padding. Also not as hot as a heavy sleeping bag and there is still room in the bag for a quilt in the winter. 

Woo hoo, road trip ready!

this should be a picture of it out where you can see it well, a picture of it packed, and then 2 pics of it unfolded in the model 3 to use tonight  if anyone wants one private message me.


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## Gleason

Travelwolf said:


> I have a 4200 mile road trip schedule for this summer in my Model 3, going from Kansas City to New Brunswick Canada and back, visiting with college friends all along the way. I will be gone about 2 1/2 weeks and have 3 nights I will sleep at destination chargers in national parks b/c of distance between stops and lack of superchargers in New Brunswick.
> 
> Because of this, I made myself a bed in a bag to take on my trip, and fits perfect in the frunk! (will have to snap a pic of this- I have it folded out to sleep on tonight). It is not a sleeping bag- it is a mattress with a slip cover and sheets/pillowcase to match that I made myself. Much more comfortable than sleeping flat on the seats/ trunk floor without any padding. Also not as hot as a heavy sleeping bag and there is still room in the bag for a quilt in the winter.
> 
> Woo hoo, road trip ready!
> 
> this should be a picture of it out where you can see it well, a picture of it packed, and then 2 pics of it unfolded in the model 3 to use tonight  if anyone wants one private message me.


Did you test your setup out yet? How is it? Also, what mattress is that? I'm looking to make a similar setup. One that is decent for sleeping, and also takes the least amount of space as I am planning a big road trip and will need to also pack a bunch of other items too!

Thanks,
-Brian


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## Travelwolf

Gleason said:


> Did you test your setup out yet? How is it? Also, what mattress is that? I'm looking to make a similar setup. One that is decent for sleeping, and also takes the least amount of space as I am planning a big road trip and will need to also pack a bunch of other items too!
> 
> Thanks,
> -Brian


This is an egg carton foam thing from target, about 2" thick. I used this b/c it is what I had on hand already for trying it out. It is comfy for a night or two, I have slept on it twice now. It is comfy enough that I will continue using it, but for those who want something more there is a really nice ikea mattress pad that comes in different sizes, 2-4" thick, that others have used. Including the original cost of the mattress pad I think I have about $90 into this. Using the Ikea one it would be closer to ~150, would have to check prices and add it up to e sure and of course it would depend on the thickness you got. Still way less to DIY that $550 with that hard case you have to stash somewhere. I keep forgetting to snap a pic of it in the frunk but it does fit since it squishes down.


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## ateslik

Just got the Exped Megamat Duo from REI. This thing is awesome!

https://www.rei.com/product/113720/exped-megamat-duo-10-sleeping-pad

it fits in the under trunk compartment and perfectly in the back. I got the "regular" size, not the double size. Even though it says it's 41 inches wide it squeezes in nicely. It's SO comfortable. I moved the seats all the way up, but theres no need. It fits without that. Very cool!

Now I just need the camping mode software to run the A/C, and turn the touch screen into a media center while I lay in bed. Amazing.

--edit--

for those who have not tried this mat I highly recommend visiting REI and trying it out. It's not a typical inflatable mat even though it looks like it in the pictures. It's much firmer and more comfortable. The closest thing I would equate it to is memory foam, but it's just a little softer than that - which I really like.


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## Travelwolf

ateslik said:


> Now I just need the camping mode software to run the A/C, and turn the touch screen into a media center while I lay in bed. Amazing.


I have slept in it a few times and you can run the AC from the app. I set my computer on top of the shelf (I wasn't worried about it where I was at) and watched a movie until I fell asleep. The screen went black after about 15 minutes being in the car without being in the driver's seat but the AC stayed on all night as needed to keep the cabin at my set temp. It may not have an official camper mode but it still does the job.


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## ateslik

Travelwolf said:


> I have slept in it a few times and you can run the AC from the app. I set my computer on top of the shelf (I wasn't worried about it where I was at) and watched a movie until I fell asleep. The screen went black after about 15 minutes being in the car without being in the driver's seat but the AC stayed on all night as needed to keep the cabin at my set temp. It may not have an official camper mode but it still does the job.


Good to know that the remote A/C runs all night. I had tried turning it on via the phone and saw that it worked, but I haven't done a full night yet.

I missed being able to push audio from my phone after the car turned itself off, but your shelf idea is also good and the next best option I suppose.


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## JHCIV

Travelwolf said:


> I have slept in it a few times and you can run the AC from the app. I set my computer on top of the shelf (I wasn't worried about it where I was at) and watched a movie until I fell asleep. The screen went black after about 15 minutes being in the car without being in the driver's seat but the AC stayed on all night as needed to keep the cabin at my set temp. It may not have an official camper mode but it still does the job.


We've slept in ours twice. First time, we turned on the climate from the app and it did run all night (as needed). Second time, we were out of cell service and couldn't keep the HVAC going. Ended up waking up every 1-2 hours to turn it back on. So frustrating. Anybody found a way to keep the climate on while out of cell service?


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## Adam Banton

[email protected] said:


> DreamCase for Tesla Model 3 and Model X is released today.
> 
> View attachment 7951
> 
> 
> Here is a video showing a bit more :
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Will produce a lot more material through the summer !
> 
> We aimed to make it really compact with Tesla Model 3 in mind, and achieved this through a new pillow design and other solutions. It will contain Mattress, Duvet and pillows and stands just about 30 cm tall. That is quite the achievement we believe for a full bed, including pillows and duvet. Space is important, we pay a lot for our cars, why waste the space !
> The top material is made out of Carbon Leather, and side material is a high performance rubberised suede. The inside is fully sewn in microfibre, same as the mattress and similar to the Alcantara in the skyline of Tesla's. It also has a strong carry strap on the backside, and the weight is significantly reduced compared to Model S, due to no need for propping device.
> 
> The price is 549 $ - although we had a target of achieving, 490 $, the Carbon and Side material's are very expensive.
> We though, what does the customer prefer us to do ? Skimp on lower quality solutions, or add 10 % and make the product awesome ! We went for awesome...
> 
> Deliveries in end of May and through June, early orders are prioritised !
> 
> www.dreamcase.eu


This looks awesome William. Great work.


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## FRC

Any fellow owners out trying to use their model 3 as a mini-camper? I've done 2 different trips staying a state parks. First, no problem charging on supplied 50 amp. However, at the second(Kentucky) state park 50amp service was not offered, only 30a and 110v. Of course Tesla did not supply us with a 30a plug at delivery. I however, had already purchased a 50a to 30a adapter just in case at Camping World. Unfortunately the car will not recognize/accept power supplied through this adapter(probably, rightly, in protection of the car's systems). I made do, and when I got home I purchased the 30a option for my mobile connector. No luck here either, Tesla doesn't offer a plug that conforms with the universal 30a plug-ins found at parks throughout the US and which work fine to power RV's of all sizes. I'm considering buying a 30a rv compatible male end and attaching it(properly) to the 30a plug I bought from Tesla. Anyone have any helpful information/advice?


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## Scmucker

FRC said:


> Any fellow owners out trying to use their model 3 as a mini-camper? I've done 2 different trips staying a state parks. First, no problem charging on supplied 50 amp. However, at the second(Kentucky) state park 50amp service was not offered, only 30a and 110v. Of course Tesla did not supply us with a 30a plug at delivery. I however, had already purchased a 50a to 30a adapter just in case at Camping World. Unfortunately the car will not recognize/accept power supplied through this adapter(probably, rightly, in protection of the car's systems). I made do, and when I got home I purchased the 30a option for my mobile connector. No luck here either, Tesla doesn't offer a plug that conforms with the universal 30a plug-ins found at parks throughout the US and which work fine to power RV's of all sizes. I'm considering buying a 30a rv compatible male end and attaching it(properly) to the 30a plug I bought from Tesla. Anyone have any helpful information/advice?


Try this:

https://www.evseadapters.com/products/tt-30-adapter-for-tesla-model-s-x-3-gen-2


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## Jan King

Hi, Here is a link to the adapter setup I did using a 30A RV extension cord.
https://teslaownersonline.com/threads/rv-off-the-beaten-track-charging.7553/


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## FRC

I have been using a Zinus tri-fold gel mattress(amazon-$70). 38x75x5, fits perfect, very comfortable, very portable, highly recommended. I got the 3" thickness first but it was too thin for my hip comfort. Also, my HVAC by phone will run for 4 hrs only, cell service or not. I set my alarm for 4 hrs out and re-boot HVAC then. Works OK for me but camping mode for model3 would be appreciated, Elon! Mods, thanks for relocating my previous posts.


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