Mattress Size...In the jeep and winter camping recommendations needed...USA X-Country
 

I figured this would be the most appropriate place to ask this since this is where all the traveling Jeepers hang out.

I'm looking to do a cross country roadtrip in december with the wife, and there will be a number of nights where we just want to crash and then keep driving in the morning. I know I can just get a motel for the night, but figured it would be a nice back up option...so...

Does anyone know what size inflatable mattress can fully fit inside a JKU with the seats folded down and the tailgate closed for 2 people to sleep? Going from NJ as far as Moab I think. We only have 2 weeks so I don't think Northern Cali is going to be doable.

Any advice camping in the winter in places like Colorado and Utah? I know temps will be below freezing on possibly/probably snow covered ground. The wife is reluctantly bending for me to take this little Jeep adventure with me, but I don't want her to be uncofortable. Of course some nights we will spend in a hotel so that we can shower, sleep in a warm bed, etc, but overall, I'd like to keep that to a minimum and really enjoy spending some nights under the stars in Jeep only locations.

Thanks for the help guys.

I think you're asking a lot of your wife to sleep in your Jeep. It gets pretty cold in the winter time sleeping inside of a vehicle. Take a measurement of the back of your Jeep then check out the dimensions on some air mattresses.

I have a tent (the Coleman instant) that is huge. Its the largest model and fits 8. It is almost as big as our first apartment in manhattan :) . Anywho, I was going to use that, but figure some nights just to get some sleep, I wouldn't waste time erecting and staking a tent. I would just put our stuff outside and then just blow a mattress up and sleep in the Jeep. I figure with the temps, inside the jeep or inside a tent would be the same. Just need to sleep in warm clothes and good sleeping bags. I have never done this kind of trip (always dreamed about it) and have never camped in the winter so I'm not sure what that entails but surely guys here do it all the time. Thanks for your input though. Good or bad, is like to hear it all since it will help me better prepare.

Coleman makes one that a lot of members use. TruckBedz was working on one. They are really nice.

I have slept dozens of times in the back of my JKU, and are my thoughts.

First, anything in the back of the Jeep will be in the way. Simply putting it outside is not an option (weather, thieves, etc) - it will need to be moved to the front seats. If you have a lot of stuff, it will not fit. It is a PITA to move it all.

Second: the cold. It will be well below freezing - how will you keep warm? You can get gasoline fired heaters, but that may be pricy if this is a one time trip. Maybe one of the new "safe" propane heaters?

Third: security. Park someplace safe. I use campgrounds, large, busy hotel parking lots, Wal-Mart, etc. Be careful.

Fourth: mattress. No clue what size will fit. If it is inflatable, a double might. You'll have to measure. I use a Thermarest and it is perfect.

Fifth: with the seats down, the floor is not flat - the seat end is a bit sloped and there are huge holes where the hinges are. I created a second "stage" with storage under it to make the floor level and flat (half of it folds back so the rear seats can be used (https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-w...torage-178549/). Also, if you never use the rear seats, remove them - Kilby makes steel panels that will make the floor flat.

I'd plan it and test it out first. When you are tired on the road, the last thing you want to do is spend half an hour getting the bed ready. With proper planning you could be asleep in a few minutes.

Hope that helps.

Hmmm...you guys are starting to make me rethink this and hotel it, but it seems soooo.....un-jeep like. :D

BTW, I was not planning on pulling over on the side of the highway and taking a snooze. When I said sleep in the jeep with the stuff outside, I was talking about somewhere deep inside canyonlands, inside a national park in colorado in the middle of the mountains, etc. I was not going to sleep in the Jeep on the side of the i80 or in a town. I thought that inside the jeep, with sleeping bags and clothing it should be warm (keep it at 32 at least from ambient body heat)....sleeping bags are rated to 0. However, like I said, I have never camped in the winter, so I don't know how "bad" it is, and I guess I didn't pay attention to the fact that the jeep floor isn't flat.

Given the choice, I'd do Motels, but I'm cheap :-).

I've camped in the cold many times - it always gets colder than you think and can make for a miserable night.

A double air mattress works perfectly. I have used this for 7+ day camping trips before having built a sleeping platform. Just put the mattress in and inflate while its inside the jeep and it will conform nicely to the wheel wells etc. i have brought my wife along for a couple of nights and she said it was quite comfortable.

A good sleeping bag will help with cold weather camping. And leave the windows open a tiny bit.


Have a great trip.

I've slept in mine down to 17°F outside temp.
I used a heating pad in the bag with me, powered by an inverter. It was nice and warm. I didn't like getting out of the bag in the morning, though. It was pretty cold in the Jeep. After the second cold morning, I just started the engine and let the interior warm up a little before climbing out.
An aux car battery powered the inverter/heating pad for 5 nights without recharging.
Next time, I'll not use an aux battery, as the Jeep battery will get charged every day when the Jeep is driven.

The biggest drawback of sleeping in the Jeep on a cold night, is everything inside will be frosted, or wet, in the morning.
Maybe leaving a window open a little would have helped. I plan to make a little exhaust fan adapter for one of the windows. It'll be at the top, with the window raised up to it. I think a computer fan will move enough air to prevent most of the condensation inside the Jeep. The fan I have in mind draws only 0.14 amps. It's worth a try.

I made the https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-w...torage-178549/ thing to make the back level. It makes a huge difference in comfort.

I'm headed out in a couple weeks for 5 more days in the woods for some trail maintenance. I'll post how the fan worked in preventing night time condensation.

Can't speak on the matress as I can't sleep my 2 door...

But coming from sub zero Canadian winter camping, as long as you have the right equipment you will be fine. As long as you are warm enough you'll be fine. Look into real arctic sleeping bags and equipment and you'll have great nights! If I could sleep in my jk I would do it all the time. I generally sleep on pine needles so I imagine any matress that fits would be amazing haha