How to Make a Bed in Your Car

Three ways to create a comfortable bed in any vehicle for car camping

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 6, 2022 References

Sleeping in the Seats

|

Using an Inflatable Car Mattress

|

Building a Sleeping Platform

|

Q&A

|

Tips

|

Things You'll Need

There are a number of reasons you might want to sleep in your car. Perhaps you are going on a road trip and don’t want to pay for hotels. Maybe you found yourself stranded due to weather. Maybe you just want to be able to catch a quick nap while you’re on the road. Regardless of your reasons, you can create a bed in your car for you to sleep soundly. It could be as simple as converting your seat, or you could opt to use an inflatable rear seat mattress. You could even build a sleeping platform for the back of your car to use for long trips or car camping.

Things You Should Know

Put your seat back and get cozy with pillows, blankets, or whatever soft, cushioned items you have on hand.
Get a rear-seat mattress for the most comfortable sleeping experience.
Create a sleeping platform for your back seat, trunk or hatch area, or truck bed out of plywood and 2 x 4s.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Sleeping in the Seats

1
Recline your car's seats. Recline your driver and passenger seats as far back as possible. You may be able to recline a seat further by tilting the front edge up (if your car has this adjustment) and by sliding it forward so that it is blocked by the back seat bottom as little as possible.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- If you cannot recline your driver’s seat, opt to use only passenger side.
- Clear out everything on your back seats as well as the floor of your car. This will help maximize the amount of recline you get from your seat.
2
Create a mattress. Use what you have to create a soft, cushioned surface for you to lie down on. A yoga mat, towels, or blankets work best if you have them available. If not, you can use a jacket or spare clothing.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- If you do not have anything to use as padding while you sleep, that is alright. You won’t do any excessive damage to your car by sleeping directly on the seat.
Advertisement
3
Make a pillow. If you have a pillow available, place it at the head of your seat. Travel pillows and inflatable pillows work well for these types of situations, and can often be found affordably at department stores, home good stores, truck stops, and travel stores.
- If you do not have a pillow ready, roll up a towel, jacket, shirt, or other piece of clothing and use it to support your neck and head while you sleep.
4
Cover yourself. Your car isn’t climate-controlled or insulated in the same way as your home or a hotel. Keep yourself protected from low temperatures at night by covering yourself with a blanket.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If you do not have a blanket available, try to use excess clothes such as a warm jacket as a cover.
- If you are facing cold temperatures, layer on clothes and cover yourself. Wear a jacket as necessary for warmth and keep on accessories such as gloves and hats.
5
Cover your windows. For added privacy and additional insulation, cover your car windows. If you have additional clothing or towels available, this will work well. Otherwise, use papers, maps, bags, or anything else you have available.
- If you can, prop or tape the items to your window. If they will not stay that way, roll the edge of the item up in the window.
- If you have a windshield cover, put it up for additional privacy while you sleep.
- Do remember to crack a window if there’s more than one person in the car, though. This ensures enough air for both of you.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using an Inflatable Car Mattress

1
Purchase a rear-seat mattress. Inflatable rear-seat mattresses are available from a number of online and specialty retailers. Order or purchase one before your planned trip or to keep as an emergency precaution in your vehicle.
- Make sure to find one that fits your style of car. Most mattresses are sized to fit either subcompact and compact cars or SUVs and minivans. Find a mattress that best fits your personal set-up.
2
Clear out your back seat. When you are ready to use your air mattress, start by cleaning out your back seat. You will need the seat itself as well as the floor below to be clear so that the mattress can sit flat in your car.
- Move items to the trunk that will not properly fit elsewhere.
3
Inflate the mattress. If you have a battery-powered air pump, this will inflate the mattress quickly. Such pumps are easily found at department as well as camping and outdoor stores. If no pump is available, you may have to manually inflate the mattress.
- Find the air valve and either connect your pump or blow directly into the valve. Make sure all other air release valves are closed before you start inflating.
4
Dress the bed. Add pillows and blankets to your bed setup so that you are comfortable while you sleep. Many inflatable mattresses also come with inflatable travel pillows, but any pillow or blanket that keeps you comfortable will work.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- If possible, put a layer between you and the mattress. The tops of the mattresses tend to not be a soft fabric. Place a layer between you and the mattress for comfort.
- If you do not have a pillow and blanket available, use towels, jackets, extra clothes, and whatever else you have available to cover yourself and keep yourself warm.
- Roll a jacket or a shirt to act as a makeshift pillow if one is not readily available for you.
5
Get some sleep. Once your bed is made, you are ready to get some sleep. When you wake up, break down your bed by taking off all of the dressings, opening the air release valve and gently rolling the air out of the bed.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Store your mattress in your trunk, under your seats, or wherever else you have room.
- If you know that you will be using the mattress again within the next day or so, consider leaving it inflated so that it is ready to use again.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Building a Sleeping Platform

1
Measure your car. To determine how large you can make your platform, you will need to measure the area that you intend to put it. Decide if you want your back seats up or down to fit the platform, and measure the length and width of your configuration.
- Remember that vertical height will be important, too. Generally speaking, you should plan on your platform being eight to ten inches above the base on which it sits.
2
Gather materials. The base of your platform should be sheets of ¾ inch (2 cm) or one inch plywood, while the legs will be constructed from two by fours. You will also need wood screws, a drill, a covering such as carpet, and staples. All of these materials can be found at a hardware or home improvement store.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Have the plywood sheet cut to fit the dimensions you measured. Cut the large sheet in half widthwise so that your platform can be stored in stackable sections.
- Have the two by fours cut up so that you end up with 12 pieces. Eight of them should be the height of your intended platform (8 to 10 inches or 20 to 26 cm), while four of them should be about four inches shorter than the width of your plywood sheet.
3
Assemble the legs. You will need four legs, two for each platform. Make the legs by aligning a short section of two by four to either end of a long two by four piece. Make sure the legs are level with the support, then use 4 or 5 inch (10 to 13 cm) wood screws to secure the legs directly to the support.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Opt to use at least two screws for each individual foot.
- Repeat this process until you have four sets of legs completed.
4
Add your platform. Once your legs are completed, make your platform by screwing the plywood sheets onto the legs. Each sheet should have two legs, one toward the top and one toward the bottom.
- Consider the positioning of the legs before you install them. They may need to get around wheels, indents, or other features in your car’s interior.
- Screw the platform down with at least one screw over each foot, as well as one in the middle of each support.
5
Cover the platform. Use carpet, fabric, a tarp, or whatever covering you think is appropriate to cover your platform. Staple your cover down along the edges of your platform using carpet tacks or industrial staples.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Try to staple the cover to the outer edges of the platform for maximum comfort.
6
Assemble the platform. The platform can be stored in two separate pieces whenever you are not using it. To assemble it, simply unstack the two pieces and set them up so that one sits directly in front of the other in the back of your car.
- To help the platform hold together a bit, consider adding a velcro edge where the two pieces of platform attach.
7
Outfit your bed. Once you have your two platforms ready and in position, decide how you want to outfit your bed. You may want to use sleeping pads, an air mattress, blankets, or another form of cushioning to keep you off the hard surface. Prepare yourself with any pillows, sheets, and blankets you might want, as well.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- The sleeping platform can be outfit however you want. Choose a setup that is comfortable for you when your sleeping, and easy to store when you have the platform packed away.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I avoid sleeping on the hump in the back seat with the air bed across them?

Community Answer

You can buy special air mattresses that fit around the wheel well, or you can put some luggage under your mattress to lift it over the wheel well.
Question

What if I am sitting in the front seat of the car and I want to sleep?

Community Answer

Most cars have reclining seats, so you could pull it back. Also, in the front, you would have extra leg room. You could also use a neck pillow.
Question

What if I forgot to pack blankets?

Community Answer

Use a sweater or a shirt and then curl up tightly. Even beach towels or coats can work as covers if that's all you have.

Things You'll Need

Car
Towels/Blankets
Pillow/Removable headrest
Inflatable backseat mattress
Drill
Wood screws
Plywood sheets
Two by fours
Water (and lots of it). Bring one gallon container with a handle that you can quickly refill and two personal sized bottles, one large and one small.
Large Ziploc type bag for dirty laundry or trash (you'll want to keep your temporary home fresh and tidy)
Snacks (they help you feel warm and keep you busy and energized)
Phone/internet connection
Book or magazines
Jump starter pack and/or juice pack for electronic devices
Hide-a-key (you don't want to risk being locked out of your car, your home and potentially your wallet and phone all at once).
A few bucks in cash and loose change
Towel/wipes/tissues
Airplane/neck supporting pillow