Sleeping in cars

[lesapandre]

23 minutes ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

Question: can the cops move you on if you’re sleeping on a random street somewhere? 
 

Also, if you’re sleeping drunk can you be done for “being in charge of a vehicle” or whatnot? 

The second one is yes I think. It would all be up to interpretation - but if you were down on the V5, on the insurance and with the keys with you the answer may be yes.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

11 hours ago, sdkrc said:

I'm a connoisseur of sleeping in cars. I spent half a year sleeping on 2 chairs held together with belts and subsequently 7 months sleeping on a table in a flat with a rat problem. During those periods I'd have aspirational thoughts of a nice campervan, a canal barge or an estate to sleep in.

I used to regularly sleep in my Audi C6 estate and would rank that as my #1 car sleeping recommendation. I once went camping with the lads, they got pissed before pitching their tent and it blew into a river. That night 3x large, grown men slept in great comfort thanks to a flat load bay, felt lining and ample room.

 

The worst night's sleep was across the back of an A2 whilst going to see an eBay purchased boat in Plymouth. We picked up my dad's mate who had spent a not insignificant amount of his life in prison, I let him drive and he did 200miles at 95mph, most of those in 4th gear.

The seat belt buckles dug into me all night and there's an insurmountable gradient only noticeable when you're lying down. The stains in this pic aren't mine but are representative.

 

Honourable mention to a night in the Insight. Much roomier than you'd think, you can't recline the seat without moving it forward but it somehow was tolerable and almost pleasant.

 

So where have you slept and how would you rate it?

I've slept in Alison. Agreed on all points re: A2. Was bloody cold at 2°C overnight. 

Heat loss was a bit* of an issue. Saving grace is the Diesel has an Auxiliary Electric Heater which acts very quickly indeed. 

You A6 looks like a Five Star Hotel in comparison! 😅

[Rust Collector]

40 minutes ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

Question: can the cops move you on if you’re sleeping on a random street somewhere? 
 

Also, if you’re sleeping drunk can you be done for “being in charge of a vehicle” or whatnot? 

My cousin was charged with being in charge of his vehicle whilst drunk, after he returned home from a night out one occasion to find he'd forgotten his house keys. Rather than wake the family up in the early hours he went and slept out in the car, and the local constabulary spotted him. Their interpretation of what counted as being in charge of the vehicle was being inside of it with the keys, even though I seem to recall he was sleeping on the passenger seat. I can't remember if the prosecution stuck or not, as it was about 10 years back now and we aren't that close that we spoke regularly - I just remember it causing a bit of fuss at the time that he'd had trouble with the police.

[martc]

Talking of sleeping in a vehicle, reminds me of this old chestnut -

'My grandad died peacefully in his sleep. Unlike his passengers.'

[cort1977]

47 minutes ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

Question: can the cops move you on if you’re sleeping on a random street somewhere? 
 

Also, if you’re sleeping drunk can you be done for “being in charge of a vehicle” or whatnot? 

Not sure on the first but a friend of mine was convicted of being in charge while drunk or something.  Police just did not believe him that he was intending to sleep in his own car after a night out and he got a ban.  Bit of a pisser.  He is a professional guy, not the type to get riled with the police or start knowing his rights.  Think it was just wrong place, wrong time and unlucky that the police had nothing better to do.

[sdkrc]

If you have access to your keys and you're in the car, drunk, you're fucked. If you throw the keys into a nearby hedge and the cops don't find them, you're fine. 

[1duck]

6 hours ago, captain_70s said:

MK7 Civic. Passable but not amazing. Even I, at 5ft7, had to lie diagonally for leg room and there is a height change where the seat back folds down that needs a cushion or blankets to fill.

The Acclaim you can nap in but not much more, even with the seat reclined right back your feet are in amongst the pedals. The 740 can accommodate a double mattress with the seats down so should be excellent...

I slept in the back of a Mk7 with my other half,  I'm over 6 foot so had to take the diagonal approach. However we had thrown a double airbed in the back then inflated it in situ, meant clambering over the seats to get in but it was remarkably alright! Did a long weekend in it, so 4 days?

Honestly once you get your leg position right it wasn't bad, I was more cramped from just driving the thing, the seat didn't go back enough and the rake didn't let  the steering  adjust upwards enough. 

[Scruffy Bodger]

27 minutes ago, sdkrc said:

If you have access to your keys and you're in the car, drunk, you're fucked. If you throw the keys into a nearby hedge and the cops don't find them, you're fine. 

My old man used to sleep in vans or cars regularly when I was a kid to save on the digs money. He was aware of the problem with having keys on you so always hid them if he had a few* beers before bed. He's been woken in the early hours by the coppers who were not at all amused that they couldn't find the keys and arrest him.

If I've ever done it I always keep it in mind or if with someone else I simply give them the keys to keep as they can't drive the car without my permission.

[bunglebus]

Always a grey area with sleeping in a camper after a beer or six - how do you prove you've no intention of driving, or even that you're not "in charge" of it?

[big_al_granvia]

dossed in the almera a few times, one the knob that reclined the passenger seat had gone awol so had to squeeze sleeping bag under steering wheel, not great, otheer times in the almera included knockhill in september, minus 2, bloody cold even with 4season bag, hat and gloves. scooby was comfy, thermarest, fleece blanket 4 season bag. granvia is quite palatial, 7' long bed, usual kit, bucket

worst thing is getting warm again after going out for a pee, fleece hat and gloves are essential kit, usually in granvia i put a duvet on top o thermarest then use a 4 season bag as a duvet but under 5 degrees zip in. 

[omegod]

My brother once went to sleep pissed in the boot of his alfa 156 saloon, he somehow managed to lock himself and had to dismantle the lock from the inside to escape , he's a bellend 

[Carl1981]

5 hours ago, MikeR said:

 

Tried a Volvo ?  , I used mine for camping a few times .

Looks like a still from a crime channel documentary! 😂

[SRi05]

A few years ago I slept in a MKII Hyundai Coupe after tripping over onto a poorly assembled tent whilst pished (I assembled it) in the middle of an absolute bastard of a thunderstorm in a field somewhere around Fort William.  2/10 would not recommend.  My Mrs slept in the crumpled remains of the tent, she got up during the night and witnessed two of our mates who were on the trip with us going at it in the back seat of their 1 series. 

Thanks for reading 

[Agila]

5 hours ago, MikeR said:

 

Tried a Volvo ?  , I used mine for camping a few times .

 

35 minutes ago, Carl1981 said:

Looks like a still from a crime channel documentary! 😂

It's probably the pedobear vibe it's got.

Honestly Mike, never ever ever use that bear thing again.

[maxxo]

sleept one single night in my old xsara picasso

rear seats lifted up out the way

just far enough out the way to get in the way, the studs which held the rear seats down did a fantastic job of jabbing into my feet all night

add in the fact it's just not long enough to lay down fully

and the fact the car is like a greenhouse

it was stupidly hot even in september

not the worst nights sleep i've ever had though

not slept in the current C5 yet

[chaseracer]

Shitefest 2015, Mercedes W124.

NO.

[808 Estate]

Audi 100 Avant was pretty cavernous.

[UltraWomble]

Hospital ID badges - GR9 for impromptu places to kip.
Out patients departments are dead & often closed from about 7pm and all of them have exam couches.

Ive spent more than one night asleep on an examination couch.

I once tried to sleep in a VW Polo breadvan. It was a shit nights sleep.

[bigstraight6]

Big respect for all the patrons who have actually slept in a car, an experience I haven’t and probably never will now but if I did it would have to be in a late 1940’s/early 1950’s Nash Airflyte that was designed with this feature…

[somewhatfoolish]

Did a couple of nights in a ZX estate to save on B&B, plenty of room with the seats down for a short arse like me to stretch out; 8/10, wood sleep agane.

[Fumbler]

Slept on the BX's rear seat once- the squish was 'just right' and I could shove the seatbelt buckles down and behind so they wouldn't stick into me. The armrest acted as a nice headrest too.

With the seats folded down it's absolutely cavernous. 8/10 shall sleep again.

[garethj]

I’ve never even tried to sleep in a car but after dozens of failed attempts to sleep on long haul flights I reckon I’m just too tall for anything that’s not a bed

[Leyland Worldmaster]

Shirley a good question here is this:

Any Austin Maxi owners here? 🤔 🤔 🤔 

[M'coli]

It's only in the last couple of years that I have "slept rough" without realising it, and because my Dad was an arsehole; due to shifts in a hotel when I was 18 I was expected to keep workinh after my finishing time of 2330 and then come back int' morning at half 7. wedding overran, so I lied about being offered a staff room for the night but me and my bike were dropped off 200 yds away from the hoose to prevent anybody hearing it occuring.  I knew the passenger door to the scrap Renault 12 was open, so I slept in the passenger seat and left prior to anyone else waking up.

My sister subsequently gave details of my father's behaviour that night, needless to say that although he never became physically violent towards us all, my lies meant that my mum and sister slept that night.

 

PS, he was tee-total, so could have chosen to come and get me with the car, but he fucking didn't.  I still can't manage to read into that correctly.

[anonymous user]

1 hour ago, bigstraight6 said:

Big respect for all the patrons who have actually slept in a car, an experience I haven’t and probably never will now but if I did it would have to be in a late 1940’s/early 1950’s Nash Airflyte that was designed with this feature…

That looks a bit draughty 

[Pieman]

I've slept in cars twice, first time was in Germany when a cock-up with a hotel booking meant that me and a colleague had to spend a night in our hire car, a Citroen C3.  We reclined a front seat each, and the only cover I had was a raincoat - needless to say, I didn't sleep at all.

Only other time was when I was covering a 24-hour race at Silverstone a couple of years ago, figured out I'd only be away from the track for a short time so decided to sleep in my Focus instead of getting a hotel room.  Parked up behind an empty grandstand, reclined the passenger seat as low as it would go, cracked a window open a little and wrapped myself in a sleeping bag.  Still didn't sleep.

[Dan302]

Back in the early 2000s me and a couple of mates went camping to a cider pub alongside the River Ancholme near brigg. 

We decided to drink before putting the tent up.....bad idea so the 3 of us slept in my mates car. A fiat Panda (the 80s/90s shape)

One in the drivers seat, one on the back seat and me in the passenger seat with my feet on top of his tool box. Lucky we were pissed and it was before I was 20st 😂 still not the best night's sleep I've had!

[stuboy]

nearest i got to recently was turning up to pick up the missus and kids from gatwick, when she says been delayed 3 hours so drove into godnestone, found a nice layby , thankfully in my galaxy i got the captains  seats up front and i turned them round so i could stretch my legs and catch some zzz.....

[big_al_granvia]

Did a few crazy road trips in transits where one of us drove whilst the other dossed, Brighton in December was a cracker, 21 hours in total, about 18 driving, 1 proper meal break the rest just pee and swap. Great fun. 

Slept in a lot of carriages on preserved railways, any compartments were comfortable, sleeping cars nice, few others were normal coaches but you could get a doss. The wife reckons I can doss anywhere I have my sleeping bag. 

[Snake Charmer]

11 hours ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

Also, if you’re sleeping drunk can you be done for “being in charge of a vehicle” or whatnot? 

Yes, I know someone who slept drunk in the back of a Sierra estate with the engine running to keep warm, 18 month ban.

Slept in a few cars, regularly used to have lunchtime on nights in a MkI Astra. I recently had a lay down in my Mercedes estate to check for size, plenty of room.