I turned my tiny Mazda CX3 into a weekend car camper, which I manage to sleep in! I haven’t seen many builds like this for a car in this size category, which is why for the longest time I thought it would not be possible But it turns out, it is juuuust possible! If you’re thinking about doing something similar for your small car, keep reading!
First, lets start with some facts so you can have realistic expectations of this car camper:
- I am 5′-6″ / 168 cm and if you are any taller than this, you will not fit.
- This will only work for a single person, and a pet. Do not think about sleeping two people in here!
- This is not a stealth camping set up. You will not be able to drive the car with the bed set up, and it takes 5-10 minutes of set up.
- The bed slops downwards slightly, with about a 3-4″ difference between the head and feet. I found this acceptable personally, but this may not be fine for some people.
Bed Platform Build
The Mazda CX3 is not long enough to lay down in, even with the seats pushed all the way up. The trick is for the platform to extend into the space between the arm rest of the front seats, with the seats pushed all the way up. The gap is just wide enough for my head to fit comfortably, with a camping pillow. As for my body, it extends all the way down to the trunk of the car, with about 1-2 inches of space, so my feet are not hitting the trunk.
This wood platform is the only thing I had to build. Everything else is standard camping equipment. For this wood platform, you will need:
- 1/2″ plywood board, approx 2’x2′
- 2″x2″ posts, 8′ length
- Wood screws and/or wood glue
- Circular saw and/or oscillating saw and/or jigsaw
- Power drill
I am not a woodworking expert, so these instructions are maybe not the best way to do it, but this is how I built it (with the help of a friend):
- Measure out the size of the platform needed – my dimensions are below, but you may want to start a few inches larger and tailor them to your needs. The width of the platform matches the width of my sleeping pad.
- Hold the platform in place and approximate the length of wood posts needed. Add 2″ to the measured height. You can always cut more, but not less!
- Use tape to temporarily hold everything in place and test out if the slope is comfortable.
- I wanted the legs to be removable so I created a channel with the remaining 2×2, so the legs would slot into place. I used wood glue and screws for this part. There are other ways of attaching the pieces but this made sense for me as I had extra 2×2.
- Now you can test out the final product!
Camping Gear
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After creating the bed platform, there are more items of gear you will need to make it possible to sleep in. If you are already used to camping in a tent, you’ll have most of these items. Here’s what I use:
- Two sleeping pads, layered on top of each other. I find the car to be much harder than the ground and it was very uncomfortable with just one sleeping pad. The sleeping pads are folded beneath the feet, as they will be too long.
Recommendation for bottom layer: Closed Cell Foam Sleeping Pad – I like it because it takes no time to set up, and can be folded. (Available on Amazon USA / Amazon Canada) - A towel or sweater, placed under the spot between the trunk and back seats. I’ve found that this change in slope is really uncomfortable, and having something underneath to make it more flat makes it more comfortable.
- Sleeping bag and/or blanket, and a camping sized pillow (a regular pillow will not fit).
- Windshield sun deflector and window bug nets. These will help with privacy. I plan to upgrade to have covers for all the windows, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Example of window bug nets (these have sizes to fit smaller cars): Mesh Window Sun Shade (Amazon USA / Amazon Canada) - Something to support the head part of the platform. I typically use a packing cube with clothes in it, sandwiched between the armrest and the platform, and this creates a stable support for my head to lay on.
- Tent (optional). I usually like to bring a tent to set up at the campsite, which gives the site more of an occupied look. If you will be gone during the day, the tent shows that the site is occupied and will keep others away. The tent is also great for storage, so you can keep the car as empty as possible for more space.
Specific info for the Mazda CX3
There are a couple of things that I wish I knew before I started. If you’re also camping in your CX3, these will be relevant for you.
Driver seat memory
The cx3 has two driver seat memory positions, which I found perfect. I set 1 to be the Forward position with the seat pushed all the way up, and 2 to be my regular driving position. This makes it easy to have the seat exactly where you want it to be when driving. Note that the car engine needs to be on in order to use the driver memory buttons.
Be aware of the car battery
The battery of a cx3 seems to be on the weaker side, and I have had it died on me overnight. I now always carry a portable jump start battery pack, and jumper cables. I’m not sure exactly what kills the battery, but it seems to be related to having the doors open too long. I now keep the windows open so I can reach things without having to open the doors, and being mindful of when I am opening them. I also researched about keeping the key inside the car overnight. On my 2019 cx3, the key does not ping the car continuously, so this does not seem to be the issue. I have also purchased a faraday pouch to keep my car key in, so it does not transmit anything to the car.
Portable jump starter:
- NOCO Boost Plus GB40 1000 Amp 12-Volt UltraSafe Lithium Jump Starter Box (available on Amazon USA / Amazon Canada)
Faraday pouch for keys (not sure if it helps with battery issue):
- Faraday Pouch for Car Keys (available on Amazon USA / Amazon Canada)
Sun roof views
The placement of the sunroof is right above where your head is, when sleeping. This is actually really nice, because you can see the stars and trees above! This is something specific to this build, as the head extends further up than other car camping builds.
Good luck!
Being able to car camp has given me so much more freedom in the places I can go. I hope you try it out, and I hope it brings you the same!
Theoretically Teddy 