Sleeping in a Honda CRV? Here's What You Need to Know

While it isn’t always ideal, sleeping in your Honda CRV can be surprisingly comfortable. It can be an option for those that may be taking a long road trip and perhaps don’t want to splurge on expensive hotels or campsites. Many solo travelers have toured the United States sleeping in nothing but their Honda CRV.

Now, you can convert your Honda CRV into an actual camper. Plenty of people have done that. However, for the purposes of this page, we are working under the assumption that you do want to use your Honda CRV as a car again. This means no messing about with removing frames that you have built, etc. We are going to be talking purely about helping you to get a good night’s sleep in your Honda CRV.

Is It Comfortable To Sleep In a Honda CRV?
Preparing Your Honda CRV For Sleep
How Many Can Sleep In a Honda CRV?
Where To Park Your Honda CRV While Sleeping
Final Thoughts

Is It Comfortable To Sleep In a Honda CRV?

You aren’t going to be getting a 6-star hotel-quality sleep in a Honda CRV. It is certainly passable for a few nights on the road, and you will be able to fall asleep, but don’t expect huge amounts of comfort.

We will say that sleeping in a Honda CRV is probably going to be more comfortable than sleeping in a tent. Plus, you won’t have to worry about the elements. Sleeping inside your car is much dryer than a tent when it is raining outside!

A lot of the comfort in your Honda CRV is going to be based upon the quality of the mattress that you bring along with you (more on that soon. Bring a poor-quality mattress or even an airbed, then you may not have the greatest sleep in the world. Splurge on a decent mattress? That’s a comfortable night of sleep!

During the colder months of the year, your Honda CRV should be pretty warm to sleep in. However, during the summer months, it can get a bit stuffy. You may have to crack open a window or something. We recommend that you park your Honda CRV in the shade if you are traveling during the warmer months of the year. You will really struggle to fall asleep in the intense heat if you don’t. If anybody has climbed into a vehicle on a boiling hot day, you will know what we mean here.

Preparing Your Honda CRV For Sleep

In this section, we want to go through a few of the things that you will need to think about when preparing your Honda CRV for sleeping. There is nothing too complicated here, thankfully. Remember, our goal is to get you sleeping in your Honda CRV without actually having to modify your vehicle.

The Mattress

The Honda CRV has been designed for carrying long cargo. The backseat can easily be folded down. It takes just a few seconds to do, and you only have to pull one lever.

The Honda CRV is going to hold a twin mattress. It will be a tight fit, but it will go in there! You should try to get the best quality mattress that you can afford. The better the mattress, the better the sleep.

Blacking Out The Windows

This is where you may run into a few issues if you don’t plan on modifying your vehicle. You want to keep sunlight from streaming into your vehicle, and you want to ensure that people outside the car are not having a sneaky peak.

The best option here is to purchase blackout curtains for your car. Many people have run a piece of string around the inside of their vehicle and put the blackout curtains on them. There are plenty of places to tie the string up in a Honda CRV, so this isn’t an issue.

Alternatively, you can get yourself a good sleeping mask. This will stop the light from getting in your eyes, but it won’t stop people staring into your vehicle.

Crack The Windows

If you are going to sleep in your Honda CRV, then crack a window. It doesn’t have to be open much, but you need some air flowing into the vehicle, or it is going to get quite stuffy.

How Many Can Sleep In a Honda CRV?

You can probably sleep 2 people in the vehicle, but we recommend one. It is going to be quite a tight squeeze with 2, particularly if you have some luggage in tow.

Where To Park Your Honda CRV While Sleeping

In most states, you can’t park your Honda CRV wherever you want. You must look at the local laws. Some states will allow you to park at rest stops. Others will require you to book a campsite for the night.

We suggest that you always park your Honda CRV in a well-lit area. They tend to be safer. If you are allowed to park at a rest stop, then do that too. Many rest stops are regularly patrolled so, again, it is safe.

Try to avoid parking off the beaten track wherever possible. Yes. We know that your Honda CRV is probably capable of it, but you want to be safe when your vehicle is parked, right?

During the summer months, we highly recommend that you park your vehicle in the shade. As you will probably know, vehicles can heat up pretty quickly. If you aren’t in the shade, then the inside of your vehicle is going to be quite toasty. You will struggle to be able to breathe.

Final Thoughts

While sleeping in a Honda CRV isn’t going to be the most comfortable experience in the world, it is passable. Many people have spent weeks on the road with their Honda CRV.

Your Honda CRV can easily take a twin mattress, which should be fine for up to 2 people, although we recommend that you only have one sleeping in the vehicle, particularly if you have luggage.

You will not have to make any modifications to your Honda CRV if you want to sleep in it. Folding down the rear seats should be enough.