Camp Mode: The ultimate guide to sleeping in your Tesla Model Y — Andrea Ference (2024)

My camping experience is a little bit backward. I started backcountry camping in wilderness areas, then moved into established camp sites and it took me another nearly five years before I tried car camping - as in a tent beside the car at a campground.

In 2022 my partner and I traded out his sports car for a Tesla Model Y and this season camping is even more comfortable with the ability to sleep in the car. Read on to find out why Tesla makes the ultimate car camping vehicle along with a few tips and tricks we learned on our first half dozen Tesla car camping trips.

1. Tesla Camp Mode

What is Tesla camp mode?

Camping in a Tesla will garner attention at any campground and my favourite thing to show off is this - Tesla Camp mode is a low-power mode built into the car and accessed via the temperature controls. It effectively does four things:

• Maintains airflow and temperature

• Allows interior lighting to be turned on or off

• Plays music or streaming services

• Powers devices

Tesla estimates that the Tesla camp mode power consumption will use ~1% of battery per hour of camp mode use. Of course this varies based on the model of Tesla, the temperature, devices plugged in/functions used and your starting battery level.

We have a 2022 Long Range Model Y and found that a full night’s sleep would use between 5 and 15% of our battery in camping mode. I like to set the car around 18°C (64°F) and my partner prefers 69°F (20°C). If you are too warm or cold at night you can easily control this via the Tesla app - no need to crawl to the screen. Ultimately, it allows you to stay warm (or cool) all night and not have to wake up with those dreaded fogged up windows.

Note: it does not automatically lock the doors - you will need to do that via the app or the screen. Also, when you open any door the two overhead lights as well as the trunk light will turn on (the overhead lights can easily be clicked off but I have not found a solution for the trunk door aside from packing a small piece of tape to cover it). You will notice these mostly when having to take a mid-night pee break or when hanging out with the trunk door open.

2. So much extra storage

Most vehicles when transformed into a car camping vehicle will inevitably result in one of two things: playing a game of passenger seat jenga with your bags or losing valuable headspace and versatility in the addition of a platform bed that includes storage.

Thankfully this isn’t an issue when you’re car camping in the Model Y.

With the spacious trunk and sub-trunk (and a mini sub-trunk just in front of the main sub-trunk) as well as the footwells behind the front seats we can easily fit everything from camera gear to backpacking gear to extra food and supplies while keeping the front seats clear. This makes it easy to leave the bed set up while we drive if need be.

You can also purchase a roof top storage container for your Tesla and a lot of people do. If we are conscientious about our packing with two people I have never felt the need to have additional storage while camping. Perhaps on longer road trips it may be worth having a conversation about.

3. Find your perfect Model Y camping mattress

With the front seats moved all of the way forward and the back seats folded down, the rear cabin of the Tesla Model Y is 83 inches (210 cm) long. I reference this video - Tesla Model Y Dimensions - Inside and Out - far too often when I am gauging what will/will not fit in the Tesla.

For our Model Y camping mattress, we initially went with the TESCAMP three inch thick memory foam mattress but after one night we felt that it was too thin and upgraded to the Exped MegaMat Duo 10 Sleeping Pad (in the medium double size). Exped also makes a Tesla-specific version of this mattress (here) which would fit better - we opt’d for the regular rectangle version for four reasons:

1. The Tesla version was sold out when we were looking

2. We ordered ours via REI which gave us dividends (plus it was a little bit less expensive to begin with so saving a good chunk of money)

3. If for some reason we don’t have the Tesla with us (like when going up high clearance roads or in campgrounds where car camping is prohibited) we can use this in our tent and it is AMAZING.

4. The size makes it easy to fit a standard double fitted sheet on it - prolonging the life of the mattress.

Because the mattress is rectangular, but the rear cabin of the Model Y is wider towards the front cabin and narrower towards the trunk, there is a small gap between the mattress and the rear doors that can easily be filled with a down jacket.

Additionally, because the mattress is slightly too wide at the wheel wells (~1 inch on each side), we just tuck it under slightly when inflating and it fits well and does not damage the mattress at all while we’re car camping in the Tesla.

This mattress also (with a little bit of effort) will fold down super small (22 x 11 inches) and easily fit in either the frunk or the sub trunk. We often will fit the mattress, three RUMPL blankets, a fitted sheet, and our bedtime clothes in the sub trunk with room to spare while driving.

Other Tesla campers use trifold memory foam (one blogger mentioned that the placement of the seam makes for easy access to the sub trunk) or a tried and true 6-inch thick memory foam mattress Frankensteined with some scissors to fit perfectly.

Pro tip: create a Tesla seat configuration titled “Camp Mode” with the seats moved all of the way up to prevent your seats from shifting every time the driver’s door is opened.

4. Stargazing

With the extra large panoramic glass roof, sleeping under the stars is, in my opinion, rivalled only by cowboy camping… without the bugs, animals or risk of a surprise midnight rain storm.

From the Tesla website: “Tesla glass keeps your cabin quiet, protects you from UV rays, and can withstand 4x the weight of the car” it is extra tinted for protecting you from the sun on long drives but at night it is clear enough to have a full view of the stars.

This is easily one of the biggest perks of Tesla camping.

Tesla camping tips: Fully charge before getting to your campsite

Although Tesla Camp Mode only uses about 5-15% of a charge, I always do my best to come to the camp site with as full of a battery as possible. You never know what can and will happen, and getting a charge at a campsite is slightly more complicated than having a jerry can of gas delivered.

You also can plug your Tesla into a conventional wall outlet (some campgrounds may allow this in a pinch) or into a higher-powered 30 or 50 amp outlet in an RV lot. For the latter you will need two things:

1. Call in advance - some RV lots will not allow non-RVs to camp in their campgrounds, some are completely fine with it and some may have a surcharge for charging (in my experience $10-$20 a night in addition to the camping fee).

2. An adaptor - we use this one in the NEMA 14-50 style.

Chargers are a bit harder to come by in remote areas such as national parks and forests, but charging networks are expanding to these points of interest.

Tesla Camping Gear Checklist

These are my recommendations for the best Tesla Model Y camping accessories and gear to give you a comfortable night's sleep.

Exped MegaMat Duo 10 Sleeping Pad with a shallow fitted double sheet

rumpl blankets. We have one 2-person that lives in the car. And then we will each bring our own 1-person blanket that we can use at camp or if we want some extra coziness. I like that they pack down like a sleeping bag but can serve multi-function when hanging out around a campfire.

Pillows from home

For plugging in at an RV park: 14-50 Gen 2 NEMA Adapter

For plugging into a dryer outlet: 14-30 Gen 2 NEMA Adapter (Alternatively, if you plan on buying the Tesla brand NEMA 14-50 adapter above and also think you may need to use an extension cable at some point in time, buying this CircleCord NEMA 14-30P to 14-50R EV Charger Adapter will allow you to use the same 50-amp extension cable for either 14-30 or 14-50 outlets.)

Front windshield privacy: Tesla Model Y Windshield Sunshade Folding Sun Visor Protector Sun Shade Cover

For side/rear window privacy: Tesla Model Y Sunshade Side Windows Rear Windshield Sun Shades

To watch your iPad: Tablet Stand Holder with Suction Cup (you can stream on the front screen but in camp mode you will be facing behind may and also not have service)

General Car Camping Gear Checklist

In terms of non-Tesla specific car camping gear, this is the standard car camping checklist I use to plan our car camping trips.

EurekaIgnite 2-Burner Camp Stove

StanleyEven-Heat Camp Pro Cookset

Helinox Table One Camping Table - Hard Top - Large

Helinox Chair Zero

REI Co-op Outward Side Table

REI Co-op Cool Haul 24 Soft Cooler

Snow Peak Titanium Bowl

Snow Peak Titanium Plate

Snow Peak Charcuterie Plate (double duty as a cutting board)

Water Container - to minimize the chances of running out of water pre coffee.

REI Co-op Roadtripper 60 Duffel - organization is so key when car camping, we each have one of these and it will house our respective toiletries, layers, sleep clothes and slippers as well as any other misc items.

REI Co-op Shower Roll - perfect for keeping toiletries organized and even has a small mirror

Whether you’re sleeping in a Tesla or another vehicle, you can read more about my car camping set-up and few of my go-to recipes in the blog below.