Updated May 29, 2026 06:45PM
It was May 2020, and like much of the world, I wasn’t quite sure how the Covid-19 pandemic was going to pan out. I was restlessly working from home, yearning to get outside, which conveniently, was the only place we were advised to go. Coincidentally, this was also when the #VanLife trend hit its peak, and I was inspired to jump on the bandwagon.
However, after investigating the nomadic lifestyle, I realized that converting an old van into a small, makeshift RV wasn’t exactly practical or affordable. Like most people, I did not have unlimited time to wander free, nor did I own an expensive van. I got by with public transportation in my home base of New York City.
My compromise for VanLife was to buy a car: a Kia Telluride SUV. I used this vehicle not only for grocery runs, but also for my weekend getaways. While not as fancy as a sprinter van, my car can hold all of the gadgets and gear that elevate a simple camping trip.
I dubbed this elevated style of outdoor travel “Car Glamping” and even made a web series about my journey. Fast forward to 2026, and my Covid project has never been more on trend. Camping continues to grow more than ever—especially in this time of soaring flight prices. In fact, according to KOA’s 2026 Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report, over 52 million North American households camped in 2025, a figure that exceeds pre-pandemic levels.
In another report, studies have also revealed that an interest in car camping has skyrocketed by 41 percent since 2019, while the popularity of traditional RVs has had a 14–29% decline across the four main types. Campsite search platform HipCamp also reports an upward trend of searches for campsites that fit vehicles—but aren’t RVs. And that includes an uptick in users searching for roomy, flat campsites to drive up to and set up camp. This type of camping has become so popular that they integrated a “car camping” search filter, which rapidly became the fourth-most used. And while there are no official statistics showing the rise in “car glamping” (because it’s a phrase I coined), the increased availability and sales of new products to make car camping more extravagant can only be seen as evidence that it too is an uptrend.
What is Car Glamping Versus Car Camping?
In my younger days, camping was always associated with roughing it. We’d hike into the woods, lugging our gear on our backs, and eventually pitch tents to settle in with sleeping bags. We’d drink lukewarm water out of canteens while roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over a campfire that had taken an eternity to make.
As I got older, car camping became a logical improvement. Since we’d park our cars right at the campground, we could haul more gear and bigger items, since it’s only a few steps from the trunk to the campsite. This meant bringing ice-filled coolers for cold drinks, portable propane grills to make burgers, and blow-up mattresses and self-inflating sleeping pads for a more comfortable night’s rest in our tents. This is still a common and popular way to camp, but car glamping takes the creature comforts even further.
Car glamping represents this extra step: splurging on better gear to max out your comfort, while still relying on a basic automobile for transport. The gear I’m talking about includes awnings, power stations, refrigerators, and thicker mattresses, and how to fit it best in and around your vehicle.
“Glamping” is after all, the portmanteau of “glamor” and “camping.” However, car glamping is more than a gear upgrade; it is also about curating the camping experience to be more glamorous. Your meals can become gourmet dishes, and your activities don’t need to just be about going on a hike or sitting by the campfire. In my experiences car glamping with friends, we’ve set up camp near vineyards to attend wine tastings, and reserved campgrounds that are just a short ride away from nice restaurants for the occasional night off from cooking ourselves in camp.
More Accessible Than VanLife or RV-ing
With car glamping, you’re already using the car you already have, so you don’t have to drop tens of thousands of dollars on a van or RV. The VanLife social media trend started in 2011, when photographer and roadtripper Foster Huntington unknowingly spearheaded the #vanlife movement by publicizing his journey living out of an ’87 Volkswagen Syncro on Instagram with the hashtag #vanlife. Since then, thousands of people have followed the trend, often sinking between $10K–$100K to convert a van, depending on how involved they were.
That’s quite an undertaking for the car-camping-curious. These days, a lot of that work is already done for you; built-out camper vans are available to rent on sites like Outdoorsy. However, the perfect one for you may not be available when you want it.
RVs are even more luxurious, but the high cost of purchasing one is incentive enough to pause and assess whether you have the free time or cash to buy one. Ask anyone who camps with an RV, and they’ll tell you it’s a commitment. Purchasing an RV not only requires some savings—$10K for a small used trailer to $60K+ for a Class A motorhome—but also comes with the costs of maintaining it. And while renting an RV for the occasional camping road trip is a viable, less expensive option, first-timers should know that it does come with a learning curve. I’ve met young mobile home renters who bought into their RV fantasy, only to be completely clueless, botching up their sewage line.
Camper vans and RVs definitely have their place in the camping spectrum—and frankly, have better toilet options if you hook up the sewage hose properly—but if you’re like me and many others, you’re only camping a few times a year. A better alternative to a dedicated vehicle for long-term camping is to just tweak the vehicle you’re already using, with all of today’s available car camping gear, and reserving a site in a campground with decent bathhouse facilities.
How to Get Started with Car Glamping
In my experience car glamping, I’ve learned firsthand what gear works and doesn’t work for me, as well as what products are on my wish list. If you’re new to the concept of camping in your car, start with the basics and have it evolve into your personal car glamping style over time.
To begin, figure out where you’re going to sleep. There are many ways to go about this. You can simply do the old-school thing of pitching a traditional dome tent next to your car and inflating an air mattress inside. Or, for an elevated experience (quite literally), consider a roof tent that mounts on top of a car with an existing roof rack—a great option if you only have a sedan. Personally, I use my roof for my Thule storage box, opting instead to camp inside my SUV.
No longer is sleeping in a car an act of desperation; today it’s a cost-effective, comfortable and even trendy way to spend the night. If you’re going this common car camping route, measure out the cargo space of your SUV or hatchback after you’ve put the back seats down, and find an air mattress that fits in the space. Car camping gear maker Luno lets you put your vehicle’s make, model, and year on their website to confirm a fit of one of their mattresses. There are many other air mattresses on the market, including some specially made to fit in backseats.
Once you’ve figured out where to lay your head down, expand from there. There are many ways to extend your footprint with an SUV tent or covered shelter specifically designed to connect to the back of your hatch or the sides of your car. How you use that expanded space is up to you. Put up some string lights and play some tunes to set the mood. Set up a propane-powered cooking station to unlock your inner chef. These days, you can even make an artisanal pizza with Camp Chef’s portable pizza oven. Power your devices with a portable power station, like ones from Jackery, which also allows you to power a refrigerator for perishable food storage, and for chilling cocktails.
As I said, car glamping isn’t just about a gear upgrade, it’s about redefining your idea of what car camping can be. There’s no need to consider a camper van or RV for the occasional weekend getaway in the great outdoors; with so many ways to elevate the car camping experience, it can be as glamorous as you want it to be.
Erik Trinidad is a New York-based travel and food writer who’s usually overseas chasing adventures and story ideas for publications like National Geographic, AFAR, Lonely Planet, BBC Travel, and Travel + Leisure. However, when he was grounded during Covid, he pivoted to closer, domestic travel with his Kia Telluride. He chronicled his exploits with his web series “Car Glamping,” which shared his journey discovering and integrating new gear to elevate the camping experience.