Author Topic: Camping Crosstars? Luggage capacity - and have you tried sleeping in car?  (Read 1493 times)

HappyThought

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We're keen campers - one reason for buying Jazz was for wonderful magic seats as space efficient alternative to buying another estate car - and were interested in trying out using Crosstar overnight as people do in Berlingo et al.  In years gone by we'd done the occasional stopover down to Alps in French motorway 'aires' in Peugeot front reclining seats (survivable if not very pleasant).

With the Crosstar, from a little experimentation, it looks like you have two alternatives: a) reclining front seats put to maximum backward slope or b) lying on our (thermarest) camping mats in back with seats down (and some soft luggage in wells behind front seats to give a bit of extra length).

Has anyway given it a go? I could imagine the car, being so bossy, might want to alert you all night that you are still in the car with your keys and have the windows a little open for air?

Any other camping Crosstar owners?
PS: we camped in very minimal Suffolk campsite this last weekend: two people, big tent, two paddle boards, table and chairs, Kelly kettle and firewood, Trangia and food, bedding, books, clothes for all weather conditions et al. AND it ALL fitted in. So we're very pleased!

nowster

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Re: Camping Crosstars? Luggage capacity - and have you tried sleeping in car?
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2021, 01:33:20 PM »
I have slept in the back of the Mk2 (back seats down, front seats forward). I'm 6ft tall. It was doable but not particularly comfy.

sportse

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Re: Camping Crosstars? Luggage capacity - and have you tried sleeping in car?
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2021, 02:39:28 PM »
There are people I’ve read about who camp in their Prius and actually leave the engine on all night so they have climate control.

The engine will just start as needed to keep the battery topped up through the night and the temperature will stay constant.

richardfrost

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Re: Camping Crosstars? Luggage capacity - and have you tried sleeping in car?
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2021, 04:11:24 PM »
Interesting question and one I asked a while back. I have occasion to camp twice a year, at 24 hour running events. In fact this weekend is the second one this year. You arrive on Friday, sleep the night and then run for 24 hours from noon Saturday to noon Sunday. It's hardly worth buying a tent for and having all the bother of putting it up, taking it down, drying it etc.. So in the event in July, I slept in my RAV4. On the Friday I tried with the seats down and luggage in the rear footwell. On the Saturday, as only cat naming was needed, I slept in the front passenger seat as reclined as made sense. It worked OK and I will do this again this weekend. But for my next car, it would be good to have either a flatter load area or a front seat that reclines a lot more. These are things I will be checking in the Jazz.

nowster

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Re: Camping Crosstars? Luggage capacity - and have you tried sleeping in car?
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2021, 10:34:58 AM »
You arrive on Friday, sleep the night and then run for 24 hours from noon Saturday to noon Sunday.

As someone who did his very first half marathon distance (2h 23m, solo, not a race) last weekend, I consider that kind of event a special sort of madness.  :o

richardfrost

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Re: Camping Crosstars? Luggage capacity - and have you tried sleeping in car?
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2021, 12:26:06 PM »
You arrive on Friday, sleep the night and then run for 24 hours from noon Saturday to noon Sunday.

As someone who did his very first half marathon distance (2h 23m, solo, not a race) last weekend, I consider that kind of event a special sort of madness.  :o

It kind of is. The one I am doing is Equinox 24. Each lap is a hilly 10k and last time (in 2019) I managed 5 laps, so 31 miles, as part of a pair. The other guy did two laps for every one of mine! Back in July this year I did Endure 24, which has flatter, shorter 8km/5 mile laps and I managed 9 of those, so 45 miles. Not sure I will get to that distance this weekend as I am much less prepared.

The difference over doing a single run is that after each lap you have the option to keep going, rest a little, rest a lot, or stop for good. I find that my capacity to recover between laps is quite good, hence I find I can keep going, especially since endurance running often involves periods of fast walking, especially on hills. Whereas I would be hard pushed to do a single half marathon without stopping or walking right now. My half marathon PB, for example, is 2h33m at the 2019 Great North Run.

nowster

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Re: Camping Crosstars? Luggage capacity - and have you tried sleeping in car?
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2021, 01:12:46 PM »
I assume you've heard of that "last person standing" race?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/56720358

richardfrost

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Re: Camping Crosstars? Luggage capacity - and have you tried sleeping in car?
« Reply #7 on: September 15, 2021, 02:22:03 PM »
Yes, and that really does look insane!

I have considered buying an old Volvo estate and converting it as a sleeper and IKEA vehicle, but the costs just don't warrant it really.

When I retire, I might get a van and do IKEA collect and build service and other handyman style jobs, to keep me occupied and supplement my pension.

DERMOT

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nowster

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Re: Camping Crosstars? Luggage capacity - and have you tried sleeping in car?
« Reply #9 on: September 15, 2021, 10:20:59 PM »
If you need sleep in your car, might as well have a wide screen tv..

You can watch video on the central console on the EX and Crosstar, you know.

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