The Ultimate EV Camping Setup

Camping out of an electric vehicle is different in the best ways: it's quiet, the battery doubles as your power source, and climate control means you can stay comfortable in weather that would chase you out of a tent. Here's how to build a setup that makes the most of it.

1. The sleep platform

A flat, level surface is the foundation. Most EV SUVs and wagons fold close to flat; fill the remaining gaps with foam, bins or a fitted platform, then top it with a proper mattress — see our best car camping mattresses. Warmth from below matters as much as your bag.

2. Power: use the battery you already have

The EV's biggest advantage is the battery under the floor. If your vehicle has vehicle-to-load output, you may not need a separate power station at all — run your fridge and lights straight from the car. If it doesn't, a portable power station fills the gap and keeps camp loads off your traction battery.

3. Climate without compromise

Use the car's climate system to hold a comfortable temperature overnight. It's dramatically more efficient than running a combustion engine (which you must never do while sleeping). The key discipline is budgeting: know roughly what your night costs in range, and keep a margin to reach charging.

4. Keep your fridge cold

A 12V compressor fridge is the upgrade that ends ice runs. Powered from V2L or a power station, it'll hold food safely for as long as you have charge.

5. Storage and living space

Sleeping inside means everything else has to move. Two or three bins — kitchen, clothes, electronics — keep the cabin liveable, and a tailgate setup gives you a kitchen and a place to sit. Plan where things go before you arrive, not after dark.

6. Plan range around camp

Treat your battery like fuel that you also live off. Map your charging, budget the energy you'll use overnight, and never cut the margin to reach the next charger. Get that right and an EV is one of the most comfortable, capable basecamps you can own.