Can You Sleep In A Chevy Suburban? (Revealed!)
The Chevy Suburban is a three-row SUV that gives you plenty of cargo space and legroom in all the three rows. If you go for the latest Chevy Suburban, you will have a larger wheelbase and more legroom for added comfort. It is an SUV you can take off the road or drive on the road, whichever you need.
If you are always on the go, you might wonder whether it is possible to sleep in your SUV and enjoy a good night. Below is a complete guide on how to sleep in your SUV.
Can You Sleep In A Chevy Suburban?
Yes. The Chevy Suburban is roomy enough to provide the space you need to place a mattress and sleep overnight. If you are only making short trips across the country, you can place a temporary mattress in your Suburban and sleep for a few nights.
If you are always camping, you can fix a permanent bed in your Suburban and make it like a camper. Your needs will determine how you fit the Suburban for sleeping.
How Do You Make the Chevy Suburban Ready for your Sleeping?
The Chevy Suburban has a removable third row seating that allows enough space to set up your bed. This SUIV has not seen many changes since the 1980s and so you can sleep behind its second row regardless of the model you are driving. To do that, remove the third row seats and set up your foam cushion or air mattress.
The air mattress is more portable than the foam cushion mattress, but your choice will depend on what you find comfortable. You will need sleeping bags, comforters, and pillows to make the experience wholesome.
Your bed sets up in the space where you are supposed to carry your gear. When you are sleeping, you can remove your gear and place that under the SUV or on the roof. After the night, break down your bed and fix the third-row seating ready for traveling.
Although the Chevy Suburban is spacious, you still need to be organized so that your gear doesn’t end up in a clutter. Your gear will need to be organized in plastic tubs to ensure that it doesn’t take up much space in the Suburban. You should only bring the necessities to the trip and always ensure that everything is in its place.
You can carry your clothes in a soft-sided bag that allows easy compression and transportation into the RV parks. If you bring food for the trip, ensure that you separate the food from all the other items.
Can You Fix a Permanent Bed on a Chevy Suburban?
If you are planning on long term camping, you may want to fix a permanent bed. Fixing a permanent bed will cost you more than laying a mattress behind the second row. To make a permanent bed, remove the third-row seating completely and then create a wooden frame for a bed.
Your bed should be raised in the back to leave some space below it where you can fit some gear and some cargo. You can leave the second row seating intact if there are passengers traveling with you, or you can fold down the seats to allow space for other gear.
The permanent bed takes up the entire back of the Chevy Suburban. It should have legs made with 2 by 4 lumber to raise it above the floor of your Suburban. Cover the bed’s top with plywood and then place your air or form cushion mattress.
You can use the space beneath the bed for your gear. You can further make the suburban ready for camping by bring other gear.
You can bring a roll-out table, two plastic tubs, a camp chair, and biodegradable soap for cooking and washing. You can set up to roll-out table outside the SUV, and get the surface you need to prepare your meals. Note that even if you have space inside the vehicle, you should not cook inside there to avoid the risk of fire and infestation by rodents.
You will be more comfortable cooking from outside. However, this will depend on where you are parked. It is easy to cook and eat from outside the Suburban when you are in an RV park, but the same cannot happen if you are outside a Walmart store.
The tubs will make it easier for you to clean your utensils. Fill both tubs with water – wash in one tub and rinse in the other. Dry the utensils and then pack them in storage bins so that they do not take much space.
What Makes a Chevy Suburban Good for Sleeping In?
The Chevy Suburban is a spacious SUV, and this is its strength when you are looking for a vehicle to sleep in. Further, the third-row seats are removable to create even more space. With the third row seating out, the space is sufficient to fit a bed.
If you do not have a camper, the Chevy Suburban will offer you the privacy, safety, and comfort you need. If you need more space, you can fold the second row seats flat and then you will have the space for your gear or additional sleeping space.
Tinted windows are also ideal when you need to sleep in your vehicle and enjoy privacy. If your vehicle is not tinted, you can make them so. Further, the Suburban offers you numerous entertainment options, including a decent stereo.
When traveling, the seats are comfortable, so you can drive a long distance without feeling fatigued. When the night kicks in, you can get to the back of your SUV and sleep.
What Size Mattress Fits In A Suburban?
You can fit a full size mattress measuring 54 x 80 inches. This gives you ample space to enjoy your night’s sleep. If you place plywood on the bed, the plywood will be narrower, but longer, and you will have to fix the mattress at an angle.
If you bring an air mattress, it will offer the portability you need for temporary sleeping in your Suburban. If you fix a permanent bed, a foam cushion mattress will come in handy as it offers more support.
If you plan on camping for many weeks on end, you may need to make your Suburban more comfortable and include equipment such as sinks and several other comfort features.
Is It Legal to Sleep in Your Suburban?
Sleeping in a car is not illegal, but there are some instances where you should not be sleeping in your car. The laws on sleeping in cars vary from one state to the other. A few states, including Virginia and Florida prohibit motorists from sleeping in their cars in rest stops.
In some cities, such as the Key West, you are not allowed to sleep in your car at all. Again, private businesses have the liberty to ban you from sleeping in your car in their parking lot.
Although you may choose to sleep in your Suburban, some people do not do so by choice. You can sleep in a Suburban if you lose your job, you are forced out of your house on short notice, and if you are waiting for a home loan to close.
When you sleep in your Suburban, you save on hotel costs and still enjoy a warm night of sleep. If you have decided to sleep in your Suburban, get the right information from the city website and know the rules on sleeping in your car.
When searching for the rules online, you can use search terms such as city parking ordinance, vehicle habitation laws, and parking enforcement. You should not assume that churches and public places are safe for parking without doing thorough research.
There are so many areas around the country where you can park and enjoy a good night’s sleep. Depending on the laws of the state, your budget, and security of the area, you can park and sleep in any of the following areas:
• RV parks
• Rest stops
• Shopping malls and grocery stores
• Walmart stores
• Casinos
• Welcome Information Center when you are crossing the border from one state to the next
• Bureau of Land Management camping areas
• City Street Parking
Note that not all the above areas are safe or allowed. Check with your city and also consider the security of the area.
Closing Thoughts
There are more people sleeping in vehicles today. Most of these people are forced by circumstances beyond them while others choose to cut costs by avoiding hotels or camper rentals. If you have a Suburban that you would like to sleep in, you need to make it as comfortable as possible.
Get a good mattress and other items you need to enjoy your night and set up your bed. You can sleep in the SUV for a few days, or you can do it permanently. You can contract someone to do shelves and install a sink to make your Chevy feel like another home. You have to find a way to pack your bed so that it occupies less space.