Can You Sleep In a Jeep Compass? Here’s Why It’s Hard!

The Jeep Compass is a compact SUV that can handle off-roading a lot better than most smaller SUV’s, if you go for the Trailhawk edition.

While there are bigger and badder SUV’s on the road – some people may wonder why a Compass is the best choice. Not only for trips, but also for sleeping.

Sleeping in cars has become much more popular as of late. So, can you sleep in a Jeep Compass?

For some, it is a practical issue, for others it may be partially due to budget. However, there are people who look to take longer trips in crossover SUV’s like the Compass.

While RV’s and trailers have been popular for many years, some people are finding that car camping may be the solution to their problems.

Today, we’re taking a look at the Jeep Compass and seeing if it would be a good fit for the car camping lifestyle.

Can You Sleep in a Jeep Compass?

Unfortunately, it’s going to be tough to sleep in a Jeep Compass. These are not the biggest models that Jeep makes and it is not going to allow for the most comfortable night’s sleep.

While it can definitely be done, there are limits to your comfort that most individuals are not going to go through. Most people would probably prefer to sleep in a tent or have some kind of a trailer attached for the ride.

This isn’t always possible though, and some people do successfully sleep in a Jeep Compass. You could try to empty out the back, especially depending on the year of your model if you can either fold down or remove the back seats.

This may provide you with enough room for your body. Another alternative would be trying to modify the back seat with some sort of air mattress.

At the end of the day though, this is going to be a pretty tough fit. The best option is to avoid it altogether, but if you are committed to sleeping in a Jeep Compass, it is probably best to go nuclear and remove the back seats if possible.

What To Know Before Car Camping

If you are committed to taking to the streets (and the beds) in your Jeep Compass, then you need to prepare yourself the right way.

Part of knowing the answer to, “Can you sleep in a Jeep Compass?”, is also being prepared.

Whether you are just trying to complete a quick sleep on a long road trip, or you are trying to get an early start on your next adventure, sleeping in your car can be a safe situation as long as you prepare.

For one thing, you should always follow good courtesy and safety principles. In effect, that means that you want to “leave no trace”, similar to when you are hiking or camping out in the wilderness.

Our users ask, “Can you sleep in a Jeep Compass?” because they want to explore, but it’s also about doing it respectfully.

For one thing, it’s just simply rude to leave trash or other belongings where you stayed. It also ruins the experience or could be ruining neighborhoods if you are simply passing through an area.

You should also aim to hit some safety goals as well. You should do some homework about the area that you’re going to be staying in and make sure that you are allowed to do so.

There are differences between laws, and how the laws get applied – so just be careful that whatever you are doing isn’t frowned upon where you are at. On a more practical note, you should also never sleep with the car engine running for obvious reasons.

Can You Sleep In a Jeep Compass: Where To Go

The first question that you’re going to have to ask yourself once you’ve made a decision to go car camping in a Jeep Compass is to figure out where you’re physically going to park.

One new area of technology that is developing nicely for this sort of activity are a few different apps.

You can search these apps by typing in “car camping” on the App Store and you will get some different options as far as paid or free locations that would allow you to set up for the night.

Doing your homework now will help you avoid nasty surprises later in your experience.

No one wants to wake up and be questioned about what you are doing, or be in a potentially dangerous situation while you are sleeping unaware.

If you have prepared your Jeep Compass for maximum comfort, you may be beginning to feel like you could be right at home.

While that may be an exaggeration, this sort of behavior is becoming more and more popular, so one big thing to note here is that you should be trying to blend into your environment.

If you have a spot where other campers are located, don’t go out of your way to draw attention to yourself and your setup.

You’ll also want to take some other basic “preparations” as well including charging up your electronic devices and keeping some food handy, probably in a cooler.

Keeping your electronics charged is more than just a convenience, they can definitely help you if anything would happen to you throughout the night – so ideally you’ll also be able to get to them quickly.

For food prep, you’re not as likely to need anything overnight, however it is a nice way to start and end your day if you have some pre-made meals ready to go. These are smaller issues that can help you have a bit of comfort in an environment that can often be rather unfriendly.

Obviously, you also want to maximize the setup of your Jeep Compass to be as comfortable as possible. Trying to create extra space will be a big deal because the Compass is not the largest SUV on the marketplace by any means.

You know yourself best – so create a setup that works for you with a lot of blankets and pillows as you feel necessary. It will always be best to overprepare as opposed to under-preparing.

Can You Sleep In A Jeep Compass: Know Your Car

Now that we’ve talked a bit about what it takes to sleep out on the road, here are some more facts about the Jeep Compass, how it drives, and some of its pros and cons to help you decide if a Compass would be right for you.

Driving the Compass

The Compass has some big benefits and some other drawbacks when you compare it to its competitors. For one thing, the other SUV’s on the marketplace will have better interior setups and will get better fuel mileage when driving.

Those aren’t the most major factors when looking at a vehicle, but they are things that can definitely matter. The Compass does a bit better than those other SUV’s when it comes to off-roading though because they are part of the Jeep family.

When driving the Jeep Compass, you’ll find a vehicle that is fairly standard for an SUV.

The handling can be a bit sticky at times as you try to navigate through turns, but it is nothing major that will stop you from driving safely. The engine is a bit underpowered as far as a smaller SUV goes, the 0-60 time of the Compass really isn’t the best.

That being said, these are some of the trade-offs that happen for the vehicle to have some better off-roading skills than some of its industry mates.

Inside the Compass

The Jeep Compass is fairly comfortable and should give passengers a pretty enjoyable ride. While it is not a luxury model by any means, the inside should give off a fair amount of comfort.

When looking at the climate control system found in the Compass, you see a design that is intuitive and works well when making adjustments quickly. The wind noise on the highway also isn’t too bad, although there is definitely some level that gets through.

One of the benefits of buying a smaller Jeep model like this one is that everything is laid out in a conventional manner that feels natural if you have ever driven a vehicle before.

That’s because there are no massive adjustments to make or size differences to compensate for. Everything in the Jeep Compass has been done before, which makes for a very comfortable feeling from the driver’s seat.

The Compass also features a good amount of room, even though it’s not the biggest vehicle – it still manages to use its space well.

When driving the Jeep Compass, you’re going to notice the 8.4 inch Uconnect touchscreen right away. It really stands out in this interior for some reason, but it makes a great first impression.

Everything about the touchscreen including the graphics and the navigation makes for a smooth experience that should be fine even for people who don’t use newer tech products that often.

There are voice controls if that’s your thing, but they’re not highly recommended because some of the recognition can give the system problems at time. That’s really the case for voice controls as a whole right now, but the Compass may be able to improve in the near future.

Can You SleeP In A Jeep Compass: Storage and Cargo

The storage found in the Jeep Compass is actually a bit of a conundrum. There isn’t a ton of cargo space, as we have discussed, but the amount of space available in the Compass makes it useful for those looking to bring a lot of equipment with them on a camping trip.

It can be a little bit frustrating to try to put car seats into the Compass, but every other cabin storage area feels pretty natural and should work out for you just fine.

Fuel Mileage

With the Jeep Compass, you are going to get somewhere around 27 miles per gallon on average.

Your numbers may vary of course, based on where you do your driving, but a lot of SUV’s have caught up to this number and may even get better mileage than the Compass.

Conclusion: Can You Sleep In A Jeep Compass

So, can you sleep in a Jeep Compass? The answer is that it’s not the best choice.

The Jeep Compass is not the biggest SUV on the marketplace, and it may be fairly difficult to sleep in. That being said, it is possible depending on your setup and how much comfort you are willing to sacrifice.

If you are planning on going car camping in your Jeep Compass, you should make sure that you are camping safely in an area that it is acceptable to do so. Remember to be considerate to those around you and you should be good to go!