Camping in a Subaru Forester (+How to Make it a Cozy Camper)

If you’re itching to go car camping in your Subaru Forester but thought, ‘Could I really camp in that?’ — the answer is yes.

The Forester is an amazing outdoor car with AWD, a great safety rating, lots of space in terms of height and width, AND… it’s a Subaru, so it’s the definition of reliable.

It’s so good as a camper that I lived in my Forester for 2 years, traveling all over the USA.

Wait, that’s not right – my wife and I lived in our Forester for 2 years!

In this guide, I’ll start off with why it’s great and compare it to other SUV’s (it’s not THE best). Then, I’d like to talk briefly about my experience camping in my Subaru Forester.

And finally, I’ll share my exact setup with you just in case you decide to go for it!

Whether you want to car camp on weekend trips (I’m guessing that’s what it’s for) or long seasons, this guide walks you through a simple setup that works for both.

Plus, you can get access to my free camping checklist to help you get started.

Disclosure: This blog has affiliate links, and it’s how I can keep doing what I love. If you book something, I might make a commission with no added cost to you. Thanks for the support!

What Makes Camping in a Subaru Forester Great

There are 2 main things that make the Subaru Forester great for SUV camping. And then there are a bunch of positive things that just make it an awesome car.

Do Forester Back Seats Fold Flat?

Oh, yeah! That’s exactly why we got it – the Forester’s back seats fold flat.

When Lala and I were looking for a car, we needed it to be good for car camping. So, we were laying in the backs of cars at dealerships to see what would and what wouldn’t work.

The Subaru Forester and Outback were the clear winners because the back seats fold flat.

Actually, I think the Outback is an even better car for camping because:

1. Most Outbacks (not all trims) are longer, so a 6-foot person could lay in one without adding any extensions, which isn’t the case with the Forester.
2. Though the Forester’s back seats fold flat, it does have a small bump where they fold, which isn’t ideal for sleeping. That isn’t the case for the Outback.

From all my research of the best cars to sleep in, the Outback was the winner. But we got a great deal on our Forester, so we bought that SUV instead.

And, you know, I was able to live in it for 2 years… so it wasn’t a bad choice!

Cargo Space for… You!

The #1 reason the Subaru Forester is great for car camping is that it’s tall.

And this is something that gets looked over a lot. I didn’t realize it until a few months into my car camping road trip, when Lala brought it up.

We had been in a couple of wind storms that had kept us bottled up in the car. I was complaining, and Lala said something like, “Well, at least we can sit up. Imagine if we had an Outback.”

That changed my perspective completely.

I did in fact spend HOURS over the last two years sitting up with my back propped against the front seat, reading or watching movies.

That’s something you can’t do with a lower car. It’s actually a super important comfort factor when considering car camping!

And outside of comfort, the extra space also makes it easier to put on clothes. I know, that’s really specific, but have you ever put on pants laying down? A SHIRT?

The things you learn…

It’s Just a Good SUV

Other than the two reasons above, which are very specific to car camping, the Forester is just a good SUV.

We got it because it’s a reliable Japanese car and we wanted no mishaps.

And we only had 1 mishap in 2 years, because we refused to change the car’s battery for months. The car stopped in the middle of the highway in Seattle, and we weren’t able to get it back on.

A police car pushed us to the side of the road, and we called a tow truck. But we tried our car battery jump starter (more on that below), the car started, and we were on our way!

Another SUV we were considering was the Dodge Journey. But, though it’s perfect for SUV camping, we decided not to get one because it isn’t very reliable and its gas mileage is low.

That’s something we were surprised by: our 2020 Forester’s gas mileage.

I don’t know how it changes by year or trim, but Premium Forester got up to 36.5 MPG on the highway! Then, the cargo box brought it down to 29 MPG.

What you Need to Camp in a Forester

Let’s start out broad, and I’ll get into the specifics of what to take camping in a Subaru Forester later.

1. Sleeping: of course, you need a bed and good bedding for different seasons. The second most important thing for sleeping is window covers for privacy and darkness. Pretty much everything after that is for added comfort and enjoyment.
2. Cooking: if you’re not cooking outdoors, are you really camping? Don’t get me wrong, I hate cooking outdoors without the comfort of a kitchen. But part of that annoyingness is the reason we go camping. My recommendation for a kitchen – keep it as simple as possible. Leave the gourmet meals for home.
3. Storing: We had a setup where we folded our bed every day. That meant we could fill our trunk with stuff, which went in the front seats every night. But even then, the space in the car wouldn’t have been enough. Our cargo box held a TON of stuff we didn’t need daily, and it made everything easier. I recommend getting a cargo box, even for shorter trips.

2 Subaru Forester Builds – Which One?

Now, SUV camping gets overly romanticized online.

And one of the things that frustrates me is that it seems like everyone’s idea of sleeping in your car has to do with building a wooden platform inside it.

But, owning a Subaru Forester, do you really need an SUV sleeping platform?

Remember, the Forester’s back seats fold flat.

Plus, a sleeping platform is annoying to make and it’s just as hard (if not harder) than your Forester. And unless you’re a master woodworker, it’s going to have imperfections, just like the bump in the Forester.

So, what’s the other option?

Just put your bed in the back of the Forester, but make it a bed that works despite the Forester’s bumps.

What that meant for me was having a 2-layer mattress: first, firm sleeping pads to neutralize the bump and then a soft memory foam mattress for pure comfort. This is what I slept on for 2 years, and it had several iterations until I finally found the right setup.

Bedding is a whole other story, so let’s get into the specifics now.

My Full Subaru Forester Camper Conversion

I turned my Subaru Forester into a camper that I lived in for 2 years while I travelled all over the USA. Let’s get into the specifics of how I made this happen and why it was sustainable.

Our Bed and it’s Accessories

The bed Lala and I both slept in for 2 years had 3 layers, but a lot more went into making it more like a camper than just the bed:

1. Some plywood to extend your sleeping space. Like I said before, the Forester isn’t that long, so I didn’t fit without extending the bed area (I’m 5’10”). It was really easy though. All you need is a way to cut plywood. We didn’t come up with this ourselves – we got the idea from this website.
2. 3-inch sleeping pads made for backpacking because they’re more durable than simple air mattresses and provide a firm base.
3. A memory foam mattress (the twin size fits perfectly in the Forester) to lay on a softer cushion.
4. Layered bedding that works in all seasons (which meant sheets, a microfiber blanket, and a comforter for us). You could also get a double sleeping bag or individual sleeping bags, but you’d have to have several for the different seasons.
5. Pillows: nothing special, I just bought mine at Walmart. My one tip is to try sleeping in your Forester without a pillow and then see what you need based on how your build feels. Mine, for example, dipped a little at the head, so I got a thicker pillow than I normally would.
6. Window covers for privacy and dark nights: window covers are a must so that people aren’t watching you sleep and to keep the moonlight out (it’s SO bright). But they also work for insulation – both to help keep you warm and keep you cooler! You can make window covers for camping yourself or buy them on Amazon.

Our Outdoor Kitchen

Like I said before, it’s best to keep it simple when it comes to your kitchen.

I won’t list EVERYTHING I had in my kitchen here because it would even longer. I’ll just let you know what you definitely need for a simple setup.

1. Stoves: we used the single-burner stove and a pocket rocket all 2 years.
2. Fuel: unfortunately (for space reasons), we needed 3 different types of fuel – propane cannisters for the pocket rocket, butane cannisters to use the single-burner quickly, and longer-lasting propane cannisters for the single-burner.
3. Pots & pans: get yourself one 10-inch pan you can beat up and a set of pots that store easily in each other.
4. Water: a big water jug like our 7-gallon jug just makes life easier for drinking and washing dishes.
5. Utensils: get yourself some good utensils that will last. But don’t get anything so nice that it’ll hurt if it gets damaged or lost. The utensils we think are essential are a spoonula, scissors, plates & bowls, a can opener and a lighter (does that count as a utensil?).
6. Biodegradable soap or vinegar: the worst part of cooking outdoors is washing dishes. We mostly used a 50/50 vinegar-water mixture but had to use biodegradable soap for dirtier dishes.
7. Bins for storage: almost all our kitchen gear fit in one 15-quart bin, and we used a 27-quart bin for most of our food.
8. A cooler: don’t get one of those huge ones. Get a small one that’s just enough for 2 or 3 days of perishable food, and put the rest of the food in the storage bin. Our REI cooler is awesome because the cooler part is actually very small, it has a drawstring section on top for snacks, and you can carry it like a backpack.

Power Setup

When it comes to powering your devices, you once again have 2 options: small and simple or all out.

Lala and I, as usual, went small and simple and it worked out really well.

Mind you, we were working a lot and always needed to charge our computers and phones.

But we made it work with 2 good power banks. The first one was just a power bank that charged our phones about 2.5 times and did it fast.

The other power bank was actually a car battery jump starter. That’s another thing we think is essential because we used it 4 times – once in the middle of the freeway in Seattle!

That jump starter also happens to work as a power bank AND an air compressor for tires. Needless to say, we relied on this thing a LOT.

Our computers have long-lasting batteries, so we would just go to a library or coffee shop to charge them every time we needed to.

Now, if you want to go all out, you can get a Jackery power station. The problem with these is that they cost a lot and are bulky.

You really don’t need one if you’re just going on short trips without your computer.

And that’s pretty much my Subaru Forester camping conversion!

It really isn’t that complicated, thankfully. Use my information as a starting point, go try out SUV camping a few nights and in time you’ll adapt your setup to your own needs.

What I Learned from Camping in my Forester for 2 Years

Apart from learning how to convert my SUV into a camper, I learned a lot about myself and life through car camping for so long.

That’s why I encourage you to go camping in your Subaru, or any SUV really, and try it out.

Even if you hate it (and believe me, I have a love/hate relationship with SUV camping), it’ll leave you with a lot to chew on.

• It changes your perspective on discomfort: I used to complain about such small things. After SUV camping for 2 years, I’m a lot happier than I used to be just because small things don’t bother me as much. I’m just happy to have hot water, a sink to wash dishes and a real bed.
• It teaches you to coexist with your partner: want to test out a relationship? Live with them in a box the size of a twin bed and see how it works out.
• You see the beauty of the natural world at all times of the day. And that’s not always easy – there’s a reason we live in houses and not among the trees. But when you can look out the back of your car at a mountain or a forest, it’s pretty special.

What would I do differently?

I can only think of 2 things I would do differently while living out of a Subaru Forester:

1. I would get 3-inch sleeping pads from the start. We used 1-inch pads for the longest time and you could still feel the bump, which wasn’t ideal for sleeping.
2. I would try not to complain as much. I must be quite the complainer, but SUV camping for that long was hard on me… it was really a challenge I set for myself. Looking back, I wish I had complained less and embraced the suck more to enjoy the moment.

Get My Car Camping Checklist (Free!)

If I’ve convinced you to plan your own Forester setup, grab my free car camping checklist.

It’s what I used to pack efficiently every time I hit the road after visiting friends or family the past 2 years.

I made it into a good-looking PDF, but in all truthfulness it was a disorganized mess in my Notes app forever.

The idea is that it helps avoid overpacking, and, more importantly, forgetting essential gear.

Camping in a Subaru Forester is the easiest way to have an adventure outdoors without spending a bunch of money on hotels.

Once you’ve tried it and realize it’s not all that bad, you’ll never go back.

If you’d like even more tips and tricks to successful SUV camping, not just in a Forester but in any SUV, check out my comprehensive SUV camping guide!