In 2026, Car Camping Gets Smarter
The era of the six-figure Sprinter build is very real—but 2026 looks set to be the year of the humble car camper. Automakers like Dacia are now selling factory “sleep packs” that flip normal wagons and crossovers into tiny cabins, no sawdust, no sketchy DIY electrics required.
Dacia’s official InNature accessories page lays out the basic idea: a removable 3-in-1 box that unfolds into a double bed with a 190 x 130 cm mattress, plus storage and an optional tailgate tent. On the Jogger, you drop the second row, flip the box open, and your school-run wagon becomes a sleep pod. Their Jogger accessory brochure describes the Sleep Pack as a cocoon you can set up in a few steps, with space for a dining table under the open hatch.
Dacia InNature Accessories
If you don’t own a Dacia, you can still steal the blueprint: low, level platform over stackable bins; tri-fold foam mattress; DIY blackout panels on the glass; a small battery fan for airflow. The key is that everything comes back out on Monday so you still have a normal car.
The non-negotiable part is safety. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is very clear: never use fuel-burning heaters or lanterns while sleeping in tents, campers, or vehicles. Carbon monoxide from stoves, grills, or unvented heaters can build up fast in a closed cabin. Keep all combustion gear outside, crack windows for ventilation, and treat a compact CO detector like essential kit, not an optional gadget.
My Verdict
The 2025 car-camping flex isn’t a lifted rig with a $4,000 rooftop condo; it’s a normal wagon or SUV that flips from Costco run to campsite in ten minutes. Copy what the InNature Sleep Pack gets right—modular box, real mattress, smart storage—and pair it with boringly strict CO rules. That’s how your daily driver quietly becomes the most useful cabin you own.
