Sleeping in your Leaf

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ehunter

Active member
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
43
Location
Pacifica by San Francisco, CA
Anybody have a creative way to get a normal nights sleep in your Leaf?

I am too much of a skin flint to get a $50-100 room in some dumpy town to sleep from 11pm to 4:30am when I need to run off to the fishing boat.

So, the front seats don’t recline flat which is a problem for me.
If you are over 5’-4” forget about lying in the back seat.
Folding down the back seats provides too much of a cliff with the trunk but maybe somebody has tried to retrofit something to simulate a flat surface?
Throwing out a sleeping pad and bedding down next to the car is one way of inviting your throat to get cut by some manson-ite. I wont do it. Go ahead, cal me a wuss :)).

What I have tried, and suffered with, is placing a box/bucket between the back seat and passenger seat. This allows your body to angle off the back seat to gain you more length. I am sure I can tweak the setup a bit for more comfort but like I wrote, when I did do it, I suffered through the night.

Anybody know of a better way short of forking out $10-20 in a dumpy hotel?
 
ehunter said:
Folding down the back seats provides too much of a cliff with the trunk but maybe somebody has tried to retrofit something to simulate a flat surface?

Several people have, for various reasons, put up a plywood "shelf" in the back parcel area to make it level with the top of the charging hump (on pre-2013 models) and folded back seat. A few photos of such have been put in the DIY "Spare Tire" thread.

Nissan even sells a cargo organizer that produces a relatively flat load floor, but as those are made of plastic it probably won't hold up the weight of a person.
 
Apvb - comment not appreciated

Anyway, thanks RonDawg for the tip. I like the idea.

Here is the link for me to reference later: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=14737" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
ehunter said:
Anybody have a creative way to get a normal nights sleep in your Leaf?

I am too much of a skin flint to get a $50-100 room in some dumpy town to sleep from 11pm to 4:30am when I need to run off to the fishing boat.

So, the front seats don’t recline flat which is a problem for me.
If you are over 5’-4” forget about lying in the back seat.
Folding down the back seats provides too much of a cliff with the trunk but maybe somebody has tried to retrofit something to simulate a flat surface?
Throwing out a sleeping pad and bedding down next to the car is one way of inviting your throat to get cut by some manson-ite. I wont do it. Go ahead, cal me a wuss :)).

What I have tried, and suffered with, is placing a box/bucket between the back seat and passenger seat. This allows your body to angle off the back seat to gain you more length. I am sure I can tweak the setup a bit for more comfort but like I wrote, when I did do it, I suffered through the night.

Anybody know of a better way short of forking out $10-20 in a dumpy hotel?
I'm like you; I routinely sleep in the back of my Forester on overnight dive and X-C ski trips, so when I looked at the LEAF (and any car I'm considering) a 'will I be able to sleep in it' test was high on the list. You do need either the cargo organizer or a flat homemade panel, or else you can just bring a couple of pillows, bags of foam peanuts etc. and stuff them into the cargo hold until they're approximately level with the floor. I suspect the cargo organizer would be strong enough provided you put your feet and not your head on it, but have never seen one in person to check out how strong it is.

One thing I do to fit in the back of the Forester and stretch out is slide the front seats all the way forward and fold them forward. I also bought the extended armrest which is taller than the basic one, as the extended one is level with the folded back seat. With the front seats slid and folded forward I can rest my head on the armrest (actually on the Thermarest pad that I use). I'm 6'0" so need the extra length to stretch out, and this is far better than having to sleep on a diagonal (and always sliding one way of the other), as I had to in my '88 Subie wagon. I also flip the headrests around on the back seat so they don't stick up, but instead provide support for the pad if I move my head off the armrest while I sleep. From what I recall something similar is possible with the LEAF, and provides similar room. I don't remember if the armrest is high enough or there's an optional one, but pillows can serve to raise it to the right height.
 
I came across this guys site a while ago.

http://www.casteyanqui.com/ev/slumberleaf/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
Get the cargo organizer. On the '11-12 it makes the trunk flat, but on the '13+ you'll have to fill up the gap where the charger used to be with something.

ehunter said:
Apvb - If you were not a cheapskate... you would be driving Tesla... and don't try weaseling out of it.
I thought he had one. Hard to tell since he was banned from TMC - he has a habit of getting banned on forums.
 
Ditto car organizer. 2011 here. Also, lean the seats forward, stuff things down behind the driver's seat to fill that gap. More foot space on the passenger side of the cargo compartment. There's a little pocket there. I got a mediocre sleep one night. And I'm 6' tall. I had some foam mats and a sleeping bag and a good pillow.

Climate control on auto is a bit warm imho tho.
 
drees said:
Get the cargo organizer. On the '11-12 it makes the trunk flat, but on the '13+ you'll have to fill up the gap where the charger used to be with something.

ehunter said:
Apvb - If you were not a cheapskate... you would be driving Tesla... and don't try weaseling out of it.
I thought he had one. Hard to tell since he was banned from TMC - he has a habit of getting banned on forums.
are personal ad hominem attacks permitted here?
 
drees said:
Get the cargo organizer. On the '11-12 it makes the trunk flat, but on the '13+ you'll have to fill up the gap where the charger used to be with something.

ehunter said:
Apvb - If you were not a cheapskate... you would be driving Tesla... and don't try weaseling out of it.
I thought he had one. Hard to tell since he was banned from TMC - he has a habit of getting banned on forums.
the op posted that he was a SKINFLINT, I responded with life is too short to be a CHEAPSKATE.
what exactly has your panties all knotted up?

fwiw: this is how someone who isn't a cheapskate would do it
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BrockWI said:
I came across this guys site a while ago.

http://www.casteyanqui.com/ev/slumberleaf/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THAT

is awesome

this is what I do for some campouts...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/176-9194931-3194644?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=tent%20cot&sprefix=tent+c%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Atent%20cot" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
I wonder if one of the stock "inflatable" air mattress would fit back there with the seats down, maybe a double? I am sure a single would, but wouldn't fill the whole space.
 
I love that guys License Plate!

OHM MY!!! LOL
OHM_MY.jpg



BrockWI said:
I came across this guys site a while ago.

http://www.casteyanqui.com/ev/slumberleaf/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
BrockWI said:
I came across this guys site a while ago.
http://www.casteyanqui.com/ev/slumberleaf/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

OK Brock from WI gets the gold star.

With that setup I can get a decent rest and hustle from the parking lot to the party boat in fairly quickly.

And APV - it is OK I call myself a cheapskate. You doing it is something different all together. You have now demonstrated what you are to the community here. No need for me to highlight it, so lets just leave it at that.

Great thread and responses people. THANKS ! :)
 
I have put my sleeping quarters together today. After trying the recommended Truck-bedz mattress option from the pre-mentioned blog, I decided that route was a real PITA.

I did not like that:
1) The mattress inflates to 8in high and pushes the sleeper up to the level of the passenger window. This takes away the use of the cargo shield so people can see you easier if one looks in.
2) The mattress feels like your sleeping on a balloon. When you roll over you can feel the air under you get redistributed to different parts of the mattress, with all those rubbing sounds that come along with it against the different areas of the interior.
3) The area by the front streets is also not very well supported. I tried using the headrests from the back seat positioned like the poster said, except the support bars are not long enough to extend the needed length of the mattress.
4) Also, when doing overnighters, you will definitely have all kinds of other crap with you that need to be out of the way. Having much of the stuff there on the mattress is just not stable , or clumsy shall I say.

So I thought about it and I went out to REI. I bought the best camping mattress they had. Luckily on sale too! It is slightly long but will still do nicely. It has a R9 rating, the best of anything available. (There are no insulating properties via the Truck-bedz). It set me back $150 after 30% discount, and cheaper than the Truck-bedz. After inflation, the mattress is 4in high which I think is great. I should be able to sleep with the cargo shield on. If you are a big boy though you may be out of luck though. http://www.rei.com/product/812005/exped-comfort-megamat-10-sleeping-pad" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To compensate for the headrests, I went to Target and bought two plastic storage bins. The dimensions are 18H x 18L x 14W. - $20 for both. Perfect for storing spare clothes other crap and, my playmate fits perfect in there too. Seats must me moved all the way forward.

Somebody questioned the supporting capacity of the cargo compartment accessory. Mine says 150lbs, and just so you know, that part supports you only from the shins down when sleeping so you should be good to go. Just be careful if you plan getting in and out from the back of the car instead of the doors.

My Leaf is an SL, with the Bose stereo amplifier that sits between the back seat and cargo area. As you can see below, the Cargo Accessory and Amp get along quite well. You will only need to fill the void to better support the mattress in that area.

Thought I would add a few pics just for giggles and grins.

If anybody thinks they can use the Truck-bedz matterss, I will sell it to somebody here at a nice discount, else I will ebay it for as much as I can get for it. I Paid $200, and I will sell it to you for $150 including shipping.

54h5.jpg


vosmw.jpg


66q6.jpg


53k8.jpg
 
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