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Camping with a 240Z


trailblazr81

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Hey guys, I am currently looking for my first 240Z and was wandering if anyone takes there Z camping? I plan on 5-8 trips a year and would like to take the car on a few of those. Do you think or know if theres room for a cooler, small 2-3 man tent, air pad, sleeping bag with pillow, 2 folding camp chairs, a paper bag filled with plastic cups, chips, plates, etc. and a bag of clothes. Usually just me in the car so I can put the clothes and paper bag up front. Think I can stuff it all in there? I dont want to always take my truck.

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No problem - did it all the time from 1971 to about 1976. Camped in Florida, California, and all along Route 66. I even ended up sleeping in the Z's luggage area during a bad storm while camping on the beach in Florida. You might not need two folding chairs if it's just you on the trip. :)

Dennis

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No problem - did it all the time from 1971 to about 1976. Camped in Florida, California, and all along Route 66. I even ended up sleeping in the Z's luggage area during a bad storm while camping on the beach in Florida. You might not need two folding chairs if it's just you on the trip. :)

Dennis

 

Good to hear. I Always bring 2-3 chairs. A buddy does the same. Usually someone shows up without a chair or people stop by for a drink and need a seat. I cant imagine sleeping in the back of one. I barely had enough room when I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

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I slept in the luggage area of my Z at Road Atlanta for 3 nights in the early 80's and took it camping plenty of times. Cooler in the center running longways tent and sleeping bags jammed on the sides and my Alice pack on top of the cooler.

 

Fun times

Derek

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Yes, and more.

 

But let me suggest a nice alternative: Harbor Freight Trailer

 

Cheap Little Trailer

 

BETTER ALTERNATIVE (though more $$$)

 

 

I used the one from the first link to construct something like they ultimately offered in the second link. Though since mine is diamond-plated and half-decked, I can at any time take my back toolbox (rubbermaid) off and remove the decking to strap slicks to it and use it to drive to the races as my 'spares and maintenance trailer'...

 

I built this trailer after two years of long trips where the cars interior was PACKED with crap and having to empty it out was a PITA. With all the stuff in the trailer, and only a small Playmate Cooler in the car (the 48 QT Coleman was mounted to the trailer tongue!) I could transfer stuff when I gassed up. When I got where I was going I simply unhooked, chained the trailer to a tree or lamp post, and then had the car free to go sightseeing or run into town without worrying where all my stuff was, or having the car burdened to max capacity. Remember the car's internal passenger capacity is only 480#, and with just yourself that doesn't leave a lot!

 

But with that trailer running around behind me i never noticed it was there, the suspension cleared lots of offroad stuff that previously caused scrapes or bottoming, and hell... I can strap 2 or three L28's on the back if I wanted and tow it with the Z! I put a couple of Rubbermaid Tool Boxes on it and they have locks. Nice when you're camping to have something decently sized and lockable if you want to take a long hike, or just run to the nearest supplier to pick up more beer...er, soda...

 

If I was 'light'---meaning my Boy Scout Essentials and a toss-tent I'd do it in the Z... but if you want to bring a cooler, chairs, etc. my advice would be just make a dedicated camping rig. You can leave all the stuff in the rig, come home from work, hook up and GO! (For that matter, hook up the day before head to work and leave straight from there!)

 

This may be overkill for only 5-8 times a year, but I'll admit I ended up going a LOT more than before simply because it wasn't a hassle loading it all in the car. Like a Boy Scout "Box" it was all there all the time, just grab and go to wherever. I had the trailer airborne to the point where I couldn't see the back end out the top of my hatch window after hitting an unexpected pothole out on a gravel road at a speed I shouldn't be going... and I know it traks safe and straight at 110+ during emergency lane changes on the flat section of I10 outside Fabens Texas (man was I glad I got the 12" wheels THAT day!)

 

Something to consider.

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Z's make a stylish camping vehicle. They have tons of room for gear in the hatch. Besides you only have two campers and can probably carry enough gear for three or four campers. I have been camping many times with the Z, both week long and weekend trips were great. I even did a 2 person, windsurfing-camping trip, 800 miles away, for a week. That requires a LOT of gear...and a roof rack.

Edited by cygnusx1
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Or you could find a beat up 2+2 for cheap which would have tons of room for gear, When I moved I had to stuff a 2+2 twice so we could get everything there (I wasn't driving it, it was being towed) but I fit a lot of stuff in the back after folding down the seat. I can't wait to take my Z camping sometime, maybe I will buy a roof rack as well :P. I can't wait to see the faces of people driving jeeps, SUVs, etc. when I am driving up a mountain road to go camping in my Z.

Edited by 19762802+2
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yupp, used to do it all the time in my 72. It used to be I'd stuff a few folding chairs, and large cooler, a small stove with a few bottles of fuel, couple gallons of water and a tent; basically plenty of room for all you could want. Nowadays I just keep a pack loaded with my MSR tent and gear with a thermarest in the closet and throw it in the back on that rare occasion that the Z is in one piece.

 

 

I've done the sleep on the hatch floor against my will a few times and don't recommend it :)

 

I bought a Yakima rack for snowboards and bicycles when I first bought the car but I've only been ballsy enough to throw the bikes on it considering the nearest ski lift is 700 miles from here. It comes in handy and it's very easy to take on and off when not in use, if your going to really need the room you could always get the Yakima basket with some tie down straps.

 

This April I plan to strap a kayak to the top of it so we'll see how that goes!

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Thanks guys. I was worried that the slope of the hatch would make it hard to fit larger items such as a cooler. Luckily I have til May to get it all situated. Might go camping within a month but its too cold for me to tent camp in Yosemite. When theres snow n ice I want 4 solid walls and a heater. Plus I'll probably be taking the 4x4.

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The cooler goes up front, in front of the strut tower bar....

 

Everything else will fit in back of the strut towers. I have those 'folding canvas chairs' from wal mart, and they fit across the back in front of the MSA Speaker panel. Bag in a roll (or alice pack if you wish) fits between the two chairs at back and the strut bar between the towers.

 

If you don't have a strut bar, what do you bungee everything in back down to? :P

 

 

post-380-012488200 1296671803_thumb.jpg

Gone on more than an overnighter...

Try 16,000 miles in 3 weeks!

(You can see the trailer, along with 'necessities' behind the back seat of the 2+2!)

 

And why did I say 'a trailer' when I had a 2+2? Because I know what you can fit in a coupe...

You can fit THIS:

 

post-380-082737900 1296672518_thumb.jpg

 

post-380-097328400 1296672554_thumb.jpg

 

And I figured, travelling around with explosives...

in the back of the car...

for about half this trip might be safer in a trailer!

 

post-380-012645700 1296672536_thumb.jpg

 

Most of this trip was covered in two weeks driving time,

with a week loitering at the furthest point from SoCal.

 

 

So yeah, I guess a cooler, bag of chips, a sleeping bag and a couple of chairs wouldn't be so bad! :P

Edited by Tony D
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If I were going to pull a trailer, I'd look for one of those ultra-lites or tear-drops (vice a tent?). The trick, I believe is to keep the tongue weight less than or equal to 150 lbs. I was planning on rigging my Z for towing small items once the V8 swap is done. Scamp makes a fully-equipped 13' camping trailer that has a 120lbs. tongue weight.

 

Why not get one of those nice roof racks?

 

All the "JDM Purple Stuff" kids are putting them on their cars, now.

 

I never thought I'd see the day when a bike/luggage rack became "stylish."

 

You can get weatherproofed cargo pods that resemble something like the trailer Tony D posted, if you don't want a hitch. I would put the heavier things in the rear-deck (like the cooler) and put the tent, sleeping bags and cooking supplies in the pod.

Edited by kamikaZeS30
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  • 2 weeks later...

Been thinking of hitching up a small aluminum trailer with my three vintage dirt bikes in it, and tent and all that other good stuff in the back, and take it racing, rather then a mini van. That's in the future though. Go ahead and yell at me for wanting to put a hitch on my 280zx.

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Been there Done That. YEARS ago I camped/working construction on the road in my 240. Kick the passenger seat all of the way forward and recline all of the way. Let the driver seat rest on the stearing wheel and get a couple of old pillows to pad the back deck edge. You have a great view of the stars through the rear hatch until it fogs over. Heck I was sure a lot more desperate making a living back then.

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