Best Cars for Camping: A Complete Buyer’s Guide for Outdoors Lovers

If you love getting into the outdoors, you know just how important it is to bring the right gear. 

However, while tents, emergency equipment, and the tools you’ll be using out in the wilderness tend to get lots of attention, one of the most important pieces of gear you have is often neglected. Your car.

Your vehicle is your navigation equipment, shelter, storage solution, transport, and yes, an emergency tool. It needs to handle every role — and do it well.

Here are our top picks for the best cars for camping to keep you comfy, safe, and properly equipped out in the most remote areas.

Core Traits to Look for in a Camping Car

Before we start listing off our favorite cars, we need to go over some of the core traits that make a car good for camping. Just in case your budget, parking space, or other factors require you to take a different route, but you still want to get a good camping car.

First, all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive is essential. You’re not always going to be on a highway with pristine pavement. 

You’re going to end up on dirt roads, mountain paths, and in the middle of Mother Nature’s biggest storms. You want to know that your car can get you through the mud and over the harsh terrain without leaving you stranded.

Interior storage is another key requirement. You don’t want to try to pack all your camping and emergency essentials into the trunk of a tiny sedan built to get your family from point A to point B. 

How much space you need depends heavily on what you need to go camping, but you’ll notice that most of the vehicles we recommend are SUVs due to their large interior storage spaces to accommodate even long-term outings.

Fuel efficiency is another key factor. Even if the cost of gas isn’t a big issue for you, you do not want a gas guzzler. 

You’ll likely be in highly remote areas with little access to fueling stations, and you certainly don’t want to haul your fuel around in any useful amount. A car that does well with its fuel is going to be a lot more reliable.

Finally, one of our top requirements is that the car can be modified to accommodate camping accessories.

Roof racks, front or rear bike racks, towing capabilities, and even winch attachment points are all helpful. Which ones you need depend on what you’re capable of doing in the field.

Our Top 4 Cars for Camping

Now that we've got some prerequisites out of the way, let’s go over 4 of our favorite cars for getting into the outdoors and enjoying all nature has to offer.

#1 Honda Pilot

Kicking off our list is a beast of an SUV. It hits all our recommended specs, and it’s guaranteed to provide a great experience to any family camper, woodsman, rock climber, or outdoor enthusiast.

You can drive it in AWD or FWD. Equipped with some good all-terrain tires, the Honda Pilot is going to get you out of a lot of tough spots and keep your journey on track.

It also features spacious seating with a massive rear area to safely keep all your gear, food, and more without cramping the seating area in the vehicle. It’s perfect whether you’re going alone or taking several friends.

On the roof, you get a 165-lb capacity before it starts to buckle a bit. That’s enough to accommodate the largest roof tents we have available, and it ensures a comfortable camping experience without being stuck on the ground or dealing with hefty setup times.

Thanks to a massive 5000-lb towing capacity, you can opt to bring a small camper, a recreational vehicle, or larger supplies for more long-term camping needs.

The Pilot gets about 20 miles per gallon according to real-world users, and while that’s not going to be as good as a smaller sedan or older square-body truck, it’s more than enough if you plan your refueling stops properly.

#2 Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is another great SUV option from Honda. However, if the Pilot is Honda’s camping tank, this is more like a light-but-nimble option.

The drivetrain is the same as the Pilot's, but its rooftop capacity is cut to 125 pounds — something to consider if you plan to add a rooftop tent to your Honda CR-V — and it can tow only up to 1,500 pounds.

However, you get a better fuel economy with 40 miles per gallon. That’s a great fuel economy for camping, because even a small fuel reserve can get you back out of a lot of areas and into society. 

You also get a massive cargo area that can be used for all your gear or more sleeping space.

#3 Toyota 4Runner

If the Pilot sounded great, but you still wanted a bit more “oomph”, the Toyota 4Runner has you covered. 

It has a massive 300lb roof capacity that can fit a rooftop tent and one larger person, or even two people if necessary. Pair it with one of the best 4Runner roof racks, and you’ve got a solid setup for serious adventure. 

It also boasts the 5000lb towing capacity of the Pilot, giving you plenty of flexibility. Another big bonus is that the rear compartment can not only fit 2 people with ease, but it can do so WITH an air mattress setup.

The only big drawback is that it gets 17 miles per gallon, and you really need to watch your fuel stops. Make sure you top off the tank regularly as you get further away from society.

#4 Nissan Pathfinder

The Pathfinder is extremely similar to the Pilot. Its cargo compartment is the same; it has 150lb roof capacity, 6000lb towing, and multiple drivetrain options. It even has similar fuel efficiency.

The Pathfinder is a great alternative to Honda, and some models are less expensive on average.

Get Your Car Equipped with Overland Junction

Once you’ve chosen the perfect camping vehicle, the next step is equipping it with the right gear to make every trip safe, comfortable, and hassle-free. 

Our high-quality rooftop tents are designed to keep you elevated, reduce setup time, and enhance safety and comfort so you can relax and enjoy your adventure.

Don’t wait — explore Overland Junction’s rooftop tent collection today and get ready to hit the road with confidence.

Gear up and make every trip unforgettable!