Sleeping in the car with the 308sw
Last May, I took a 3-day, 2-night trip sleeping in my first-generation 5008.
Since then, I haven't really had the chance to go on trips where I sleep in the car.
This is because it feels a bit lonely to go out just to sleep in the car, and I don't often have the opportunity to go somewhere alone that I can't return from in a day.
When I have to stay overnight for work, I inevitably use public transportation and stay in hotels.
In the meantime, I switched from the first-generation 5008 to the previous-generation 308sw.
The final model of the previous-generation 308sw should have adaptive cruise control, which would make highway cruising even easier. (The cruise control on the first-generation 5008 only maintained speed, so if there was a slow car in front, I had to either step on the brake to cancel it or manually lower the set speed.)
Just as I was thinking that I would like to try it if I had the chance, a perfect opportunity came up.
This conference is held over a three-day weekend in late November.
Initially, I intended to go for 3 days and 2 nights by round-trip Shinkansen, but...
I had personal business in my hometown of Yokohama on the evening of the 21st and the afternoon of the 23rd. If I wanted to attend this presentation from morning to evening on the 22nd, I would have to take a 'night train' that would get me to Fukui on the morning of the 22nd.
If I went by public transportation, a night highway bus for the outbound trip and the last Hokuriku Shinkansen for the return trip would have been fine. Since there was a risk of snowfall or frozen roads if a cold wave hit on the day of the presentation, I had once booked the bus and Shinkansen.
However, there is a world of difference in sleeping comfort between a reclining bus seat and the flat, private space inside the 308sw. I watched the 10-day forecast for Fukui City and confirmed that there was almost no risk of snowfall or freezing, so I decided to sleep in the car.
Before departing, I loaded bedding into the car.
I think it's common to lay out a mat and wrap yourself in a sleeping bag when sleeping in a car, but since I was able to sleep comfortably by loading a mattress, a comforter, and a pillow during my last car-sleeping trip, I used this style again this time.
As for car-sleeping gear, in addition to bedding, I loaded a portable power supply to ensure power for my PC and smartphone during the trip, and departed Yokohama around 9:00 PM. I thought there wouldn't be any traffic on the highway at night, but perhaps because the right lane between Oi-Matsuda and Gotemba on the Tomei Expressway was closed for construction, the flow was bad, and it was already past midnight by the time I arrived at Hamamatsu SA on the Shin-Tomei Expressway.
I parked at Hamamatsu SA for about 5 hours to take a nap, but this was a mistake.
The parking area was brightly lit, and cars were coming and going constantly, so I couldn't settle down.
The photo below is Hamamatsu SA before departure, but it was almost full at 5:00 AM.
After leaving Hamamatsu SA, it got brighter as I proceeded along the Tomei and Meishin Expressways, so I had breakfast at Yoro SA, and after going through the Hokuriku Expressway, I arrived at the university in Fukui at 9:00 AM. The driving time was about 6 hours.
After attending the presentation until the evening, I freshened up here and had dinner. I then set out on the return trip.
Based on last night's experience, I decided to take my nap tonight at a small PA, and arrived at Kanda PA, the last one on the Hokuriku Expressway, at 10:00 PM. I folded down the rear seats and made the bed.
Come to think of it, when I was in high school, I often camped with the mountaineering club, carrying tents and sleeping in a 1-tsubo (approx. 3.3 sqm) tent, squeezed in with 3 or 4 people. In contrast, how luxurious it is to bring a futon into the 308sw and be able to sleep spread-eagled!
I took a solid 6-hour nap in a quiet environment and woke up after 4:00 AM, but... it was cold! The outside temperature displayed on the 308sw's center display was 3°C, and there was a snow mark * next to the number... I drove carefully with reduced speed until I entered the Meishin Expressway from the Maibara JCT, passed through Sekigahara, and descended into the Nobi Plain.
I had breakfast at Toyota-Kamigo SA after dawn, and after a short break at Kakegawa PA, it was a straight shot home.
When I reached Shin-Shimizu JCT, this magnificent view appeared before my eyes.
(I couldn't take a picture while driving, so please see the site below.)
When I moved from the Shin-Tomei to the Tomei and then to the Shuto Expressway, the perceived speed felt so slow (^^;;
I felt that the 'habit' of driving constantly at 100-120 km/h for nearly two hours is a scary thing.
I arrived home around 10:00 AM. Here is the record of the entire trip.
The fuel consumption calculated by distance divided by fuel economy was 46.2L. Since I filled up with diesel at 130 yen/L,
the fuel cost for the round trip to Fukui was only 6,000 yen. Wonderful 👍
The highway tolls cost about 15,000 yen for the round trip even with the late-night discount, so it was about the same as the highway bus + Shinkansen, but I was very satisfied with the free and comfortable long-distance travel.