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The Model Y might be the best tent Tesla never advertised. Fold the rear seats, slide the front seats forward, and lay a Model Y mattress over the folded seats and cargo floor. With the rear seats folded, Tesla lists about 72 cu ft of space behind the front seats on the 2020 to 2024 Model Y and about 71 cu ft on the 2025+ car. Add shades and Camp Mode and it sleeps two. The folded seats sit at an angle, so a mattress made for the Model Y matters more than anything else you buy.
Part of our Complete Guide to Camping in Your Tesla.
Seats folded
71.4 cu ft
2025+ Model Y, 5-seat
Front trunk
4.1 cu ft
Both generations
How much room there is
| 2020 to 2024 Model Y | 2025+ Model Y (5-seat) | |
|---|---|---|
| Behind the rear seats | 30.2 cu ft | 29.0 cu ft |
| Rear seats folded | 72.1 cu ft | 71.4 cu ft |
| Front trunk | 4.1 cu ft | 4.1 cu ft |
Tesla doesn't publish the length of the flat area with the seats folded. Reviewers who have slept in one say it suits most adults: a 6-foot-2 tester at CleanTechnica found the bed a little short on his back, made it work by sleeping diagonally, and noted he could have moved the front seats about 6 inches forward to gain room.
The 2025+ Model Y L is different: Tesla's manual says that with the third row folded, the cargo cover's legs lift it into a flat surface it calls "ideal for camping."
Setting up the bed, step by step
- Save a "Camp" driver profile. Move both front seats forward and upright, then save it under Controls > Profiles > Add New Driver. Next time, one tap sets the seats. The front seats slide about 10 in (260 mm). Tesla warns not to tilt a backrest fully forward when the seat is also fully forward, or it can hit the sun visor.
- Fold the rear seats.
- 2020 to 2024: pull the handle on each seat back, or press the switches on the left side of the trunk, then push the seat back down flat. Tesla says you may need to move the front seats forward for them to fold completely flat, and that a seat back can swing forward with real force.
- 2025+ with power seats: fold them from the switch on each outer seat, Controls > Seats on the front screen, the rear screen, or the switch on the left side of the trunk. The left seat’s controls fold the left and middle seats together (Tesla manual).
- Lay the mattress. A Model Y mattress has a thicker end that fills the slope of the folded seats. Our pick is the Havnby FlatCore (buy from Havnby); for less money, the Lost Horizon self-inflating mattress fits the 2020 to 2024 car. More in our mattress guide (coming soon).
- Put up the shades. The Tesery 8-piece set covers every window, and the roof shade covers the glass roof. See our shades guide (coming soon).
- Turn on Camp Mode from the climate controls on the front screen, or from the Tesla app (swipe up on the Climate screen). The 2025+ rear screen controls rear climate and seat heaters, but Camp Mode itself is on the front screen or the app. Camp Mode turns off when the car enters Low Power Mode, at 20% by default. More in our Camp Mode guide.
- Set the lights. On the 2025+ car, the accent lights' color and brightness are adjustable, and a dome light you turn on by hand after the car has powered off switches off after 60 minutes (Tesla manual). Bring a lantern for the evening.
- Lock the doors yourself. Camp Mode turns off the alarm and Sentry Mode, and Walk-Away Door Lock doesn't work while it's on.
Lock up before you sleep. While Camp Mode is on, Tesla says Sentry Mode and the alarm are off and Walk-Away Door Lock is inactive (Tesla manual). Lock the doors from the screen or the app.
Where to put your gear
- The sub-trunk (under the cargo floor) takes up to 40 kg (88 lb) on both generations (Tesla manual). Tesla says heavy cargo belongs there.
- The cargo floor is rated for up to 130 kg (about 285 lb) on the 2020 to 2024 car (manual) and 90 kg (198 lb) on the 2025+ car (manual).
- The frunk holds 4.1 cu ft. On the 2025+ car it has a waterproof liner and a drain plug, which makes it a good home for wet boots and the fridge's ice.
- Power: both generations have a 12V socket on the left side of the trunk, which Camp Mode keeps on. A 12V fridge can sit right next to the bed. See running appliances (coming soon).
- For the 2025+ car: all-weather cargo liners and lidded trunk bins keep the floor clean and the gear in place.
What to do next
- Save a "Camp" driver profile with the front seats forward, so setup starts with one tap.
- Check your Model Y's year before you buy a mattress or shades: the 2020 to 2024 and 2025+ cars take different fits.
- Try the bed for a night in your driveway with Camp Mode on.
- Compare trims and specs on our Model Y page, and see gear that fits in the Model Y shop.
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Related guides
- Best mattresses for camping in your Tesla (coming soon)
- Window shades for sleeping in your Tesla (coming soon)
- Tesla tents and hatch tents (coming soon)
- Tesla camping checklist (coming soon)
- Winter Tesla camping (coming soon)
