Sleeping in a Hudson
Has anyone with a 55,6,7 Hudson put down the front seat to make into a bed and slept on it?
We used to go camping every summer on vacation. In 1955 Dad fixed up a new, wreckled Hudson. We camped inside the car by tilting the front seat back down to the rear seat to make into a bed. We were excited to try it out. Dad, Mom, my younger brother and I eagerly streached out to get a good nights sleep after driving late into the night. It turned out to be a restless night. Every cushion had its own curve so you could not lay on any flat surface. Dad purchased some air matresses the following morning for the next night. That was an improvement but it was still lumpy.
That was the only summer vacation we slept in the car. All our vacations after that, were either in a tent or cabin.
Just thought I would share our bed in a car, Posture Pedix experience.
Sleep tight, in your Hudson bed tonight. Lee
We used to go camping every summer on vacation. In 1955 Dad fixed up a new, wreckled Hudson. We camped inside the car by tilting the front seat back down to the rear seat to make into a bed. We were excited to try it out. Dad, Mom, my younger brother and I eagerly streached out to get a good nights sleep after driving late into the night. It turned out to be a restless night. Every cushion had its own curve so you could not lay on any flat surface. Dad purchased some air matresses the following morning for the next night. That was an improvement but it was still lumpy.
That was the only summer vacation we slept in the car. All our vacations after that, were either in a tent or cabin.
Just thought I would share our bed in a car, Posture Pedix experience.
Sleep tight, in your Hudson bed tonight. Lee
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Comments
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Lee O'Dell wrote:Has anyone with a 55,6,7 Hudson put down the front seat to make into a bed and slept on it?
We used to go camping every summer on vacation. In 1955 Dad fixed up a new, wreckled Hudson. We camped inside the car by tilting the front seat back down to the rear seat to make into a bed. We were excited to try it out. Dad, Mom, my younger brother and I eagerly streached out to get a good nights sleep after driving late into the night. It turned out to be a restless night. Every cushion had its own curve so you could not lay on any flat surface. Dad purchased some air matresses the following morning for the next night. That was an improvement but it was still lumpy.
That was the only summer vacation we slept in the car. All our vacations after that, were either in a tent or cabin.
Just thought I would share our bed in a car, Posture Pedix experience.
Sleep tight, in your Hudson bed tonight. Lee
Yep, been there done that! I've had mine since high school, so you can use your imagination. And yes, it was comfortable to sleep in.0 -
I've heard the same thing, that the cushions didn't get completely flat, so were not comfortable to sleep on. I think Nevada was more on point, as to possible uses for the feature.:rolleyes:0
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Saw a nice '46 Nash last night and the camper option on that car the rear seat back lifted up and tied to the assist straps so the bed extended into the trunk. Looks a bit flatter. I remember seeing a picture of a similar camper option on page 263 in Butler's book for a '42 Hudson. Probably an aftermarket option. I've never seen a pre-AMC Hudson equipped with one. That would be a Hudson I'd like to find as I actually like camping.0
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Lee O'Dell wrote:Has anyone with a 55,6,7 Hudson put down the front seat to make into a bed and slept on it?
We used to go camping every summer on vacation. In 1955 Dad fixed up a new, wreckled Hudson. We camped inside the car by tilting the front seat back down to the rear seat to make into a bed. We were excited to try it out. Dad, Mom, my younger brother and I eagerly streached out to get a good nights sleep after driving late into the night. It turned out to be a restless night. Every cushion had its own curve so you could not lay on any flat surface. Dad purchased some air matresses the following morning for the next night. That was an improvement but it was still lumpy.
That was the only summer vacation we slept in the car. All our vacations after that, were either in a tent or cabin.
Just thought I would share our bed in a car, Posture Pedix experience.
Sleep tight, in your Hudson bed tonight. Lee
Lee,
I have a 1953 Nash Ambassador that basically has the same body as the 1955, 56 Hudson. The seats fold down pretty flat on mine, but maybe they would not feel as flat with a smaller child’s body. Also, Nash sold special air mattresses as an accessory, for anyone who wanted to sleep in the car. I have some period literature from Nash Dealerships that shows the father, mother, a young boy, and a young girl sleeping snuggly at a campground.
Michael0 -
Im going to the Australian national HET rally in a couple of weeks in my 36T ute.
what with rally entry fees,food costs etc,there is no way i can afford to pay for 5 nights hotel accom,so will be sleeping in the back of the ute.With the tailgate down and the tarp in place,its comfy enough,and there are plenty of good hiding spots along the coast near Warrnambool where the rally is being held.Wish me luck!0 -
Not only could you get the air mattress, you could also get screens for your windows! It made it pretty comfy. One part that is often missing is the brackets that slide into the base of the rear seat cushion. It aligned the front seat backrest with the rear seat cushion.0
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Wasn't there an accessory for business coupes (not necessarily Hudsons) that converted the area behind the front seat and the trunk to a bed? You slept with your head just behind the front seat and your feet in the trunk.
I swear I saw a picture of it in some accessory catalog from the 40's or 50's but I can't find it online.0 -
Had my first sleep in a Hudson in 1966 when I was brought home from the hospital in a 29 sedan. I slept in the SAME car 2 weeks ago when I had to much fun at a local function to drive home.
Slept like a baby!!0 -
'53 coupe one night when there was no accommodation to be had, it was all very comfortable. Since then the car is occasionally referred to as the Green Hornet Motel.0
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48super6 wrote:Not only could you get the air mattress, you could also get screens for your windows! It made it pretty comfy. One part that is often missing is the brackets that slide into the base of the rear seat cushion. It aligned the front seat backrest with the rear seat cushion.
Yep, I am missing the brackets on mine car. The seat seems to lay ok without them, but the seat back would be more stable when you're climbing into bed (and putting weight on the top of the seat back area) - wish I could find a couple of brackets!!0 -
Charlie Woodruff and Jay Drake stayed in Jay's 55 Wasp at the Springfield Eastern Regional. Hey, beats the hard ground in a tent on a 1 in foam pad.
Gail and I took our first vacation a year into our marriage in the 49 Super Six Sedan. Took the rear seat-back out and put our feet in the trunk.
Still married 54 yrs later0 -
This photo was taken of Jack Witter an entrant in the 1954 Redex around Australia reliability trial catching 40 winks, note he is laying on a board stretched from the top of the front seat to the back parcel tray , note all the trim in the car has been removed, this was a most grueling race at that time.0
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I slept in the backseat of my 49 C8 the first night I got it. Flew in to Flint,MI
where a semi with a drop-deck trailer picked me up at the airport(and had
the security cops ALL befuddled). Transferred my new purchase from a
rollback tow truck to the lower deck of the trailer in Plymouth and headed
south. Came time to stop for the night I just climbed up on the trailer and
into the back seat. Slept like a baby.
Here's a couple pics I saved of a doorless/pillarless Nash that looks pretty
cozy...
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Some Australian assembled stepdowns were sold with a front seat that had a back that folded down to form a bed with the rear seat. I think they were referred to as a 'camper conversion' front seat.0
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bob ward wrote:Some Australian assembled stepdowns were sold with a front seat that had a back that folded down to form a bed with the rear seat. I think they were referred to as a 'camper conversion' front seat.
That would be neat to see. Does anyone down under have one and willing to post some pictures? It seems Hudson had some options in your neck of the woods we don't have here.
One more tale from me. I was eight when we got our first Hudson. A 51 Hudson Hornet 4 door. Some times I would sleep on the back package tray below the rear window on weekend trips to visit my Grandparents. And other times, pillows and blankets would be put on the rear floor. Then my younger brother and I would have long discussions who would sleep on the rear seat cushion. Mom would put an end to it and dictated who would sleep where.
There are alot of interesting stories and pictures posted. Would like to see more.
Lee0 -
Lee O'Dell wrote:That would be neat to see. Does anyone down under have one and willing to post some pictures? It seems Hudson had some options in your neck of the woods we don't have here.
.........
Lee
I believe I know someone who has a camping body stepdown, it may be a few weeks before photos emerge. The option came about down here because the front seats of locally assembled stepdowns, (as well as a few other parts), were made in Australia.0 -
bob ward wrote:I believe I know someone who has a camping body stepdown, it may be a few weeks before photos emerge. The option came about down here because the front seats of locally assembled stepdowns, (as well as a few other parts), were made in Australia.
It's worth the wait to see it. It would be interesting to know what other things are available there, that we do not have in the states. That could be a whole new thread topic.
Thanks for share with us. Lee0 -
If I would have known about that feature during my drive-in movies days I would have owned a Hudson for sure, have you ever tried to do the wild thing in a VW? Of course I may also have been banned from taking some girls out. I saw the ad for a 55 I think that featured the bed seats and said you would never need a motel again while traveling, I'm sure that didn't make any fathers rest easy.0
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55 VW 1965, Germany:(:(:(
Harry Hill wrote:If I would have known about that feature during my drive-in movies days I would have owned a Hudson for sure, have you ever tried to do the wild thing in a VW? Of course I may also have been banned from taking some girls out. I saw the ad for a 55 I think that featured the bed seats and said you would never need a motel again while traveling, I'm sure that didn't make any fathers rest easy.0 -
VicTor Z wrote:55 VW 1965, Germany:(:(:(
Nowadays I would end up in traction if I tried that.0 -
Victor! How could you!0
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One of our local members, here in Utah, has a 28 or 29 Hudson that came with a camper option. They had it at the national a few years back? Nice option... I slept one night in my 1960 Thunderbird in Conway, South Carolina. I ran out of gas at about one in the morning and coasted into the only gas station around. I was on my way to my first base of assignment (Myrtle Beach Air Force Base). Good thing that I was yound? The next morning, the 4th of July, I was lucky that the owner came by to see who was parked in front of his pump. I also learned that on the back roads back then the owner of the station did not lock up his pumps. Was I dumb or honest?0
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Both Brownie, I can remember getting gas in the middle of the night on route 66 in Amboy and leaving a ten dollar bill slipped under the door. Back in the 60's I don't think anyone I knew would have left without leaving something. I also ate the worst chicken dinner I ever ate at the Roadrunner cafe in Amboy, I'm pretty sure their chicken was really roadrunner.0
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Arnie, is that a 55 in your picture?0
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:eek:All I can say about sleeping in a Hudson is do not and I mean DO NOT EVER tell your signifigant other about any exploits in a Hudson. I came home one afternoon and in the dust on my maroon '49 Hudson Commodotre was" THE NEVADA LEGEND". My wife saw that and said that car has got to go. This happened in Washington State many years ago, but one day I came home and my favorite Hudson of all time was gone. My wife sold it because it had a "history". Beleive it or not I am still married to her, and have had many Hudsons since, but that Hudson was the one, I wish I still had it. It was a great car, besides any nonsence that took place. I do miss it. It is probably long gone, but memories will last a lifetime. So any one one out there, be carefull what ever you tell your significant other about your car. Arnie in Nevada.0
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I can remember at my first national back in 1988 in York, PA, I came out of the hotel in the early morning - the parking lot looked like an hotel overflow. There had to be at least 8 or 10 HET'ers sleeping in their Hudsons. Fellows like the legendary car washer Bob Witte, Bill Hafker (yeah, you guys who know Bill try and figure out how he got 6' 2" or so into a step-down - Bill would do anything to save a buck).
Don't see to many sleeping in their Hudsons at Nationals any more. The ones that were doing it are older; the young un's haven't figured it out yet. LOL
Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN0 -
FYI
I dated in my Hudson's through out school and street raced often with them, before starting Stock carracing. My girl friends especially the one that later became my wife was petrified when I encouraged a race light to light in town so I let her out when we went out where we had more distance to race then afterward I came back to pick her up. I sometimes kid her that maybe her mistake was being there waiting but we are still together 50yrs next month.. Needless to say the interior in our Hudson was very condusive for hanky- panky...Later our kids enjoyed the massive back seat at drive-In's whenever Races rained out.............0 -
This is a little late but thanks everyone for the cool stories. I enjoyed them all.
Lee O'Dell0 -
Here is my 1949 Hudson Commadore Camper Speacial. The old guy that was building it apparently died before he could finish. Not sure what he planned for the inside. Everything is gone except the back seat. That includes the dashboard, right up to the windshield.
He did a ton of work, has a funtioning trunk on the fron as well as the back.
He even took the gear's out of the rearend and bolted a plate over the punkin hole. Even mounted the parking brake out on the tounge.
I'm not sure what I'm exactly going to do with it. Have owned it for a few years but just got it home in July.
Been thinking of towing it behind my 47 Pick-up to swap meets to haul parts.
Any way enjoy the photos ,
Roger0 -
Great looking camper!0
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