Canadian wilderness access tool - Build
- Thread starter BVClimber
- Start date
Topo.Ranger
Adventurer
That is one nice set up! how do you like the hard top tent? I eventually want to get that or the JK habitat. Still bouncing around between those two or getting a gobi stealth rack with a roof top tent. When you mount your awning would it bolt into the side of the top? and is it reenforeced in the areas where you would mount it? what is your opinion on the sleeping situations?
BVClimber
Observer
Thanks.
Attempt at answering your questions:
I like the sleeping arrangements. Smaller than the other options but my use (now and future) dictates that this is viable and fine, with room to grow if needed. If you're asking between this, the habitat and a roof top tent/gobi, I'd be asking myself what my uses truely are, as there are real pros and cons for each. Generally, here is my basic opinion on all of them.
Gobi/RTT set up: versitile and less expensive. Allows for soft top and tent, great for warmer dryer climates, transfer to other vehicles etc. Heavy, and very high center of gravity comparitave to bult in style. can sleep 4 people and have gear space for it all.
Habitat: the mother of all sweet set ups for liveable space on a built in camper, on road safety (lower center of gravity, road/wind noise etc), sleeps 4. Eliminates capacity for roof rack and is more difficult for soft top applications (heavy to take off, PIA to store etc. Need a place to open it up (think huge hight limitation) to dry it out. not awesome for snow because of this.
J30: less capacity for people, but quickest to deploy. I'm in a colder climate so I can use it in the winter with the harder top and ease of drying. limits soft top availability, can have a roof rack (although a pain). Since it opens to the jeep interior, when it's cold fire up the jeep and boom, instant warm air in the tent. The seal between the jeep and the camper is surprisingly tight so the hot air just blows up top. Warms up in like 15 mins in -25 celcius, enough to be stoked instead of miserable getting out of your sleeping bag lol!
awning does bolt to the side, however John at Ursa Minor said he put in steel plating on the mounting locations.... they weren't there. Solution was to run a piece of steel as a mounting plate on the inside of the top for backing strength. Was pretty disappointed actually, but the solution works fine for the ladder, and isn't overly intrusive, just not as clean as I was hoping for. Will employ something similar when I do the awning.
Attempt at answering your questions:
I like the sleeping arrangements. Smaller than the other options but my use (now and future) dictates that this is viable and fine, with room to grow if needed. If you're asking between this, the habitat and a roof top tent/gobi, I'd be asking myself what my uses truely are, as there are real pros and cons for each. Generally, here is my basic opinion on all of them.
Gobi/RTT set up: versitile and less expensive. Allows for soft top and tent, great for warmer dryer climates, transfer to other vehicles etc. Heavy, and very high center of gravity comparitave to bult in style. can sleep 4 people and have gear space for it all.
Habitat: the mother of all sweet set ups for liveable space on a built in camper, on road safety (lower center of gravity, road/wind noise etc), sleeps 4. Eliminates capacity for roof rack and is more difficult for soft top applications (heavy to take off, PIA to store etc. Need a place to open it up (think huge hight limitation) to dry it out. not awesome for snow because of this.
J30: less capacity for people, but quickest to deploy. I'm in a colder climate so I can use it in the winter with the harder top and ease of drying. limits soft top availability, can have a roof rack (although a pain). Since it opens to the jeep interior, when it's cold fire up the jeep and boom, instant warm air in the tent. The seal between the jeep and the camper is surprisingly tight so the hot air just blows up top. Warms up in like 15 mins in -25 celcius, enough to be stoked instead of miserable getting out of your sleeping bag lol!
awning does bolt to the side, however John at Ursa Minor said he put in steel plating on the mounting locations.... they weren't there. Solution was to run a piece of steel as a mounting plate on the inside of the top for backing strength. Was pretty disappointed actually, but the solution works fine for the ladder, and isn't overly intrusive, just not as clean as I was hoping for. Will employ something similar when I do the awning.