Aren't You Guys Miserable?

[Silver_Knight]

I just found this site and these types of campers while looking for a solution to camp when using our ATVs.

My main concern is trying to sleep or enjoy a camper that does not have AC.

I really like this idea of camping but I guess I'm to pampered. Am I being silly? Are you guys comfortable in the summer?

Thanks!

 

[AFSOC]

Valid concern depending on where you are camping. In Florida, I quit camping anywhere but on the beaches between June and September. It is just too darned muggy without a breeze off the water. My pride wouldn't stop me from running the air conditioner in my toy hauler if I was an ATV enthusiast. With the emerging popularity of teardrops on this message board, I have been catching myself dreaming about an AC equipped teardrop build of my own. (thanks Dave, Bill, Stump, others)

 

[craig333]

Haven't wished I had one yet. But thats all CA and NV camping so far.

 

[johng]

I suppose you could always generate your own.

 

[bob91yj]

I've got a roof air on my Sun Lite camper. It's a smaller Coleman unit, designed for pop ups, and capable of running off of a Honda 2kw generator.

Only real pic I have of it right now.

 

[cwsqbm]

As a kid, my family camped for 13 years in a pop-up without A/C. We managed, but our favorite mountain camping spot was always cool at night. Our house didn't have central air either (just one window unit in the family room), so it wasn't a big change.

About the same time as I got an window unit for my bedroom (Apple ][+ didn't like heat) we got a hard-sided camper with A/C. I couldn't see going back - a few years ago, I borrowed my cousin's pop-up, but even it had A/C.

This is why I really like consider camping a three season event - I'd rather have snow than heat.

 

[Scoutman]

For us, camping was getting to be a 3 season event too. We could camp below freezing in a tent much easier than we could anytime between May and September in the south. AC was one of the reasons we decided to get a truck camper. It really expanded our camping season and I have no problems running it. It's just too muggy and hot and there is no guaranteed breeze in the southern summers. If I lived up north or in a dryer region that might change. If you have kids, AC sure is nice for them too.

We have a Starcraft Pine Mtn pop up truck camper with AC and heat and have loved it. :sombrero:

 

[pods8]

PNW camping here, a fantastic fan roof vent does just fine. This isn't texas weather...

 

[DaJudge]

I think I tent camped twice the whole 19 years I lived in FL. It was just to muggy for me! Since most of my camping now is high elevation or desert in Fall/Winter/Spring, there is no need to worry. If I was still in the Southeast it would be something with air or a hotel.

 

[INSAYN]

We've camped in Nebraska for a week where it was hot and muggy and never turned on the AC in the camper. That is the only time we have really been in "muggy" conditions. We stayed outside most of the day, and opened the windows for a breeze in the evening.

We have camped a lot in Oregon in ATV riding areas where the weather has been 90ºF plus, but again not muggy and didn't need AC.

Oooh, wait! When we stayed at Henry's Lake in NE Idaho near Yellowstone, it was HOT for a week straight near 105ºF. We had 6 recently hatched puppies to keep comfortable so the AC was on damn near all day!

I can understand your dilemma!

 

[matt s]

I wanted to call you a wimp. Then I remembered that I am really fond of and proud of my heater in our camper (in Alaska).

I like my heat, you dig AC, no wimps here!

I will say I have ZERO tolerance for muggy hot weather, so like you I would be looking for AC options. The coleman unit mentioned above for pop ups looks like a good way to go.

 

[r_w]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Trunk-Skeeter-Beeter-Hammock/dp/B001AIFIAI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1300378388&sr=8-6"]Amazon.com: Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter Hammock: Sports & Outdoors[/ame]

Nothing beats a hammock for hot weather (I assumed hot and muggy and mosquitoes). With a little breeze and you can sleep well in some stupidly miserable conditions.

 

[Ray Hyland]

In really hot conditions (equatorial rainforest camping) I found the best (non electric) option to stay cool at night was to run a line between two trees, or two trucks, about 7 feet above the ground. Place a cot under the line, tie a mosquito net to the line to hang over the cot, and then drape a small tarp over the line above the cot. Run the guidelines from the tarp through some poles or sticks near the tarp corners to keep the tarp up high and with the sides open so you get as much night time airflow as possible, and it is actually quite comfortable.

Of course, there is no privacy with this method, so if you have the missus along this may not be the best option.

Cheers

Edit - attached pic of what I mean. I stole the pic from Wahyu's Indonesia Expedition thread at http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57930

 

[77blazerchalet]

My preferred camping areas in southern Colorado during the height of the summer sometimes beg for a heater at night or during a daytime rainstorm. A/C as a requirement has never crossed my mind...

 

[bob91yj]

I'm just dumb enough to get talked in to going wheeling/racing in the SoCal deserts in the summer a couple of times a year. Roof air kept us cool enough that we could take a nap during the heat of the afternoon in 108* heat.

I just knew I was going to find the AC unit laying in the middle of the floor chasing the 1000 last year. It survived 2500 miles of Baja highways and byways with no apparent issues. It does make cranking the top up a bit more of a chore.