cold weather and pop ups

[pixiedust99]

hi
i have tried searching this forum, but not finding what i am looking for.
we live in the Yukon, Canada.....looking to buy a pop up camper for our truck. we are minimalists, but do want to camp in -15 celsius (5 fahrenheit) temperatures at night.....we are avid backcountry skiiers and would be camping out alot in the spring and some winter camps as well.
who makes the best pop up for this being our biggest concern about which one to buy. ive looked into four wheel and hallmark (among others) and feel that the dealers tell you what they know you want to hear, i need to hear it from experienced users before we buy!!
hope to hear from any of you!

 

[WASURF63]

hi
i have tried searching this forum, but not finding what i am looking for.
we live in the Yukon, Canada.....looking to buy a pop up camper for our truck. we are minimalists, but do want to camp in -15 celsius (5 fahrenheit) temperatures at night.....we are avid backcountry skiiers and would be camping out alot in the spring and some winter camps as well.
who makes the best pop up for this being our biggest concern about which one to buy. ive looked into four wheel and hallmark (among others) and feel that the dealers tell you what they know you want to hear, i need to hear it from experienced users before we buy!!
hope to hear from any of you!

Maybe you could get "Runt" to chime in on this one ? http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/68956-Forest-Service-Road-Adventure-Mobile

 

[Ramblinman]

Check out Wander the West. There is a thread there in which they speak to this. I have read that FWC owners have stayed out past -20 C with out issue. I would expect that propane and battery power drain would be significant at this temperature.

 

[ArtC2]

Check out Hallmark, they do very well in cold temps.

Art

 

[xtremexj]

Coyote RV can build you a custom Phoenix camper with extra insulation for cold weather. As mentioned above, check out Runt's thread as he details what was done to his to deal with cold weather.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

We have a dealer in Canada if you would like to call him to get some good feedback ...

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA:
Morrissey Industries Ltd.
Gary Morrissey
Vancouver Canada Area
Toll Free: (866) 553-9758
Phone: (778) 285-5778
General E-mail & Inquiries: fwcc@shaw.ca
Web Site: http://fourwheelcampers.ca
NOTE: Please Call Gary before visiting to arrange scheduling and to provide directions.
His office hours vary, but he is flexible on times.


He will be able to give you both side of things (the pros and the cons of winter camping in a "pop-up" camper)


He always laughs at me when I tell him it is SO cold here in the Winter months.

(cold for us in California is frost on the truck windshield in the morning)





.

 

[AeroNautiCal]

I've always been surprised that given how popular pop top campers are in the US, that there weren't more hard sided pop tops offered.

Here in the UK there were a surprising number of camper manufacturers offering hard sided pop tops, and several manufacturers of pop tops roof kits (to fit customers vehicles), though more are switching to fabric in recent times, which I attribute to cost saving.

I prefer the additional security and insulation of hard sided pop tops, despite their extra weight and complexity compared to fabric.

 

[Nimbl Vehicles]

I've always been surprised that given how popular pop top campers are in the US, that there weren't more hard sided pop tops offered.

Here in the UK there were a surprising number of camper manufacturers offering hard sided pop tops, and several manufacturers of pop tops roof kits (to fit customers vehicles), though more are switching to fabric in recent times, which I attribute to cost saving.

I prefer the additional security and insulation of hard sided pop tops, despite their extra weight and complexity compared to fabric.

It's in the works :sombrero:

 

[Dave Bennett]

:drool:

 

[billy bee]

I have given some thought to insulting the FlipPac rain fly. I am not sure it would work, but it would give an extra layer between me and the elements. The rest of the FP is uninsulated. So, that is another issue altogether....to say nothing of the bed of the truck.

But I do think an insulated fly would help keep some heat in if I were to pump some heat into the camper.

Bill

 

[cyclist]

We have a Palomino bronco 800, with a heater, but it is still cold. We recently crossed the SW circuit of bolivia with -10F temps and it was in the single digits inside, way too cold. We had lots of issues with freezing everything from veggies to water to contacts.
If you want to do it, I would look for something with a diesel heater you can leave on overnight and lots of extra insulation.

 

[krj]

From a former FWC owner (loved it) who tried the winter camping thing (wouldn't do it again), here's my advice before you pull the plug and buy a pop-up for winter use.

First off, your going to need some materials to try this out.
A tent, Mr. Heater (or other moisture producing propane heater), cook stove, a set of saw horses, and a 4x8 sheet of plywood.
Before the next cold snap and snow storm, set the plywood on the sawhorses.
Set up the tent and put in the heater.
When you get back from skiing, or whatever you do during the winter, put all your cold, wet gear in the tent. Crawl in, crank up the heater, and cook dinner. What, no way to vent the moisture from cooking?! Get used to it, Sally.
When your done, go to sleep (did I mention in the 'materials' section that your going to need an extra blanket or two? No? My bad.)
In the middle of the night, get up, out of your 3 layers of blankets (yes, the heater is still on) and pee in a bottle.
In the morning, drag yourself out of said blankets, knock condensation from breath, propane heater, and cooking off fabric walls onto everything. As you wait for coffee to brew be sure to keep wrapped up in blankets (yes, the heater is still on) and dream about a warmer camper.
When all that is done, its time to "lower your camper". Remember the plywood and sawhorses? Yeah, this is where they come in.
Go out, squat under one end of the snow covered plywood and lift. Legs, not back! Lower. Move to the other side and repeat. Note: if you don't get an FWC, your back may not feel this exercise, but I bet the lifting mechanism of the camper will...
If this sounds like fun, then your well suited to winter camping in a pop-up, enjoy!

 

[AeroNautiCal]

It's in the works :sombrero:

View attachment 112843View attachment 112844View attachment 112845

I'm a long term subscriber to your thread, mainly because I've been so impressed at how you addressed the issues I referred to.

I believe that your design, choice of materials and construction techniques overcome all of the downsides to the 'traditional' hard sided and fabric sided pop tops.

Then there's the reduced wear and tear, maintenance and set up/down time which your design benefits from, compared to the 'traditional' pop tops.

Composite construction with a foam core also has excellent strength, weight and insulation advantages, something aviation and marine designers and constructors have appreciated for some time.

It's not a coincidence that the most prolific composite camper constructor in the UK began life as boat builders!

I can't wait to see your first release XP CAMPER.

 

[Runt]

Winter Camping in a pop up

Easy....spent Alot of nights in my camper this last winter was always warm and comfortable. My camper had zero issues. You will get ice build up inside the camper along frame structure and inside on the pop up fabric. I wipped every thing down when the condensation formed and it helped. Trick is when your done camping to put a electric heater in the camper to dry it out.

 

[davidv]

I've had many sub freezing nights in my Hallmark and have had no problems staying warm. I second the comment the condensation is the bigger problem and don't know how a hard side camper would solve that issue.

Any one have experience with cold weather in a hardside that can compare?