Experienced opinions and concerns on pop ups and canopy campers

[montechie]

From my experience a couple years four season camping in the Rockies/PNW with my own vertical popup OVRLND and friends with GFCs and Alucab wedges, and ask yourself some questions based on where and how you plan on using it:

• Pay attention to usable space when the top is open. Can someone use the "upstairs" while a 2nd person is "downstairs"? Can you get in and out of bed without disturbing your partner? How vertical are the sidewalls of the cap? If slanted you're going to feel more cramped vs vertical, but you may take a bigger mpg hit... (think Project M vs ATO), also vertical means the sleeping area will be wider.
• How convenient is putting away the sleeping area? Can you leave mattress, bedding, and maybe pillows up above? Will the bedding have to live in the bed with whatever else (muddy bikes, wet skis, dogs, etc)?
• How easy is it to insulate the hard walls, door, and any hatches? Is everything sandwiched composite or can you apply foam board etc to insulate?
• What custom options do they offer to match how you're going to live in the camper? Do you spend a lot of time in rain/snow/buggy areas and want a lot of light and fans to live inside? Or are you fine spending more time outside?
• Can you line the tent popup for winter with a 2nd barrier? Not as necessary with this Hardsider probably, but curious what they claim the R value is.
• How taught is the pop-up when deployed? My vertical OVRLND pop-up is better in the wind than any wedge style topper/RTT I've camped with as far as wall flap. Mostly because of the weight of the material and how tight they got that design. The Topo wedge of one friend was decent though and maybe equal, others I had to put up my double walls to drown out the sound of the flappy wedges in the wind. (Yes they were headed into the wind direction at bedtime, we're in the mountains, airflow changes hourly).
• How high is the cabover? Is the camper custom to your truck or general for the bedsize? Do you need to squeeze into and under brush/windfall/rock outcrops, etc?
• How heavy is their cap? Most are fairly light, but considering some simple truck caps are stupid heavy like SmartCaps, double check.

With Hardsider specifically being new, what quality control and testing are they doing? Especially on the hybrid sides? That's certainly an intriguing design, could be awesome. However, they should know what the failure point is offhand, 10K deploys/folds? How many years of exposure on the materials? Jay at OVRLND is obsessive on every element in their campers and know what each materials failures are going to be. Are you and your $$ willing to be a alpha/beta tester for Hardsider or does their background and process engineering give you confidence?

 

[Dave in AZ]

Also, you said haitus was only canopy hard side popup, but actually Oru designs has a full pop with hard sides...

 

[trabs00]

Im definitely on the full pop bandwagon because of the additional space, but with Hiatus being the only player in the hard sided pop up game I can't get on board with their lack of design when it comes to the bed. Arguably the primary design focus of these canopy\wedge campers is the fact that they come with a sleep system, and I can't sleep on cushions.
I'm hoping that the company would eventually create a full pop sleeping platform that I would be able to purchase without having to ditch my bottom piece

I have a Hiatus that is still very much "naked" I haven't had the time to do anything on the inside.

I really didn't like their bed cushion design at all. I had them not include the cushions, they gave me a discount for not having them made.
I went with vertical walls to make a wider sleeping platform slightly wider than a Queen bed on a full size truck. They can extend the pull out portion of the slide to any additional length you want. I had them extend it a bit longer (their standard size is not as long as a queen bed).

I have two Exped megamat 10s that fit side by side with a some space on each side for phones etc. If you deflate the pads you can fold them over once and it is just thin enough to close.
Vertical walls and the gap above the cab did drop the mpg a bit, but I have a 12 year-old 5.7L Tundra...mpg has always been terrible.

 

[trabs00]

Also, you said haitus was only canopy hard side popup, but actually Oru designs has a full pop with hard sides...

For the Oru... It looks like the front and back is tent fabric to me, but hard sides. THe Hiatus is all 4 walls hardshell
It does look like a cool option though. I am not sure if they offer full barn doors, which was a requirement for me.

 

[Hodor]

Also, you said haitus was only canopy hard side popup, but actually Oru designs has a full pop with hard sides...

I looked heavily into Oru and almost put in an order for one. As well as several other brands folks are using here. I ultimately decided not to go with them because of several personal preferences like lift struts inside vs outside etc. and while some folks might not care about the owner and i see things very similarly.

 

[Wrathchild]

I was a fairly early adopter of an OVRLND on my 2014 Sierra 5.5’ bed. I loved it! I built out the back quite a bit with electrical, fridge, benches, wrappon toilet etc. The downside was that my truck kinda started to suck at doing truck things due to the build out. If I left it bare inside it would have been better. But then it would have been a lot less comfortable.

Depending on your climate, condensation is an issue. Doing it over I would install a diesel heater as a priority.

Everything is a trade off as you know. Being able to haul and tow became a bigger priority and the maxed out 1500 Sierra wasn’t cutting it anymore so we sold it unfortunately.

 

[Marine359]

Close to trading my truck for one with a 6.5 ft bed. Then we’ll order a pop-up topper. We are geezers, and will not consider any brand that doesn’t offer full top to bottom barn doors. Oru does not. That leaves Hiatus and Overland. But Hiatus is so darn expensive, and long wait. Is it worth it? BTW, we’ve gotten lots of advice on my Noobie post. Thanks. Here’s ORU’s email response: “Hello, we do not offer a full length barn door unfortunately. If you can be swayed with that you will have your camper completed in less than 8 weeks so you can hit the road sooner. Thanks!”

 

[Dave in AZ]

Close to trading my truck for one with a 6.5 ft bed. Then we’ll order a pop-up topper. We are geezers, and will not consider any brand that doesn’t offer full top to bottom barn doors. Oru does not. That leaves Hiatus and Overland. But Hiatus is so darn expensive, and long wait. Is it worth it? BTW, we’ve gotten lots of advice on my Noobie post. Thanks. Here’s ORU’s email response: “Hello, we do not offer a full length barn door unfortunately. If you can be swayed with that you will have your camper completed in less than 8 weeks so you can hit the road sooner. Thanks!”

I posted it in your noobie thread, but apparently you missed it... Tune is offering a top to bottom sideways opening door, like Alu-Cab and what you want. At least one person has purchased that recently, for a delivery late this year. Tune us still working the designs, as that sort of door must be customized for each truck, but they ARE working it and selling, you just need to call them and chat.

Also, you said you were handy, here is a self-made version you could copy now:


And the thread of his build with videos is on FB Tune Owners group

 

[Marine359]

Wow, thanks. I must have missed it.

 

[Marine359]

Love this camper, but I really would have to make my own hinged barn door. With the door in photo above, you solve the accessibility problem, but lose the ability to use your truck as a truck. Can’t get a 4x8 ply sheet in there. Or any large cargo. Don’t think I want to get into cutting sheet metal and welding. Would have to hire a pro for that. I’ll reach out to Tune soon to see what they can do. Not happy that you have to give them your phone number if you want to make an email inquiry.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Love this camper, but I really would have to make my own hinged barn door. With the door in photo above, you solve the accessibility problem, but lose the ability to use your truck as a truck. Can’t get a 4x8 ply sheet in there. Or any large cargo. Don’t think I want to get into cutting sheet metal and welding. Would have to hire a pro for that. I’ll reach out to Tune soon to see what they can do. Not happy that you have to give them your phone number if you want to make an email inquiry.

The whole thing also flips up, to use truck as truck and load sheets.
Dude, first you must have a barn style door, then you complain that you won't be able to use truck for sheets with a barn door. You kinda have to make a decision on that, this guy's flip up AND side open back is unique.
Just call Tune on phone, 30% chance owner answers.

Or Jay at OVRLND might be willing to make one.
Or commit to a full slide in camper on a big truck.

 

[Marine359]

View attachment 827704

The whole thing also flips up, to use truck as truck and load sheets.
Dude, first you must have a barn style door, then you complain that you won't be able to use truck for sheets with a barn door. You kinda have to make a decision on that, this guy's flip up AND side open back is unique.
Just call Tune on phone, 30% chance owner answers.

Or Jay at OVRLND might be willing to make one.
Or commit to a full slide in camper on a big truck.

So sorry. Didn’t know the end cap flipped up. That’s better than a barn door. I’ll get in touch with Jay.

 

[Dave in AZ]

So sorry. Didn’t know the end cap flipped up. That’s better than a barn door. I’ll get in touch with Jay.

No worry, Marine! I know it's a hard decision. I just want to make sure you know the options out there. I looked at them all, and I would never buy a Haitus over a Tune or Ovrlnd. The cramped sizing is just as important in 70s as climbing in the thing, more so even! Good luck.

 

[K9LTW]

Honestly with the updates that Tune is doing...ugh...would've been a major contender against our OVRLND, but OVRLND won fair and square as they were the only option offering full barn doors at the time (almost two years ago). I love that the Tune doesn't involve any convoluted stowing of the bed, my only complaint with our OVRLND. With that said, @Marine359 , if you weren't aware...I believe OVRLND is only offering full barn doors as a kit now based on chatter I've seen on the owner Facebook group and such. Looks like they'll add the upper doors, but it's on you to adjust and attach the lowers? I'm glad I got mine fully installed there, but can absolutely see the alignment being fickle.

 

[Marine359]

Yup @K9LTW. watched the videos. Not too difficult, but I’d have to buy rivet tools.

Really, really, really like how (even at 6’2”) you can sleep up top east/west in M1 without using platform extension. Sort of a game changer if all other considerations were equal. And definitely changes build out planning. Dont know if you can have an arctic tern in one of the side hatches. Will find out when I call Jay. Rear hatch option is truly cool. Planning build out so all furniture and gear can be removed. Wind resistance caused by larger frontal area could cause loss of fuel economy compared to other, but I’m not going to quibble about 2 mpg. Towing TT was 11 mpg, so 15 and up is heaven. Out today to try to make a deal on a 2020 Sierra Elevation 60 miles away.

Of course, there is the price comparison to make. OVRLND, within an hour of my inquiry, sent a price estimate for my options; around $15k. Dropping Hiatus from finalist list. Too much dough. Dw wants a master bath remodel. Marital budget negotiations Underway. I will have limits on the camper. Nuclear option not in play.