Pop-up vs anything else

[tacomabill]

I use the small Mr Heater Little buddy on my FWC Fleet. Use it only in AM when I get up. I am in AZ in winter where AM temps are often in the mid-upper 30's. The heater keeps camper warm and dry even while cooking oatmeal and making coffee. I have rear door open half an inch and the flap window nearest the stove fully open while cooking. Also the exhaust fan. If it gets below freezing I have condensation on the ceiling above the the cabover bed and the heater dries that out in about 45 minutes. Once it formed ice so I set the heater on the counter for awhile, pointed at the ceiling and it melted then dried everything. Would not ever use it while sleeping. So while propane combustion does produce water vapor, it is more than offset with proper ventilation. My stove is a Coleman propane so the fuel bottles serve dual purpose.

 

[craig333]

A force air furnace (vented to the outside) will remove moisture as long as you're venting at the same time.

 

[86scotty]

I've had lots and lots of what you're after. Camper vans, Sportsmobile and home build types, built them also for others, hard side and pop up, JKU with Ursa MInor and lately a GMC crew cab with a hard shell RTT mounted high (above roof line over the bed). I've liked them all for different reasons. Mostly I like the setup now because I can use the pick up and bed for what it's for. We enjoyed vans and SMB's when we had kids, dogs, etc. with us. A van is unbeatable when the mosquitos or flies are bad. There is really no perfect answer for most people.

I'm narrowing down my next project now but it's only good for the two of us in this stage of life. By the way, we live in the muggy south east and travel extensively in the west during the summers. I think it will be:

Tundra full crew cab
Hiatus hard shell pop up
270 degree awning
Diesel furnace (I've had great luck with Planar and Espar but Propex is good too if you have onboard propane)
Light removable cabinet build
Big Truckfridge chest fridge

It seems you get 90% of what you want with any way you go. The problem with my plan above is no dedicated secure bike storage like you can get with a van with rear platform bed.

It never ends but I'm looking forward to hearing about your journey.

 

[Regcabguy]

I use the small Mr Heater Little buddy on my FWC Fleet. Use it only in AM when I get up. I am in AZ in winter where AM temps are often in the mid-upper 30's. The heater keeps camper warm and dry even while cooking oatmeal and making coffee. I have rear door open half an inch and the flap window nearest the stove fully open while cooking. Also the exhaust fan. If it gets below freezing I have condensation on the ceiling above the the cabover bed and the heater dries that out in about 45 minutes. Once it formed ice so I set the heater on the counter for awhile, pointed at the ceiling and it melted then dried everything. Would not ever use it while sleeping. So while propane combustion does produce water vapor, it is more than offset with proper ventilation. My stove is a Coleman propane so the fuel bottles serve dual purpose.

Do you get condensation under the mattress as many post?

 

[1stDeuce]

We have a RTT on a Comanche. It's good for getting way off the beaten path, but not so big on the creature comforts your SO will want if she's just hanging out.

We have an older Haulmark popup truck camper that is our go-to camping unit. We have many vehicles, so the truck camper stays on the truck most of the summer, unless I need to pull something really heavy.

If you want real 4 season capability, I'd suggest a full hard shell camper, not a pop top. We've spent nights in it where the temp got down around zero, or just below and it's doable, but with the heat set at 55, the furnace runs as much as it's off. At temps in the 20's, it's only a little better. It doesn't really make sense till the temp is above about 30F. And with the soft sides losing heat fairly quickly, the person who sleeps farthest forward (E/W layout) is usually a bit colder, while the person closer to the heater is warm.

The pop top does also have an additional disadvantage if you're coming out west... We've been ushered out of a few campgrounds in the northern rockies where bears are frequent. Signs say NO SOFT SIDE CAMPERS and that includes truck campers. Of course, we went just a few miles up the road to FS land and dry camped, which is our normal preference anyway.

Our Haulmark hangs about 2" over the end of the tailgate, so there's no climbing over anything to get in. I would recommend getting a camper that mimics this layout... Don't buy one that fits inside the bed, or doesn't fully overhang the tailgate unless you have a full 8' box. FWIW, our haulmark is an 8.5' camper and my Sierra has a 6.5' box. This is the perfect combo IMO. I can't imagine life cramped in a 6.5' camper... The extra storage and living space is what makes it comfortable, IMO.

Also, we bought a Phoenix Sasquatch last year to fix up and replace the Haulmark. Strangely, it's a couple inches wider, but feels a LOT smaller than the Haulmark. The seating area is smaller, and it doesn't have nearly as much storage because the floor is narrower, and the bulges behind the wheel wells are also narrower. I need to spend some time with a tape measure to figure out what my options are to make it bigger... It's in need of a remodel anyway, so it may get a more extensive one.

While neither of our campers have toilets or showers inside, I do recommend at least an outside shower and water heater. If your wife needs a toilet, you get an inside shower with it on most setups. The hard side will again have a much nicer shower/toilet setup.

Good luck finding something that works for you!!!

 

[Steelekj03]

If you wanted a pop up that's the best of both worlds check out hiatus campers they have a thread on ExPo somewhere (image off Google)

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Steelekj03]

If you wanted a pop up that's the best of both worlds check out hiatus campers they have a thread on ExPo somewhere (image off Google)

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...2&share_fid=7335&share_type=t&link_source=app

[/URL]

Hard-Sided Pop-Up Camper by Hiatus Campers

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[calicamper]

Cold and winds are the big negatives for sure.

 

[dreadlocks]

I live on the east coast and want a four season rig (with plenty of real winter time), easy camp setup and down, ample gear storage for ski, bike, or climb. Comfortable enough for Ms Spicy to hang for a day with a laptop and the dog, and also driveable as a primary vehicle. Mostly a weekend warrior, with a small number of longer trips throughout the year. Bonus for different bed configurations when solo camping vs camping vs sausage camping. I also don’t want to spend much of my own time on a build — ideally I’m camping in the next 2-3months — though I’m willing to pay for quality, fast work.

That sure sounds like a trailer, mebe you should rent some rigs and get a feel for your needs.. thats what I did and it really helped me and my old lady re-adjust our perspectives.. we'd been tenting it for eons and had no idea what we really wanted.

 

[tacomabill]

The Hiatus camper looks to me like it would be a sauna in warm weather due to very limited ventilation. Compare it to the FWC and All Terrain with four huge screened windows and a screen door. Even with that, my Fleet gets warm inside if outside temp is over 85. Spent some time in July and August in the East and the combination of heat and humidity made it miserable even with both fans running. I actually had to get in the truck and run the AC once an hour until about midnight.

 

[1stDeuce]

That sure sounds like a trailer, mebe you should rent some rigs and get a feel for your needs.. thats what I did and it really helped me and my old lady re-adjust our perspectives.. we'd been tenting it for eons and had no idea what we really wanted.

I've been looking at putting a truck and camper on Outdorsy, which is an RV sharing or rental site. This is a great suggestion if you can find a camper locally that matches what you might consider. Take it out for a long weekend and see what you think...

 

[rruff]

The Hiatus camper looks to me like it would be a sauna in warm weather due to very limited ventilation. Compare it to the FWC and All Terrain with four huge screened windows and a screen door. Even with that, my Fleet gets warm inside if outside temp is over 85. Spent some time in July and August in the East and the combination of heat and humidity made it miserable even with both fans running. I actually had to get in the truck and run the AC once an hour until about midnight.

Those big windows letting in sun are the worst! If the camper has decent insulation then not much ventilation is necessary. A vent with fan is plenty.

I like to keep it simple and just travel around to where the climate is good. It's easy in the west, all year. If I was where you are, I'd park in the shade in summer.

 

[calicamper]

I’ve got possibility paralysis, trying to decide on direction for a new camper. Since I’m posting here, Im currently drinking the pop-up cool aid and particularly attracted to the AT Summit, GFC, Hiatus, and similar. Convince me to stay here?

In the past year, I’ve gone from wanting a van to slide-in truck camper to cargo trailer back to van and now onto lightweight pop-up.

I live on the east coast and want a four season rig (with plenty of real winter time), easy camp setup and down, ample gear storage for ski, bike, or climb. Comfortable enough for Ms Spicy to hang for a day with a laptop and the dog, and also driveable as a primary vehicle. Mostly a weekend warrior, with a small number of longer trips throughout the year. Bonus for different bed configurations when solo camping vs camping vs sausage camping. I also don’t want to spend much of my own time on a build — ideally I’m camping in the next 2-3months — though I’m willing to pay for quality, fast work.

oh I also need a new vehicle in the next 2 months, so I’m not tied to any particular platform right now. Options are wide open.

Torn between a short wheelbase van with plan to buy a build kit (adventure wagon Moab bed). Or buy a mid-size truck (taco or new ranger) and start searching for a popup.

So - should I just go get the truck?

Some thoughts first do you see your self in one spot for a few days recreating the local area? Or simply parked over night then moving on to a new location? The only vehicle that has secured space for sports gear and flexible sleeping options are vans.
Pickup campers severely lack space unless you go with a shell version and rig gear storage on the main floor. Most people over look gear security until they are out and about and realize all their stuff is out to be seen and attract unwanted attention. Especially in areas your not familiar with and not sure if its a problem area or not.
Thats a BIG plus with vans and gear locked away out of sight.

Truck campers especially with bikes typically fail miserably on this aspect.

If you stay put for 2 or more days and are ok with private and gov camp grounds the small micro toy haulers offer everything you listed plus a out of view gear storage location. Also leaving you with a daily driver that doesn’t look like your leaving town to go camping.
The small 16-18ft hard side micro toyhaulers can be had for a fraction of the cost of a slide in truck camper. Yes your towing but as long as your in the 18-16ft range they aren’t bad to tow and you can squeeze in to tent sites in most cases.

Plus they increase your range in both weather, trip length and types of gear / toys you can pack along. And they have a counter for the coffee maker.

 

[calicamper]

I've been looking at putting a truck and camper on Outdorsy, which is an RV sharing or rental site. This is a great suggestion if you can find a camper locally that matches what you might consider. Take it out for a long weekend and see what you think...

I would rent a small 16ft toy hauler also and explore how that works with your typical trip.

 

[dreadlocks]

I've been looking at putting a truck and camper on Outdorsy, which is an RV sharing or rental site. This is a great suggestion if you can find a camper locally that matches what you might consider. Take it out for a long weekend and see what you think...

Heck look nationally, Colorado's outdoorsey selection is huge.. I imagine the PNW is much the same.. there has to be other parts of the country like that.. but for example you could make a trip to colorado.. rent a rig here, spend a vacation in the mountains w/out towing the damn thing all the way to the mountains.. that fuel savings could cover much of the rental costs if you play your cards right.. I did some napkin math years ago, but here in Colorado there's tons of airstreams you can rent.. I figured itd take decades of renting an airstream 3-4 times a summer before you got anywhere near the cost of buying one of em new.