Hybrids & Rain?

[4campinfoxes]

We have a big Coleman Bayside & I really love it.  Last two trips though we had to set up or pop down in rain or after rain.  How much of a hassle is it to do that with the hybrids?  So far I won't consider a full t.t. because I still want to feel like I'm camping!  That's why I love my PU so much.  Anyway, I'm curious to konw if it's easier, harder or about the same dealing with a hybrid in the rain.

Thanks!

Sharon

[campingboaters]

While you still have to deal with wet canvas, I think it's SO MUCH easier to open or close a hybrid in the rain.  Since you can walk in and out of the camper without having to crank up the top, it's still a functional camper if you want to wait a bit for the rain to stop to setup.  We usually pop open the awning in under a minute and we can walk in and out of the camper even while raining without getting soaked.
 
 If you HAVE to close up while it's raining, you can get everything else put away while you leave your awning out and leave the beds until last -- hoping that the rain will have stopped by then.  If it's still raining when you have to close the beds, I bet you can close each bed in about 2 minutes.  If it's pouring REALLY bad, I would advise pulling the mattress into the main part of the camper so the mattress won't get wet when you are folding the canvas.  Some of the newer campers use cables to support the bed ends, so all you have to do is un-snap the canvas on the outside and pull the bed closed from inside.  I believe there might even be a hybrid where the canvas can remain attached to the bed end -- which would keep everything dry inside!
 
 Those are two things I would want in my next hybrid -- cables instead of poles for the bed supports and permanently attached canvas.  
 
 I LOVE my hybrid, but would also love some of the newer features.  I still feel like I'm camping sleeping under canvas, but I have so many more amenities to make my life easier so I can enjoy the great outdoors more.

[Gone-Camping]

The post above pretty much sums it up. Yes, you've still got canvas, so that means things are going to get wet, and you've got to deal with it opening and closing, and yes, even opening up at home to dry out again.

But also as stated, the trailer is 95% functional without those ends open. So you've got some room to manuever in both directions. Like stated, you arrive at the site and it's raining, just leave the ends alone, you won't need them until bedtime, so perhaps it'll stop raining before then, or at least let up enough to deploy the bunks.
 
Works opposite in reverse. When we were at the Spring Fling, I knew it was suppose to start raining mid-day on our final day there. So after breakfast, I went ahead and closed up the bunk ends prior to any rain. It did start raining around 1pm, and we left just before check-out at 3pm, but my bunk ends never got a drop! So there are some advantages...

[SactoCampers]

I have only camped in the rain with mine once, but found doing so with the hybrid was much easier than the popup. This is because you can wait until the very last minute to put up the bunk ends. On this occasion, I kept a towel handy and dried the top of the canvas, then immediately closed up the bed. The smaller beds on the hybrid made drying easier (Queen/Double vs. King/Queen on popup. Then I repeated for the other end. No need to popup to dry out the bunk ends.

With a popup it's a little more trick because of the time it can take to get the beds pushed in and the roof lowered. The same method as described above can be used for the popup, it's just not as easy.

[campingcop]

I believe there might even be a hybrid where the canvas can remain attached to the bed end -- which would keep everything dry inside!


I have a KZ coyote C20 which has the cables on the insied and the canvas attached to the bunk ends.

We had to close up in the rain on our first camping trip and nothing on the inside got wet and the beds stayed dry Setting up and taking down in the rain is a lot easyer with the hybrid than it was with the pop up.

[Dee4j]

I would like to get a hybrid next. I like the fact that it has 2 beds that are funtional at all times, Not like regular T.T's were you convert a couch or table etc every night and morning.

[dee106]

the other nice thing you can dry the canvas from the inside! when the canvas is inside you can wipe it off.