Why?

[campincrew]

I've been a tent camper for years and moved up to a PU 3 years ago.  Am I spoiled now or have I just missed the attraction of dry camping?

[Dee4j]

you are spoiled and loving every minute of it  we went from tent to PU for 3 years and now to a hybrid. As i get older the physical part of setting up etc gets harder. or maybe I just want more time to be lazy :!  I mean isn't that main part about camping  :!

[ForestCreature]

I don't think being spoiled has anything to do with it. It's more the surroundings & mindset than anything else. I still use every option on the camper except the AC, the cassette pottie,shower,lights etc still get used... if the camper amenities mean spoiled, I guess I am too!
 
 It's no more work than camping with ele, instead of plugging in the ele pole we plug in the solar.
 
 It's camping away from the masses, be it in the woods boondocking or in a small forest CG. One of our favorite spots has 12 sites, all well seperated, about 10 miles back in the woods. And another 20 miles from any stores. Don't get to many wild partiers unless they come well prepared (like us ), so the nights remain quiet .  You don't get a constant stream of people walking by all day. It's amore relaxing atmosphere. We have camped this way in the tent with our son when he was small and now in the camper without him and will camp the same in our 5er someday when we get one.
 
 The main thing is to camp they way you enjoy & have fun doing it.
 
 

[Diplomat]

For me the willingness and ability to dry camp opens up a whole bunch of options.  I like being able to go to out of the way places and still be comfortable.  A PU gives me the best of having a tent AND a trailer!

[garym053]

We started camping in a tent, moved quite quickly into a PU, and now this last summer spent almost as much time BACK in the tent as we did the PU!
Just seems easier to throw the tent and stuff in the back of the jeep and head out for a quick weekend getaway, than to pack the camper, hitch up, tow, and set it up. I can have our tent up, mattresses inflated, CPAP (Sllep Apnea) set up with inverter and battery, stove set up and cooking in 20 minutes in the tent! Sometimes takes me THAT long to decide where the best place for the PU would be!!!

[flyfisherman]

Always carry my tent along; carry it in the truck. Should I ever get seperated from the camper, for whatever reason, I'm still good to go. Sometime back we made a fishing trip into an unfamiliar area where there were several small state and national forest campgrounds. Since it was getting late in the afternoon decided to set the Starcraft up in a C/G that was kind of cental to the river. Did'nt set everything up, like the awning and sprawl all out but rather just made do for the night. Next morning, leaving the camper, made a little reconnoiter of the area and a few miles away on a side road, found a neat little C/G with just the perfect site. Pulled the dome tent out of the back of the pick-up, pitched it on the site and then went back and got the camper.

In our neck of the woods there are some state parks that have tent camping only ... no campers of any kind allowed; been known to head for one of those on a nice weathered weekend and just leave the popup at home. And, who knows, just might run into a tent only C/G in my future travels - should that happen, got the tent ready to pitch in a jiffy.

No doubt about it, the popup camper is more work. Especially when I stay at some place for four or five days (or longer) - the cleaning-up, putting-away, packing-up, takes me at least half a day! I guess it's all the extra "stuff" I tote along with the camper. But about the time I think that maybe there should be some serious consideration of going back to strickly tent camping in that I can set up the tent and take it down faster than the camper, I get caught in one of those all day and all night, cold, damp, rains and I remember why I got that little popup in the first place!

So I'm going to try and make the most out of both the camper and the tent.


Fly

[CanadianMom]

I have really gone full circle in the last five years; from tenting to a pop up to a hybrid back to a tent.  I have just acquired another pop up for this upcoming season as tenting in my 30's with three kidletts does not really appeal to me.  I only tent camped last year because I really enjoy camping and so do my kids, we all put up with the tent but all of us missed the comfort that a pop up offers; just being able to sit indoors on an inclement trip for example.  If anything, I have learned what I really need in the way of gear; this pop up will not have all the junk my first one did.

[ForestCreature]

No doubt about it, the popup camper is more work.

That's exactly why we decided on the Aliner.  When we were still tent camping & ready to get out of the tent ,we would watch people setting up with pop ups, noticing how much longer it took to set up than the big tent we had to set up. Our objective was to make camping easier & more comfortable, not harder. We had pretty much ruled a pop up out and were thinking small TT . Then at the Outdoorama (our local hunt, fish, camp show) we stumbled onto the Aframe pop up concept and immidiately knew that was what we wanted !  Here we are going into our 6th season with the Aliner and  it's still the perfect little camper for us.
 
 About the only thing gear wise that has changed that we take along is our chair collection grew and the road trip grill, packing up is never fun weather we are in a tent or the camper.

[endless horizons]

Hi all, We tent camped for many years when all we had were 2 small boys. But the truth is, it was a lot of work especially for me.  As a result we only camped maybe 2 times a year. Then we had a third son and our older boys were now 10 and 8 and growing faster than our tent could expand. That same year my mother in law started comming along. She had never been camping before and now is hooked. We purchased a larger tent but that took up more room in the car. That same year we went camping in October with my sister, They have had a popup for about 6 years. Well for San Diego weather it was cold and the campground did not allow fires due to the dry season.  With no fire to sit around and have fun, all the women  and kids pilled into my sisters popup.  What a joy! We made hot chocolate, played games all without hearing one complaint of bordom or "I'm freezing" especially from the teenagers. When we got home I asked my hubby for a popup. We started looking around at popups and even rv's but weren't really looking at spending alot of money. But when boy number 4 came along and the thought of 6 full time campers and one part time camper all in one tent and all the food and 7 bags with clothes and games and kitchen stuff etc. camping really didn't seam like somthing I wanted to do.  Then I found a place close to home where the prices of the popups were much less than other places we had checked out before. As much as $1000 to $1500 less than othe places. So I got my pop-up.

For me it has helped me so much. Now all I pack is food, each of the boys bags and any specific items such as beach stuff or extra clothes. But now we go 4-5 times and for longer trips. We would go more often but the kids have sports and the games are on the weekend.

Some of our friends who still tent camp have commented on the time it takes to set up our popup.  But they are the ones that only go out once a year, locally and have 2 or less children and no mother in law.

Another reason I love my popup is because having had the popup saved our camping trip to the grand canyon north rim the first summer we got it. To make a long story short. Some in our group were scheduled to hike to the bottom of the canyon and back during our stay at the north rim. One of our campers fell and severly lacerated her leg the night before the group was to start the hike.  We had to travel one hour to the nearst town emergency room. Because we gad the popup the injured person was able to take it easy and keep thier leg clean and elevated for the first 72 hours. The hikers left had a wonderful trip and when they returned all was well. If we wouldn't have had the comfort of the popup we probably would have had to leave that next morning.

So we love our popup and are greatful we were able to get one.
2002 coleman sunvalley

[tlhdoc]

I've been a tent camper for years and moved up to a PU 3 years ago. Am I spoiled now or have I just missed the attraction of dry camping?

You might enjoy camping with hookups, but you can give dry camping with your PU a try.  We dry camp a lot with the PU.  Our first 5 camping seasons with a PU were all dry camping.  Here is an example why.  At a SP close to my home about a third of the sites have electric, but my favorite site at that park sits down over 100 feet from the campground road.  It is very private.  There is a small stream running by and woods all around you. It is well worth giving up electric sites to have this site.  

[Johnowolf]

CPAP (Sllep Apnea) set up with inverter and battery

I have a quick question ... we just recently started taking my Mom-In-Law camping with us on some outings. She has a CPAP or BiPAP also (Used to have to sleep with a ventilator), necessary because of health issues. Since I see you sleep with a CPAP, I was wondering about how much the inverter and CPAP pulls down your Deep Cycle.
 
So far, we've only camped with her at electric sites, but we'd like to be able to dry camp with her at some areas in the SD Black Hills (she's never gotten to see Rushmore and Crazy Horse, not to mention the beauty of the Black Hills!), and we think the best experience would be to at least try the primitive state parks, not go to a commercial campground (which appear to be the only places in the Black Hills with hookups). To do that, we need some idea of how long we can run on battery before having to charge, and whether we'd need to plan solar or some other method of recharging.
 
Thanks for any info!

[tlhdoc]

From what others have posted 2 nights or so on a battery.

[sandykayak]

I am soo glad to read of others who find the popping up and down routines hard work.

Just got back from Fort DeSoto (south of St. Pete, Fla and rated #1 beach in the country!!).  The sites are gorgeous and huge.  They even have a doggie beach and renced in off-leash runs (big/small dogs separate) with a hosing area.

I had originally reserved for two nights but discovered that the mold and wet curtains were due to a leaky roof and not (as I had thought) cos I put it away damp.  Anyway, the dealer was about an hour north so I stayed for 2 extra nights.  But had to move one site over! grrr

I pushed in the front bunk end and moved it popped up!! But still had to schlepp the small stuff.  For the last night I did not have the PU, (and from now on I will always carry a tent in the car).

I had the suzeyQ popup screen room and the car canopy I bought a few years ago from Kirkham's.  The canopy covered the non-water repellent roof of the screen room, clipped two PUG solar covers and my vinyl ponch to the walls.  

It was thunderstorming and plan B was to rush under the canopy and hop into the Highlander (small SUV).  Plan C was to hotfoot it to the restroom.

I survived, but the clearing up the next day (everything was sopping wet), including the stuff I usually store in the PU took hours.

I came back thinking I would do more tent/car canopy or in the SUV camping so I can do more weekends and save the PU for longer times.  Sam's has a 5K BUT a/c for $77.  could use for tent or suv.  I also have the tent cot, but it IS bulky.  Under the car canopy it would be cooler since i wouldn't have to attach its rain fly.

I've always wanted to try an A-frame but it looks huge to me unpopped yet small interior when it's popped.  Plus I like the all-screen wrap around in the standard PUs.   Maybe I can rent one some day.

[veryolddog]

Some of us have gone full circle to realize that basic camping either with a tent or pop up camper in a "dry" area is probably the best outdoor experience we can have. We started in a tent many years ago and progressed through pop up's, travel trailers, fifth wheels, only to come back to the pop up. We did give the tent very serious consideration, but we felt that if I got on the ground to sleep, it would be a heck of an effort to get up again. Our ultimate camping is out West on the BLM lands. There we can find a place that is appropriate and set up camp. We will not see anyone else until we hit the main paved roads back to civilization. There are also many spots like this in our National Forests out there  as well. I believe the basic rule is that you have to have your site 150 ft from moving water and you should leave your site the way you found it e.g. if you make a fire ring from rocks, then you need to disperse the rocks cover the ash and make like no one was there. In the East, we try to use COE, National Forest areas and the National Parks for camping. It is much more difficult to find secluded areas here than out West but the experience is also very worthwhile.

Just a note: National Parks and National Forests are usually half price camping with the golden Age Access Card and BLM lands are pretty much free to everyone. BLM lands will be found in New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona in aboundance and scattered throughout the West.

My wife and I genuinely enjoy this experience more than we ever did the luxury of RVing. It's funny how the simplicity of the experience is so rewarding. Sometimes, it is very tough to leave an area after you have been there for a week and it has become both very private and personal to you.

[garym053]

I am VERY sorry, John and Nancy! In my old (almost 52) age I completely forgot I posted here and that I should check back occasionally.

I can easily get 4 nights on a 105 AH battery with my set-up. My CPAP setting is 16 (which is fairly high). I use a Radio Shack Modified Sine inverter, (Check with your BiPAP Mfg to see what they recommend, some require a Pure Sine Inverter which is more) Also, you can not use a heated humidifier, only a non-heated passover one.

I use a digital multimeter and check the battery level each morning to judge what I've used. I also disconnect the inverter as there will be some drain during the day! Once you know what percentage you've used in a night, you can easily judge how many nights you have to drain it to 50%. (I try to never go under 50%, these things are expensive!)

Here's a chart and approximate % of charge:
12.6 and up Volts = 100%
12.5v = 90%
12.42v = 80%
12.32v = 70%
12.20v = 60%
12.06v = 50%
11.9v = 40%
11.75v = 30%
11.58v = 20%
11.31v = 10%
10.5v = 0%

I also have made a charge line to plug into the trailer tow plug to charge the battery while driving around and sight seeing! If you do this, make sure you have adequite ventilation where the battery is and preferably a Gel Mat Battery to minimize the chance of spillage. I strap mine down in all four directions and open the windows or vents and mine ARE gel mats!!

Hope this helps! Email me if you'd like more info! Again sorry for the delay!