Pop-up vs anything else

craig333

Expedition Leader
Yeah, rent first. Its really the only way for someone who is undecided to make a good decision. Now me, I knew I wanted a popup and never even looked at other options and have absolutely no regrets.
 

AbleGuy

Officious Intermeddler
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.

I’ve contacted Hiatus and they can put screened openable windows on the sides up top. Those, plus a decent 12v roof vent fan, should pretty much cure the “sauna“ problem.
 

tacomabill

Active member
I’ve contacted Hiatus and they can put screened openable windows on the sides up top. Those, plus a decent 12v roof vent fan, should pretty much cure the “sauna“ problem.
Depends on how high the temp and humidity is, as I indicated, been there done that. In the Eastern USA there will be days in July and August where that camper will be a cooker.
 

tacomabill

Active member
You would not do much camping then. Have you lived back there? I grew up in New England and it is even worse farther south. It as sticky hot about 25% of the days in summer. People camp when they have the time, not when the weather is nice. It is a big reason I moved out west.
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
You would not do much camping then. Have you lived back there? I grew up in New England and it is even worse farther south. It as sticky hot about 25% of the days in summer. People camp when they have the time, not when the weather is nice. It is a big reason I moved out west.
Yup have family about 5 min from the Mall. Only visited once in late July never again. August and September in Michigan too no thanks. Which is why everyone goes north or south during that time.
 

tacomabill

Active member
I discovered Michigan's UP two summers ago -beautiful. One exception to my posts is if you can find a campsite right on the shore of Lake Superior it is is temperate there due to the very cold water. Unfortunately, there very few campgrounds on the lake and all are booked 6 months ahead and no dispersed camping anywhere on the lake that I could find.
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
My neighbor's from Maine and tells me about the summers there with the humidity, mosquitoes and black flies. I'll bet Indian Summer though is beautiful.
 

1000arms

Well-known member
My neighbor's from Maine and tells me about the summers there with the humidity, mosquitoes and black flies. I'll bet Indian Summer though is beautiful.
Maine is beautiful, especially when the leaves change color!

Maine does have humidity, mosquitoes, deer flies, moose flies, black flies, and "no-see-ums". https://maineanencyclopedia.com/insects-biting/

OP: Make sure campers/tents/head-nets/... have "no-see-um mesh". The little things go through regular window-screen, especially in a breeze.

The problem with "no-see-um mesh" is that it really restricts airflow because it is so tightly woven.

You all are reminding me why I very seldom venture more than a hundred miles east of the Rockies. The west is the best...
A few more reasons for you! :cool:

And:




I have seen many beautiful places in the west, especially in the places with mountains, trees, and water, but I can't call it "the best". But, I won't call Maine the best either, although the fall leaf change on the coast, or next to inland waters, is amazing.

I will admit that sleeping bug-free, under the stars, on my roof rack, at 10,500', in the Rockies, was great!
 

rruff

Explorer
I have seen many beautiful places in the west, especially in the places with mountains, trees, and water...
I will admit that sleeping bug-free, under the stars, on my roof rack, at 10,500', in the Rockies, was great!
Yes! The night sky through clear dry mountain air is something to behold. That's why I usually camp colder in summer than winter.

I grew up in IL farm country. When I was 12 we took a family trip to CO, WY, and MT. I was in awe; could not believe it was real. Driving in the mountains our first day in CO we pulled the car over to take a break, next to a meadow of boulders and grass and wildflowers and butterflies with a stream flowing through the middle, and the clearest sun and blue sky you can imagine. Just an "average" scene in the mountains. I knew where I belonged, then.

What would you call the best?
 

1000arms

Well-known member
... What would you call the best?

I've driven in 49 states (no bridge to Hawaii yet :cool:), "camped" in all 49 I think, been to Canada a number of times, including driving from Vermont through Canada to Alaska, Alaska through Canada to Washington (with a couple of stops in Haines AK and Hyder AK), and have experienced many beautiful places.

There are places I've been to many times, places i want to visit again, and places I'm glad I visited, but don't "need" to go back to again. Some place are too hot and humid for me, some are too flat, some are too dry and without mountains, trees and water.

I like water, mountains, and trees. I've lived in the Rockies high and dry near water and trees, and greatly enjoyed spending only a few minutes in a vehicle or building while the sun went down and the bugs swarmed, to go back outside when the temperature had dropped enough that the bugs weren't out. The fact that it only took a few minutes was terrific! I've lived in the Northeast in the mountains and trees with lots of water and snow, while still only being three hours from the ocean. Four distinct seasons, well, five, if you count mud season, when even the skidders stop for a couple weeks. I've lived in the Northwest, where Olympic National Forrest was close enough to easily hike in, and thought, "I could build a cabin here, in the woods, next to this glacial-fed stream. Canada and Alaska both have their beauty. Mountains, trees, water, and often near large quantities of saltwater! :)

In answer to your question, I don't think I would call any of them the best, but simply be glad that I have experienced so many amazing places, and plan to go back to a number of them!
 

spicyrt

New member
So many good notes in here — thanks all for participating. Some additional thoughts...
  • My ideal van would be a short wheelbase (eg promaster 136), standing height, 4x4, with a MOAB bed or monk bunk. cab to camper access, easier stealth mode, still good as a utility vehicle. The MOAB is where this fails — not available for shorties — and alternative kits like Wayfarer seem less appealing.
  • I don’t need real off-road capabilities out here, but good winter driving, decent mpg, and would be nice-to-have modern safety features (once I got adaptive CC, lane keep, etc. I pretty much said I wouldn’t go back... huge for driving with ADHD). 3rd 4th passenger seating also a nice bonus for bringing a nephew or large dog or both. Ms Spicy is also pretty convinced that she would hate driving a van around town, and we’ve talked about getting a cheaper, small e-car on the side if I settled on van.
  • I would love to tackle winter and condensation with a Dickinson heater — had my eye on these forever. If anyone has run these with a popup, I’d love to see. I think someone mentioned this for a vagabond build? but I havent seen it done.
  • Think I’d want a 6’ bed and build a bench/bunk under the camper bed for stealth mode or guest. Also allows for skis in the truck vs roof rack.
  • The recent hard sided popup creations like Hiatus look like a perfect match... if they actually existed in the next year. Get a truck and wait?
  • FWC doesn’t really seem like my jam. Too pricey, too heavy, too much on/off to utilize the truck, still battling condensation.
  • I’ve thought a lot about a small, standing height cargo trailer; ultimately I still need a truck to tow it and would take decent time to build out. Can be a plan B or interim solution if I go truck and can’t quickly acquire the right camper
  • Swinging hitch racks for the bikes are easy alternative to the van storage if I land in a truck
  • Truck seems to win the platform debate here, but it’s definitely close. Everyone in a popup: is off-roading your primary consideration? Am I silly for leaning that direction without off-roading in my priority list? other major downsides to the van or benefits of the truck that I’m not considering?
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
So many good notes in here — thanks all for participating. Some additional thoughts...
  • My ideal van would be a short wheelbase (eg promaster 136), standing height, 4x4, with a MOAB bed or monk bunk. cab to camper access, easier stealth mode, still good as a utility vehicle. The MOAB is where this fails — not available for shorties — and alternative kits like Wayfarer seem less appealing.
  • I don’t need real off-road capabilities out here, but good winter driving, decent mpg, and would be nice-to-have modern safety features (once I got adaptive CC, lane keep, etc. I pretty much said I wouldn’t go back... huge for driving with ADHD). 3rd 4th passenger seating also a nice bonus for bringing a nephew or large dog or both. Ms Spicy is also pretty convinced that she would hate driving a van around town, and we’ve talked about getting a cheaper, small e-car on the side if I settled on van.
  • I would love to tackle winter and condensation with a Dickinson heater — had my eye on these forever. If anyone has run these with a popup, I’d love to see. I think someone mentioned this for a vagabond build? but I havent seen it done.
  • Think I’d want a 6’ bed and build a bench/bunk under the camper bed for stealth mode or guest. Also allows for skis in the truck vs roof rack.
  • The recent hard sided popup creations like Hiatus look like a perfect match... if they actually existed in the next year. Get a truck and wait?
  • FWC doesn’t really seem like my jam. Too pricey, too heavy, too much on/off to utilize the truck, still battling condensation.
  • I’ve thought a lot about a small, standing height cargo trailer; ultimately I still need a truck to tow it and would take decent time to build out. Can be a plan B or interim solution if I go truck and can’t quickly acquire the right camper
  • Swinging hitch racks for the bikes are easy alternative to the van storage if I land in a truck
  • Truck seems to win the platform debate here, but it’s definitely close. Everyone in a popup: is off-roading your primary consideration? Am I silly for leaning that direction without off-roading in my priority list? other major downsides to the van or benefits of the truck that I’m not considering?
The modern vans especially the Ford with 360 system have surprisingly tight turning radius and are pretty easy to drive.
I just did a drive by birthday parade party up a narrow street with a very tight turnaround with 12 other vehicles. My 2019 Expedition pulled a U turn where a couple of other large vehicles had to do a messy 3 pointer. The Ford Transit van has a tight turning radius and the dodge does too. The dodge is FWD and mehhh ugly and seems to lack quality especially for a daily.

Cheap used EVs are easy these days. A buddy picked up a E500 Fiat with 21,000 miles on it for $3200 last yr. He drives it everywhere locally and even gets free charging at Target during shopping trips. LoL

The Bolt would be fantastic as a used cheap EV beater more practical space huge range. Another yr or two those will be found with low miles and dirt cheap too.
 

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