Camper vs. Tent

alex k

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the best of both worlds , my teardrop trailer . covered in the rain and cold , but simple and keeps me outside .
cooking supplies are in the back galley .i use a coleman stove to cook .
 

MountainHomeCamper

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I've been pondering this question myself lately. We've always tent camped. But I've been looking at the tear drops and have to say that I'd like to give it a whirl. Just not sure I can talk the hubby into giving up his tent (think Linus and his blankie). I'm trying a compromise and telling him we can tent camp but if the weather gets too much (too cold, too hot, too buggy) we can use the tear drop.
 

alex k

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I've been pondering this question myself lately. We've always tent camped. But I've been looking at the tear drops and have to say that I'd like to give it a whirl. Just not sure I can talk the hubby into giving up his tent (think Linus and his blankie). I'm trying a compromise and telling him we can tent camp but if the weather gets too much (too cold, too hot, too buggy) we can use the tear drop.
carry the tent and supplies in the teardrop ,use it as a secure storage spot , then when he decides it's for him .... bingo
 

Theo

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I've been pondering this question myself lately. We've always tent camped. But I've been looking at the tear drops and have to say that I'd like to give it a whirl. Just not sure I can talk the hubby into giving up his tent (think Linus and his blankie). I'm trying a compromise and telling him we can tent camp but if the weather gets too much (too cold, too hot, too buggy) we can use the tear drop.
A lot of teardrop users bring a tent (the type you can stand up in) to use for things that a teardrop doesn't do well. ( changing clothes, bathing, camp toilet, husbands who have to sleep in a tent :tinysmile_twink_t:, etc.) Some folks will bring a screen tent for relaxing in during bug season.
 

wvbreamfisherman

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A lot of teardrop users bring a tent (the type you can stand up in) to use for things that a teardrop doesn't do well. ( changing clothes, bathing, camp toilet, husbands who have to sleep in a tent :tinysmile_twink_t:, etc.) Some folks will bring a screen tent for relaxing in during bug season.
I'm planning on carrying at least a pop-up canopy (and likely sidewalls) or a wall tent to use as kitchen/dining room/lounge in bad weather.

Eventually I will build something that attaches directly to the back of the teardrop so you can cook out of the weather.
 

ppine

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I like the idea of different solutions for different conditions. A quiver of equipment to suit the day. I like WV's idea of a shelter over the teardrop kitchen.

In a typical year, I will do the following in increasing order of complexity: bedroll on the ground, tarp, backpack tent, back of the truck with canopy, wall tent or Baker tent, and finally a travel trailer. I like them all.
 

Barney

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I would never get a camper because this goes against all of my principles. Spending time in the wild is something that doesn't involve campers.
 

Grandpa

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I would never get a camper because this goes against all of my principles. Spending time in the wild is something that doesn't involve campers.[/QUOT

Barney, good to see you back. Thought maybe a bear or something had got you.
 

Theosus

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I would never get a camper because this goes against all of my principles. Spending time in the wild is something that doesn't involve campers.
I can see a camper as sort of a base camp… set it up in the middle of nowhere, grab your backpack and set off for a night or two, maybe come back, clean up, and resupply and go off in a new direction.
But pulling up and setting up in one of those trailer park campgrounds with fifty other campers? Just not for me…
I can see the appeal for families though. I maybe get to go somewhere once a month or every six weeks. No one likes to go with me. A couple of friends of mine have a camper they tow around. They're at a different state park every other weekend. They did thanksgiving dinner from their camper in the upstate of SC this year. Looked amazing. And the kids have an endless supply of power for the iPods.
 

ppine

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The first time there is a big snow storm, a blowing sand storm, or a thunderstorm with rain and wind a trailer seems like a really good idea. Or for trips longer than 10 days they can't be beat.
 

MacGyver

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In deciding whether a camper is right for you or not, I think one of the first things you have to ask yourself is where you want to camp. I've had a popup and a 19-foot travel trailer and wound up selling both of them not long after I got them because I realized that I couldn't get them to some of the sites I liked - especially the 19-footer. (Duh)

Campers definitely have their benefits: The ability to keep things stored and always ready to go, good shelter from extreme weather*, comfort in the form of air conditioning/ducted heat, full galleys for cooking, electricity, and better protection against "critter invasions". But they also obviously cost considerably more than even a high end tent. On top of that, there are maintenance costs (tires, leaks, bearings, wiring, etc.), storage fees/storage space on your property, licensing fees and higher fuel consumption on the tow vehicle.

Tents offer their own benefits. I put an asterisk on the weather issue because, with the right tent, it's possible to withstand pretty much anything a camper can except maybe high water. This is why I own five different tents so I can pick one to suit where I'm going, who I'm going with and what weather I'm expecting (and haven't spent anywhere near the cost of a camper). The biggest, a Kodiak 10 x 10, has heat, a cot, a table, room to move around and 12 volt lighting. It's withstood some pretty nasty wind and rain, too. And, to be honest, I'd rather be in that tent in a blizzard than I would a camper. If snow gets too bad, I can break camp, throw everything in the truck and 4-wheel it out without much of a problem. I can't say I'd want to be pulling a camper in conditions like that. But, like I said before, the biggest advantage of a tent is the ability to get to sites where you simply can't take a trailer. All it takes is one deeply rutted road or seriously sharp turn or steep hill to put a stop to things when you're pulling something behind you.

All that to say, my preference will probably always be with tent camping. I like the solitude of getting to that far away site and don't like RV parks where you're parked within earshot of your neighbors.
 

ppine

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I just bought a hybrid trailer. It weighs 2,800 pounds with both ends that extend with large beds. With the canvas opened up it is light and airy with great views. Much better views than being in a tent. It is off the ground with a decent mattress. There is a compact head and galley. The girls is already in love with the thing. I take naps in it in the driveway and read the paper out there. We may have found the sweet spot. The cadillac travel trailer is going up for sale, because at over 6,000 pounds it was just too heavy to drag around the mountains on secondary roads.

Many people in this discussion will change their tunes when they get to be 50, or 65 or 80 years old. On a trip of three weeks, having a trailer is a great asset compared to sleeping on the ground.
 

MacGyver

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Many people in this discussion will change their tunes when they get to be 50, or 65 or 80 years old. On a trip of three weeks, having a trailer is a great asset compared to sleeping on the ground.
Yeah, I'll admit that I still kick around the idea of a trailer. But, even at the "semi-advanced" age of 56, I'm still tenting. Don't get me wrong though - I won't sleep on the ground. I have platforms for my four smallest tents that keep me up and away from the cold, lumpy ground and my two largest tents accommodate the cot. I figure I'll be resigned to trailers when I can't stay bent over long enough to deal with the stakes. Hopefully that won't be any time soon!
 

Cappy

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Our lil 18 ft camper is more than a camper our home is very small so our camper is our guest house and quite often we give up our bed to some of our older friends and we camp in the drive way. The phone rang a couple weeks ago saying that Peggy had lost a beloved old uncle. We did not hesitate just threw a few things in the camper hooked up and headed 1500 miles north. No strange motel beds, yea it takes more fuel but the campgrounds are much cheaper than hotels and we have the luxury of our own coffee and food. This is great because of Peg's gluten allergy we know our camper is safe and our food is not contaminated. We use it to travel and vacation and run from hurricanes and yea we do go camping in it.
 

Northern Dancer

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...I've never been able to get a "camper" into a canoe - so that leaves that out. :)

BUT with my summer three season Alaknak, [and other models too] one bed with comfortable mattress and a few other comforts I can make base camp a mighty fine place to be and I can be as comfortable as the Queen. [ I should say King...is it okay to say king in the States? ]





aw yes...it's the call of the wild.

Yes, I live this way at base camp. Did I say I have solar power and...?

 

ppine

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The fastest way to become a trailer or camper convert is to go on a trip when it rains for 4 days straight or it snows every night. Living in the outdoors becomes possible in all 4 seasons.
 

Northern Dancer

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...I guess I'm backward - but I'll take an Alaknak every time [and I certainly have]. It comes down to a matter of choice. Like I say - you can't pack a camper into a canoe and there is no way you can get it to Smoke Lake. :)

? Hi - I'm Baden Bear (and I can't get my picture on the screen - so you will just have to imagine it). ANYWAY - Northern Dancer is almost fanatical about tent camping. "He just ain't got enough sense to give it up!"



Cold that day too.
 
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