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metromizer · 09-10-2008, 01:46 PM

For people who just aren't into tent camping and don't want a full blown RV, this looks to me like a decent compromise. If you put it on a 4x4, you have a mobile tent site, anyplace the vehicle can park becomes a camp. At 65lbs, it isn't going to strain the top of the car while underway. Most cars will support their own weight in a rollover, if mounted correctly, I can't see why the weight of two people and gear would be an issue... unless you have a Metro

I have owned several different smaller campers over the years, from several older Westfalia VW campers, to a mini-truck w/cabover camper, then a 1 ton dually Ford w/11foot Lance cabover. They all had their pluses and minuses. As my kids have grown to teens and aren't interested in camping anymore, and I've significantly down sized my pile of 'stuff', my camping gear now consists of a tent and a sleeping bag. I've daydreamed about some sort of conversion for our mini-van, that could be removed and stored, but could support my lady and I for a week long trip to the desert or the San Jaun islands. I don't want another vehicle w/reg, ins., tires, a water pump that breaks on Friday night just before a trip. I don't want anything that gets 10mpg again.

This has me thinking again...

My RV journey:
The VW's were kinda retro-cool, a phase I went through in my 20's I guess. But those old busses seemed to always need a full day's attention and maintainence before any significant road trip. Having no cruise, no ac, and relatively rough noisey ride made 1000 mile road trips tough on the body.

After starting a family, I bought a 7 foot long six pac cabover for the back of the Nissan hardbody truck. That worked great, but after daughter #3 arrived, even the king cab with rear jump seats were not enough room for all of us.

I was starting to race <cars> more and more, needed a big truck to better haul a car trailer and equipment, so I bought a big ole Ford crew cab, outfitted it with a cab over camper. It was perfect for the family, I could tow a car hauler behind it to camp at the track, other than FE <about 8mpg w/camper, 5-6mpg w/camper and car hauler> it was great. Gas prices made long family vacations so expensive that motels seemed the better way to go, water leaks rotted out the camper, so I got rid of it.

I haven't camped much in 6 years, but want to get back to it.

09-10-2008, 01:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
metromizer Master EcoModder Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NorCal Posts: 451 Thanks: 1 Thanked 40 Times in 26 Posts	For people who just aren't into tent camping and don't want a full blown RV, this looks to me like a decent compromise. If you put it on a 4x4, you have a mobile tent site, anyplace the vehicle can park becomes a camp. At 65lbs, it isn't going to strain the top of the car while underway. Most cars will support their own weight in a rollover, if mounted correctly, I can't see why the weight of two people and gear would be an issue... unless you have a Metro I have owned several different smaller campers over the years, from several older Westfalia VW campers, to a mini-truck w/cabover camper, then a 1 ton dually Ford w/11foot Lance cabover. They all had their pluses and minuses. As my kids have grown to teens and aren't interested in camping anymore, and I've significantly down sized my pile of 'stuff', my camping gear now consists of a tent and a sleeping bag. I've daydreamed about some sort of conversion for our mini-van, that could be removed and stored, but could support my lady and I for a week long trip to the desert or the San Jaun islands. I don't want another vehicle w/reg, ins., tires, a water pump that breaks on Friday night just before a trip. I don't want anything that gets 10mpg again. This has me thinking again... My RV journey: The VW's were kinda retro-cool, a phase I went through in my 20's I guess. But those old busses seemed to always need a full day's attention and maintainence before any significant road trip. Having no cruise, no ac, and relatively rough noisey ride made 1000 mile road trips tough on the body. After starting a family, I bought a 7 foot long six pac cabover for the back of the Nissan hardbody truck. That worked great, but after daughter #3 arrived, even the king cab with rear jump seats were not enough room for all of us. I was starting to race <cars> more and more, needed a big truck to better haul a car trailer and equipment, so I bought a big ole Ford crew cab, outfitted it with a cab over camper. It was perfect for the family, I could tow a car hauler behind it to camp at the track, other than FE <about 8mpg w/camper, 5-6mpg w/camper and car hauler> it was great. Gas prices made long family vacations so expensive that motels seemed the better way to go, water leaks rotted out the camper, so I got rid of it. I haven't camped much in 6 years, but want to get back to it.