MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Big D on July 06, 2014, 03:28:17 PM
-
Hi there.
We recently got rid of a basic soft floor camper for an old poptop caravan...BIG MISTAKE. The caravan is pokey with not enough room inside, a small bed, not enough room for our family to eat comfortably, and it seems to encourage everyone to be inside rather than outside enjoying the surroundings more. Problem is the wife likes everything being in one place, kitchen, food, oven, stove, fridge, cutleryetc. Anyway, I think I can eventually get the wife to come around to a camper again....but I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what are the drawbacks of a walk up camper apart from length and weight.
I have concerns about how long it will take to set up with the way the step needs the zip around it when open, and getting a good enough seal to stop bugs mainly SPIDERS (the wife's biggest concern) getting into our sleeping area.
We are thinking about a Challenge Meridian Walkup with a lot of goodies -including a Drift DPOR with fridge (that should keep SWMBO happy).
I'd appreciate any feedback from people who have used a walkup. Cheers Damien.
-
Hey Damien, we've got the Trackabout Safari SV Extenda which has the walkway. SWMBO and I are in our early 50's and by no means fit nor nimble, but we have been tent camping most of our lives. Once we get the Trackie into position, we can get the main tent up with corners pegged down, which includes cover unzipped, corner legs down, walk through steps down, in no more than 10 minutes. If we then want the kitchen awning up with 4 spreaders, 4 poles and 4 ropes in another 10 to 15 minutes depending on if it's windy or raining. We find the sometimes most challenging part of set up selecting a site. This has been known to take 1/2hr:-)
We've only has one mouse get into the tent on the numerous occasions we've been out, and pretty sure it came through the doorway. Never had any trouble with bugs, grubs, nor spiders etc to date. We also love all the extra room we get as the tent area is bigger over the longer trailer base that includes the walkway. The kitchen awning is a great place for afternoon beer, wine and nibbles without needing to use the main sleeping area. We also have the Drifta pullout kitchen and Pantry drawer in the kitchen area and for the first time in all our years camping, swmbo is the one pestering me for "when's the next trip". The QS bed is also a winner with heaps of sleeping room, but here's something to consider. I get the centre side of the bed as swmbo was scared about falling off in the night, so she has the tent side of the bed. Our Trackie has a somewhat vertical tent side next to where she sleeps, but we saw many CT's had an angled side. SWMBO was concerned about feeling claustrophobic with the other brands as the angled tent wall came in on her sleeping side. The Trackie also has 4 large drawers that open into the walkway, so with the pantry drawer in the kitchen, we're always packed and ready to go, only needing to get fresh food.
Hope this helps.
-
Don't know what the challenge are like but we have a Lifestyle walkup and love it.
Apart from the obvious of not having to deal with a ladder at 2am there's the added benefit of storage... we put all our clothes, sheets and clean stuff in the walk thru when we travel and keep under the trailer for the 'dirty' camping stuff.
My husband can set the camper up on his own in 10 mins including unhitching (but not the awning) and we get a very tight seal around the steps - we have an clip every inch ask so - haven't had any creepy crawlies in yet (that I know of)
To be honest we love the walkup. If it had to be replaced we wouldn't even look at the non-walkup styles
Good luck in you search...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
-
We have a Customline Adventure walk-up and couldn't be happier with it. Great seal around the step and simple to set up.
-
We have a mountain trail walk up and love it. Quick and easy slide on wall that goes along the bottom of the trailer takes no time and effort to fix it on.
-
have you thought about just adding a tarp...
I setup a 9m x 6m over cub and table and chairs and you have a large outdoor area for most stuff.
-
We too have a Mountain Trail Escape with walk up option. In regards to stopping spiders etc. Mate you'll never completely seal the openings off but we throw a piece of foam offcuts into the areas where it cannot be completely sealed off but due to it's design and the need to zip or thread around the step you are going to get a gap.
-
I cannot offer you many drawbacks to a walkup style camper trailer. They weigh only a fraction more the same trailer without a walkway, less than 10% but the additional tent space, ease of access to the bed, storage room when setup and when traveling offer so many advantages.
Ramp over angle is less due to the extra length, but that's a relative thing anyway and may not be an issue. Turning circle is wider, but that can mean the camper tracks better and be better in many circumstances.
-
I cannot offer you many drawbacks to a walkup style camper trailer. They weigh only a fraction more the same trailer without a walkway, less than 10% but the additional tent space, ease of access to the bed, storage room when setup and when traveling offer so many advantages.
Ramp over angle is less due to the extra length, but that's a relative thing anyway and may not be an issue. Turning circle is wider, but that can mean the camper tracks better and be better in many circumstances.
I would echo this-we have an MDC Off road stepthrough and I couldn't ever see us using a non walkthrough version. Not only does it give us a bigger tent but it also gives us a really large and easy area to store bags, the porta cot, chairs, the porta potty etc whilst on the move.
-
We have a Customline Discovery walk up and its great. The walk up's are well worth it IMO. We just use a small portable step instead of the fold out one. That way the tent is sealed better. If i got my time again, I would order it with out the step. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/07/amu7a4aq.jpg) The extra space and the fact you dont have to crawl over each other is worth its weight in gold.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
my setup is here
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=5598.msg80978#msg80978 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=5598.msg80978#msg80978)
-
Thanks to all who replied....it has really given me some food for thought. It seems that different walk-ups have different methods of sealing the steps when open to the outside which I need to have a closer look at.
Appreciate all the info - still open to more - and I'm sure I'll have a few more questions in the future.
Cheers
Damien
-
Hi Big D,
I can't help with the Walkthrough option, but I have a Challenge Outback Deluxe, and the quality is very good. They build a nice strong product with good canvas, but don't offer all the flashy extras as a lot of the imports, and their price is reasonable and backup service is great.
Pog.
-
Thanks Pog re the Challenge. They certainly do look well built and I have heard excellent reports about the canvas product.
I don't know that I want to go one which requires a rope track piece of poly to seal the trailer end of the tent like the customline...It seems I can get the challenge with ALL the goodies including solar, boatrack, gull wing toolbox etc for around $27K which is pretty good value...but I'd love to see some of the others at the C&C show end of the month
-
We have the Tambo Omeo and the walk up is great, as others have noted, storage and access to the bed. The step area is always going to be a problem in sealing and ours is only held on with press studs which leaves a lot of gaps. In the time we have had it we have never had a problem with critters getting in. We have been in some rat plague areas and they hammered the pantry but did not try to get inside the tent, we just don't have any food inside as a rule which deters them.
GG
-
We have the Complete Campsite Uluru with the step up and have never had a problem with critters getting in. When the tent is folded out, the step area is sealed off with velcro all the way around.
-
Here's a walk up camper with a difference ;D Very happy with it :cup:
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=21005.msg367463#msg367463 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=21005.msg367463#msg367463)
-
Hi there.
We recently got rid of a basic soft floor camper for an old poptop caravan...BIG MISTAKE. The caravan is pokey with not enough room inside, a small bed, not enough room for our family to eat comfortably, and it seems to encourage everyone to be inside rather than outside enjoying the surroundings more. Problem is the wife likes everything being in one place, kitchen, food, oven, stove, fridge, cutleryetc. Anyway, I think I can eventually get the wife to come around to a camper again....but I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what are the drawbacks of a walk up camper apart from length and weight.
I have concerns about how long it will take to set up with the way the step needs the zip around it when open, and getting a good enough seal to stop bugs mainly SPIDERS (the wife's biggest concern) getting into our sleeping area.
We are thinking about a Challenge Meridian Walkup with a lot of goodies -including a Drift DPOR with fridge (that should keep SWMBO happy).
I'd appreciate any feedback from people who have used a walkup. Cheers Damien.
Hi Damien
Good to see you heading back to a camper.
After having the use of a 17ft poptop caravan and always feeling that there was not enough space I convinced the wife to try a camper trailer.
We hired a Johnno's for a weekend with out a walk up and the wife enjoyed it but felt uneasy climbing the ladder to get to the bed.
So after some searching we ordered a lifestyle extenda and have found the additional space and ease of access to be wonderful. As for the creepy crawlies we have had no issues so far.
I am sure you will be very happy with a walk up design as the additional storage space and tent space is certainly worth the weight penalty and as far as setup I do not think the walkup would add much time if anything it makes for easier packing and unpacking as you can fit so much into the walk way.
Good luck with your decision and hope the other half will come around to the camper way of life again.
:cheers:
Damian
-
Here's a walk up camper with a difference ;D Very happy with it :cup:
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=21005.msg367463#msg367463 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=21005.msg367463#msg367463)
Mate, that's a cracker of a camper. Love the use of internal space
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
-
Stupid question about using the walk through area for storage while traveling - is it easy enough to get to when everything is packed up?
-
Stupid question about using the walk through area for storage while traveling - is it easy enough to get to when everything is packed up?
In the Tambo you can open the side door which folds down to make the stairs and you can access the entire walkway. We store the kids bedding and clothes in there are well as their stretcher beds.
GG
-
Stupid question about using the walk through area for storage while traveling - is it easy enough to get to when everything is packed up?
Sure is most have a door on both sides that you can open, on the lifestyle there is a door on both sides but can only really access from one side has pull out steps are on the other side. I have fridge in there for travel
-
I'll echo what others have said. We have a walkway camper and it uses press studs to seal around the step up. No issues with varmits or the like.
We have a 40L fridge at the other end of the walkway and it stays there permanently. When travelling, the walkway stores the fridge, food box (spacecase) and a big box for the kids toys. We just open the lid of the trailer to access them when stopped or open the side doors.
The walkway style makes a great spot to change kids nappies too ...
Only drawback is extra length of the trailer (obviously) and a bit more ball weight.