What features made you upgrade/want to upgrade?

[tryagain]

Had the opportunity to use my parents Jayco Swan for a couple of nights with just my wife as we left my kids with the folks, it was interesting to compare to our soft floor, It got me thinking what are the features that have made you or made you want to upgrade.
We are a family of 6 so a Swan would realistically be too squishy for us but thinking about ways to incorporate the features I like into a soft floor that has the space required.
It was also interesting to camp just as a couple, as opposed to a young family, safe to say they are chalk and cheese, and that often influences what setup/features are best.

So how did I find the swan compare? Set up time was probably slightly quicker but that was only setting up for 2, I don't think by the time you add the bag end covers, awning etc that it's really much quicker, space was good for two inside but add 4 kids and it would be a different story.
I did like that we could be inside and all the blinds open up and there is still that connection with outside, I don't think many caravans offer this connection which is one of the main reasons I like camping, it might be a little different if you are more so (what I would classify as) touring as opposed camping but I liked that you could still be inside and have that connection with the great outdoors as opposed to feeling like you are in a micro hotel room.

What features did I like? a door that doesn't require a zip! I think I am going to try and do something with a flyscreen and magnets as this simple little thing I found to be one of the things I appreciated the most, also not having to climb a ladder to get into bed, maybe a walkup sometime in the future would be good as I have also wondered if (height allowing) a small poptop style toilet/shower combo at the end of the walk up could be made to work.           

So what are the features that have made you, or made you want to progress along the softfloor>hardfloor/forewardfold>pop top>hybrid>caravan typical progression

[gronk]

From a KK hard floor to a very small hybrid Lifestyle......mainly because of no canvas ( except for the awning ). Setup time slightly faster, but even if it's raining, put away time at home is quicker.
Would I sell this and go back to a canvas hard floor....no way, but if forced to by circumstance, yes.

There's only 2 of us, so this thing suits us perfect.

[Hewy54]

No canvas or zips or velcro.
We had a KK and loved it but my wife has arthritis in her hands so zips and velcro were becoming a problem.
Went for a Vista Crossover for the quality of built and ease of set up and pack up.

[alnjan]

Age is a great changer. From tents to two cub campers and now a pop top caravan.  From crawling up off the ground to using stretchers to trying to make it easier so left the tents for the Cubs.  Then the canvas and kitchen set up became difficult.  Now, due to medical reason  the caravan hasn't moved for about 18 months.  Personally, I would like a custom made slide on camper as I can't find anything else i really like. 

[MDS69]

We are a family of four and went from a 12ft soft floor CT to a 4 berth Jayco OB Expanda. Love the fact on long trips when you just pull up and overnight late for an early departure we can set up on our own footprint. Love being off the ground in wet weather. Ease of pack ups in wet weather then being able to set up at home to dry out on the camper footprint and not have to drag canvas over the whole driveway to dry.
I do miss the CT though. Even with the Expanda we do around 80% off grid camping the CT was a bit more rustic and robust so to speak. With the Expanda there is more effort for keeping the dust out and limits some of the places we can go. Even though it is a 14ft model at about 1.9T I don’t think I would drag it over to Fraser Is like the CT. Still cook outside too.

[Hookie]

We just switched from a soft floor to a swan about 6 months ago. One factor for us was setup time. The swan is way quicker to set up than the soft floor, even with bed flies and awning. The other main factor was being able to store most of what we need in the camper at all times, as opposed to packing it all into plastic tubs and then loading the tubs into the trailer. We both work and have 2 young kids, so being able to pack up and go quickly and get setup done quickly was our prime motivation.
There are definitely other benefits with the swan. We've spent rainy days in it and there has been ample space for everyone to spread out comfortably and do what they want to do. The kids sit at the table and draw or read or play card games, the boss and I sit on the couch and read, and I don't have to walk around and push the puddles off the roof every 5 minutes.
Like the OP said, in the swan pretty much every wall opens up, which is great for airflow and still feeling like you're outside while still being protected. in our old soft floor I burned mozzie coils 24 hours a day while camping, I've never burned one in the swan.
We do miss the outside kitchen however. When we camp we spend all our time outside the camper where possible, and with the old trailer you could be cooking or washing up and still outside and part of the group. With the swan you have to be inside. We get around that by doing most of our cooking in the weber or camp oven, but washing dishes is still an inside job now.
I also miss the soft floor every time I'm towing the swan.

We have no regrets about upgrading from the swan though. I know all campers are different, and some soft floors etc are very quick and easy to set up, but ours wasn't, and in a lot of areas the quality wasn't really there. If we'd had a better quality one we might not have upgraded and might be very happy with it, but this has been our experience and we're very happy that we went with the swan, it's made camping much more enjoyable for us.

[Fizzie]

My buggered wrist & shoulder , together with Mrs being somewhat vertically restricted , meant that it was just too hard to put the soft-floor CT up, especially when it then needs the annex / tarp sorted at 8' off the ground

The van is just sooooooo much easier, especially with shower & toilet inside for overnight use.

[Alan Loy]

We used tents for years but it got increasingly difficult and the setup/packup times became a hurdle.  After a brief stint with an Outback rearfold softfloor (more as a trial than anything) we got the Tvan.  Once again the setup/packup times were the major advantage over the Outback with the build quality reputation as the deal maker.  I want to avoid problems on extended rough tours so build quality is non negotiable.

[noel_w]

I had a Trackabout Safari 2003 and it was great when there were 2 or more people to set up. Having then found myself single along with the kids grown and flown, I needed something different. Used a swag and stretcher under the truck awning as well as a tent (RV5) for different camping variations and both worked well but was hankering for something to go touring with to make life easier. Found myself with a 2011 Modcon Imperial Forward Fold which suits me down to the ground. Well, off the ground more like it.   
As it stands it works very well but as we all know there are mods to be done.  .
I need to change the gas setup so I can have a couple more gas outlets for a shower and the Weber. I have a new McHitch auto coupler arriving this week to make hitching simpler when I am alone and we all know that standard manufacturers cabling is not up to Myswag standards. 


The best thing is I can set it up and be in bed for an overnighter in about 5 minutes. And set it up myself. Win Win

[edz]

If and when we ever get it built, Our very basic X-Over ...
 Pros :   Will be the Ease of set / pack up [ press button up / down ] in all weather as it was me doing everything on my own,  minimal canvas to deal with, poles / ropes etc for awning, no ladder to climb for bed [ wife will have two steps with hand rail to get into the X-Over though with her disability ], Bit more secure,  comfortable with hard walls in bad weather and off the ground  ..

Cons : larger size and slightly heavier than our old soft floor .

[tryagain]

One thing camping with a different type of camper in a different (no kids) scenario was a reminder of is that what's applicable to one person now is pretty specific to them in their current season of life, and that changes over time. Just because a lot might be heading down a different path, that doesn't what others are doing is the best option for you, you are best off assessing your individual situation to see what is best for you now.

[trinityalyce]

A great idea for a post. We're all so different - our motivations for travel, what we like in our camping set ups, family size, etc. So interesting to hear everyone's reasons!

Our reasons for looking to upgrade:

A more streamlined set-up - We're predominantly tourers, so we want something that's very quick an easy to set up, minimal stuffing around, no hassles in the morning when you want to hit the road again. Currently we're camping in an Oztent RV-3. It's been awesome. We even toured the Cape with mostly not pegging it down, so it really was a 1-2 minute set up... well, after you find a level spot, throw the shade cloth down underneath, get it off the roof of the car... OK you get the idea! So they're not quite the 30-second set up they are advertised as... LOL. Are they one of the most convenient and well-designed tents on the market? Absolutely. But after years of travelling with the tent, its time for a change.

Getting some weight and clutter out of the car - Even with our GVM upgrade, we're pushing max. weight when we're touring for an extended period, carrying all our food, water, etc. in the vehicle. We had roughly 80-100L of water in the car for the Simpson crossing (just a note: that was WAY overkill for the two of us for the time we spent in the desert!) which takes up a heap of space! And not even that - we want to have the option of travelling with our dog, which wasn't possible on the big trips due to the space everything else took up. And digging through the car just to find that one thing that's stored behind everything else... Yeah, while the set up has worked for us for years now, it's time for something new and less cluttered...

More self-sufficient - We can already cope off-grid for a fair period with solar and the dual battery set up in the car, but we wanted more flexibility. Some campsites we've seen (particularly now that we've discovered farmstay camping, etc.) have required you to be fully self-sufficient, meaning we had to have space to carry what we needed for a loo, shower if we wanted it, etc. The car is already chockers so we didn't have the room to add in an ensuite tent, porta-potty, etc. so looking at towing was the only solution. It also means we get MORE batteries and can spend MORE time off-grid. We like space when we're camping, and getting away from the crowds. So being able to camp in completely off-grid locations for extended periods definitely appeals to us!

A little more comfort - Sleeping on a swag mattress (we have a "bed roll" style swag so we don't have to make our bed every night. Definitely a more time-efficient way to tour with a tent!) for all these years, battling the elements while cooking if it is raining where we're camping because we've only had the car awning for shelter for those purposes, etc... Maybe we're getting soft as we're getting older, but the idea of an improved under-cover - or even indoor - cooking area and DECENT mattress to sleep on sounded like a massive upgrade and something we were keen on!

[glenm64]

Touring I want a quick(and easy) set up.
Wet flapping canvas was the biggest no go for us.


Cheers Glen

[Craig Tomkinson]

Camped in tents for years got sick of being on wet ground leaking wet canvas they are fine at the beach were the water can get away or up north in the dry season, bought an old pop van rebuilt it with Vinyl instead of canvas what a difference miles cooler, if its wet on top of beds just wipe with a towel and pack up, Like others has said off the ground, no zips much, ours is light to tow at around 700kg with linen and cloths inside, down side they do get dust in them but with a makita 18volt blower soon gets rid of most of that And just put linen in the big orange garbage bags, Craig 

[edz]

Hey CT you could fit one of these maybe    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzM_Lq9Lp10                Or a 12 V Bilge blower for a fan forced dust suppression set https://www.ebay.com.au/p/Marine-Boat-12v-Electric-in-Line-Bilge-Air-Blower-130cfm-3-AU-Fast-Ship/1284848816?iid=172784933136&chn=ps

[Craig Tomkinson]

Hi edz, I thought about putting in a 3inch bilge blower but my old van does not seal that good around the top of the door height on that seal, as the top has spread a bit, but that air ram set up looks good, Mite look for a second hand one and fit that up, Craig 

[Pete79]

If we had the cash we’d buy a brand new T-van tomorrow.
But we don’t so I’ll be tinkering with my little trailer for a while longer yet.

The only “upgrades” we’d like are the easy kitchen and being able to pack up soaking wet. Even if we had a T-van, I seriously expect we’ll still do tent camping. There’s just so many cool spots that vans/camper trailers are not allowed into (short walk from car park to camping area).

So even though a caravan is (hopefully) many many years away for me, I’ve got a couple of points for the OP.

1) We have some very good friends that travel everywhere with their family of 6 in their 100 series and a modified Dove.
They’ve done some huge trips and they always have everything they need.
We’ve been camping with them in some pretty average weather but they are always the most peaceful and happy family in campsite... I guess maybe that’s just what makes their setup work so well.

2) I don’t really rate the packup times of a lot of soft sided vans with foldout/slideout beds compared to a well sorted camping trailer and tent setup.

Just the other week we camped at a roadside stop beside another family of 4.
We had my little trailer with our Turbo tent and self inflating mattresses, they where in a Swan.
Both our camps looked like just the bare minimums for a quick overnight stop, folding chairs and a small table set out.
The other Dad and I finished our morning coffee at pretty much the same time and made a move to start packing up and hit the road in unison.
Buy the time we’d wrangled the kids into the car the Swan rolled out the gate no more then 3 minutes ahead of us.

We had to stop in town to get some fuel, but even with the stop it didn’t take long at all to catch the family with the swan on the highway.
This is just my personal opinion (and not intended to start an argument), but sitting on 90km/h in a 110km zone is not something I look forward to doing any time soon. I’m hoping to keep it light, keep it compact and keep on moving freely as long as I can.



But I’m well aware we all get old eventually....

[gronk]

but sitting on 90km/h in a 110km zone is not something I look forward to doing any time soon. I’m hoping to keep it light, keep it compact and keep on moving freely as long as I can.

Who does that ?? One reason why I don't intend to buy a big van, cruising at 110 is the only way to go for me..

[Merts]

We really enjoyed our Outback Sturt soft floor, but I eventually got over the time and effort involved in setting up and packing up. Packing up wet canvas in the rain was probably the biggest PITA. We've upgraded to a Natonal Campers Hermit hybrid. It's essentially a small pop top van with a slide out external kitchen. Setup for an overnighter can be done by just unclippimg four corners, opening the rear door and pushing the roof up. You have no idea how great it was, the first time we did that on a cold rainy night.

For longer stays, the awning is very quick and simple to set up, and our oztent rv3 connects to the rear which makes for another covered area and an enclosed bug free room to sit in.

[oldblade]

We went from a tent canvas to a new Jayco Swan Outback thought it would be faster setup we were wrong and we still had canvas 3 years later we were in a track trailer Topaz and that was 2011

[nab]

The main reason we upgraded from a soft floor to a Jayco Dove was to get the camper off the ground. There are a few tiger snakes and dugites where we like to camp. January 2013 a 1m dugite went straight past the entry of the tent, it could have easily turned and gone in the tent and we would have been none the wiser. When we got home we sold the camper ASAP and got the Jayco!

[Hookie]

sitting on 90km/h in a 110km zone is not something I look forward to doing

Who does that ??

People who drive 3.0 patrols because they can't afford a V8 landcruiser. Before anyone gets defensive, I drive a 3.0 patrol because I can't afford a V8 landcruiser. Occasionally I wind that rubber band out to 110, then inevitably I overtake someone, round a bend, and straight into some long incline, where all I can do is keep my foot to the floor while watching the speedo drop and saying "sorry sorry sorry!" as that same person then passes me. THAT'S when I miss my soft floor camper most.

[Luke_D]

Reading this thread with interest as we are looking to upgrade from the soft floor to a Jayco swan outback in 6-12months time.  2 adults + 3 kids.  Will be a tight squeeze but our favourite place to camp is up the beach and the swan is the biggest I would be happy to tow through the soft sand.

[Hookie]

We do most of our camping at the beach too, and one of our favourite things about the swan over our old soft floor is sweepability. Couple minutes with a broom and you have a sand free floor!

[tryagain]

Reading this thread with interest as we are looking to upgrade from the soft floor to a Jayco swan outback in 6-12months time.  2 adults + 3 kids.  Will be a tight squeeze but our favourite place to camp is up the beach and the swan is the biggest I would be happy to tow through the soft sand.

I'd recommend hiring one off camplify or Gumtree and giving it a try first, not saying you won't like or even love it but there are always bonuses and tradeoffs and it's hard to envisage all of them without actually using one. Should either give you a confidence that it's the right choice or save you some money, as well as an excuse for a weekend (or longer) away. One of the things that I hadn't really thought about but a few others have mentioned is having to tow something that is wider than the car and a fair bit heavier is a bit of a PITA, depending on tow vehicle etc it might not be a big issue, or you might find that your normal beach camping is curtailed due too not being able to get up the soft sand access tracks to a lot of campsites.