43 replies to this topic

[klahanie]

... at about 10,400 feet elevation.  I was awoken mid-night by the roar of wind and feeling the pressure against the pop-up part of the camper -- inches from my face.  I was kept awake by the sound...and worry that at some point the structure could fail.  The winds were not abating...

yes this, ha ha !

 

Mountain tops and passes. Another favourite, microwave towers...

 

 

Ever notice the size of the anchors they use at some of these places. But so tempting with their views ... (the main road center left)

 

 

This spot started out okay but the wind picked up overnight. We dropped the top - while we could - then the wind picked up and howled !! Very disconcerting with the truck rocking. We moved further down but were done for sleep til morning.

 

To the OP, don't let this worry you. It's all part of the adventure !

[Escapepod]

["This spot started out okay but the wind picked up overnight. We dropped the top - while we could - then the wind picked up and howled !! Very disconcerting with the truck rocking. We moved further down but were done for sleep til morning.

To the OP, don't let this worry you. It's all part of the adventure !"]

Thanks, David. I agree, the adventure makes it all worthwhile!

Edited by Escapepod, 23 February 2018 - 10:34 PM.

[craig333]

Just for naps. Never felt in danger enough to lower the top due to winds. May have slept better a few times if I had.

[Roaming_Eagle]

Only if there is going to be a load of snow overnight.

[idahoron]

I sleep in mine down actually quite often. Mostly naps when I am just so tired I am a danger to my self and other. My wife and I have stopped in parking lots, parks, stores, and rest areas for mostly naps many times. 

My wife runs. Some of the races are set up to start early and "no camping" rule is to keep people from setting up tents and 5th wheels with sliders. I go to these and leave the top down and have never had a problem. 

I have also left the top down in wind. Not really because I don't trust the top in the wind but I do it more to keep from having to deal with putting the top up and taking it down in the wind. 

[ntsqd]

When solo I almost never pop the top. Stays warmer inside and sometimes I'm close to friends who lack a heater in their tents. Letting mine run at night seems like rubbing it in their faces so I don't run it. Top down makes that much more comfortable.

 

Conversely my wife has never slept in the camper with the top down. I always pop it up when she is on the trip. We haven't camped in winds like Mark's experience, but we have had some windy nights. I've never been worried by it though on two occasions she was.

[dharte]

It would be hard to sleep in Front Dinette models with the top down-I've never tried it. I think that's the single biggest advantage of the roll over couch model. I can't even sit in my camper with the top down. Speaking of winds, one time in Capitol Reef the wind was strong enough to pop the top without me having to lift!

[abqbw]

It would be hard to sleep in Front Dinette models with the top down-I've never tried it. I think that's the single biggest advantage of the roll over couch model. I can't even sit in my camper with the top down. Speaking of winds, one time in Capitol Reef the wind was strong enough to pop the top without me having to lift!

I have owned both rollover couch and front dinette Hawks. I think it is much easier to top down sleep in the front dinette. You just crawl in, roll-out some bedding and go to sleep in the front dinette. (Assuming you travel with the dinette in bed configuration with the table down and cushions in place as a bed, which I do.). It's easy to go in and out of camper if you want to go to the bathroom or anything else.

With the rollover you have to roll the back of the couch over to have the bed. This is difficult with the top down. As you roll it over you run out of a place to be standing because it fills the aisle. Once it's rolled over it's blocks the door and it is difficult/dangerous to get in/out of the camper.

That said, In the Hawk model the roll-over is wider than the front dinette and would be better for two people. But for one person the front dinette is easier to use, in my opinion based on owning and using both styles.

[hoyden]

I have the side dinette and have taken naps in it often with the top down. When campering, I haven't sleep in it with the top down, tho in retrospect, there were a few times it would have been much easier to have done so.

 

As far as winds go... I've been in some pretty strong winds and mostly it just sucks cuz everything is rocking and with the top up, it's hard to escape getting hit by the soft sides while trying to sleep. That said, my first time experiencing high winds was camping at Muley Point in Utah. High up on a ledge! I considered moving, but it was pitch black outside and the gusts made me concerned to try to pop-down.

 

I was so scared, I spent a good portion of the evening on my cell phone (4G up there!) researching incidents of trucks and campers being blown over by winds. I kept picturing being blown over, then pushed over the edge of the cliff (which was actually not terribly close, but only slick rock and shrubbery in the way! ha!) What I found was that it's super rare and winds have to be near tropical storm speeds for it to happen.

Edited by hoyden, 26 February 2018 - 03:21 PM.

[klahanie]

 As you roll it over you run out of a place to be standing because it fills the aisle. Once it's rolled over it's blocks the door and it is difficult/dangerous to get in/out of the camper.

 

... or use the porta potti ...

 

That said I'll take the side bench model over any camper that needs the top up to sleep. From my seat in the peanut gallery I see the FWC FB layout as having the best solution for top down sleeping.

 

 

I was so scared, I spent a good portion of the evening on my cell phone (4G up there!) researching incidents of trucks and campers being blown over by winds. I kept picturing being blown over, then pushed over the edge of the cliff (which was actually not terribly close, but only slick rock and shrubbery in the way! ha!) What I found was that it's super rare and winds have to be near tropical storm speeds for it to happen.

 

That's hilarious !

 

Rare yes, but you know, chicken little only needs to be right once ...