what is the quickest and most comfortable to setup and pack away

Submitted: Friday, Dec 30, 2022 at 15:11
ThreadID: 145169 Views:4294 Replies:12 FollowUps:8
This Thread has been Archived
hi everyone

am doing volunteer work in a different town to the residence and have done it for years and usually stay at the grandmothers in the same town as the volunteer work.

even though the volunteer work isnt that far from home am looking for a alternative to stay somewhere in the same town as the volunteer work when the grandmother goes which could be at anytime and at the grandparents age they probably dont have 5 years left.

the plan is to camp somewhere in the same town as the volunteer work especially if am still living at the current residence which is likely with prices of today and waiting until being able to afford to buy a cheap place.

what is the quickest and most comfortable thing to setup and take down that feels like a van, what tent and other sleeping area is quickest to setup thats comfortable and is easy to pack up and doesnt take much room.

would be looking for quickest setup because of limited time and it could rain as well.

what are the gazebo and the tent accessory like, are they quick to setup and how do you cool a tent in summer so it is like being in a room with aircon.

there are times when not having mains 240v power to run a aircon.

if anyone can suggest quickest and most comfortable things and sleeping areas to setup and pack thatd be great (thought of a gazebo and the gazebo tent.

what gear would you need for overnight stay

thanks
Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator

Reply By: Rangiephil - Friday, Dec 30, 2022 at 17:44

Friday, Dec 30, 2022 at 17:44
IMHO the thing that would meet your requirements is a hard floor camper trailer like an Ultimate , T van or similar. I used to have a Camp'o'matic for 15 years until I recently bought an off road van as I and wife are getting old.
You should go for a hard floor camper as they only take 5 minutes for overnight setup and only say 20 minutes longer for a reasonable awning.
A gazebo is the spawn of the Devil as you are on grass when the rain starts, the windage is extreme even if you add sandbags, and they are heavy. A hard floor camper will have you above the water even if it runs under.
The Chinese hard floors are OK but they are HEAVY with popular ones having about 1500KG tare weight before water etc.
I guess you could run a portable air conditioner with 240 volts but you need a LOT of solar panels and batteries to run an airconditioner off grid.
AnswerID: 642429

Reply By: daisy20202-7 - Friday, Dec 30, 2022 at 18:21

Friday, Dec 30, 2022 at 18:21
THanks

Don’t want to spend money that could be spent on a van as want a c/van but that’ll be a long time

Just thinking of something cheap for now that’s easy to store.

Are teardrops ok for now until getting the c/van and do the teardrops cost much to make
AnswerID: 642430

Reply By: Member - Jim S1 - Friday, Dec 30, 2022 at 18:46

Friday, Dec 30, 2022 at 18:46
Hi Daisy
A second hand caravan ? No canvas, all ready for sleeping/eating. I know it's not a compact answer, but can't think of anything easier.

Cheers
Jim
"Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits." A fisherman.

"No road is long with good company." Traditional

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Position  Send Message

AnswerID: 642431

Reply By: Member - Core420 - Friday, Dec 30, 2022 at 21:50

Friday, Dec 30, 2022 at 21:50
Rooftop tent and 270 degree awning with optional sidewalls to keep out rain & wind.
AnswerID: 642436

Follow Up By: Member - silkwood - Monday, Jan 02, 2023 at 09:20

Monday, Jan 02, 2023 at 09:20
"optional sidewalls to MOSTLY keep out rain & wind"

Trust me... ;-)

Cheers,

Mark
1
FollowupID: 922020

Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Saturday, Dec 31, 2022 at 08:31

Saturday, Dec 31, 2022 at 08:31
From the moderate amount of travelling I’ve done lately, the easiest & quickest set up/pack, is the one where bed is in the vehicle. No packing up bedding, stretchers, loading tents, stowing awnings.

So vehicles like troopy’s, LR Defenders, Hiace & iLoad vans are some examples. Slam the doors(often!) & drive away!

Bob

Seen it all, Done it all.
Can't remember most of it.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

AnswerID: 642438

Follow Up By: Member -Pinko (NSW) - Saturday, Dec 31, 2022 at 11:21

Saturday, Dec 31, 2022 at 11:21
So you're the one?
Living is a journey,it depends on where you go !
VKS 737 mobile 0049 selcall 0049

Member
My Profile  My Position  Send Message

3
FollowupID: 921986

Follow Up By: Member - Jim S1 - Saturday, Dec 31, 2022 at 12:45

Saturday, Dec 31, 2022 at 12:45
Don't tour NZ in a camping type vehicle ......... unless you enjoy the whizz-bangs. Fair dinkum, some of the camper van hirers just don't care ........... they will open and close their sliding doors 20 - 30 times in half an hour at all times of the day and night.
Apart from that, NZ is lovely.
Cheers
Jim
"Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits." A fisherman.

"No road is long with good company." Traditional

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Position  Send Message

1
FollowupID: 921987

Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Saturday, Dec 31, 2022 at 19:23

Saturday, Dec 31, 2022 at 19:23
Ha ha, got me, Pinko! Can’t help myself. :-)

SIL has 2 iLoads for his business. They have a “whiz-bang” door on each side, imagine spending a night near a couple of them?

Bob

Seen it all, Done it all.
Can't remember most of it.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

1
FollowupID: 921997

Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Saturday, Dec 31, 2022 at 10:57

Saturday, Dec 31, 2022 at 10:57
You simply can't beat a motorhome. :)
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
AnswerID: 642439

Reply By: Member - Jack - Sunday, Jan 01, 2023 at 19:45

Sunday, Jan 01, 2023 at 19:45
Oztent and self inflating mattress may do what you want.
OBJ
The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get. (Lewis Carroll-Alice In Wonderland)

Member
My Profile  My Position  Send Message

AnswerID: 642456

Reply By: PeterInSa - Monday, Jan 02, 2023 at 10:33

Monday, Jan 02, 2023 at 10:33
To me, Tents ( and camper trailers) are not secure 24/7, Would look for a caravan in your area.
.
Would not take the annex and the floor with you, just the van, Caravan at $4000
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/gympie/caravans/caravan-pop-top-14-ft-sleeps-3-custom-made-annex-with-raised-floor/1306169473

Would need some TLC. At $2500
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/st-george/caravans/caravan-14ft/1304335237
AnswerID: 642459

Reply By: Batt's - Tuesday, Jan 03, 2023 at 13:08

Tuesday, Jan 03, 2023 at 13:08
Knowing the budget and if it's something that you would keep and maybe use for future trips when traveling don't know if you might have put that into consideration or just sell and move on that may help narrow things down.
AnswerID: 642468

Reply By: Richard M29 - Tuesday, Jan 03, 2023 at 16:39

Tuesday, Jan 03, 2023 at 16:39
The quickest set up time, I have ever had is my Campomatic Campertrailer. It takes 11 seconds to open up and 3 minutes to winch close . It is even faster then my previous poptop caravan. You can not buy them new anymore, but their are a few around built in the last ten years. Quite reasonably priced. I also have a OZTent RV3, which takes about 20 seconds to erect, and it would be the best and fastest tent to erect and pull down. Just would need a set of roof racks for your car, to carry it, as it is long. It sets up on the ground.
AnswerID: 642477

Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2023 at 11:12

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2023 at 11:12
Would not any other rear fold hard floor camper be similar?


PeterD
Retired radio and electronics technician

Lifetime Member
My Profile  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 922059

Follow Up By: Member - Outback Gazz - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2023 at 11:20

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2023 at 11:20
Peter

Most modern rear fold campers have some sort of internal pole set up to erect fully - the Campomatic doesn't, which was one of the main reason I bought mine !

Cheers
Gazz
0
FollowupID: 922060

Follow Up By: Richard M29 - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2023 at 13:20

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2023 at 13:20
Hence why they call them a campomatic,it is a manual/automatic opening mechanism, that works on gravity. Their is a youtube video showing the automatic opening of the Campomatic campertrailers. Like I said it is very quick. No other campertrailer has it. The others have to add poles after opening to get the tent to stay up. Even with the Chinese knockoffs today( though they have never made a copy of a Campomatic), their would be money to make in it if somebody decided to get Campomatic Campertrailers going again.
0
FollowupID: 922061

Reply By: Member - Outback Gazz - Thursday, Jan 05, 2023 at 10:18

Thursday, Jan 05, 2023 at 10:18
G'day Daisy

Without doubt IMO would be a door slammer - eg hi-ace van or similar.

I've travelled this big brown land using every form of travel / setup except a caravan - swag on the ground, all types of tents, camper trailers, gazebos, tarps and a small van I decked out myself.

Years ago I bought a Mitsubishi Delica and put a false floor in with a bed on top, drawers under the floor, 50 litre fridge and mounted a 2.5mtr x 2.5mtr awning to the roof rack. I could drive to where I wanted without towing, no reversing a trailer in just pull up and jump into a bed within 2 minutes then in the morning get out of bed get dressed, have a dingoes breakfast and on the road in 2 minutes. For longer stays or in rain I would set up the awning giving me some shelter and dry access to the side door.

They now make some good and not expensive awning tents that attach to the awning giving you a room on the side of the van, weather protection and privacy - these only take about 5 minutes to set up. With a good mattress and a single bed doona I was warm and comfortable and loved the rain on the roof when it did rain. Summer time was not so enjoyable in the van as winter but with a 12 volt fan I installed at the rear of the van point towards my face I did sleep well.

Water and portable cooking facilities along with a chair and all other camp essentials were kept in the drawers with a small fold out table just laid on the bed so for one person I found this very quick and simple compared to all other set ups.

And when the time came to sell the van I sold it with all the gear inside and had many young people fighting over it and sold it the first day it was advertised.

Hope this helps in some way

Good luck with whatever you decide

Cheers
Gazz
AnswerID: 642510

Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Thursday, Jan 05, 2023 at 12:07

Thursday, Jan 05, 2023 at 12:07
Hi Daisy,

Undoubtedly, the fastest setup is a caravan, if you cannot afford one at present, then the next would be a “wiz bang”, van with a sliding door on the side that has been set up as a camper, or could easily be converted to a camper. That or something like a secondhand campervan, or a ute with a camper on the tray/tub.

Checkout the ex rental market, but be careful, thoroughly check out the chassis for any sign of bending, buckling or repair. Mitsubishi Tritons are probably the worst for bending chassis, but are not alone in this. If you do not need the extra seating, a single cab ute/camper combination is probably the better choice, less likely to bend the chassis, as more weight is over or in front of the rear axle.

Good luck with your search.

Macca.
Macca.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Position  Send Message

AnswerID: 642515

Follow Up By: Batt's - Thursday, Jan 05, 2023 at 16:24

Thursday, Jan 05, 2023 at 16:24
Most of the time chassis bend or break because of miss use over loading incorrect load placement etc. Pretty understandable considering what some numpties think they can try to carry then add off road conditions. Lots of tritons out there without any problems because their owners brain is functional.
0
FollowupID: 922092

Sponsored Links