How much quicker / easier are hard floor camp trailers to set up than soft floor
Submitted: Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 15:34
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Member - G N (VIC)
Hi all
Is it true that hard floor
camp trailers are easir to set up than the soft floor vesions?
Which of the true "off road" types are the quickest / easiest to set up?
Kind Regards
GN
Reply By: stumbly - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 16:48
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 16:48
Hi, Ive had both. The hard floors are a bit quicker but theres not much in it.
Putting the dust cover on the soft floor version adds a little time as does dragging the tent section up onto the bed.
Our hard floor camper was the cub regal and was a bit quicker and the winch saves your back a bit.
Either one I found it was packing away all the other bits that took all the time up. e.g
kitchen stuff, kids gear, annexe, floor mats etc.
hope thats some help.
cheers,Keith
AnswerID:
368962
Follow Up By: Member - G N (VIC) - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 20:06
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 20:06
Thanks for comparison Stumply
GN
FollowupID:
636493
Reply By: WayneD - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 17:43
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 17:43
We have just returned from a weekend with a
Camp-o-matic which has a hard floor. This was the first time we have used a CT , this one was hired. Set up and packing away was very quick. I would say it took 3minutes to set up and 10 minutes to pack up. We did not use the annex so that would make it longer. But for a one night stay, you are ready for bed in minutes.
Biggest problem is that after teneting for years, my wife says CT is the only way she will go camping from now on.
AnswerID:
368970
Reply By: Member - Mark (Tamworth NSW) - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 18:42
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 18:42
GN
The biggest pain with soft floors is waiting for floor to dry from dew etc before you pack it up, and your clothes ineveitably get dirty packing up. Soft floors once you get used to them would only take max extra 10 minutes both ways.
We have had a large soft floor (16ft incl trailer plus annex and walls) for our 3 children gave us the stacks of room we needed. As one of our children has left
home and more will in comming years, we purchased a Kimberly Kamper.
If we had 3 kids at
home we would have still had our soft floor.
Nothing wrong with Soft floors, Hard floors tend to have more "extras" than most soft floors which are often more basic, but you can get soft floors with "the kitchen sink" if you want to pay for it.
AnswerID:
368978
Follow Up By: Member - G N (VIC) - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 20:32
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 20:32
Hi Mark
again, never thought of getting dirty on pack up!
sound like fussing too much on the surface, but when trying to wear clothes for long as possible to reduce the dreaded "washing clothes"then its a but dissapointing to get a fresh clean set dirty 20min after putting on.
Thanks GN
FollowupID:
636502
Reply By: Member - Duncs - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 22:51
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 22:51
I have had a soft floor for 13 years now and love it.
I can be in bed within 10 min of pulling up, don't need to unhook from the car and packing up is just the same. That is doing it on my own.
I don't have a soft cover, the Trak Shak is in a suitcase like box on top of the trailer and keeps everything tidy and dust free while on the road.
The Trak Shak offers more accomodation than any hard floor I have seen and is competitive in the set up, pack up race. If it is a race.
Most of the time difference I see in any of the campers is the routine of the people using them. After 13 years
mine is pretty sorted but it is getting quicker as the
young bloke gets stronger and more helpful.
Duncs
AnswerID:
369044
Reply By: D-Jack - Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 00:05
Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 00:05
Sar Major soft floor, don't even need to add or remove extra poles. 4 Pegs max if just an overnighter. Don't know about getting dirty either, never had that trouble. We pack our canvas so that the bottom of the poly floor never touches canvas so it doesn't matter how dirty or wet the bottom is until the last packup (use a shade cloth matting and it wont get dirty at all). If not detatching the camper from the car, probably 7 minutes to get it up and pegged at most. Awning takes an extra 5 minutes, annex like any takes another 1/2 hour about.
Never owned a hard floor, but biggest difference I see is they are good in extreme rain conditions, and SLIGHTLY quicker. Less floorspace generally. Oh, other difference is they are generally at least double the price..
Big D
AnswerID:
369046
Reply By: AlanTH - Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 12:05
Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 12:05
We've had a Pioneer hard floor for about 3 years now and had a winch fitted not long ago to assist with packing it up.
It makes a huge amount of difference especially when the wind is blowing an Easterly gale in the morning, as the floor acts like a big sail and it's either much harder to pull up or it comes crashing down and you haven't time to tuck it in properly!
With the winch we hoist it up so far then tuck in and then some more until it can fold down easily and this is so much better especially if it's cold and the canvas is hard as
well.
If it's continual rain wet when packing up there's no alternative but to pack wet and dry out later which ever type of camper you have. We spread a plastic sheet over the bed and that keeps any damp off.
Alan.
AnswerID:
369091