Van or tent?

[Malamute]

Visual media addendum to my post above that i neglected to add before edit time was closed.

Tipi



Wall tent

 

[gizmotron]

We pull a utility trailer for gear, so weight isn't that much of a problem. I'd love to see your design!

OK, I had better start a thread about the tent design and gluing vinyl polyester fabrics. I'm getting 14 yards of white 10oz from the supplier some time this week. It's for a room with roll-up sides and two doors that fits on the back or side of my vans rain gutters. I'm cutting and gluing it all together with embedded rope at the van's attachment points. The huge zippers come today. I'm buried in a foot of snow here and more on the way. So my van build is on temp hold for now. I'll look around for the best location for the thread. It would be a long wait for a year to go by at the 2023 RTR to demonstrate the skills.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

I knew a couple that lived in a kind of teepee-yurt hybrid. From the outside it looked like a huge teepee.
Inside it was layers and layers of cane and blankets. That thing was plenty warm in the winter. In the summer they opened the top up.
Downside is that it probably took a whole day or two to set up.
But I liked the similarity to geodesic dome construction of the 70's

 

[RonDean]

Tent-Trailer-Van-Boat, it's all a choice and what you can afford or are willing to accept. I've done all 4 at different times in my life. I will say you normally get what you can or are willing to pay for and your choices branch from there. At 77 YO I have given up on the small cheap dome tent I could carry on my bike. But I certainly don't judge anyone the chooses the tent option. As our ancient ancestors proved, not everyone has to live in one place in permanent structures.

 

[tenstiks]

Why live in a van if you can have a tent in the trunk of your car? I read all the pros/cons charts e.g. https://www.advnture.com/features/camper-vans-vs-tents but most people have a car and a tent, after minimal setup the tent is very spacious, you can have the same portable stove and toilet u have in the van. If you're not moving very often and prefer nature to the city a tent is probably good enough.
Is the real benefit here living in colder places and big city centers? I'm just trying to understand the much talked about van-linving concept/trend.

I have 2 tents I’ve lived in at the campground. My SUV was what I used for storage and to go to work. My tents were my homestead. It gave my cat a place to stay while I was away.
This set up gave me a sense of security in that I had a laundry room facility, somewhere to throw the trash, a bathhouse for showers and people around all the time. I never worried about getting robbed. I put small locks on the zippers and lock the doors closed or tie them with rope. No one bothered me at the campground I was at which was located in somewhat small city. I miss it actually. I have 2 new tents now. Don’t have the SUV anymore. I have a 2013 Prius V now. I want to do it again. But the campground does limit your stay to 4 weeks and another 4 weeks if you leave for a week.
Oh and both my tents are Wenzel tents. One is a cabin tent I found on Facebook market place brand new for $70 and the other is the teepee tent for shorter stays that I bought on Amazon when there was still one available with a gift card I won in a poker tournament.

 

[BelgianPup]

I used a tent for the first 5 or 6 years of camping. Setting it up in the rain isn't so great.

Tent fabric doesn't last forever when you use it every day.

Bears don't have a problem getting into tents, and there usually isn't a back door.

 

[Tony's Dream]

If I use a tent, I would have to consider set up time.....setting up the inside with an air bed for my bad back....then taking everything down. With my van.....I can pull up, jump in the back, and I'm ready to sleep. The next morning, I jump out, start up and go. I like things simple.

 

[Malamute]

This discussion made me curious what real tipis are going for today, so googled.....

Found a company with long experience and reasonable prices for the quality, and they paint them as well. I never considered a painted tipi in the past, but must admit to really liking some of the ones pictured. if you look at the photo gallery, click one, then its a slide show. This has me scheming on getting another tipi. I still have the canvas floor from my old one with the fire hole cutout.

https://tipi.com/our-tipis-2/
Couple of the favs...

 

[GypsyJan]

My tent door does not have a lock....anyone with a knife can make a new entrance. Walmart is not happy if you put up a tent in their parking lot and their stores are convenient for me when traveling overnight from A to B. I only put up a tent at campgrounds to stash gear so I have more room in the RAV4 for sleeping and to hold my spot while I am away sightseeing on a day trip. Storms are enjoyable if I am in the SUV....not enjoyable in the tent. If the tent gets soaked/muddy, I can stash it in a large plastic bag and still have a place to sleep on my cot in the SUV at the next stop. If I am only parked for one night, I can just slide from the cot to the driver's seat in the morning and continue my journey, as I never set up the tent for one night stands, LOL.

 

[bigskybob]

The large tents take up too much room in a shopping cart.No room for clothes.

 

[Malamute]

My tent door does not have a lock....anyone with a knife can make a new entrance....

I think a lock is still somewhat of a deterrent, just as a locked door is even if it has a window or one next to it. You may not stop every serious thief, but there are many levels of dedication and seriousness, and a lock can deter some. Im willing to do whatever is reasonable to deter the non-dedicated thieves.

In the same line of thought, I always add 3" screws to the door hinges and latch plates on modern houses im in, or for other people. Mentioning it once at a relatives, the response was "why bother, when they can just break a window?" Well, the reason to bother is kick-ins are one of the most common break-ins in houses, and breaking windows is a very different level of activity, which does really make a difference. Make it harder, and it starts cutting down the number of people willing to spent that much time (meaning more possible noise and exposure to being seen) and effort to do it. This conclusion is after discussing it with police officers on forums, they say that theyve seen a number of kick-in attempts that failed, and they didnt attempt to break in a window. This seems like a fairly common situation.

 

[vagabondpilot]

I can't park in a town or city and set up a tent. For me it's about the convenience because I can't go full time and quit my current job. If I were going full time I would probably take a tent but still build out my van. Safer in the elements and if you happen to park in bear country. One of my dreams is to be a campground host for unimproved sites in the national parks... I'd rather have more than a thin wall of material between myself and a curious bear if I'm living where people cook on a regular basis.

What your post has made me consider is that it might be worth packing a tent to use as extra storage when I want to deep clean the van or as a place to sleep if I have guests.

 

[rruff]

If I use a tent, I would have to consider set up time

I did some looking around and these tents caught my eye. Very easy setup and seems sturdy. Not cheap though at >$300! But in the grand scheme of things that isn't bad at all if it lasts a year.

https://www.amazon.com/Gazelle-GT40...8300a&pd_rd_wg=2wzDL&pd_rd_i=B08B2FGLV8&psc=1

 

[jacqueg]

I did some looking around and these tents caught my eye. Very easy setup and seems sturdy. Not cheap though at >$300! But in the grand scheme of things that isn't bad at all if it lasts a year.

https://www.amazon.com/Gazelle-GT40...8300a&pd_rd_wg=2wzDL&pd_rd_i=B08B2FGLV8&psc=1

I have the similar CLAM. They are in fact very easy to put up, once you get used to how to do it. It makes a huge difference in my life. I like to settle in and stay a while, but if I'm just passing through, of course I don't bother setting it up. The big deal isn't putting up the tent, the big deal is schleppping all the stuff between the van and tent!

Don't bother with the stakes they give you, though. If you want that thing to stay anchored in the winds at Quartzsite, you stake it down with SPAX lag screws, the 3/8 x 8 size. Use a socket and your hand drill. The first time you watch your tent belly dance in the wind, you'll be amazed.

 

[WILD@HEART]

Love tipi's
Hot tents are good and I like the simplicity of the clam or similar makes.

When it's not so cool to
be in a tent:

1) Cheap Tent- that rips or floods like a kiddy pool.

2) Grizzly country

3) Bigfoot hot-spot

*And sometimes a dishonest member of authority with sticky fingers going through your tent & stuff because they think your not there...Naughty!

 

[Malamute]

Love tipi's
Hot tents are good and I like the simplicity of the clam or similar makes.

When it's not so cool to
be in a tent:

1) Cheap Tent- that rips or floods like a kiddy pool.

2) Grizzly country

3) Bigfoot hot-spot

*And sometimes a dishonest member of authority with sticky fingers going through your tent & stuff because they think your not there...Naughty!

I agree tents arent always the best choice in grizzly country, though Ive lived in grizzly country for the past 32 years and only had one evening of moderate level excitement when camping. Ive slept out under the stars quite a lot of nights as well as in tents and in the back of my truck. The majority of the time the first two.

Grizzlies hardly ever eat people.

 

[rruff]

Grizzlies hardly ever eat people.

1-2 people per year die from grizzly attacks in North America on average. <1 from black bears. In the 48 states, grizzlies only exist in Montana and around Yellowstone, but black bears are everywhere.

I've encountered dozens of black bears in the back country, and they always run away. Although they are fully capable of hurting you, it's extremely rare that they will... and even more rare that they'd intend to kill. It's simply not something worth worrying about.

 

[Malamute]

1-2 people per year die from grizzly attacks in North America on average. <1 from black bears. In the 48 states, grizzlies only exist in Montana and around Yellowstone, but black bears are everywhere.

I've encountered dozens of black bears in the back country, and they always run away. Although they are fully capable of hurting you, it's extremely rare that they will... and even more rare that they'd intend to kill. It's simply not something worth worrying about.

Thats more than I was aware of, but its been a while since I spent much time studying the matter (and it used to be a regular topic of study for me). Alaska may skew the numbers, in the lower 48 there arent really that many grizzly fatalities, however.....I knew or had met more people that had been attacked by grizzlies than had been attacked by humans in my area. Not that either were a large number, but crime is generally pretty low where I live, and theres a lot of people hunting, hiking, and otherwise out in the mountains where bears live, and theres an ever increasing number of grizzlies, more than the official numbers say, according to people that spend large amounts of time out where they live. Theyve ranged pretty far from the mountains for over 10 years seeking new territories to live in as all the good grizzly habitat is occupied already.

My previous comment was mostly tongue in cheek, because there was a small spate of attacks a few years ago where the bears actually did eat the people rather then defensive or surprise attacks without eating them. Not intending to open the discussion about defensive matters with bears, but will only say I go very well equipped when doing anything in bear country, especially sleeping, with several levels or layers of defense including a dog or two that is the basic alert system, Ill take it from there,.... though my two dogs did once keep a bear out of camp about dusk one evening.

 

[user 22017]

My tent, albeit it a 2-person size (can put it up by myself and is all I need), is my bedroom, nature is my living area, and my car my closets. To me, it is a perfect setup (when the weather cooperates).

Tents these days are disposable, anything under $300 anyway. So I look for the cheapest rain-proof tent each time. My latest $50 Coleman has lasted a summer, so far.

Have you tried an Instant Tent? I am considering a Coleman Instant tent, because I want one tall enough to stand up in, yet easy to set up. I guess if you don't need to stand up there is no need for an instant tent.

Pretty amazing you have been tent camping for 12 years and loving it. We are same age, so I feel hopeful

 

[gizmotron]

There is another way to go and that is with a Harbor Freight 3/4 ton trailer kit with the 5 lug 12 inch wheels. These wheels are taller and allow for faster towing speeds. The kit weighs around 275 pounds. You add 3/4 plywood to that and you are at around 425lbs. I built one with all kinds of plywood once to clear out a storage unit and later use it as a storage container in my driveway. I towed it with a Toyota Yaris. Now that's just about as minimal as you can go for a tow vehicle. You can get those trailers on sale at a percentage off sometimes.

Anyway my first attempt went way overboard from my original idea. You build the trailer to work as the floor of your tent. It has two foot sides all around the edges and they all fold down and are supported as wings of the tent. So you end up with a flat surface of 8ft by 8ft with a 2ft by 4ft extended alcove on front and back when they are all extended. You just come up with a way to support these fold down sides. All your camping gear goes inside. You fold the sides up and the tent that is already inside covers all your camping gear and is already permanently attached to the floor. So it goes down the road as a 4ft by 8ft trailer. You always have a water proof flat floor about 14 inches above the ground and you can level it perfect with your adjusters. I found junk yard scissor jacks for light cars for $10 each and used them to level the main trailer. They are bolted to the bottom of the 4ft by 8ft HF frame.

You can see by the picture that I did not build the original idea. The side walls are suspended by an elaborate 2 by 6 floor joist system that was way overkill. I then made rounded rafters that fit on to the raised walls when it was set up. This was a very time consuming effort each time I set up or tore down. Anyway. You can hall all your stuff, or more stuff, with a trailer and a flat platform that folds down into a perfectly flat floor for each campsite. It all comes down to your idea to support the fold down wings. You don't even need to build your own tent. You can set up any commercially constructed tent that will fit on your fold down platform. I know how to work with vinyl coated polyester so I went that way. There is a way to make this a perfect square too. It would be 8ft by 12ft if you can figure out the fold out supporting system. That's huge. If someone figured out a pole system and roof rafters then it would be awesome. There is no reason this could not be a single high pole in the middle. It would always be staked down to the fold down wings. You could just open one of the doors and go inside with the single fixed height pole.

Here is a picture of the first build. I lived in this for 2.5 years and put it up and down every three weeks.