Ranger Tim wrote:
How old are you? If I had been ten or fifteen years younger I would have gone with a Popup. We are generally less adventurous now so we opted for the convenience of a HS and accept its limitations to accessibility. That and the ability to use it as a warm room for astronomy make the HS a winner for us.
Here's were I truly agree. We have an Outfitter Apex 8 (pop-up) and while I love the lower profile, lighter weight and all of the windows, as I get older (DW stays the same age) I'm finding less and less "fun" to climb up/down that uncomfortable ladder (especially in the middle of the night). Also, popping DOWN requires I bring an extra step stool to latch the top after lowering. Lastly, as others have said, when on a road trip, stealth camping is out of the question - I'd say impossible.
For these reasons the DW has had me looking at alternatives (Fiver, motorhome, etc.) and I just can't bring myself to do it. Consequently I think the Apex 8 is getting sold and we'll be looking for something like an AF-865 or small, hardside slide camper --- really soon.
You really have to ask yourself, how much HARD off roading are you looking to do and how often. Compare that to the time spent camping in "more conventional" spots (even mildly off road) and then ask if the drawbacks of the pop-up are worth it for the difference in time spent in either location. BTW - when I was a younger (more adventurous) lad, I used to get my SixPac (hardside) into some pretty tough off road areas in the high Sierra. As I age I find it less desirable to take my $65,000 truck (and Camper) into perilous conditions that put the rig and us at any danger of damage or rescue.
Just my thoughts - I'm sure you'll hear many pros/cons for both.
