What are the pitfalls of camping in a Hybrid?

#1 noise. Like a tent you are going to hear everything.
#2 temperature. On those really hot days the sun will beat on the canvas and will raise the temp. Same for cold days.
#3 resale. Canvas is more maintenance and needs to be replaced over time and use.

Just my .02

I love our Hybrid I like the tent feel and I really like my own bathroom. We dont use gizmos for the tent ends.. For us, I like it cooler to sleep so when we use the heater I sleep on the outside edge of the bed and when we use the air conditioning I sleep on the inside edge as the DH doesnt like the air conditioner blowing on him. So it all works out for us..A con my DH has is that its not secure when leaving the site as all u have to do is pop the end or cut with a knife and get inside. When we go off site for awhile we close up the tent ends for security. It only takes a few minutes so for us not really an issue. Our Hybrid is 15 years old with the original tent ends and are in great condition.

Closing up in the rain. Living in South Florida that was the deal breaker for us.

Slamnslash wrote:
#1 noise. Like a tent you are going to hear everything.
#2 temperature. On those really hot days the sun will beat on the canvas and will raise the temp. Same for cold days.
#3 resale. Canvas is more maintenance and needs to be replaced over time and use.

Just my .02

#1- yes that is true. BUT you also get to hear nature, birds singing, creeks babbling, wind in the trees and so on.
#2- this is NOT true. using Popup Gizmos(or the generic solar blankets versions), temp control is quite easy, in hot and cold weather. also Reflectix in the tent windows helps too. many hybrid owners, by using these, are quite comfortable in hot and cool/cold weather.
#3- the canvas does take extra maintenance but they DON't need to be replaced. our canvas ends are almost 10 years old and still look nearly new because we use the PUGs on top of the tent ends. Hybrids get very good resale prices, if they are maintained and in good condition.

we've owned our hybrid for almost 10 years. we still love it because we like the openness and not being in a shoebox, like a regular TT.
most of us HAPPY hybrid owners were previous popup owners and are willing to do a little more to be able to have privilege to sleep under canvas. we just want more amenities and less setup.

since you haven't owned a popup, you may end not liking it. we owned two popups so we know the few cons.
but no RV is as versatile as a hybrid TT. you can "turtle" if you don't want to put out the tent ends. it's like a smaller regular TT.
you also have 2-3 queen beds that don't take up the floorspace.

it comes down to: do you want to sleep under canvas?
we do so we keep camping in our hybrid.
it's worth the minor extra work to be able to still feel connected to nature, instead of being sealed off from it, in a "shoebox" regular TT.

Anmacc2 wrote:
Closing up in the rain. Living in South Florida that was the deal breaker for us.

Forgot that one. Here in NC we usually get the 6pm thunderstorms and the morning dew. Pack up wet then need to dry out.


The only benefit they have is weight and size but with slides and ultralights it's moot.

If I was worried about size and weight I would just get a pop-up.

We started out tent camping, then DH bought me a used popup for Christmas one year. We LOVED it, but then we had a baby and it was so hard to setup and take down with a baby. We found a used 3-year old hybrid that was in great shape and purchased that.

We had our hybrid for 3 years, but the grandparents decided they wanted to go with us since "their" baby was going to be away. 3 years later, the 2nd little girl arrived and it was getting crowded in that hybrid. Our nephew, who was about 10 liked to go with us, so bed space was at a premium.

We sold the hybrid and went with a 35' TT bunkhouse, which we kept for another 3 years. We now have a 36' fifth wheel and are spending more and more time in it - 100+ days over the last 3 years.

Now, with all of that being said, we really enjoyed the hybrid and we camped from March until Thanksgiving weekend every year we had it. We had several inches of snow a few times and we also camped in 100+ degree weather.

1. Popup gizmos (or homemade ones) are a MUST!
2. A good fan to better distribute the heat or AC makes for more comfortable sleeping.
3. Yes, packing up wet can be a pain.
4. Setup is much easier than a popup because you can leave most things in place instead of having to pack everything away.
5. When traveling, you can just pull into a rest area/Walmart, etc. and crawl in the trailer and nap/sleep for a few hours without having to pull the beds out.
6. The bathroom/shower combo comes in really handy for a quick cleanup, but we used the campground facilities 95% of the time for showers.
7. You can open the windows in the hybrid and it is more open than a tent, TT, 5th wheel, but not quite as open as a popup.
8. When we sold our hybrid, we got $500 less than what we had paid for it 3 years prior, so I don't think resale is a problem.
9. Pulling the hybrid is easier to do with a smaller truck/SUV than a full size TT or 6th wheel because of the size, but the overall size once you extend the beds make it more spacious.
10. Many hybrids and popups are single axle and the backing in can be more challenging than a double axle trailer, or at least that is how I found it.

Whatever you decide, the camping lifestyle is wonderful and can be the stress buster that many of us really need.

bikendan wrote:

Slamnslash wrote:
#1 noise. Like a tent you are going to hear everything.
#2 temperature. On those really hot days the sun will beat on the canvas and will raise the temp. Same for cold days.
#3 resale. Canvas is more maintenance and needs to be replaced over time and use.

Just my .02

#1- yes that is true. BUT you also get to hear nature, birds singing, creeks babbling, wind in the trees and so on.
#2- this is NOT true. using Popup Gizmos(or the generic solar blankets versions), temp control is quite easy, in hot and cold weather. also Reflectix in the tent windows helps too. many hybrid owners, by using these, are quite comfortable in hot and cool/cold weather.
#3- the canvas does take extra maintenance but they DON't need to be replaced. our canvas ends are almost 10 years old and still look nearly new because we use the PUGs on top of the tent ends. Hybrids get very good resale prices, if they are maintained and in good condition.

we've owned our hybrid for almost 10 years. we still love it because we like the openness and not being in a shoebox, like a regular TT.
most of us HAPPY hybrid owners were previous popup owners and are willing to do a little more to be able to have privilege to sleep under canvas. we just want more amenities and less setup.

since you haven't owned a popup, you may end not liking it. we owned two popups so we know the few cons.
but no RV is as versatile as a hybrid TT. you can "turtle" if you don't want to put out the tent ends. it's like a smaller regular TT.
you also have 2-3 queen beds that don't take up the floorspace.

it comes down to: do you want to sleep under canvas?
we do so we keep camping in our hybrid.
it's worth the minor extra work to be able to still feel connected to nature, instead of being sealed off from it, in a "shoebox" regular TT.

Based on my experience I think bikendan has it spot on. Yes there are some limitations but they are minor inconveniences not deal breakers. Yes the tent ends do heat up in the sun if you don't have covers, but you can hear the birds thru them and can zip down the windows for excellent air flow so it is about what matters most to you. I think the biggest issue that people need to consider is condensation. If you are in a very rainy area that could be an issue putting it away wet, also extreme temps can cause sweating on the inside, but if you are mostly a summer camper in the north or winter camper in the south west and do not live in a really rainy area this should not be a deal breaker. I have stayed in ours with below freezing nights, with only minor condensation which dried up by mid morning and have had to pack up wet but have opened it back up when we got home to dry so I really do not see any of the negatives being that big a deal IMHO. A hybrid is a really good way to get a full featured trailer with low towing weight, many can be towed by a V6 SUV, more space for its towing length because the beds pack up and when you stop you are adding 2 queen size beds to your length making a 20' more like a 30' when open and you still get the camping feel of a tent or tent trailer without giving up the features of a full trailer.

The BIG ISSUES the DW and I had with our hybrid were, 1) when cold out the canvas was cold on your back if you rolled up against it, 2) having to sleep cross wise required the the person sleeping next to the front canvas to climb over the other person in the middle of the night to go the bathroom.

Another consideration if you camp in bear country---you are in a tent-sided trailer, along with all your food and other bear attractants. Not a safe situation, for sure.

Slamnslash wrote:

Anmacc2 wrote:
Closing up in the rain. Living in South Florida that was the deal breaker for us.

Forgot that one. Here in NC we usually get the 6pm thunderstorms and the morning dew. Pack up wet then need to dry out.


The only benefit they have is weight and size but with slides and ultralights it's moot.

If I was worried about size and weight I would just get a pop-up.

Well, one benefit we've noticed so far on our search is price! We aren't necessarily looking for new, but if we get used we want very gently used, and none of the ultra-lights that will comfortably fit our family have come close to the $15,000 hybrid.