What are the pitfalls of camping in a Hybrid?

[RVhavingfun_]

Versus camping in an enclosed TT?
I just want to know what I'm getting myself into before we decide what to purchase.
We are leaning heavily toward the hybrid as of now because I like the idea of still having that tent feel as well as the space for a family of 5, but I'm sure there are issues I haven't considered because I don't know enough about hybrids.
I'm no stranger to tent camping, but I've never camped in a camper of any kind.
Thanks!

[drenjoey]

And nowadays the hybrids are so easy to set up....no more bungie cords or whatever......just bring the doors down, install the poles and you're good to go. In less then 3 minutes, the beds are done.....wow !!!

[bikendan]

One point about hybrid TTs.

The first hybrids were made by R-Vision and debuted in 1998 model year.
Other manufacturers started their own, the following year.

Those early hybrids had many issues because it was a new design/concept.
So dealers got negative about them because of all the warranty issues.

So eventually hybrids developed a negative image.

But since about 2004, changes in design have dramatically reduced these issues.

But the rep is still out there.

[Wavesprite]

I haven't read all the responses, but I think for us, it's the "possibility of rain".

Here's the thing. We don't mind camping in the rain in the hybrid, if we're setup and ready to go, rain all you want! BUT, the possibility of having to setup in the rain and more importantly put the tent ends in wet is something that steers when we camp or not. If there is imminent weather, we don't do a spur of the moment trip like we might if we had an enclosed trailer.

[cmcdar]

Congrats - I hope you are as happy with yours as I am with mine!

[RVhavingfun_]

Thank you everyone for the great responses! You gave us lots to think about and I'm happy to say that we are joining ranks with the hybrid crew!
We bought the Starcraft for a great price and think it will be a good way to introduce ourselves to the world of Rving without taking on much debt.
We pick it up tomorrow! 🙂

[cmcdar]

drenjoey wrote:

old guy wrote:
I never had one but my brother in law did, he told me on a windy day it is like standing out side and at night the furnace never shuts off. made me go out and buy a real hard four walled trailer.

An hybrid is not for everyone........If on a windy day, it's like standing outside, maybe your brother in law should have zipped up the screen windows !:S

Ha Ha Ha

:B

[drenjoey]

old guy wrote:
I never had one but my brother in law did, he told me on a windy day it is like standing out side and at night the furnace never shuts off. made me go out and buy a real hard four walled trailer.

An hybrid is not for everyone........If on a windy day, it's like standing outside, maybe your brother in law should have zipped up the screen windows !:S

[old_guy]

I never had one but my brother in law did, he told me on a windy day it is like standing out side and at night the furnace never shuts off. made me go out and buy a real hard four walled trailer.

[drenjoey]

Boy ! I too, agree with Bikendan.....well said Dan !


As for us, we live in Maine, our camping season is short and I don't remember a time when we had condensation.
Do we have the ideal weather !! I don't know, but all I can say is we are now on our third hybrid, and I don't see the day we're gonna trade it for a shoebox.......We love sleeping under canvas and have all the amenities of a travel trailer....
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL in an HYBRID

[RVhavingfun_]

coolmom42 wrote:

RVhavingfun? wrote:

coolmom42 wrote:
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.

Well, we do camp in bear country, but I grew up camping in tents in bear country and knew plenty of families camping in pop-ups. It's something to be aware of for sure, but I would be aware of that danger in any camper, hybrid or otherwise.
The truth is a bear can open up any trailer if they want in badly enough. Yosemite used to have a car door on display that had been pulled open by bears.
I'd be clearing my trailer of food and cosmetics and using provided bear boxes in any environment where bears and humans regularly interact.

Right, and having to move all the food etc out is a huge pain in the behind.

Apparently bears do not regard hard-side trailers as food sources, to my knowledge there's never been an incident of one being broken into in the eastern US, Yellowstone, or Glacier NP.

Yeah, but I would go through the pain of storing all the food and toiletries in a bear box no matter what I'm camping in, even if it really wasn't necessary.
It has been driven into my noggin since before I can remember that when in an area where there are bears you do not store food or consume food where you are sleeping. I think I would have a hard time resisting the urge to move the food even if I was sleeping in a tank. It's just one of those things, you know? Probably being too cautious, but I would have a hard time feeling at ease without taking that precaution.

[All_I_could_aff]

I love my hybrid despite it being one of the early models and quite small inside. It is single axle with 7' x 13' hard section. Front and rear tent beds can each hold two adults although the front is slightly bigger. Dinette folds down into a two person bed for turtling. My only complaint is way too small of a bathroom on my model, it sure beats a long walk in the dark at 2 AM with a child!
By the way it is now 16 years old on the original canvas!

[rwbradley]

coolmom42 wrote:

RVhavingfun? wrote:

coolmom42 wrote:
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.

Well, we do camp in bear country, but I grew up camping in tents in bear country and knew plenty of families camping in pop-ups. It's something to be aware of for sure, but I would be aware of that danger in any camper, hybrid or otherwise.
The truth is a bear can open up any trailer if they want in badly enough. Yosemite used to have a car door on display that had been pulled open by bears.
I'd be clearing my trailer of food and cosmetics and using provided bear boxes in any environment where bears and humans regularly interact.

Right, and having to move all the food etc out is a huge pain in the behind.

Apparently bears do not regard hard-side trailers as food sources, to my knowledge there's never been an incident of one being broken into in the eastern US, Yellowstone, or Glacier NP.

😉
http://www.doityourselfrv.com/rving-in-bear-country/
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f51/bear-damage-48061.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2741567/Stay-away-Bear-spends-HOURS-trying-inside-Utah-family-s-RV.html
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/10/30/bear-88-faces-death-after-attacking-cars-in-alberta.html
http://www.outsideonline.com/2013656/yosemite-bears-keep-getting-smarter

[bikendan]

valhalla360 wrote:
Eventually the canvas will need replacement and that probably means the end of the trailer as it's not worth spending thousands on a 10-15yr old rig.

Not true.
my canvas tent ends are 10 years old and still look nearly new.

in my 12 years of being on various hybrid forums, i've only seen very few that needed to replace their "worn out" canvas.

usually it's someone who bought a hybrid that had poor maintenance.
if you take good care of the tent ends, they should last a long time.

heck, how many old popups, with lots of canvas, still look good?

as was said, new canvas ends are not that expensive.

[bikendan]

rwbradley wrote:
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.

as noted thousands of times on this Hybrid forum, condensation can be solved quite easily.

#1- get Popup Gizmos and Reflectix for the tent ends. this almost always solves tent end condensation.
#2- crack open a roof vent and one corner of a tent end window. Air movement is also key to preventing condensation.
#3- run the bathroom fan on low to help with air movement, if needed.

at bedtime, many newbies close up their hybrids tight, like a submarine. this doesn't allow for air movement.
you have a sealed up box, with moist air being put out by the propane furnace and breathing humans.
no wonder you get condensation.

[bikendan]

Jayco23FB wrote:

coolmom42 wrote:
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.

True..Also here in N Idaho and MT if bears are sited near a campground, the campground can go to hardside only. It doesnt happen often but it could limit places to camp.

here's what most non-hybrid owners don't consider.
you can TURTLE in a hybrid. then it's NO different that any other regular TT. you sleep on the dinette and sofa, like any other smaller TT.
that's one of the great things about a hybrid TT.

and the soft-sided bans are in VERY few campgrounds.
Yellowstone NP has only ONE campground that has permanent ban on soft-sided campers. that's Fishing Bridge CG.

ALL the other major campgrounds in YNP, allow for soft-sided campers, including Bridge Bay CG, only a short distance from Fishing Bridge.
Yosemite NP, which has issues with black bears, have NO restrictions to hybrids or popups.

think about it, how many campgrounds have you been that ban tents(other than RV parks)?
if they don't ban tents, then hybrids and popups are allowed.

and, as mentioned before, if there is a restriction, then just TURTLE your hybrid.