Newbie Wannabee

That Is a good point and one we hadn't considered. We will also put my husband's kayaks up there, so for us, it just made sense. I do like the idea of moving the bike rack from the trailer to the car too. Is the gas milage affected that much by roof mounted stuff? My Yakima box didn't seem to affect my gas milage (at least it is negligible). I haven't mounted bikes to the top of my car (just skis and boats), so I haven't tested that. Have you notice a big difference?

Thanks!
 
This isn't exactly the same thin, but when I put the roof top cargo bin on my Honda CR-V my gas mileage goes down 5 mpg.

Can the kayaks go on the TV roof rack? Seems to me this is a better way to go. This way you leave the trailer at the campsite and drive to your drop in point. If you have the rear hitch on the trailer then you can move the bike rack back and forth as needed.
 
I know my mileage is affected with the kayaks on the tow vehicle, but I don't know how much. The car works harder getting up inclines, as it kicks out of overdrive more often with the boats on top. I don't know if it would be 5 mpg as Evan's setup, but even if it were, the convenience would outweigh the loss of mpg for me.
 
Joan I'm glad you got to see one at last.

I would go for the receiver hitch as its easier to add a roof rack later and you can also go for an after market option.
 
I am a big advocate of putting the kayaks on the tow vehicle and not on the trailer. The whole problem of having to "break camp" just to go canoeing doesn't make sense to me. Everyone seems to forget that they have to lead their camper to water in order to put the kayaks or canoes in. Unless you drive a convertible for a tow vehicle I just don't see a reason to put the kayaks and canoes on top of the trailer.

Our experience is the bare roof rack bars alone can impact your mileage 2 mpg. It rapidly gets worse when things are mounted on them. I suspect Evan's mileage info will be typical for most.

Barry, the roof rack is only installable at the factory. It cannot be added later unless here where our fixtures can be used.

Cary
 
Cary

I was chatting with Bruce at the recent Mi Te Jo gathering and he had installed his own roof rack so that it what I was basing my statement on.

I'm sure that if anyone wants to do something badly enough they can make it fit.

Sorry if I have confused anyone.
 
There is a very high risk factor in trying to install a roof rack of splitting the side wall without the proper jigging. It can be done but because of the pucker factor involved I really don't recommend it.

Cary
 
Mick has river kayaks that we take to the beach and he plays in the surf. Often our beaches and campsites are next to each other, so we wouldn't need to take the car. He just carries the boat down. He is planning to get a generator and will be putting that on top of the FJ, so with the other stuff he has up there for off-roading, it doesn't leave much room for the boats.
 
I've given thought about CI mounted rack and a rack mounted on my tow vehicle (2004 Explorer). I've decided that I'll go with the tow vehicle option. My biggest reason for this would be that I do mountain biking and will soon be getting a kayak. I know that I'll want to take my bike and kayak out when I'm not camping. So it will make more sense for me to get my rack on my tow vehicle. That way I can carry my bike and kayak without having to bring the TD, it's just more versatile for me. The only other reason I could think of to get the rack on the TD would be to put a storage container up there for camping gear that I may not want to put in the TD. But again, with my tow vehicle I have plenty of storage room in the back of the SUV. I can't find a reason for me to get the TD rack.
 
If you have lots of gear that needs a place, perhaps a hitch mounted cargo carrier is the way to go. This way you don't have to lift heavy things up to the roof, and it should have a smaller impact on gas mileage.
 
Nice point Paul. The vehicle roof rack for use when the teardrop is not in tow. I didn't even think about it that way.

Evan has a good point on the receiver hitch carrier idea. I see a number of customers using these. Probably the most common use that I run into for them is to carry the generator around. That might something Mick may want to think about Sarah.

The other use I see the receiver hitch carrier's get used for alot is firewood. Sometimes customers bring their kindling with them on it.

Cary
 
To furnace or not to furnace. I cannot make up my mind. While it is rainy here, it is a fairly mild climate. I know that Mick'nSarah and Evan have the furnace option but both indicate that they will be winter camping in the mountains.

Will electric heat be enough? It seems that most of the heaters recommended on this forum require 110 however, I have seen some 12V heaters. Will these work?

It seems like a number of owners in the Midwest do not have the furnace but are still snug and warm in their campers. Having grown up in Wisconsin, I know how cold it can get. The question is how many winter camp or put away their campers until Spring.

(One reason for putting away the camper is the salt on the roads. In Oregon, they sand the roads.)

Pros:

Heat as long as propane tank is not empty and battery not dead.
Resale value? (Although I plan on having my ci for at least the next 20 years if not longer.)

Cons:
Cost
Loss of storage space

What is interesting is that I have no question about getting the air conditioner. One thought is it is easier to get warmer by putting on extra clothing/sleeping bag but it is not that easy to get cooler in hot temperatures.

I know this subject has been discussed in previous threads so forgive me for bringing it up again. I guess it all boils down to what I intend to use the camper for now and in the future.
 
Joan said:
I guess it all boils down to what I intend to use the camper for now and in the future.
Click to expand...

That really is the key Joan.

We have not done ANY winter camping, yet. We ARE talking about it this year. We did wake up one morning to 20 degrees and snow, before the heater, and kept warm under the down comforter with no trouble. We have a small ceramic heater now(110V) that is able to heat the camper in a matter of a couple minutes. I'm not familiar with 12V heaters, but my guess would be they will drain your battery pretty quickly. If we do get out this winter it'd probably be just an overnight to start to see how tough we are.

It'd also be nice on those cold spring and fall mornings to take the edge off, but Peggy's hair dryer would probably work just fine for that!

The AC (which we do not have) would be very nice to have after a hot day of camping, that's for sure. But in our dotage the attitude is 'If it's too hot to sleep, it's probably too hot to camp.'

I'm sure you'll get plenty of opinions on this topic...
 
I experimented with the 12v heaters. They just are not enough watts to be effective. I work with the rule for heat that if you don't have the furnace you need an electric site and a 110v heater like Ken uses (me too actually). So, where you camp is going to dictate the furnace more than any other factor I feel.

Cary
 
Our CI will have underfloor heating for the winter in the Garage as that Baby is not going anywhere near the salt we get on our roads in Nova Scotia in the winter.

I guess I can get a few extra nights in the tear in the comfort of a heated enclosure in the winter months.
 
Well, I will no longer be posting to this topic this thread. Why? I just signed my contract, made out the check and put it in the mail! Whooohooo! :) :)

The next steps are to get the hitch and brake controller installed and figure out what accessories/equipment I need/want. You will find me hanging out in the accessories/equipment forums.

:cool:
 
My nephew is getting married in Milwaukee on July 16th. The plan is to pick it up on the way home.
 
You could pick it up on the way then lend it to him for the Honeymoon.

Now thats a picture a Camp Inn in full wedding colours flowers and ribbons.
 
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