Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Post by snowflake78 on Mar 1, 2010 22:05:24 GMT -5
Is anyone else obsessed with looking for the perfect RV to take to the farm? I can't afford one, will most likely be sleeping in a gutted catering trailer, and can't stop looking at RVs on craigslist just in case there's a killer deal out there somewhere. So I found this one and my husband doesn't want to get it. It is perfect. It's a truck, so you can drive it all year round, and the camper part just comes off. It has a bathroom, AC, queen bed, sofa, fridge, stove, etc. It's only 12k and the camper part alone is 18k brand new! I would trade my daily driver for it if I could.
A truck camper ! Here are some issues with them: -They are very, very small inside. -The holding tanks (freshwater, graywater, blackwater) are half the size of that on a "normal" sized camper. -Very top heavy, you will need at least a 3/4 ton truck usually with airbags in the rear of the truck. -Looking around 8 Miles Per Gallon -Where do you now store your, generator, gas, grill, chairs....
What is nice is they are meant more for the hunter / fisherman for their off road ability. The audience is very limited with the reselling on one.
A truck camper is awesome and would work great at Bonnaroo. It just depends on what kind. The one in snowflake78's link looks really top heavy and expensive. We just bought a pop-up truck camper this weekend and plan on bringing it to Roo. It is not top heavy at all (not much higher than the cab when it is down) and fits our Chevy pickup just fine (we don't have airbags in the rear). It was hard to find as they are very popular. We wanted to buy one from eBay but kept getting outbid. We ended up getting ours on Craigslist from a local seller for $1500 but they usually sell for $5,000-10,000 so we got a steal. We get much better gas mileage with it than we would have if we bought a RV. This thing has great storage. There is storage under the bed and under the benches. It also has 2 closets and lots of drawers. I'm actually not worried about storage - it has to have more storage than the 2 door Cavalier we took to Bonnaroo last year. The truck camper very roomy and can sleep 6. My friend is convinced that we won't need an RV pass because it's not bigger than a 16 passenger van when closed. I keep telling her that we will need an RV pass but I'll have to get official word from Bonnaroo through email to convince my friend. I was not excited at all because there aren't many bands on the lineup that I like but now that we have this camper, I can't wait for Bonnaroo!!
^^LISTEN TO BUG...he knows his stuff. We followed everything he said except check for a towing cooling package and ended up stranded pulling our hi low in Georgia....and having to fork over 1800 to get the front end differential fixed.
Had I not forgotten this nugget of wisdom our whole trip would have been amazing...but getting stuck with a broken front end differential sux!
As my Inebriated buddy walks out of the Porto, he yells out, "Dude...I love this place...bonnaroo thinks about everything...they even put beer holders next to the toilet!"
Had to break it to him that that was the urnal. Good times good times!
Post by snowflake78 on Mar 15, 2010 8:57:54 GMT -5
Yeah, the strain on a vehicle can be too much if it's not equipt. After checking them out closer, it's true...those things are not as easy to haul as they may seem. The bulk of the load is sitting on your truck, which is a lot harder on it than pulling it as you do with a pull behind. I think I am going to go the pop up trailer route. I've seen a couple of decent ones on CL for less than $1000 and the bed situation will be better for going with more than 2 people. I'm going to look at one today that is a 95 model for $700 that supposedly is in good shape but the guy needs to pay a tax bill. I've been hesistant because those things seem like a pain to set up but the set up is probably worth not having to pull such a heavy load (ie a regular camper). We'll see.
Pop-ups are not that bad to set up and take down, like anything provided the weather is good you will be OK.
Does the pop-up you are looking at have air conditioning? From owning one (02 Coleman Cheyenne) in the past that did not have air conditioning they get very warm hot when the sun is shining on them.
Also, ask to see it folded up and set back up.
Here is a message board dedicated to pop-ups. Link
Post by cursedlono on Mar 18, 2010 13:31:48 GMT -5
Might be doing an r.v. this year got a couple of things to check on and assembling the group will probably have everyone meet up in Franklin K.y. bout a half hour from Nashvegas looks like might have a big group this year. And everyone is comming in from different areas of the country. it's different then camping for sure. But the allure of air conditioning is whats calling my name to sleep in a real bed. But my heart is always in the ghetto with my tent peeps.
1-1-12 Bassnectar NYE SHOW! 1-21-12 G. Love and Special Sauce 3-1-12 Radiohead 3-9-12 Experience Hendrix 5-15-12 Jack White @ The Ryman 6-7-12 Bonnaroo 6-19-12 Roger Waters presents "THE WALL" 7-7-12 Ringo Starr's 72nd Birthday Party Extravaganza at the Ryman
Post by snowflake78 on Mar 24, 2010 21:37:37 GMT -5
I've got my RV situation under control! A vintage, totally restored VW camper bus! Too excited! Those things are more self contained than I thought. Two double beds, a small fresh water holding tank, AC!, a fridge and two burner stove. We are renting it from a personal owner locally for next to nothing. Can't wait!
I've got my RV situation under control! A vintage, totally restored VW camper bus! Too excited! Those things are more self contained than I thought. Two double beds, a small fresh water holding tank, AC!, a fridge and two burner stove. We are renting it from a personal owner locally for next to nothing. Can't wait!
FYI.. You sure about the Air Conditioning? I had a 72 and a 79. Air Conditioning was not even a option in them more or less a generator.
Post by snowflake78 on Mar 25, 2010 17:42:08 GMT -5
Thanks for the heads up. I double checked and we're good on the AC. This couple that we're renting from has an obsessive VW collecting habit. I think they support it by renting them out. They totally restore their little busses inside and out with original upholstry, paint colors, etc. and they have added a few comfort options...like AC. They have a retro fitted window unit that sits on the roof above the driver seat and it has a sleeve feeding cold air into the pop top. We don't have a toilet or a shower but we wouldn't have that in the pop up either. The rental is only $102 a day, which is cheaper than renting a car nowadays! We will be bringing our own 1500W generator.
Thanks for the heads up. I double checked and we're good on the AC. This couple that we're renting from has an obsessive VW collecting habit. I think they support it by renting them out. They totally restore their little busses inside and out with original upholstry, paint colors, etc. and they have added a few comfort options...like AC. They have a retro fitted window unit that sits on the roof above the driver seat and it has a sleeve feeding cold air into the pop top. We don't have a toilet or a shower but we wouldn't have that in the pop up either. The rental is only $102 a day, which is cheaper than renting a car nowadays! We will be bringing our own 1500W generator.
As I was reading your post everything sounds great but ..... a 1500 watt generator will not run even the smallest 13,500 BTU rooftop air conditioners. 2,800 watts (running) (3,000 surge) is the absolute minimum that will run one. A 1500 will trip the breaker the second it tries to start.
Post by snowflake78 on Mar 28, 2010 16:47:35 GMT -5
Well, I guess I better double check our generator situation then. The AC is only 5150 btu and it is a window unit, not rooftop. 115 volts. We won't be running any power except for the AC on the generator because we'll have 12v for the lights. What do you think?
Well, I guess I better double check our generator situation then. The AC is only 5150 btu and it is a window unit, not rooftop. 115 volts. We won't be running any power except for the AC on the generator because we'll have 12v for the lights. What do you think?
OK, well a 5000 BTU air conditioner draws around 5 amps, so around 600 watts (Amps X Volts = Watts) (running) when a compressor (motor) starts a surge of energy is needed, usually that number is double of what the running watts are. So in your case I would guess 1,200 watts to start the AC unit. I think a 1,500 watt generator will be fine for this air conditioner. Just because the lights are 12 volts doesn't mean that there is no added load on the generator. When you are plugged into the generator (and its running) the on board converter charges up the 12 volt batteries.
Now the AC unit size: A 5,150 BTU air conditioner in a VW van will do nothing to keep you cool during the daylight hours. It is way undersized. Most campers that you see will have either a 13,500 or 15,000 BTU air conditioner, even with that size they will have a hard time keeping up with the mid day heat and humidity. The solar load is too great. I'm sure you have AC in your passenger car? A normally sized air conditioner in a car is 12,000 to 24,000 BTU's (1 or 2 ton). The amount of heat load on a metal, uninsulated vehicle is tremendous.
Please, I am not writing this to burst your bubble. I am just trying to make you aware in somewhat english terms. Heat load calculations for HVAC systems is what I do every day.
I have a gift certificate for $100 to Cruise America. It is valid through this July and I can't use it. It is transferable, so no problems there. Who wants it?
I have a gift certificate for $100 to Cruise America. It is valid through this July and I can't use it. It is transferable, so no problems there. Who wants it?
Hey! I'm actually making my first trip to Roo this year from CT and am probably using cruise america- if you still have it send me a PM with the details.
