Canvas tent vs teardrop....Honestly

[GSP848]

So I know this is the teardrop forum so I have an assumption of what most people will say but I want to hear all the arguments because I just can't decide...I am debating between a diy large teardrop for family of four (example; Colorado teardrops Summit model) with rooftop tent or pop top for more kiddos if needed, OR a 16-19 foot diameter canvass bell tent. The standing/walk around room/indoor cooking of the tent would be super nice but the "all in one", compact organization/mobility of the teardrop is really nice too. Half of the trips we do ,we are in place for a week and the other half we move around every 2 days or so....so I'm really torn. If I went with the tent, I would still need a small trailer to pull it and all our other crap in. If I went that way, I would like to design some sort of chuck wagon setup that incorporates into the tent or something to make the tent setup as "all in one" as possible and make setup/take down as fast as possible although I don't know if it could compete with the speed of the tnttt. When we drive cross country a tnttt would allow us to sleep at truck stops on the way where as the tent option requires finding a camp ground or getting a hotel. I really can't decide between the two and would like to hear why you all like the tnttt. Thanks.

[Modstock]

For us it was. We wanted to see Yellowstone and only hardsided trailers are allowed.
Plus it seemed every time we set up a tent, a windstorm happens.
Much quieter inside a trailer and now able to winter camp.

Sent from my SM-A115AP using Tapatalk

[tony.latham]

Camping shouldn't be work. Go with a camper.





Tony

[twisted lines]

When I was younger I sleeped it the bow of a boat, it was raining.
I woke up in several inches of water!
I got where I was going in the dark one time it was really windy, then it rained, really hard to sleep under a tarp with bungees scratching the truck, Trailer had too many bikes.
Got good at staying dry, but the tent didn’t!
Made a nice bed under a canopy and was amazed how I slept in the rain.
Not done with 1
Still planning, piling, and plotting 2

Stay dry.

[western traveler]

I think you already have your answer but that is like comparing apples to oranges.
A large teardrop has the outdoor galley built in already and with a rooftop tent and plenty of room for your kids you are good to go. Those rooftop tents set up pretty fast and there is only the additional cleanup of what you pulled out of the TV ie. chairs, privacy tent (mine collapses in a minute) my Clam gazebo about 3 minutes.

The problem with the round tent is a lot more gear. Cots to sleep on etc. and tents get damn cold. Because body heat isn’t going to do it in that big a space.
Canvas tents are bulky, heavy and need to be dried before storing.
Another strong point with the TD is you can just pull off the highway for a quick lunch, cup of coffee or nap.

[western traveler]

…

[noseoil]

Canvas tents are prohibited in bear country in some Federal campgrounds, just sayin'...

[MickinOz]

Canvas tents are prohibited in bear country in some Federal campgrounds, just sayin'...

HaHa, I was going to respond in similar fashion.
I know you guys say a bear can get through anything I can get through with an axe and a crowbar, but I'd still rather be behind 3/4" plywood than thin canvas when he comes knockin'.

[Tom&Shelly]

Canvas tents are prohibited in bear country in some Federal campgrounds, just sayin'...

Who enforces that, the bears or the rangers?

Tom

[Dahlia47]

I carry a tent in my travel trailer.

Also, we made a canopy bed for our daughter in our travel trailer. She's 18 now. She grew out of it. But I keep the extra tent in the travel trailer in case one of the kids wants to join us.
The canopy bed is real easy. Rolls up and stows away nicely. Ill post a link to the video.

I do have a 9 person tent. It doesn't go in the travel trailer. It goes with us to the parks that don't allow travel trailers. There are a few state parks in Texas that don't allow travel trailers. No matter how tiny.

I prefer my travel trailer. Everything is in there. Ready to go!

Never hurts to have a backup.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f9ArgHs2RGU

I used steel poles. They held up very well. I also used plywood instead of canvas. Canvas would work much better to roll up and stow away.

[S. Heisley]

A camp trailer is warmer in cool weather and it's nice to sleep on a mattress...never could stand those air mattresses. Cots are okay but you've got to set them up along with the tent and everything else. An insulated trailer keeps out a lot of noise, too. A built-in or pull-out stove is nice to have. Pots and Pans and cutlery, etc. stays put in the trailer drawer or cupboard and you never have to worry about packing a ton.

When I was tenting, I bought a large tool chest on wheels and kept all my kitchen pots and pans, utensils, etc in it and strapped the camp stove over top of it with bungee cords. I still use it but now it is my food pantry. Everything else has a place in the trailer. (Even the tool box pantry goes in there but is rolled to a bear box in bear country.) If you put a pass-through between your galley and "bedroom", you can have coffee/tea in bed before you get up.

The convenience of push button lighting and lights outside each door is nice. I remember someone writing about hearing a noise and opening the door only to come face to face with a bear. If you have a light on the outside that turns on from the inside, you can look out your window to see what's going on. With wiring, you also have the option of exhaust fans as well as other fans in hot weather.

With a tntt, you'd still have a problem of where to put the kids if you were in a "no soft-sided trailers/tents campground but I'm guessing that would be rare enough that you could stay in a cabin or rent a larger motor home for those trips. Tents just wouldn't work for those stays, regardless.

A couple disadvantages of a trailer are that a tent costs less and a trailer takes a while to build, unless you buy one. You learn a lot, though, and you end up with some really good memories and knowledge. I still am amazed that I built a camping trailer but I'm glad I did! It's now 11 years old and I'm 75 and we're still kicking around together, having one good time after another. Like an old married couple, we may just be together 'til "death do us part".