RV or Tent

[Grizzly95]

I have a an 11ft S&S camper that I have yet to use, I am thinkin of selling it and buying a big-ass tent. I am thinking like a canvas tent. I don't know anything about them, or how long or difficult they are to put up. What do you guys use? Pics? Thanks guys/gals

[nw_bowhunter]

Go with a good quality canvas tent like a Rainer tent. Get bigger than you think you will need because once you set up they can get real comfy and others will join quickly. Also, consider an add-on for the kitchen. Before I bought mine I checked out the sportsmen shows and ended up buying a package deal which included the stove. I like internal frames.

They don't take as long as you would think to set up but at minimum two guys makes it a lot easier. I say about 30 minutes for my. I have everything labled and before I start to assemble I lay all the pieces I need.

Depending on what you are using for, gear and # of people in it I would check out a 12 x 14 as a starting point.

[denali]

we went with a wall tent 10 years ago 16x20  then couple years later got a 12x14 for a cook shack, we set up 2 days before deer opening an tear down after elk.   Love the wall tents,  pics are on another computer try to get them up   

[Axle]

I've gone the RV route and liked it but then I downsized for financial reasons and speed reasons.

I much prefer the tent version of hunting. The canvas wall tent is easy to put up and take down and store. You can use a smaller rig for all the gear too. You can move camp easily.

One big thing for me was, I had friends who would come along in the RV and not respect cleanliness at all. They would also never off to help with cleaning it and some of the more rude ones would never off gas money. A big RV takes a gas guzzler to haul it which costs a lot in the long run.

I got a wall tent about 20 years ago, set it up in my back yard, sprayed it real good with Thompson's original waterseal and it has been serving me well since then.

[Smokepole]

Wall tent.  I have one for small family outings thats 10x14.  Then we set up a 16x 20 Montana Canvas outfitter tent for muley season.  Plan on getting a wood stove and you're good to go.

[carpsniperg2]

i bought a camp trailer last year 22ft love it  love it. keeps the wife happy when its used for hunting and camping

[Bulldozer]

We got wall tents last year and love them. We got a 14x16 internal frame to sleep in with wood stove and 12x14 cook tent.  Last night of the season my dad was up about 400 am cussin trying to change propane tanks on his RV cuz it ran out sometime earlier.   We were nice and warm in the tent with the wood stove.

[gasman]

Why do you not use the camper 

I started with a tent and switched to a camper. I often am first and last in camp and set up of a canvas tent is a Biatch to set up  and take downfor one person. So much gear to buy and pack with a tent, it is just easier to park my truck with my camper and drive my jeep or i can drop my camper in 10 minutes and drive my truck.


Just my .02.

[GoldTip]

I've used both, love my camper, (26' toyhauler)but at times it's difficult to get it where you want to set camp, and in some place's it's difficult to get it turned around if you get where your going and someone is already there!   Wall tents are easy enough to set up, but then you have storage of them and there frame parts and where do you put it if it's taken down wet and things like that.  There are drawbacks to either method.  All in all for straight up hunting use only, I'd go wall tent, minimum size of 14'x16' for three guys.  Any more guys than that I'd seriously consider a 14x20 or even a 16x20.  Now if you want ot take most of the town with you, I have an Army MASH tent that I believe is 20'x32' that I'd be willing to part with.

[croix]

Why do you not use the camper 

 

You can't beat the ease of use that a camper offers, but it doesn't suit all situations. I use my camper throughout the summer for family camping and I still think it's the best option for family outings where there's only three of us in the camper and we are in a campground. It's the ONLY way I will take the family out.

I've used it for hunting a few times also when it was me and maybe one or two other guys and there was a campround near the hunting and it was a short trip, but for our BIG deer camp the tents just work better. They have more space and you don't have to worry about tromping snow/mud/dirt in and out of them. I suppose if I had a single purpose camper that was only used for hunting and not family use then I might not worry so much about it, but there is still the space issue. We have had a dozen people in our cook/social tent playing cards, drinking, cooking etc.- NEVER be able to do that in a camper.

If you go the tent route, I am a big proponent of having seperate cook and sleep tents, especially for groups and for hunting. It allows people to go to bed while others are still being social. Also, I'm not a big scent nazi, but I would rather not cook burgers and onions in the same tent where my hunting clothes are hanging. It's tough to justify the setup of two or more tents though when you are only spending two nights.

Bottom line - short trips with few people = camper
                  long trips or large groups = tent(s)

 

[alanger]

Can't beat a good solid wall tent with a wood stove. nice and toasty. 

[MtnMuley]

Can't beat a good solid wall tent with a wood stove. nice and toasty. 

.....in the back of the utility trailer your pulling with your truck/camper.   Wall tent for socializing and kitchen/eating and the camper for snoozing(propane heat)--that way when it's your buddys turn to stoke the fire in the middle of the night, you don't freeze your arse off!

[gasman]

Can't beat a good solid wall tent with a wood stove. nice and toasty. 

.....in the back of the utility trailer your pulling with your truck/camper.   Wall tent for socializing and kitchen/eating and the camper for snoozing(propane heat)--that way when it's your buddys turn to stoke the fire in the middle of the night, you don't freeze your arse off!

I would second that.......

[royalbull]

If it is just yourself I would keep the camper. We set up 3 wall tents, have a 16' cargo trailer that we build a kitchen off one side. It takes a long time to set every thing up. A few years back another friend of mine joined our camp he has an 11' camper with a jeep he tows behind. He doesn't even unhook his trailer, just jack knives it so he can get in and out. When we started to break down camp he walked out with his remote pushed the button his jacks went up slide went in. Jumped in his jeep drove it onto his trailer (no ramps needed) tied it down and was ready to go in less than ten minutes. It takes us days to get every thing set up and about 4-5 hours to break down. Then the work still isn't done because you have to unpack everything when you get home and dry it out cots, tents, tarps, etc. I love the comfort of my wall tent but if there wasn't several of us I think I would have a camper

[littlemac]

I've gone small motorhome and tow the Jeep.

Converted a 23' Tioga to 4X4 and it gets me where I want to go for camp.  I don't have a couple of days to get out there and set up usually so when I park it's ready to go.

Don't get me wrong though, if I can tent I would go 16 x 16 wall tent at least.  Make sure you have the right canvas for the frame though.  We f'd up and took one that was too small for our old frame one year.  Just improvise after that.