My father traveled for the last 28 years of his life in a van something very similar. It was the happiest I saw him. When his sight started to go, and he couldn't drive, that sense of adventure went blind too, and he never was the same.
My grandfather did the same from Florida to NY when I was a kid. He would drive back and forth, exploring antique shops and swap meets. He didn't' have anything as large as this one, but it was great for just himself and his small dog.
I like the van format because of the visibility over the hood. Up in British Columbia, Yukon Territory, NWT and Alaska there are places where a big front end can be a safety concern. Coming around tight corners is safer bc It's much easier to judge tire placement. Many times you have to get close to the shoulder as a semi approaches in the opposite lane. The Dempster highway is all packed dirt / crushed shale with soft slippery shoulders, especially when its been raining. Not being able to accurately judge where your front tires are gets people into trouble all the time. When you get WAY up there there aren't even any trees to hook a winch line to. I also like the idea of not having to deal with camper stoves, portable diesel heaters and aftermarket electrical systems to support extra lights and such.
I have a question for you. So I was just on their website and looking at these pop up tops on these vans. The roof racks that are on top of these, are these the same or less weight ratings because of the top?
Hi, yes, compared to a van with a standard stock roof, this option can carry more weight. However, camper tops like this add valuable vertical space, which is a significant advantage. That said, it's worth noting that you may lose some of the roof's weight capacity in the process.
My father traveled for the last 28 years of his life in a van something very similar. It was the happiest I saw him. When his sight started to go, and he couldn't drive, that sense of adventure went blind too, and he never was the same.
My grandfather did the same from Florida to NY when I was a kid. He would drive back and forth, exploring antique shops and swap meets. He didn't' have anything as large as this one, but it was great for just himself and his small dog.
One word: someday!
I like the van format because of the visibility over the hood. Up in British Columbia, Yukon Territory, NWT and Alaska there are places where a big front end can be a safety concern. Coming around tight corners is safer bc It's much easier to judge tire placement. Many times you have to get close to the shoulder as a semi approaches in the opposite lane. The Dempster highway is all packed dirt / crushed shale with soft slippery shoulders, especially when its been raining. Not being able to accurately judge where your front tires are gets people into trouble all the time. When you get WAY up there there aren't even any trees to hook a winch line to. I also like the idea of not having to deal with camper stoves, portable diesel heaters and aftermarket electrical systems to support extra lights and such.
I've always wanted to drive to Alaska, have you made that trek many times?
I have a question for you. So I was just on their website and looking at these pop up tops on these vans. The roof racks that are on top of these, are these the same or less weight ratings because of the top?
Hi, yes, compared to a van with a standard stock roof, this option can carry more weight. However, camper tops like this add valuable vertical space, which is a significant advantage. That said, it's worth noting that you may lose some of the roof's weight capacity in the process.
Did he say he has 4 kids and him and his wife and sleep in that thing?
Yes, that's the benefit of the tops on these larger vans, you get so much usable space in these foot prints.