Visiting HC-1 happier camper

[Toxdoc]

Hi All,

I have really appreciated all of the great advice and interesting conversations on the forum. Now that I'm planning a visit to see the Happier Camper, maybe I can give back a little. Please let me know if you have any questions or want to see pictures.

September

[Bobbie Mayer]

Thanks. Hoping to arrange to see one once I have some time, but for now, I'm interested in how easy it would be to move the components around, and what the bare floor is like without floor panels. Also just overall impressions.

[lrb945]

very interested in your pros and cons list!

[raster]

I would love to see pictures! Thanks for offering.

I'm very curious about the HC1. The flexibility and utility speaks to me, and I'm in love with the hatch and the potential to switch layouts.

Looking forward to your impressions!! Have a great visit. I hope to visit the factory the next time I'm in LA, but that's a few months out.

[Toxdoc]

A friend and I have booked flights our flights to LA! We will visit Happier Campers on 9/16. We are still checking to see if a rental is available that night. Meanwhile, I have tons of questions for them. Here's the list - feel free to add.

Water (mainly sink)
Can you hook it up to sewer?
Can you hook it up to city water?
Is the grey water tank portable to carry to a dump station?
What do you have to do to winterize it?

Toilet:
I see 2 toilet options on the website. What do you think of PETT Cleanwaste system?
Have you used one of your tents (back privacy tent, ARC tent) as a toilet tent?

Power:
Can I run all of this at once off solar: lights, 2 iPhone chargers, fridge, water pump, fantastic fan, anything else?
Does anything draw power when idle or is there a battery kill switch?

Heater:
How long would a tank last on the propane heater? We had a friend who said he had a different style that would only last 1 hour.
What do you think of a ceramic electric heater with thermostat?

Cooking:
Can I use my Coleman 2-burner inside?
Do I need the big kitchenette for the fridge?
What do you think of Yeti coolers?

Other internal:
Do you have a non-rooftop version of the AC unit?
Are the floor panels needed?

Towing and other external:
Do I need special wiring in car for the brakes?
Which hitch and how many pins do I need?
How many years/miles will we get on the tires?
Does the concession window have a screen?
Can I get a different awning? smallest Fiamma is 6'
Can I lose 3" to get it in garage (letting air out of tires)?

Maintenance:
How is the shell attached to the frame? Is it easy to inspect?
Do you have a checklist or maintenance log?

Other:
Why are cats afraid of cucumbers?

Thanks all!

September

[Dbybe]

I can comment on a few of the items after a 2500 mile trip with our HC1 to Montana from Sacramento.
Garage: when open my garage door was higher than the top of the fixed opening. I raised the top of the fixed opening about 4", switch to 8" wheels, and am able to get the trailer in my garage. The new opening height is 87". This is with the Max fan on roof and using a Harbor Freight tongue dolly. See Photos. (8" wheels require a spacer be installed first so the wheel will clear the brake drum)
Gray Water: we use a Barker 5 gallon tank attached to the thread fitting in the side of the trailer. Easy to install and empty and lasts for a few days. You could probably rig up a sealed direct connection to a sewer inlet, but it just would not be saving that much effort.
Toilet: we use a Theteford 2.5 gallon standard Porto toilet. I would prefer the 5 gal toilet but the 2.5 fits under the bunk during the day. Easy to use and empty. There is no smell. Lasts for a few days if used only at night.
Fresh water: I am pretty sure you would have to modify the system to have pressurized city water. We fill our tank with either a hose with shut off wand, or with jug water. Pretty easy to do and will last a few days.
Electrical: we have a 140 watt glued down roof solar panel and the 100 ah AGM battery. (100 watt panel would be plenty). This is a great system. This charges quickly, even in questionable lighting. (Clouds, speckled light through trees, etc.). With LED lights, water pump, a small inverter for the Television, charging electronics, the battery never gets more than a few tenths of a volt below full.
Heating: we have a Mr Heater Buddy and a small ceramic 110v for when we are plugged in. Work very hard to get a quiet 110 heater. I am looking for a compact oil filled heater without fan. The Mr Heater warms the trailer at the low setting, but I would not sleep with it on. I have also had a little trouble lighting it in some cases.
Cooking: two burner propane stove is a bit long for the 20" counter. We use a multi fuel single burner stove, mostly outside.
Brakes: had to have a brake controller and a 7 prong connector added to our Subaru. Works great.

Hope this helps. We love our trailer and get lots of interest in it wherever we go.







Don
Sacramento

[Toxdoc]

Hi Don,

Thanks for the reply. Lots of good answers here!

[raster]

Hey Toxdoc -

Thought of some questions I am curious about that might benefit you too:

First, what Adaptiv options are being worked up that aren't in the brochures yet? I'm specifically interested in closets and maybe a privacy room/bathroom - thought I read at some point about modules for both in the works and I'm curious if they are coming soon.

Second, if you see the screen for the hatch I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts on how snug they fit and what your impressions are. Their marketing brochures are filled with beautiful desert camping pictures but where I camp I definitely need really snug, nice-fitting screens.

Finally, I'm also very interested about the ease of shifting components around, and the look of the bare floor, same as Bobbie mentioned earlier.

[Glenn Baglo]

Think I saw one of these ( yellow ) hitched to a large grey commercial van at Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver yesterday. In the wrong lane to get a closer look. Van was twice the size of the camper.

[Mikmay]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Think I saw one of these ( yellow ) hitched to a large grey commercial van at Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver yesterday. In the wrong lane to get a closer look. Van was twice the size of the camper.

Glen you may of seen our first trailer sold in Canada about three weeks ago.

[Toxdoc]

Originally Posted by raster

Hey Toxdoc -

Thought of some questions I am curious about that might benefit you too:

First, what Adaptiv options are being worked up that aren't in the brochures yet? I'm specifically interested in closets and maybe a privacy room/bathroom - thought I read at some point about modules for both in the works and I'm curious if they are coming soon.

Second, if you see the screen for the hatch I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts on how snug they fit and what your impressions are. Their marketing brochures are filled with beautiful desert camping pictures but where I camp I definitely need really snug, nice-fitting screens.

Finally, I'm also very interested about the ease of shifting components around, and the look of the bare floor, same as Bobbie mentioned earlier.

Thanks Raster,

All good questions. I have a feeling the privacy room is a ways off, but we would be interested, too. I will certainly ask.

[Toxdoc]

The trip to LA was super fun, and Laura at HC-1 answered all of my questions. Generally, I would say that in "person" the HC-1 is very much like the pictures. If anything, it felt bigger inside than I expected. We had 3 adults seated quite comfortable and non-claustrophobically, and there was still an unused row of cubes behind us. Ok, on to the questions.

Water (mainly sink)
Can you hook it up to sewer? - not currently, but you could rig something up
Can you hook it up to city water? - same
Is the grey water tank portable to carry to a dump station? - no grey water tank. You could use a bucket or rig something else up. This makes me wonder about the utility of the sink at all. Maybe just carry a washtub.
What do you have to do to winterize it? Empty the lines.

Toilet:
I see 2 toilet options on the website. What do you think of PETT Cleanwaste system? Not aware of it, but sounds ok.
Have you used one of your tents (back privacy tent, ARC tent) as a toilet tent? The ARC tent is really cool. You can close off the outside tent
Panel and open the hatch to add a room with some climate control.

Power:
Can I run all of this at once off solar: lights, 2 iPhone chargers, fridge, water pump, fantastic fan, anything else? Yes, that's it. Actually didn't add fridge in my question, so maybe not.
Does anything draw power when idle or is there a battery kill switch? Can't remember answer if I even asked.

Heater:
How long would a tank last on the propane heater? We had a friend who said he had a different style that would only last 1 hour. - it has 2 canisters which should last 3-4 days.
What do you think of a ceramic electric heater with thermostat? Ok, but u would have to be on shore power.

Cooking:
Can I use my Coleman 2-burner inside? Yes
Do I need the big kitchenette for the fridge? No. We have decided against fridge.
What do you think of Yeti coolers? Don't have one. They seem cool. (I'm paraphrasing everything here - Laura sounds way nicer than I do)

Other internal:
Do you have a non-rooftop version of the AC unit? No, but new AC unit is smaller and has fan and dehumidifier.
Are the floor panels needed? Yes, but they are very cool. They have the plastic form in the bottom that mates with the floor of the camper. They are easy to remove to hose off, set outside, throw at your friends, etc.

Towing and other external:
Do I need special wiring in car for the brakes? Yeah, go to UHaul. They're cheap and fast
Which hitch and how many pins do I need? 2" ball hitch, 7-pin connector
How many years/miles will we get on the tires? She will get back to me
Does the concession window have a screen? Yes, it snaps in
Can I get a different awning? smallest Fiamma is 6' - no, it would be loo long
Can I lose 3" to get it in garage (letting air out of tires)? Possibly. Some customers have gotten creative

Maintenance:
How is the shell attached to the frame? Is it easy to inspect? Bolted to frame where the D rings are. Yes, easy to see
Do you have a checklist or maintenance log? No, try Dr Google

Other:
Why are cats afraid of cucumbers? It looks like a snake-rat.

Thanks all!

September

[Toxdoc]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

Thanks. Hoping to arrange to see one once I have some time, but for now, I'm interested in how easy it would be to move the components around, and what the bare floor is like without floor panels. Also just overall impressions.

The cubes were bigger on the inside and lighter than I expected. The beds were slightly smaller. With 2 adults and 2 kids for the weekend, everyone could pack a cube and there would still be plenty of storage. It felt very roomy. The beds felt *slightly* smaller than I expected. May have to go with mega bed in a year or so as the girls grow.

I am wondering how important the sink is. Would I rather have countertop space and more flexible cubing? The sink is taller than a standard cube.

Overall, it is cute and super easy to deal with. On the other hand, it is pricey for a hard shell tent that I would have to park off-site.

We are going to Overland Expo East next month, and we will be making a final decision after that.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Thanks. Someday I'll probably see one but in the meantime I bought an Escape 15A so am going another direction. Though I did like the cargo-carrying option.

[4x4LDY]

I love the concept but I too found it to be more expensive after a few options. I also wouldn't be able to fit a golf cart size in the back so options for me were limited so I will prob. pass on it for now. Maybe when someone is selling down the road I'll jump at the opportunity but for now I'll lurk and see what others thing