My Add-a-room solution

[Bobbie Mayer]

Shawn got me thinking with the canopy that would clear the door of my Campster. I looked at wind walls but I really would like an enclosure where I could sit and know the dogs were with me, loose, not winding leashes around my chair, and not getting out. I found this tent at amazon http://www.amazon.com/Standing-Room-...s=hanging+tent and bought a new canopy (mine was 8 x 10 and broke when I was checking its height.

It works perfectly. I'll use a small xpen (designed for guinea pigs and things like that) under the door to block the hole there. The only problem I haven't solved is what will happen in pouring rain if the camper door is open but for now I'll just close it if I'm worried. I can set Xpens up outside the back door if I want and attach them to the legs of the canopy.

In the pictures, the tent is bare but it is meant to be used with the canopy top as a rain fly. I had to lower the canopy to attach the tent; not sure if a taller person might not have to. It isn't staked down in the photos but can be. Because the walls are vertical the full space is usable.

I actually plan to flip it around as both doors open to the same end (right as shown) and it will work better if the door opens the same way as the camper door (from the left.)

This is one of those things I'll probably bring only for cold/rainy weather and longer stays but I think it will be a nice addition.

[Rpryor3]

Nice.

[Pam Garlow]

A lot of extra room for you ! Looks perfect

[Bobbie Mayer]

I'm hopeful that it will work out well. I have a rug I'll put over the floor which will help anchor it down (9x9 mat). We'll put an airbed in for my niece for a few days (I'll be gone a week but she'll just be there two nights) and maybe a friend on the weekend but there's still plenty of floor space. I don't know if it would hold up to a LOT of wind but I know my camping spot is pretty well-sheltered. The canopy stayed up fine last year.)

[Donna D.]

looks like it's really going to enlarge your camping space during inclimate weather... and that can include

[Mary F]

Ah, good solution! I bought a Northern Breeze a couple of years ago (because I had a bunch of credit/points with Amazon so it wasn't an outrageous cash outlay). It's great and I don't regret it - but, this would've worked as well, because we do also already have an EZ-up. Thanks for sharing!

[Bobbie Mayer]

I have an EZ up in Fresno but I have to say, this new canopy is much easier to get up. I can do it myself, no sweat. ( I can do the EZ up but it involves a lot of sweat and four letter words and takes three times as long.) Though it would do well with this tent- I can bring just the tent back next winter and use the old EZ up. And most of the screen rooms didn't have doors that would fit over the Campster door.

Still not sure how I'll handle rain coming between the openings. The other downside is that I can't put the canopy halfway down at night if it is up against the Campster door so in a windy situation it wouldn't be as good.

[ShawnKK]

Bobbie Bobbie Bobbie, I like! Now what if you take something like a tarp about 4 ft wide that would go from one side and wrap around to the other side and stake it on both sides to the ground.
And then put a fan on the outside that blows air in like those tall wiggle guys you see at the auto dealers! Pos pressure on the inside. Then you can have a bouncy house for the kiddies. Hmmm, this gives me a ideal!

[Bobbie Mayer]

You had me until the fan started blowing.

What I think I could do is clip a 12 foot piece of plastic gutter to the side of the canopy. But I'm going to see how it does. The way canopy's tend to work, they pool water and you have to bump them to dump it, so as long as I'm sure the trailer door is closed at that time it should be fine.

[ShawnKK]

Bobbie, you can take two 1/4 pvc pipes and and bend them then attach the plastic or tarp (12 ft x 4 ft) then it woulod be tight enough to not pool up water!
Then get a wiggly man...

[Bobbie Mayer]

I'll see how it does- I can always figure something out if it is a problem. I think it is going to be a fun addition and the tent is so quick to put up that any time I have the canopy up and it suddently gets cold or wet I can have the tent up in just a few minutes. No poles so the tent isn't very heavy.

I'll have my camping report next week. Maybe sooner if I get reception.

[ShawnKK]

I want to see pics when you put it back up like you want it. Were on our way to camp at the beach this weekend. I hope to beat the rain.
This is what I want to see next to your egg Bobbie
Red Arrow Air Dancer Yellow Hair Wacky Waving Inflatable Fly Sky Guy Puppet Only on eBay!

[Bobbie Mayer]

Ha ha... I'll be at the opposite coast at the beach but not until Sunday.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Okay, back from camping. Here's the trial run report: the canopy first. As I mentioned on another thread, one of the push pins failed on the second set-up. I was able to use a metal pin to keep the side up but I'll be exchanging the Ozark trail canopy. If a second one has problems I'll change brands. But other than that, loved the Ozark trail. It sets up like a breeze. Came down just as easily.

The tent also goes up easily. However, the third morning, when my tent-camper had left and I was alone and it started to pour, I realized I could not both zip the tent up water tight and be inside the trailer after doing so. So now I have to modify the canopy a bit. Once I'm sure I have the right canopy, I'll sew an extra foot of waterproof fabric onto it's top, and have velcro to attach that to the trailer to provide a water-tight seal. Plus maybe some velcro on the door sides. Then it can be "open" when the rain comes down without getting rain into the tent.

In the meantime, though, I moved the trailer and put a space between tent and trailer and used the tent just as a screen room/tent. It works great for that. The dogs were stuck inside if I zipped it closed, so they could be loose. Walls are straight so plenty of room for my recliner even with the bed in there. I could have windows opened or closed. I used the Sport Cat heater when it was cold and warmed the whole 10 x10 space pretty fast. (Window cracked for ventilation, don't worry.) For a go-to place when rain showers hit, it was great.

I'll go to the app and post a few pictures.

[Bobbie Mayer]