BurkeDroppings
New Member
After two outings, I do have a couple of "reservations..."
First, my Fleet Cajita's low roof is lower than I anticipated. The problem, actually, is not the roof, but the stuff attached to it that must be stored somewhere when the roof is down. It turns out the that end panels and tarp material significantly lower the effective ceiling and allow considerably less head room than I had calculated. In fact, there is so little vertical space that I can't sit or even realistically sleep in the camper with the roof down.
Obviously, being able to sleep and rest without popping is not exactly a "feature," but it was an expectation and I'm disappointed.
Second, despite being considerably shorter and lighter than other models, my roof is surprisingly hard to lift. The unforeseen reason is the lack of a mechanical advantage provided by leverage. The lift point on longer roofs is farther from the fulcrum, thus lessening the load. The push panels inside my no-overhang Cajita are very close to the centerpoint of the roof. Archimedes could have helped me foresee this reality; I just saw a lighter roof and failed to take leverage into consideration.
I'm pleased with my decision to go with the shell version (with just a roll-over couch/bed and LED lighting as amenities. I'm finding (so far) that putting my "stuff" in a couple of fairly sizeable containers and several smaller ones (including a few "stuff bags" that I can toss around) makes it possible to travel with most of the cargo on the floor and then to move those containers to the sides. This lowers my center of gravity (admittedly not much of a concern with my light rig) and makes it really easy to pack for a trip and then empty my rig for running errands around town with maximum cargo space available.
I'm also very pleased about the relative maneuverability of my outfit compared even to full-sized pickup-based rigs. I have an amazing turning radius and despite the fact that my Cajita extends beyond the sidewalls of the truck am still quite narrow compared to the big rigs. Based on only one measurement, it appears that fuel economy will be a plus; I scored 22.5 mpg driving in the Sierra foothills. And I really don't feel any difference in (handling camper on vs off). but I'm still adjusting to rear vision, which is awful.
I'm proud of myself for acting on a dream and any reservations about my choice of rigs is offset by feelings of satisfaction. I'm "on the road, again."
The photos are from my second outing: Mariposa, CA, where I attended the Tomato Festival last weekend (Sept. 24)
First, my Fleet Cajita's low roof is lower than I anticipated. The problem, actually, is not the roof, but the stuff attached to it that must be stored somewhere when the roof is down. It turns out the that end panels and tarp material significantly lower the effective ceiling and allow considerably less head room than I had calculated. In fact, there is so little vertical space that I can't sit or even realistically sleep in the camper with the roof down.
Obviously, being able to sleep and rest without popping is not exactly a "feature," but it was an expectation and I'm disappointed.
Second, despite being considerably shorter and lighter than other models, my roof is surprisingly hard to lift. The unforeseen reason is the lack of a mechanical advantage provided by leverage. The lift point on longer roofs is farther from the fulcrum, thus lessening the load. The push panels inside my no-overhang Cajita are very close to the centerpoint of the roof. Archimedes could have helped me foresee this reality; I just saw a lighter roof and failed to take leverage into consideration.
I'm pleased with my decision to go with the shell version (with just a roll-over couch/bed and LED lighting as amenities. I'm finding (so far) that putting my "stuff" in a couple of fairly sizeable containers and several smaller ones (including a few "stuff bags" that I can toss around) makes it possible to travel with most of the cargo on the floor and then to move those containers to the sides. This lowers my center of gravity (admittedly not much of a concern with my light rig) and makes it really easy to pack for a trip and then empty my rig for running errands around town with maximum cargo space available.
I'm also very pleased about the relative maneuverability of my outfit compared even to full-sized pickup-based rigs. I have an amazing turning radius and despite the fact that my Cajita extends beyond the sidewalls of the truck am still quite narrow compared to the big rigs. Based on only one measurement, it appears that fuel economy will be a plus; I scored 22.5 mpg driving in the Sierra foothills. And I really don't feel any difference in (handling camper on vs off). but I'm still adjusting to rear vision, which is awful.
I'm proud of myself for acting on a dream and any reservations about my choice of rigs is offset by feelings of satisfaction. I'm "on the road, again."
The photos are from my second outing: Mariposa, CA, where I attended the Tomato Festival last weekend (Sept. 24)