Leaving Pop up UP

[RonSchon]

I couldn't find any reference to this in a search, but maybe I was asking google the wrong question.

Anyway - much of my camping is at work. The employee lot at the airport.

I get off at 10pm on Friday night, and have to be back in at 4am on Saturday morning - work until 10pm Saturday, then back in Sunday at 4am.

The past month that I've had the camper, I've been putting the top back down each morning.

Is that a good idea, or am I just creating more work for myself?

The lot is secure and on camera, so vandalism/theft is not a concern.

 

[Skeeter]

Dia?

Are you at Denver international? I worked out of there for four years and left a crash pad car in the employee lot. I never had any problems, but I would recommend putting your top down. I have seen some shady people at those lots. I have known a few crews that have used campers to sleep in, and I could never figure out how you could rest with all the noise. -Skeeter

 

[BSS]

I usually keep mine up when I'm not using it/parked for extended periods because I like it to stay nice & aired out. If you put the top down right after a long night the camper never fully airs out for the next time (in my opinion).

In your circumstances though, it sounds like I would probably err on the side of discretion and keep it folded.

 

[chnlisle]

Dude,
dont they know they're supposed to give you 8 hours between shifts?

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Keep it up and use that stuff Stan recommends for UV protection.

As to security, the sliding window is a bigger concern, unless you are referring to the visibility of the popped-up camper.

 

[ScottBailey]

Aerospace 303 Protectant? sprayed it on my bumper's plastic, too. Seems like it will work great.

Seriously, though. Do you have outside storm flaps? I think I'd drop if I didn't. I think each has it's own wear cost (UV vs folding) so pick your poison and be prepared to replace it in 5 to 10 years. And if you're likely to have heavy wind or rain, drop it.

 

[RonSchon]

Are you at Denver international? I worked out of there for four years and left a crash pad car in the employee lot. I never had any problems, but I would recommend putting your top down. I have seen some shady people at those lots. I have known a few crews that have used campers to sleep in, and I could never figure out how you could rest with all the noise. -Skeeter

Yep, DIA - the Landside lot this bid, probably the Airside lot next bid.

I've been there about 2 years and haven't noticed too much shady-ness, but then again a few weeks ago a car alarm not too far from me went off at about 2am, and the weather was calm, and it didn't go off until the battery died.

I know there is a ton of noise - I'm probably within 300 yards of a runway, but it just doesn't bother me - the noise I expect that is. The car alarm bothered me. It was close enough that I thought it was mine.

As for Jay - I'm unaware of a requirement for 8 hours between shifts. I believe there might be something about 7 hours as a company policy, but as long as you don't have a problem with, they seem to let you slide.

It's not mandatory - the tight shifts are created through voluntary shift trading. This way I'm at work for 48 hours in 3 days and off for 4 days. It's lovely to be off for 4 days every week. The airlines fall under some obscure railway act of 1862 - non-flying anyway - and we don't observe some of the normal state laws. For instance if I work 40 hours a week, and want to work Bob's shift of 8 hours - I pick it up. It's not paid in overtime, just straight wages as it wasn't a requirement that I pick it up. It works out kind of nice, you can work 60 or 70 hours a week on any week you want really - beats getting a part time job if you need a little extra money.

But anyway - from the great input everybody provided I think I'm probably doing the smart thing by putting it down each morning.

 

[EdoHart]

Not much reason to raise the top for so short a time period.

I'd be afraid of condensation getting trapped when you lowered the top and slowly allowing mold to grow. If it were me, I would either sleep on the fold out bed and keep the top down between shifts, or keep the top up for the hours I was at work.

Regardless, 303 protectant is good stuff. You can't go wrong with it whether you keep the top up or down most of the time.

If my company operated out of DIA, I would suspect we work for the same company. Until they "promoted" me to a position classified as "salaried, exempt from overtime" I had all sorts of rules to follow, and filling out my time sheet was a test in logic. Fortunately, I'm a logical person. Maybe that's why the "promoted" me.

 

[RonSchon]

I have a Hawk, and I'm about 6'2", so the fold out isn't a good option - plus I got the Hawk so I could stand up and get dressed for the next day. Prior to the Hawk - to make sure I could handle this - I picked up a regular topper and slept in the back of the truck for a month. Being able to stand up when getting dressed proved to be pretty important to me.

I did this for about 6 months where I actually drove home in the 6 hours between shifts (as about 25 people I work with do). From parking spot to driveway is 45 minutes - so more or less my 6 hours between shifts became 4 hours at home - more like 3 hours in the sack. That wasn't enough to be able to function... Now I find if I can get 5 full hours of sleep, I'm ok.

I'll look into the 303 protectant stuff, but also the humidity level in Denver is extremely low - generally as low or lower than Arizona. This year is a bit of an anomolly though, as we had the most rain in 130 years. Even with that though, it's really not that humid.

 

[pods8]

I'll look into the 303 protectant stuff, but also the humidity level in Denver is extremely low - generally as low or lower than Arizona. This year is a bit of an anomolly though, as we had the most rain in 130 years. Even with that though, it's really not that humid.

303 is more of a UV protectant I believe.

 

[mtn-high]

Camping World by 32nd & youngsfeild has the 303.

The 303 seems like good stuff. Not cheap...but a qt will do the camper a few times over. My concern with leaving it up would be the UV damage and the grime from the airport/airplanes/constant traffic fumes in the area, not mold/etc.

"please don't wake me, no don't shake me, leave me as I am, I'm only sleeping" John/Paul

mtn

 

[John D]

I think your camper will be cooler inside with the top down out in the hot sun. I wish others would comment on this temperature issue because I am not sure. John D

 

[RonSchon]

By the time I get to the camper, it's about 10:15 to 10:30 pm, which has given it an hour or so to cool down, but I bet you are correct - unless of course I left a window flap or two down.

 

[EdoHart]

Camping World by 32nd & youngsfeild has the 303.

The 303 seems like good stuff. Not cheap...but a qt will do the camper a few times over. My concern with leaving it up would be the UV damage and the grime from the airport/airplanes/constant traffic fumes in the area, not mold/etc.

"please don't wake me, no don't shake me, leave me as I am, I'm only sleeping" John/Paul

mtn

I hadn't thought about all the grime around an airport. That's a real good argument for leaving it down during the day.

As for cooling, if you have an overhead vent or front sliding window, you can leave them open. If I don't have to keep out bugs, or keep in heat, my front slider stays open the entire time.

 

[RonSchon]

That's a good reminder/idea Ed, I'll probably give that a go this next work week.