Top-down use: how often do you sleep in/use your FWC with the top down?

MarkBC said:
The only time I lowered the top and slept in the camper, top-down, was in very high winds while camped on the crest of the White Mts, eastern California. Gusts over 70 mph....

Before I bed down on the couch...
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To clarify: I slept on the couch without swinging the back over as a bed-widener. In other words, I slept on it the same as if I slept on my couch at home. A little narrow, but it worked -- I slept.
A few times when I've napped in the top-down configuration I did the same -- didn't swing the back over.
 
It was really funny. And even while I was so scared, I was laughing at myself. I knew it was kinda ridiculous, but at the same time, I wasn't convinced. hahahaha! Next times I went up there, I camped in a location that has some low trees and is further from the ledge.
Didn't get near as windy over there!
 
At least you weren't near a creek. Hard to sleep when you have visions of flash floods in your mind!
 
MarkBC said:
To clarify: I slept on the couch without swinging the back over as a bed-widener. In other words, I slept on it the same as if I slept on my couch at home. A little narrow, but it worked -- I slept.
A few times when I've napped in the top-down configuration I did the same -- didn't swing the back over.
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Myself as well. Just the odd nap. No front dinette... rollover couch.

The time I find myself doing this the most is when driving around town on a Sat or Sunday afternoon shopping. I don't want to go home. Having a 15 minute nap is nice. It's kind of fun to go back there and relax, while the world around you is abuzz.
 
I spent the second night ever in our Hawk in stealth mode in a condo parking lot in SLC. I awoke disoriented in the middle of the night to a screaming alarm beeping. It was the CO alarm, I had used up most of the oxygen within the confines of the closed up camper. Had no idea it was that airtight. Opened a side window, and worried for awhile that my cover was blown. Moral of the story, crack a window or the door open if sleeping clamped down.
 
No need to leave window or door open. Instead, open turnbuckle door & ceiling vent.

Bonus benefit: sound of snoring emanating from Fantastic vent or turnbuckle door is likely much less than screaming alarm. ;)

Paul
 
Piney said:
I spent the second night ever in our Hawk in stealth mode in a condo parking lot in SLC. I awoke disoriented in the middle of the night to a screaming alarm beeping. It was the CO alarm, I had used up most of the oxygen within the confines of the closed up camper. Had no idea it was that airtight. Opened a side window, and worried for awhile that my cover was blown. Moral of the story, crack a window or the door open if sleeping clamped down.
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That's a scary story. So glad your alarm worked and woke you.

I'm a big advocate of sleeping with a window open. I was just camping at -13F with a wind chill on top of that and I slept with a window a 1/4 way open. I try to open the passenger side window to lessen the chance of CO gas from the furnace entering the camper.

I'm not a big fan of opening the turn buckle doors when sleeping as I hate the thought of a mouse getting in. I just had one crawl up me on the trip I was just on. I was eating chips and watching Netflix in a cook house with a stove. Things were pretty cozy until the mouse crawled up onto my t-shirt. It freaked me out. I woke up that night freaked out and it's been on my mind a few times since then. So gross.
 
I made a screened turnbuckle door cover. Easy to do with a chunk of 1/8" plywood and some window screening. No mice or critters for me!
 
Bill D said:
....
I'm not a big fan of opening the turn buckle doors when sleeping as I hate the thought of a mouse getting in. I just had one crawl up me on the trip I was just on. I was eating chips and watching Netflix in a cook house with a stove. Things were pretty cozy until the mouse crawled up onto my t-shirt. It freaked me out. I woke up that night freaked out and it's been on my mind a few times since then. So gross.
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Speaking of gross your story reminded me of the time when I was in graduate school in TX and was sleeping on a mattress on the floor of a building in the marina in preparation for an extended offshore research cruise. We needed to get up at 0400 to leave by 0600 for some reason.. we hit the sack about 9 pm the night before and I was soon asleep. About 10:30 I suddenly woke up with the feeling of something crawling on me. I turned on my flashlight and the floor was literally covered with those big flying cockroaches (palmetto bugs). I jumped up screaming and woke everyone else up....needless to say no one got any sleep that night....
 
smlobx said:
Speaking of gross your story reminded me of the time when I was in graduate school in TX and was sleeping on a mattress on the floor of a building in the marina in preparation for an extended offshore research cruise. We needed to get up at 0400 to leave by 0600 for some reason.. we hit the sack about 9 pm the night before and I was soon asleep. About 10:30 I suddenly woke up with the feeling of something crawling on me. I turned on my flashlight and the floor was literally covered with those big flying cockroaches (palmetto bugs). I jumped up screaming and woke everyone else up....needless to say no one got any sleep that night....
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Ewwwww...
thanks for sharing lol :)
How disturbing. I bet it still effects you in your sleep once in a while.

Vic. I agree, great idea. I think I'll do that to one of my turn buckle doors (rear driver side).
I open it to cook quite often and admittedly I have opened it while taking a nap with the roof down. I was never really sleeping.

Vic, perhaps you can post a pic if you have the time. I'm sure many of us would like to see your design.
 
A few times, worked great, but not for the same reasons as everyone else. I’ve done it to catch some uninterrupted zZzZz’s after working a night shift. Nowhere in my house is safe from the young children.

I agree with most above though — have never felt threatened by wind. I think it’d be very useful for stealth camping though.
 
My 'experience' is limited (picked up my Hawk yesterday) but I tried laying down on the 'top down' sleeping area where the front dinette is and it's VERY comfortable; I'm 5-9 and I could lay out flat fully without any crunch. No doubt I'll be crashing there while 'on the road'. :D
 
We often sleep top down if we need to stay in an Interstate rest area....somehow seems less vulnerable top down.

On the topic of rest areas....they are great in the midwest or mid section of the nation.......not so much on the two coasts...a shame.

David Graves
 
Remember that many models do have a regular sliding window. Since I leave the privacy curtains closed most of the time (and they are behind the setbacks in the front dinette) I tend to forget they are there. And the windows are screened!
 
On a recent trip to central California, we decided that when on the road, the best setup for the front dinette is in the lower bed mode. No hassle taking naps at rest stops, and cargo stores great under the bed. We now only set up the table when the top is up, i.e., in camping mode.
 
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