Anyone heard of Wildernest Campers?

[Wanderlusty]

Here is a pic of one...

http://corralcanyon.net/toy.htm

Apparently they are no longer made, but highly coveted by the people who have and/or want them...

It looks like a super neat product, and I can remember seeing one a long time ago at a state fair expo. I wonder why nobody else has taken this idea/product and ran with it?

I know http://www.flippac.com/ makes a similar product, but the top does not seem as compact, and the tent does not seem as roomy.

Wonder if anyone has any history on these. Such a neat idea.

Of course me owning a Jeep, I couldn't even use one of these, but with a kid on the way (actually about here!) I have been pondering different ideas as I still want to travel but the Jeep PLUS all the trappings for a young one just isn't adding up. Anyway, that is a side note...

So like I said, anyone have any history on or experience with these? They just seem like they would be excellent for expedition travel, especially for a family.

 

[paulj]

I put one on a S10 pickup in 1988. It was a short bed, so the 'nest has the distinctive reverse slope back end, so if can fit a 6' long sleeping bed on a 6' long pickup bed. We made good use of it on a 3 mth trip to Alaska. It worked well on a trip where we were constantly on the move.

I had problems with seam sealing the tent, and eventually took to rigging a poly tarp over the whole thing if I anticipated much rain.

The shell is still on the pickup, but I removed the tent portion some years ago. Leaving it parked outside in Seattle weather produced too much moisture damage, including rusting one of the lid hinges.

We regularly slept 2 adults and a child in the Wildernest. The adults slept in the upper level. Around age 6 my son slept on a shelf across the front end of the pickup bed. Later I added a hinged shelf to a full length storage box along the driver's side of the pickup bed.

I've only had one quick look at a Flipac. My impression was that its interior area was about the same as mine, with full hight+ tent over the pickup bed, and kneeling hight or better over the sleeping platform. It just hinges forward, rather than to the side. When closed the Wildernest is a bit lower, since it doesn't have to clear the cab. In fact, the Wildernest starts with the same mold as a fiberglass campertop (Guidon brand?).

paulj

 

[kcowyo]

I check Denver's Craigslist for these regularly. They show up quite often, but based on the asking price for them, the owners sure are proud of 'em. I've seen them from $900 - $1800. They show up on eBay every so often too, usually in the same price range.

I have yet to see one for sale that would fit my T100 or a Tundra. Most likely because they stopped producing them years ago. The one feature I kind of like over the Flip-Pac, is how they open to the pass side. The overhang can provide cover for shade or from rain. I think these would still be a good seller for some ambitious manufacturer.

Oh, and congrats Fat Man on the impending arrival! :jumping:

....sleep now, while you can

 

[Wanderlusty]

Yeah, the flip to the passenger side rather than over the cab is also a feature I like about them.

The resale $$$ that 10+ year old camper shells are still getting is proof that this is a needed product. If the original manufacturer is out of business and cannot produce them any more, I sure wish some enterprising manufacturer would take the idea and run with it.

If I had the money and know-how, I sure would think it might be worth the try.

I think that with the right manufacturing and materials, the seam leakage like paulj experienced could also be remedied if they were manufactured again. I think it would be an awesome set up. Quick up, quick down, roomy, and lots of storage to boot.

 

[paulj]

The shade under the Wildernest overhang was not all that useful. I have vague memories of trying to cook under it while camped in rainy Ketchikan, Alaska. The headroom isn't enough to stand up, at least not when mounted on the S10, which is relatively low as 4x4 pickups go. The area under the overhang was ok for dry storage of gear. However by keeping most items in stackable plastic boxes, I could keep quite a bit of gear inside the pickup bed. In Alaska, food boxes and the cooler went into the cab.

I also bought several Wildernest accessories -
- a multipocket netting to hang from the front wall
- a mesh 'attic' for clothes
- cotton sheeting 'frost liner'

The headquarters for Wildernest was in Boulder CO. I stopped by there on the return leg of my Alaska trip. I think they sold most of their units in Colorado and California. I have seen a couple of other nests here in Washington state. Mine was installed by a dealer in Kansas City.

I heard someplace that Wildernest was owned and/or started by Lowe, would is better known for backpacking gear (packs, jackets, etc).

paulj

 

[blupaddler]

I too owned a Wildernest for a year or so.

The unit was well constructed and designed. However, I didn't like how much the canvas hung down in the closed position. Set-up was easy, and it always attracts attention. I never used it in the rain or any high winds. I personally prefer the rotation going over the side versus the cab, mainly because of carrying surfboards.

I have also seen Vince's Flip-pac in operation. I think the Flip-pac is much nicer. All you do is open it up. Compared to the Wildernest which needed poles to be extended before being "completely" set-up. All Vince does is unlatch and Flip! Also the Flip-pac doesn't hang down as far when closed, the shell is higher, thus you keep a more camper shell like storage area.


From the prices you are saying on the Wildernest, somebody got a great deal on one about two years ago!

 

[paulj]

The Wildernest has fabric panels that are supposed to keep the tenting in place when closed. However keeping them tight enough to prevent sagging is a problem. Also when wet, the nylon expands, and sagging is more pronounced. In Seattle winters, I got a lot of condensation in that liner and tent.

As long as my cargo was camping gear in plastic boxes that I could slide in and out of the bed, head room wasn't a problem. If I wanted to sit inside the bed with it all closed up, headroom as limited.

I can see where the side flip would be advantage for roof loads. The Wildernest has hard points molded into the fiberglass for roof rack mounts. I made my own mounts from angle aluminum, and used Yakima cross bars. The bars came in handy when flipping the lid back to the closed position.

I ended up putting two sets of roof rack bars on my S10, two on the Wildernest for carrying a kayak, and two on the cab for carrying a bike and a Basketcase. I couldn't have done that with the Flippac.

paulj

 

[Wanderlusty]

Sounds like if someone were to basic idea of the wildernest, primarily the flip to the side aspect, and re-engineer some of the previous design flaws, then that would be one great product!

It seems like with todays technology and materials, it would be possible to build a unit that flipped open to the side like the Wildernest, but with the one step up and done feature that the Flip-Pac has.

I would love to see something with the strength and durability of say, an Easi-Awn with the convenience and simplicity of a Wildernest.

Easi-Awns, from what I hear and see are a great product, with one major downside being the amount of wind drag it causes at highway speeds. If it were wrapped up in a topper, then that would not be an issue.

Basically it seems like it would be the best of all worlds for those who use a pickup as a base for their expedition travelling.

 

[paulj]

The fact that opening the Wildernest involves several steps never bothered me. I think it was more a matter of plain geometry than of materials. For example, the main ridge pole can only be as tall, in packed position, as the top is wide. If you want more interior height you have to build in some sort of extension mechanism. It could be spring loaded, or hydraulically operated, but that just adds weight and mechanical complexity.

Factory sealing the tent seams would help, though, I'd really prefer some sort of double wall tenting. I would have liked a separate rain fly, so the main tent could be packed dry, and fly hung out to dry separately.

Another water problem area was the attachment of tent to fiberglass. On one side the tenting was screwed to the outside lip of the campertop. On the other side, is was screwed to the inside lip of lid. That side had an added flap of fabric that was supposed cover this joint, and prevent water leakage into the lid. In extended rains water seeped through the fabric and along the seams. Again, this a geometry problem that needs more thought.

The seal between lid and top when closed also needs more thought. Admittedly I was neglectful of the rubber seals.

To a degree the problems that I had with the Wildernest were the same sort of things that RV and popup trailer owners has to address. Maintenance and storage off season was a big an issue as maintenance during use. On the other hand, a stand alone tent, can be kept in the closet, out of sight and out of mind, as long as it is properly dry.

paulj

 

[kcowyo]

I check Denver's Craigslist for these regularly. They show up quite often, but based on the asking price for them, the owners sure are proud of 'em. I've seen them from $900 - $1800. They show up on eBay every so often too, usually in the same price range.

I never get to quote myself, but as I was saying.....

 

[paulj]

The pictures of the Boulder Wildernest are good.

Mine was a bit earlier model, with a tunnel vent in the peak of the roof, rather than this triangular one. Note the discoloration down the middle of the end, and around the center of the base (right side of the truck). It is probably mildew, due to moisture coming through the lid seals when closed.

The open end picture also clearly shows the skirt around the edge of the lid. The tent is attached to the inside edge of the lid, and the skirt is supposed to direct water away from this joint. On this one I would check the foam mattress for water damage. I ended up wrapping mine in a waterproof tarp to protect it from moisture. In later years I stored the mattress separately.

I should stress that while I had a lot of moisture problems, I had only one structural problem. After something like 12 years, one of the lid hinges (not shown in these pictures) rusted through. The hinges appear to be ordinary household door hinges, strong enough, but not weather proof. They should have been marine quality. In theory the rusted hinge could have been replaced, but I had problems removing the hex head screws that secured it to the fiberglass (and its reinforcing).

paulj

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Roseann and I had a Wildernest for several years, and used it hard. We experienced the moisture problems; more importantly, we experienced significant structural problems in high winds. The erected Wildernest has huge windage - there's about eight feet of headroom in the thing, totally pointless (except for Uwe, heh heh) - and on a couple of Mexico trips we had to guy the interior frame to prevent it collapsing in 30mph El Nortes. Even so the pivot points where bolts go through the frame elongated badly. Not good, and impossible to sleep peacefully.

Also, the roof of the camper is arched when closed - meaning that the bed is concave. We always felt like we were rolling toward each other when sleeping; Roseann resorted to propping pillows between us.

Strictly personal opinion, but I don't recommend the Wildernest. It was a good idea, short on execution. I think the FlipPac is better, and although I know Vince will disagree, I still think the Four Wheel Popup is the ultimate expedition camper. We couldn't do a thing to hurt ours, and it was stable as a house in wind. Of course, it's in a different league expense-wise.

There was another Wildernest model that I'm not sure even made it to production, with a roof hinged at the front, so it opened like a clam. not as much room inside, but it appeared to be a more stable design.

 

[flywgn]

...We always felt like we were rolling toward each other when sleeping; Roseann resorted to propping pillows between us...

Ummmm, I haven't even met you yet, but that tells me something.

We were camped near a couple who were in a Wildernest and they claimed to have had a most uncomfortable night. I thought it had to do with the overall structure itself since we had had high winds (Death Valley), but after reading Jonathan's comment above I'm now thinking that I misunderstood.

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Um, wait. That wasn't what I meant! Oh, forget it.

 

[DesertRose]

We always felt like we were rolling toward each other when sleeping; Roseann resorted to propping pillows between us.

JONATHAN - DO YOU HAVE TO REPORT PERSONAL THINGS IN THE FORUM?

Well, I guess then I have to add that the platform is also EXTREMELY susceptible to bouncing up and down with any movement -- can create quite a, um, disturbance in a public camping situation if you're not careful . . .:smileeek: