Pros & Cons of a Camper Canvas

T

theflyscot

New member
I'm soon going to be buying a 22 Cruiser, spending many months a year cruising and living on it. I would welcome people's opinions on having a camper canvas:
Negatives: more clutter; it might act as a kind-of sail, blowing the boat around; could get completely blown off in strong winds.
Positives: presumably it basically keeps the rain water out, so if you are docked or anchored somewhere, it would keep you dry and give you more living space. Would also be good protection against the sun.
Comments welcome. Sway me one way, please. Thank you!
 
I would think the camper back would make bow access and line handling more difficult.
I am considering one for this winter though.

I used my bimini top only during a recent trip, and I enjoyed some extra rain and sun protection, but mostly we found it to be in the way.
 
I would think the camper back would make bow access and line handling more difficult.
I am considering one for this winter though.

I used my bimini top only during a recent trip, and I enjoyed some extra rain and sun protection, but mostly we found it to be in the way.
 
I think it depends on how you use the boat. I consider a full camperback right up there with the trailer in making the boat more functional and useful. If you are spending a lot of time cruising, the camperback is invaluable for the extra enclosed space it affords. If you are a fisherman, it would be in the way.

We never found it a hindrance in going to the bow: open a section and climb out. If it is a hindrance, you have a badly designed camperback. For storage, my wife made a bag from Sunbrella that we stored the sections in when not up. We could leave that off the boat or strap it to the radar arch - never in the way.

For cruising, I don't see any downside to the camperback.
 
A camperback may actually help when maneuvering in the wind. The 22 anyway wants to turn the cabin downwind in any sort of breeze once engine power comes off. The stiffer the breeze the harder it wants to do this. A camperback may alleviate this by making the cabin longer to limit the turning action somewhat. However, the larger surface area will probably just blow the whole boat sideways. Drifting straight sideways is probably more manageable than the turning action especially in fairways and berths.
 
My take -

It depends on where you live.

I have a 25 that I bought with a top of the line camper back. I love having it, but neither me or the prior owner really have used it. It’s like brand new.

I live in North Carolina, where I don’t really need the protection.

That being said, I love having it, it’s nice to know that I can deploy it, or sections of it up to keep the rain out of the cockpit when we sit out back.

If I lived in the Pacific Northeest, I’d definitely want one. Here.... I wouldn’t see it as a requirement
 
Well it depends on the two things really. How you use your boat and how you have the cover built. I have seen a lot of poorly designed canvases and some really great ones. Poor designs do not have a high enough top or head room. Some of the early designs came off the top of the cabin at a 90 and were no higher then the cabin. Well even at 6 ft this is not good for me. A good design comes off the cabin at a 45 degrees and raises the top to 6'6 or even 7 ft. Another part of a bad design is not being able to open one side of the top at the cabin from each side. So on both my boats I can open half the top at the cabin. This make getting in and out, to handle lines, quick and easy. It also makes removing the top from the cabin so you can roll it up while the frame is still erected easy. We spend most of your time with the top rolled up around the frame but the frame in place. Having at least 2 removable windows per side increase the versatility of the top. Installing quick release mounts on the frame and having a extra pair of mounts at the cabin edge makes for a easy and quick way to store the top out of the way and always have it with you. I find that the only time the top gets in the way is when we are fishing. Depending on how windy or bad the weather is we just roll the top up and leave it on the frame strapped to the cabin. But having the top up with just the first half of the side windows one makes fishing in winter or bad weather a lot more comfortable . Gives you a place to stand out of the wind and rain.

Getting blown off the boat- We have trailered with the top on the boat and with the top wrapped around the frame and have never had a problem. Its not getting blown off by the wind. I do strap the frame down a little as it has a tendency to wobble a little.

extra room when it rains or the sun is to hot or when the air is to cold is well worth any down sides.
 
Is there a company that makes these campertops for C-dorys or do you just have to find someone to make them for you? What does something like that cost? I assume that if you take the walls out it just acts like a sun shade?
 
I have Lohaus Covers custom make mine in the Madison Wisconsin area. I don't remember exactly, but I think for the Bimini Top, camper sides and back, I paid around $1500. I find I use the Bimini top frequently. The rest of the sides and back, not so much. Colby
 
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