I know many people like the idea of a roof top tent. But for me it would be a no go. It's the rain and or snow issue. Getting out of a low headroom vehicle (did you cook in there? Relax and lodge around ?),  and climbing up into the tent would be less fun after a few days of bad weather.

Pop tops or high tops really are the bees knees.

Alistair

> On Mar 20, 2015, at 8:57 PM, Stephen Engel <sengel543@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
> 
> Jeep is showing a Grand Cherokee Overlander Concept with one of those roof rack tents on it. I have to believe there's more than a few people (and not just us) that want a camping vehicle that drives like a car. 
> 
> Steve
> 87 Syncro GL
> 
> --------------------------------------------
> On Fri, 3/20/15, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET> wrote:
> 
> Subject: Re: van comparisons {was (Friday NVC) When Euro hits parity}
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Friday, March 20, 2015, 11:43 PM
> 
> ---- Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
> wrote:
>> 
>> I think VW knows that until they have products that
> truly compete with the
>> Ford or Mercedes van or trucks there is little sense
> going for the American
>> market. As for campers most folks want fully featured
> units including
>> toilets and showers and enough room to be comfortable.
> As you start heading
>> North of $40K there are a lot of choices beyond a van
> with a pop up tent.
> 
> But what some of us want is a van with a pop up tent, maybe
> just a scooch more room, but that's not essential. 
> Showers and toilets?  Nope, not me, not needed. 
> But I would like modern reliability.
> 
> mcneely
> 
>> 
>> Dennis
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]
> On Behalf Of
>> Stuart MacMillan
>> Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 12:38 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Re: (Friday NVC) When Euro hits parity
>> 
>> VW has a limited product line in the US, and their
> biggest problem here will
>> be meeting the ever increasing CAFE fuel economy
> standards, hence the
>> introduction of the very expensive e-Golf  Who's
> going to buy this for
>> $34,000? And, the subsidized $299/mo lease is only
> available in 10 states
>> and DE.
>> 
>> CAFE means selling more fuel efficient cars to bring up
> the fleet average,
>> and bringing in vans without a subsidized electric or
> hybrid high mileage
>> car to offset them won't help.  I think that's the
> main reason we won't see
>> a van any time soon. Or maybe we'll see only TDI vans!
>> 
>> Compared to #1 Toyota with the Prius, a bunch of gas
> sippers (including the
>> tiny 37 mpg Scion iQ), two pickup trucks (at least one
> is essential in the
>> US), their bread and butter Camry, and a Van, distant
> #2 VW has a long way
>> to go. But I would like to see them try harder.
>> 
>> Stuart
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]
> On Behalf Of
>> Jon VO
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2015 8:38 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Re: (Friday NVC) When Euro hits parity
>> 
>> Except the Eos, the Golf R, and the CC are mainly
> optioned versions of
>> existing NA models, the California is not imported in
> any form.
>> 
>> 
>>> On 3/18/2015 8:39 PM, James wrote:
>>> Volvo has been way behind Toyota in reliability
> for the last five
>>> years or
>> so.
>>> 
>>> Thing is, reliability or the lack thereof isn't
> the buying factor it
>>> used
>> to be, as overall automotive reliability is now so high
> - the 'average' in
>> Consumer Reports now was the five star reliability
> rating of 15 years ago.
>>> 
>>> And as to the idea that 'special low volume models
> aren't part of that
>> business model" - VW sells the EOS, the CC, the Golf R
> - all low volume, all
>> to showcase the brand.  Yet most of the public
> could hardly place a CC or an
>> EOS if they were challenged, when everybody knows the
> VW bus.  Importing the
>> California camper, with special trim lines to celebrate
> the camper, seems a
>> natural.
>>> 
>>> As the EOS and R have shown, a 'US federalised'
> model need not be a
>> stopper.  The handful of years they've sold the R
> on this side of the
>> Atlantic, they've brought in as few as 400 per year,
> IIRC.
>>> 
>>> James
>>> Ottawa, ON
> 
> --
> David McNeely