I can't think of anything worse on a long trip than having a passenger who isn't enjoying it.

 

I agree with others on it really depends on her. My wife wanted us to start camping since both have done it as children and enjoyed it. I figured that we would use the camper more if the bike was a part of it so here is what we bought.

It's a Roll A Home. Has 18.5 cubic ft of storage accessable when towed or set up. Takes 3 1/2 minutes to setup and the bed is a King. Also has a 8x10 room and awning not shown in these pictures.

 

My wife loves to ride, enjoys the camping part as long as we stay in a Marriott campground

Find the alternative that works for you. A happy woman makes for a happy trip

 

WOW ! That is quite the rig. Good thing you have all that power on tap.

 

Good luck with that! It's all a matter of how your wife is though. If she's high maintenance, then you might not want to hold your breath taking her on this type of trip (or if you do get her to go, don't be surprised to have divorce papers in hand when you get back home!)

My wife is what we like to call Ultra High Maintenance (UHM is her nickname). Her idea of roughing it is shoddy room service! She loves to ride with me (she's the one that got be back into bikes, and Harley's in particular), but she's not an all day or long trip rider. Any longer rides that I plan or join will typically be guys trips.

 

It is definately a personal preferance thing, my wife likes to tent camp and I hate it! Only way for me is the marriott!

 

just did some more thinking about your question and my wife. as mentioned earlier, we have camped a bunch.

the thing with my wife is she wants a shower, hair dryer and curling iron. one night maybe whe can do without but most the time she wants those things. once that is done the rest just falls into place.

part of the reason i like riding is how you 'feel' the outside. the cool thru the forest, the winds on the open places. how you hear more, birds, etc. kinda like feeling one with nature.

camping just continues that. the evening sounds. the crickets. wood peckers. take a walk and see the sites. preying mantices. squirrels and chipmonks. fall asleep next to a creek and the running water.

get up in the morning to fresh air. maybe just a slight chill in the morning. just enough to appreciate that first cup of coffee.

even rain can add an eliment. the sound of raindrops on the tent or tarp.

sitting around a camp fire. talking to other campers.

fixing a good meal over a campfire. have you ever done a hobo dinner. excellant.

the secret is in being prepared and adaptable. and knowing when prudence should be used. you know how you might pull over from the ride if the rain or wind is too much. same for camping.

if you look back thru other threads, there are lots of really good suggestions about equipment and such. pay attention to those.

at REI you can rent equipment. its a little expensive but would be good to try stuff out, and for you wife to try them. maybe a bigger tent for her is in order.

 

Camping by bike is not much different that camping by any other means...other than ... you carry much less comforts of home.

If you have the ability to carry good quality sleeping bags and some sort of padding (be it the inflatable variety) you can enjoy a great nights sleep..Weather permitting (of course).

Camp grounds have often have great showers, washrooms and laundry facilities. Most even have a convenience store to pick up the bare essentials. Carrying food stuffs is a little more difficult on a bike but there are often great restaurants, close by, to eat out.

If she is so inclined, she will have a very enjoyable camping experience. If she is not, you can still opt for the occasional hotel or even a cabin overnight stay. It would, of course, be in your best interest to follow the weather forcast. There's nothing worse than trying to make an impression if the weather is not on your side.

You can meet some awesome people at camp grounds...good family fun if you so choose, or you can get as rowdy as the ones you hear in the back 40. She just might surprise you and enjoy some camaraderie around a campfire and end up snuggling it up in your tent later. In any event ... Have fun!

 

My camping



Her camping

 

i've been camping for over 20 years (started out in a tent then "graduated") to trailer camping.

Buying a toyhauler travel trailer has allowed me the best of best worlds: Camping and biking. Living in NE, you can't always hop on the bike in the middle of a snowstorm and ride to Daytona or anywhere else, however, with the bike in the toyhauler, we drove through a blizzard (barely) and did Daytona.

This 27 footer holds 2 full size bikes and is self contained. Sure, I'd like nothing more than to ride the bike to all my destinations but with limited time off from work, this works out well the girlie loves it and no matter where you decide to stop for the night, there's always a vacancy. I could live in this thing!