Pop Up Advice

[wisslbritches]

Originally Posted by Tail Chaser

What length would yall suggest I keep my eyes peeled for? I have a Silverado 1500 with the 5.3L. It also has the towing package. What's it running yall to keep them stored?

We tow the one above with the 2007 F150 5.4 liter you see in the pic. It's a 5000lb payload. No problems at all on normal highways but we're gonna leave it at home when we go to the Colorado Rockies this summer. I have a bad feeling about the transmission and the high passes.... and the 10 MPG.

We pay $70/month for covered storage.

[Tail Chaser]

Thanks for the info Wissl! I've been looking around and I think I'm going to go for a 25' or less bunk house model. I'm not in a hurry so I have time to wait for the right deal, but hopefully it will happen before December. Thanks again guys, this is why 2cool is the best website in creation.

[Salty Dog]

I ended up buying a big 5th wheel bunkhouse model but I already had a 3/4 ton pickup. One thing to think about is that bunkhouse part. I have 2 kids and I thought it would be great for them to have a place of their own to sleep. it has 4 bunks so if they bring a couple of friends we have room. Great in theory. In reality the kids fight over who gets to sleep on the couch and often both end up sleeping on the couch. I wish i would have gotten one with a nicer livingroom area and a foldout couch for them to sleep on. It would have been alot more comfortable for us. Now I have a bunkroom that is essentially a huge storage closet.

Something to think about.

And as far as towing in the mountains, nothing to it. Our RV is a little over 10k# empty and I pull it with a SRW Dodge 3/4 ton. Summer before last we spent a month in Colorado and drug that sucker all over the place. I didn't have a single problem and I was very concerned about the mountain passes. Just take it slow both up and down. No problem at all. It was really far easier than I expected.

[KingTut]

The owner's manual on my pop-up said not to cover it as it will develop mildew.

[Manchacan]

I'm a fan, big fan, of pop-ups. Check out Pop Up Portal as one of the others already suggested. It's probably the best site on the Internet for the info you are asking about.

[Reloder28]

Originally Posted by Floatin Doc

The most miserable time I ever had camping was in a pop up. Cold as hell in the winter and hot as hell in the summer and no way to cool or heat them. Camping is great, and being comfortable while camping is even better.

I built my own for the same reasons. I bought a 16' Cargo Craft & rigged it out myself. Pulled the walls off & inset 1" styro in the frame, went back with 3/8" plywood, boxed bed in front, fold up bed in back where my two Honda's roll in, 21 CF fridge, 6' countertop, roof top a/c that'll freeze your hind end off in the dead heat of the summer and heat you into bliss in the coldest climate.

Built in 2003 and have a total of $5200 in it which includes the $3800 purchase price.

We love it. Easy to pull and easy to park.

[rvd]

Originally Posted by Floatin Doc

The most miserable time I ever had camping was in a pop up. Cold as hell in the winter and hot as hell in the summer and no way to cool or heat them. For about the same money, you can get a used pull trailer and be a lot more comfortable without having to constantly fix torn canvass, rotten wood, and hardened and cracked plastic, and that rotten smell. And most of the pull trailers will have a real bathroom. Get the biggest one that your vehicle can tow. Camping is great, and being comfortable while camping is even better.

X2

[FlatoutFishin]

I pull this with no probs and the same set up you have...but in a 4X4! Like someone said...it is what it is! If I could do it over, which I will eventually...it won't be a pop up! This one set me back around $2500, and is a 2000 model. King beds on each end, and a slideout table area, which makes it a little bigger than most.

[mas360]

I had a popup for several years before going to a travel trailer.
I love the popup for these reasons:
1) Store it at home in my garage.
2) Cheap and easy to maintain.
3) Towed it with a Dodge 1500 and lost only 1 mile/gal with the PU trailing behind.
4) Being small it is fairly easy to maneuver and easy to tow.
After some years in it, my wife decided that it lacked:
1) Full bath.
2) Large size refrigerator and microwave oven.
3) just not enough comfort overall.

So, we bought a 28' TT. After towing it on two trips for a total of less than 800 miles, the Dodge blew its transmission. It barely had 49K miles on the clock. Mileage went from 17 miles/gal without towing to 8 miles/gal and the Dodge max speed on level freeway was 65 miles/hr. This is one with V-8 engine.

I sold the Dodge and bought a Ford F250 diesel. First thing I did was installing an extra transmission cooler. The F250 tows the 7,000 lbs TT without a hickup and fuel mileage has been steady at 12 miles/gal. Without towing it makes 18 miles/gal on highway.

The TT requires a lot more maintenance work than the popup and is not as easy to maneuver. It does provide a whole lot more comfort and convenience. But if I have it my way I'd stay with the popup.

[Dmelcher]

Originally Posted by mas360

I had a popup for several years before going to a travel trailer.
I love the popup for these reasons:
1) Store it at home in my garage.
2) Cheap and easy to maintain.
3) Towed it with a Dodge 1500 and lost only 1 mile/gal with the PU trailing behind.
4) Being small it is fairly easy to maneuver and easy to tow.
After some years in it, my wife decided that it lacked:
1) Full bath.
2) Large size refrigerator and microwave oven.
3) just not enough comfort overall.

So, we bought a 28' TT. After towing it on two trips for a total of less than 800 miles, the Dodge blew its transmission. It barely had 49K miles on the clock. Mileage went from 17 miles/gal without towing to 8 miles/gal and the Dodge max speed on level freeway was 65 miles/hr. This is one with V-8 engine.

I sold the Dodge and bought a Ford F250 diesel. First thing I did was installing an extra transmission cooler. The F250 tows the 7,000 lbs TT without a hickup and fuel mileage has been steady at 12 miles/gal. Without towing it makes 18 miles/gal on highway.

The TT requires a lot more maintenance work than the popup and is not as easy to maneuver. It does provide a whole lot more comfort and convenience. But if I have it my way I'd stay with the popup.

X2.
I'm on my second pop up. It's a high wall with a slide out and hard wall shower & potty. As far as being hot in the summer, went to lowe's and got a roll of radiant barrier blanket looking stuff and lay it over the canvis. It makes a HUGE difference. Winter time the butane heater does a great job in keeping it nice and warm. Storage, I have a three car garage with a carport. Camper, boat and one car in the garage, the other cars under the carport. A pull behide would be nice but with what I have Life Is Good!!