Pop Up Camper Mounnted on a Trailer, Good idea or ...

[whiskeycutter]

I have been looking for a used pop up truck camper for my 2011 F250. Most of what I have found will not fit in my truck or if it will the price tag is prohibitive. Seems like there are a lot of good shape older Grandbys or other types of pop-ups available but the fit will will be an issue. Is trailer mounting a good idea and if yes what type of trailer? I plan on mostly forest service road use and some very modest off road, no rock crawling. I like the idea of dropping my camp and being free to explore without it. Looking for reasonably priced alternatives. Quick and easy set-up is a must. Thanks for the input.

 

[mkish]

I don't know much about campers, but I did stay in a pop up trailer last night! Okay, I didn't, but there's one set up in my yard right now and if you're going to be towing something anyway, you might as well have the elbow room of a popup trailer. They can be made to be somewhat off-road worthy and set up in ~20 minutes.

 

[ExpoMike]

Having had a "pop up camper trailer" (okay a clam shell design) and currently a FWC Grandby in our truck, I don't think I would want a truck camper on a trailer. Not that it would not work but truck campers have much less room than a pop up camp trailer. A pop up trailer uses all the extra room that is wasted for the cutouts of a truck bed. You can likely find a nice pop up trailer that will handle what you need.

Good luck on your hunt.

 

[JCMatthews]

x3 on the pop up trailer. I fell heir to an older Skamper that had a home brewed lift on it. It went anywhere, however the roof was rotten. If the roof had been good I'd have thrown a better axle under it and never looked back. They are quite roomy. Ours was only 11 feet long folded up and had two queen beds a dinette/twin combo with a nice galley with a 3 way fridge when set up. I'd never even consider a camper on a trailer over just getting a camp trailer.

 

[whiskeycutter]

Trailer Mounted Truck Camper

Thanks for the replies. My original thought was to have a quick to set up outfit. My experience with pop up tent trailers goes back to the sixties which was like sleeping in a card board box setting on toy wagon wheels. The one I used was also a pain to set up and take down. So I started thinking truck camper for ease of use. But these are pricey and very limited as far as storage goes. Also the thought of heaving a couple of kayaks up on a truck camper is also not attractive. RTTs are out, I am just too old for ladders and mess like that. These considerations plus a number of older Grandbys that are in good shape, well priced but not fitting on my truck got my thoughts going. Still churning but a trip to the RV store may be in order before I rule out tent trailers. cheers

Whiskeycutter

 

[GreginSocal]

Take a look at coyoterv.biz they now have a few previously owned truck campers.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

I have used the traditional pop-up tent trailer (like a coleman pull behind tent trailer) and we have also had customers tow their four wheel camper on a trailer.

The beauty of towing a pop-up camper on a trailer is that you can use the camper on your truck, or a trailer.

Setting up a four wheel camper that is on a trailer will only take 2 or 3 minutes.

I remember setting up the colement tent trailer and it took a bit more time.

Pop-up truck campers are small, so you will have less storage space.

But, you can at least get inside a pop-up truck camper to load and unload while the top is down.

The tent trailer had more storage, but I think the top had to be "UP" before you could load, unload, or use the door ?

There are benefits to both styles.

I think you can sleep more people in a pull behind tent trailer, but it will also be a bit bigger and heavier to tow.

Lots to consider.

Guess you just have to figure out what works best for you and your needs.

Happy Camping !





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[ToolBox Guy]

I like the idea of mounting a pop up on a trailer, I have considered moving my Skamper out of the truck bed and onto a trailer, my only concern is getting the tongue length/and tongue weight correct for safe pulling.

The cab over portion sticks out pretty far which, to have enough vehicle clearance you need to move the camper back a bit, with a single axle I would be concerned about fish tailing.

The FWC cab over area look to be a little lighter and less obtrusive than my old Skamper, so it could work well.

Keep us posted.

 

[TRegasaurus]

I was thinking of an adventure trailer with trailer top tent, but these pop-up campers on trailers isn't a bad idea at that...

 

[JCMatthews]

But, you can at least get inside a pop-up truck camper to load and unload while the top is down.

The tent trailer had more storage, but I think the top had to be "UP" before you could load, unload, or use the door ?

I never set my trailer up to load it. The top had to be up about an inch to open the door, and then I could easily place all of the things we needed through the door. Like most other RVs, you leave most of your things inside. Now to reach the fridge, the trailer must be up, so I guess that would be a benefit to the camper.

 

[JCMatthews]

The cab over portion sticks out pretty far which, to have enough vehicle clearance you need to move the camper back a bit, with a single axle I would be concerned about fish tailing.

Could you mount it backwards, enter from the front of the trailer and let the cab over just hang of the back? Just a thought. If you are pulling a truck camper on a trailer why does the orientation of the camper on the trailer matter anyway.

 

[JCMatthews]

I just think that a camper on a trailer looks odd and that the accommodations of the trailer out weigh any of the its shortcomings. Here are a few pics I took off the web that show how a Fleetwood looks set up and behind a tow vehicle. It just looks less cumbersome. Here is a link to an article on offroad tent trailers in 4 Wheeler Magazine. Read both pages it mentions other manufacturers.

p.s. I know the first trailer is the colbalt and not the Evolution1, but it shows how much more nimble this type of trailer can be offroad than a utility trailer with a camper on it.

 

[ExpoMike]

One reason I would want with towing a trailer is low profile. The FWC on a trailer looks huge.

This is what we towed before we moved over to the Ram/FWC setup, our Kamparoo

For us, the fridge and food was in the Cherokee, all the camp gear lived in the trailer. Worked for us, for 4 years.

 

[ToolBox Guy]

Could you mount it backwards, enter from the front of the trailer and let the cab over just hang of the back? Just a thought. If you are pulling a truck camper on a trailer why does the orientation of the camper on the trailer matter anyway.

Not a bad idea actually.


I'm usually an "outside of the box" thinker, but that one slipped right by me.

 

[JCMatthews]

Not a bad idea actually.


I'm usually an "outside of the box" thinker, but that one slipped right by me.

If possisioned correctly you could have a space on the trailer to set up camp chairs by the door and have an awning over it. I'd still just get a tent trailer however.