My new pop-up

[MYTACO]

Umtaneum...a few questions. How does the power lift work? Where is the motor? Does it eliminate the need for the "safety straps" for the regular lifting mechanism? I wish I had known about a power lift when I bought mine...I thought I had added every possible option.

I see the AC is on the side of the rig. I've already encountered some issues with mine on the back with the aluminum ridges getting pushed in (not sure how). Are you worried about it on the side? The placement makes sense...it will certainly help keep the bunk area cooler. On mine, it seems like it struggles to get air up there.

 

[Umtaneum]

The aluminum ridges seem to be bonded to the frame along the side. I'm not sure what could push them in, barring impact. I am, in fact, a little worried about trees. I never had an AC unit on a truck camper before, because I didn't know these little side-mount ones existed. My dad has had the big RV style top-riding ones on some of his rigs and I have one on a travel trailer and every damn one of them has been damaged at one point or another. This little unit cannot be as much of a pain in the *** as that. If it is I'll remove it.
I don't know if the AC will struggle to get air up to the bunk area, but my first night in the camper the heater did struggle a bit. Or I should say, in order to keep the bunk area warm enough the main cabin needed to be excessively hot. This was in the mid to upper teens along I-15 in Idaho. Finding a happy medium was difficult. Just cranking it up and letting it drive you out of there would be easy.
The power lift is 3 motors, one on each of the pole assemblies. They are governed by limit switches. The assemblies are a pole-inside-a-pole. I think there is a rack inside and a pinion gear on the motor, but I didn't check it out in detail yet. It's quiet and fast, seems to draw quite a bit of current. The lights dim while you lift the lid. I'm not sure exactly what the "safety straps" do on the manual version. I have some aluminum props that Rob said I might want to use in heavy snowfall conditions.
Remember, I live in the Pacific Northwest. Tree scratches, torrential downpours, and high winds are likely to be my nemesis. Really hot weather is reserved for Summer trips to the East side of the mountains, or a rare heatwave. The AC isn't likely to see nearly as much use as yours, or need to work as hard. As long as a tree doesn't ********** the crap out of it, I think it's ok.

 

[longhorn1]

Enjoy your trips. Waiting to hit the road when the weather breaks.

 

[Runt]

Looks great! I like that set up...Ford F350 & Phoenix Camper.

 

[escadventure]

Nice looking setup you've got. At first I thought "why would someone need a F350 to haul a TC?" Then read your weight at 2300lbs. Wow. My point of reference is my TC at 1000lbs. but I think yours is quite a bit bigger than mine. Glad you did your research to make an educated decision.

Good luck in your travels with it.

 

[adam88]

Apparently Umtaneum didn't ready your post MyTaco. Stout lift mechanism? Been through very heavy rains in my FWC and never seen a drop around the windows or anywhere. It is sad everytime I see something on your post. Time to lawyer up.

Haters gonna hate. MyTaco has been upfront about his problems but you are just being negative. Yes, people have problems with any item. Just because someone has a bad camper doesn't mean it's a bad brand. Lance Camper I am sure has had lots of problems too. It's about how they handle it. And from what I saw, Phoenix went above and beyond to help MyTaco. Every major car manufacturer has had issues, major safety recalls, sometimes they recall entire vehicle lines. Toyota had break failures that Killed lots of people. Doesn't mean no one buys a Toyota anymore. Maybe Phoenix has used MyTaco's experience and improved? Or do you not want to give them a chance to improve??? You think they should just close their doors and never make another camper again???

 

[Just Jeff]

Maybe we could leave that discussion to MyTaco's thread?

 

[adam88]

Maybe we could leave that discussion to MyTaco's thread?

Yeah good idea

 

[MINO]

Congrats on your new camper!
I was in the same boat as you. I really wanted a FWC, but their lack of customization led me to Phoenix. Been very happy with the purchase so far (1.5 years). I've been enhancing and customizing a few things since.

Couple of nagging issues I've addressed on mine that you may or may not encounter:
The fridge popping open when really offroading. (simple fix by drilling one hole and adding a pin)
Their solar package can be greatly improved (if they still using 14awg wire, 62w Unisolar panels and that crappy "Battery Doctor" regulator)
No strainer on the water line to prevent pump damage.
The trailer plug to charge the house battery does not have enough amps. Get a real isolator and some heavy 0awg wires.

In regards to the drips at the windows. I've gone over all the stitching on my Phoenix with Gear Aid - Seam Sure. Phoenix dabbed a bit of silicone here and there, but I didn't feel it was sufficient enough. Have not had an issue at all since sealing those threads.

Happy travels!

 

[Umtaneum]

We had a couple of extreme downpours here last week. I think I'm going to invest in something like MINO's Seam Sure.

 

[Terra Ops]

You mentioned the heater not providing enough warmth. I too have the same issue with my Plat Cat in my Phoenix. When the temps get into the teens or below, it just won't do the job. What heater was installed on yours?

 

[Umtaneum]

The heater makes plenty of warmth, it is getting it up to the cabover that was difficult. I have a 20k BTU propane, and the main cabin was toasty. Too toasty. When I turned it down a bit, because the main area was stifling, the cabover got cold. I think a small 12v fan blowing from the main cabin up toward the front is the solution to my problem. I had this same issue with my old sailboat, and a $30 marine 12v fan cured it in about one minute. Before the fan, you could not get the quarter berths warm on a real cold day without the main area being literally 90+ degrees. After the fan, the whole cabin was nearly the same temp. I used to sail in bitter cold conditions, too. Kind of a glutton for punishment that way, I guess.

 

[Umtaneum]

I spent the past weekend in it, with temperatures ranging from the 50's on Friday afternoon to the 30's early Sunday morning. Washington coastal downpours on Saturday night and Sunday as well. The 12v fan is a high priority now. I had no problem keeping it warm, but condensation was an issue. You could see where every aluminum framing member in the roof was, by the little line of condensation droplets. It made an interesting geometric pattern on the roof when I woke up in the morning, but I think I could do without.
Storage is very limited, and I will be replacing all of the cabinet catches this week. Every one of them popped open and spilled all of my stuff all over the floor when going down a Forest Service road. It happened like 5 times, no matter how I rearranged my crap. I haven't made it onto a two-track with this camper yet, I shudder to think what condition my dishes and towels would be in. On the positive side, low overhanging branches were much less of a problem than with my old hard side camper, and there was almost no noticeable body sway even on chuckholed and washboard forest roads.
Next step is building a tag-along trailer for the Alaska trip. I'll be posting some pics and ideas, looking for input.

 

[MYTACO]

Umtaneum, Did Rob add the solar vent for you? I thought that was going to start being standard equip given the condensation issues. Mine runs all of the time--even when she's folded up.

 

[adam88]

but condensation was an issue. You could see where every aluminum framing member in the roof was, by the little line of condensation droplets. It made an interesting geometric pattern on the roof when I woke up in the morning, but I think I could do without.

This is reason numero uno why I am building a foam core camper when I build mine and not aluminum framed. Aluminum is just too damn good of a heat/cold sink.