pop up help camper or flip pack
- Thread starter 98dango
- Start date
bob91yj
Resident **************
I own and am very happy with my pop up camper, but I'm trying to be realistic about what can be expected. Dave and I traveled the Mojave Rd together last year. I originally planned to take my truck/camper, but bailed on the truck at the last minute and chose to take my Jeep, and tent it. After seeing Dave travel the 100+ miles of what is essentially a dirt road, my truck/camper would have made it just fine. I would have had to dodge a low hanging branch of a Joshua Tree now and again, otherwise it would have been a non-issue.
I'm fortunate enough that I have a couple of options for what mode of travel I choose to take on any given trip. None are top shelf, but they all meet my needs for their intended purpose.
When I (or my wife in this case) feel the need to break something, my trailer queen 91YJ gets the call.
Cover a lot of ground in a short period of time, the '05 LJ gets the call. Loaded ffor 8 days of wandering around Baja in this pic.
When I need to take it all with me, stuff it in the trailer. Loaded for a Silverton Colorado trip, the '05 Jeep is stuffed in the trailer.
Travel pace on the Mojave Rd was limited to the speed that Dave was comfortable with as he was the slowest of the vehicles in our group, as I would have been in my truck/camper. We still traveled at a decent pace, got to our overnight way points long before dark. In that group, it was really a non-issue. With some of the people I travel with, especially in Baja, neither of us would keep up in our full size trucks with either style camper.
I recently covered 100 miles +/- of off highway travel on the Bradshaw Trail on our way to the Desert Rendezvous and my truck/camper did just fine, although I was the speed limiting factor (but able to keep up) with our large group. I like being the sweeper/tailgunner in a group, travel at the back, so my speed was a non issue. Again the terrain was mostly dirt road with a couple of washouts/off camber areas. I thought my truck did well enough on the way there that I chose to go home via the same route rather than increased mileage on the super slab. My travel time was about an hour behind someone that left at about the same time and took the interstate home.
My truck has a 6" lift and metric 35's (315/70R16). The lift is almost useless, the ability to run larger tires and the ride comfort from the increased sidewall from them when traveling off highway is the ONLY advantage (besides looking cool at the grocery store). I've experimented a bit, my tires are load range D (50 PSI max). I've driven them at highway speeds for 30+ miles while aired down to 30 PSI when connecting the off highway dots, and found that 25PSI works quite well when off highway. Increased drivetrain/steering wear/tear, reduced fuel economy, etc in the negative column for the lift, far out weigh the cool factor (back to the "stupid" issue, this is the second truck I've had with the same lift, another story for another day).
I've got no dog in this fight, just saying is all!:sombrero:
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98dango
Expedition Leader
Bob91yj
Well as you may be able to see from pictures I have options as well. I'm in the middle of swapping the drive train out of my over used snoma to a Nissan. My wife just drug home a 68 scout 800 after getting super mad at me for selling my last one and the ram charger on the trailer is rocking dual Arb Dana 60s. I recently sold it to my cousin that was his maiden trip with it. Plus the quads so I try to stay flexible.
Well as you may be able to see from pictures I have options as well. I'm in the middle of swapping the drive train out of my over used snoma to a Nissan. My wife just drug home a 68 scout 800 after getting super mad at me for selling my last one and the ram charger on the trailer is rocking dual Arb Dana 60s. I recently sold it to my cousin that was his maiden trip with it. Plus the quads so I try to stay flexible.
Sock Puppet
Adventurer
Free is good. Rock that thing for a while and learn what you like/don't like before laying out cash.
98dango
Expedition Leader
That is what I'm thinking.
Honesty the more I look at campers I think there really the best option. If I did not already have a topper I would have to give a flip a shot but other than sleeping I don't see much extra space.
So until I can build my 4x4 ambulance dream or build a flat bed and my own camper I think this is the best option.
Jr_Explorer
Explorer
And the amount of anticipated foul weather probably should be THE biggest determining factor. i guess the only other factor would be weight. I should be at about 500-600 lbs when built out (a Flippac is 300-400 lbs). I think the lightest full size pop-up camper is into the four digits for weight. But again on a 3/4 ton 4X4 truck this is within reason.
Like Bob... Just throwing out the info for others to examine. EVERY camper, vehicle, tent, motorhome, etc. is a compromise and what one person/couple may love another may hate.
Sock Puppet
Adventurer
Absolutely true!
Outback
Explorer
Pop Up or Flip Pac.
The wife, kids and I hit part of the Great Western Trail yesterday here in AZ. 90% of it was easy 5% was moderate and 5% semi difficult. In the moderate and semi difficult part I knew I would want the lightest rig possible (we were in the wifes Rubicon jeep 4 door). I was thinking about my WARWAG build. Ive been wondering what I wanted to buy for it. Pop Up or Flip Pac. Sure the flip pac acts more like a tent when deploy with its noise in the wind and rain ect. Not a big deal to me as I sleep like a rock anyway and it reminds me of my child hood sleeping in a tent with my parents on vacation. Again not a big deal I can live with it. The advantages are less than half the weight of a pop up and ALLOT more room than a pop up when deployed. Allot more room. If your really in a high wind situation then dont deploy the tent. You still have tons of space in the bed. A pop up while not having nearly as much wind noise is still noisy in high winds. Its not like your in a house. It IS quieter than a Flip Pac in the wind though. SNOW LOAD . Not sure how much of a snow load a Pop Up can take but for me I would not be camping in the snow if possible. Again I would keep the Flip Pac stowed and rough it in the back. The same could be done with a Pop up. Im sure they can take some snow load but wouldn't want to be in the bed when the weight exceeded the capacity of the POP UP. Having worked in heavy snow areas I can tell you that you will have no idea when the snow starts to fall as to how deep it will get. Also you wont hear it build up. Just something to think about. A/C and Heat. Both can be done in either. One may cost more then the other but none the less both can be outfitted. A simple storage unit can be built to hold whatever you want for a Flip Pac as you or some one you hire will build it to your specs or needs. A Pop Up is done. Maybe to your needs or not. COSTS. A flip Up can be had for 5K. A pop up starts at about 15K and goes up expediently as you start to add on the options. This is where the price of a pop up explodes. I like Pop Ups. I like Flip Pacs. Both will work. It depends on what you want to do. For me I want to keep my weight as light as possible. A Flip Pac better suits those needs for me.
The wife, kids and I hit part of the Great Western Trail yesterday here in AZ. 90% of it was easy 5% was moderate and 5% semi difficult. In the moderate and semi difficult part I knew I would want the lightest rig possible (we were in the wifes Rubicon jeep 4 door). I was thinking about my WARWAG build. Ive been wondering what I wanted to buy for it. Pop Up or Flip Pac. Sure the flip pac acts more like a tent when deploy with its noise in the wind and rain ect. Not a big deal to me as I sleep like a rock anyway and it reminds me of my child hood sleeping in a tent with my parents on vacation. Again not a big deal I can live with it. The advantages are less than half the weight of a pop up and ALLOT more room than a pop up when deployed. Allot more room. If your really in a high wind situation then dont deploy the tent. You still have tons of space in the bed. A pop up while not having nearly as much wind noise is still noisy in high winds. Its not like your in a house. It IS quieter than a Flip Pac in the wind though. SNOW LOAD . Not sure how much of a snow load a Pop Up can take but for me I would not be camping in the snow if possible. Again I would keep the Flip Pac stowed and rough it in the back. The same could be done with a Pop up. Im sure they can take some snow load but wouldn't want to be in the bed when the weight exceeded the capacity of the POP UP. Having worked in heavy snow areas I can tell you that you will have no idea when the snow starts to fall as to how deep it will get. Also you wont hear it build up. Just something to think about. A/C and Heat. Both can be done in either. One may cost more then the other but none the less both can be outfitted. A simple storage unit can be built to hold whatever you want for a Flip Pac as you or some one you hire will build it to your specs or needs. A Pop Up is done. Maybe to your needs or not. COSTS. A flip Up can be had for 5K. A pop up starts at about 15K and goes up expediently as you start to add on the options. This is where the price of a pop up explodes. I like Pop Ups. I like Flip Pacs. Both will work. It depends on what you want to do. For me I want to keep my weight as light as possible. A Flip Pac better suits those needs for me.
98dango
Expedition Leader
For me I have no choice but to camp in the snow unless I only want to camp 3 months out of a year. I do feel a pop up will support more snow if they will hold up to roof air.
Can some one that has a bit of knowledge on this chime in has your top ever dropped from weigt.
Can some one that has a bit of knowledge on this chime in has your top ever dropped from weigt.
bob91yj
Resident **************
I don't remember the weight of my roof air, I'd say 60-70 pounds. I'd guess there is a chance of getting an over night snow load heavier than that, but I'd say you'd have more issues than just snow on the roof if that were to happen.
The only time I feel that the weight of the roof air is an issue once I'm stopped is when cranking the roof up. The crank system (seems to be a common system) being the limiting factor. i use my back and arms along with the crank to get the top started up, once it hits the "break over" point, the crank will easily handle it on it's own. Once locked in the up position, I think it would handle most any reasonable snow load. I'd definitely clear as much snow off as possible before lowering, unless I needed it down REALLY fast!:sombrero:
The only time I feel that the weight of the roof air is an issue once I'm stopped is when cranking the roof up. The crank system (seems to be a common system) being the limiting factor. i use my back and arms along with the crank to get the top started up, once it hits the "break over" point, the crank will easily handle it on it's own. Once locked in the up position, I think it would handle most any reasonable snow load. I'd definitely clear as much snow off as possible before lowering, unless I needed it down REALLY fast!:sombrero:
