why a po up camper

[Canufixit]

Is Reflectix some kind of insulation ?
any link?
thanks
Dan

Yup - search with google - lots of types, sizes and stores

 

[Motafinga]

I used to have a Palomino but now have an Alaskan. The Alaskan is a bit heavier but I find the trade off in heat retaining efficiency, no wind noise or condensation worth it. It has good quality real glass windows as well. True I didn't have a higher quality brand canvas side but I did add reflectix and even another curtain of duvatine along the canvas portion. It helped but the Alaskan rocks in comparison even still.
My truck is an F250 psd with HD bilstiens and airbags and it handles the camper with ease btw. I'm sure compared to the Palomino there are much better option soft sides so take this with a grain of salt.

 

[BigDan]

thanks Motafinga ,

My friend has an Hi/Lo 31 feet , he loves it , when lowered it doesnt drag in the wind .......low gravity !

Ill give a look at those Alaskan campers for sure ! I dint know it existed

Dan

 

[Regcabguy]

Is Reflectix some kind of insulation ?
any link?
thanks
Dan

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

 

[Regcabguy]

I used to have a Palomino but now have an Alaskan. The Alaskan is a bit heavier but I find the trade off in heat retaining efficiency, no wind noise or condensation worth it. It has good quality real glass windows as well. True I didn't have a higher quality brand canvas side but I did add reflectix and even another curtain of duvatine along the canvas portion. It helped but the Alaskan rocks in comparison even still.
My truck is an F250 psd with HD bilstiens and airbags and it handles the camper with ease btw. I'm sure compared to the Palomino there are much better option soft sides so take this with a grain of salt.

I was in Baja a couple of times when guys with Alaskans were there. Both times they asked me in for cold ones. Great campers. I just wish they'd increase the inside height by 2". At 6'4" my hairs brushing the ceiling.
There was an absolutely pristine 8' CO Alaskan here in Craigslist. $15K I'm just too tall.

 

[Freebird]

6'4"??
Alaskan campers are ALL built CUSTOM for the customer who orders it. Mods cost extra, of course, but, sometimes a requirement.
Call Bryan at Alaskan and have him give you a ball park figure for a camper with the kind of extra headroom your height requires.
Never hurts to ask....
Extremely nice guy (Bryan), and a real "straight shooter".... (Honest n fair)

 

[dlh62c]

I have this new project ,

a camper in an 8 foot box 4x4 cummins powered pick up
we plan to go "mild" offroad trails .....I had in mind to convert my Econoline van first but changed my mind ....

being an absolute newby in campers , why should I go for a popup one .....
I understand the lower center of gravity , less grab in the wind ,,,those being the best qualities of popup campers to me .....

but what about noise and humidity ? ( I once had trailer tent that was terrible on humidity )

we plan to use the camper in cold temperature once in a while

looking for advice please ....

thanks

Dan ,

A great resource on truck campers can be found here; http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/

Its all a compromise, you want a popup when driving to your destination, but once there, you'll want one with hard sides.

 

[brianjwilson]

A great resource on truck campers can be found here; http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/

Its all a compromise, you want a popup when driving to your destination, but once there, you'll want one with hard sides.

Yep that about sums it up! haha

I looked for an email or something for Gordon the other day but couldn't find it. I'm sure he could tell you off hand who actually weighs their campers off of the production line if it is a real concern. I've seen him mention it in some reviews in the past.

 

[schmugboy]

I'm in the same boat. Using a camper shell right now. I don't want the size and weight of a full size slide-in. The wife wants a trailer, I want something that I can just take off with her and the kids without spending time hooking up and leveling. I only saw FWC and Palomino discussed. Looking at the link above I went through a few (Hallmark is nice but $$$$). The only way I will win this argument is to give my wife a "real" toilet (not a porta potti, which I have no desire to empty anymore, either). So what are my options if I want a pop-up?

Thanks

 

[Umtaneum]

I used to have a Starcraft popup, back in the 90's and early 2000's. It was great on the truck, barely felt it. Plenty of headroom, I'm 6'4". The second bunk, which was the dinette made down, was not suitable for anybody taller than 5'2". Worked great for my kid when he was small, but hunting buddies had a hard time. We put a cooler on the floor with a cushion on it so their feet had somewhere to go. The fabric leaked, just a little, and it leaked a LOT of air. It seems everywhere I like to go is windy, dusty, or both. I spent a lot of time with damp rags and paper towels trying to wipe down the dust all over everything.

Then I got my dad's had-me-down Bigfoot hard side. The bunks are more comfortable, but the dinette still isn't big enough for anybody over 6' tall. Way more storage space. The thing is super sturdy, feels solid as a rock both in and out of the truck compared to the Starcraft. Feels tippy going down a two-track to go chukar hunting. Feels like I'm working my 1-ton pretty hard when I have it on AND am towing a big boat, other times it barely feels it.

THEN, my kid and I wanted to take a more extensive trip. I didn't think the Bigfoot was ideal for this, and I had some money just laying around collecting dust, so I did some research and decided on a Phoenix pop up. I looked long and hard at a FWC, they are fantastic. They don't build custom anymore, I couldn't get one longer than 8' (I wanted 9'6"), the dinette is layed out weird, and the bathroom is right in the middle of the living area (if you go with a bathroom option). I WISH I would have looked a little harder at Hallmark. They have a model that I somehow missed that would have met most of my requirements, but by the time I was aware of that one I had already ordered my Phoenix. If FWC would have built me one 9'6" long I think I would have gone ahead and ordered one and just lived with the silly bathroom layout. Anyhow, where I am going with this is: some popups are junk. Avoid the bargain brands, you will get just what you pay for. The reduced weight and lower center of gravity, coupled with increased resistance to side winds (as noted, going straight ahead you don't notice it as much) and easier going down tight trails will make you smile when you are headed out into the woods or desert. The reduced tank capacity, reduced insulation, wind noise when camping, and especially the drastic reduction in stowage is the price you pay. Buy a quality brand, or buy a quality popup shell and build it yourself. If you want to go off road, popups are a great way to go.

 

[Motafinga]

I almost bought one that was custom built for some vertically inclined folks that WAS 2 inches higher than stock! They can add 2 inches if building from scratch I guess.
The tech support has been great so far from them whenever I have questions and mines an older one..2000

 

[BigDan]

Thanks Umtaneum ,great answer ! :victory:

But dont you think that even the phoenix will have dust issues ?

I had a poptop westfalia with perfect fabric ........
But whenever we slept in a wallmart ,we had to deal with noise !
we ended up sleping with top down all the time ,but the lower bed was 48" x 74" so we could easily sleep two

I`m scare that if i have to raise the poptop all the time ( too small dinette bed ) Ill never be able to sleep ( at least boondocking in store parking lots )

the alaskan would solve this,,,,but the price is over my budget ;-(


Dan

 

[Umtaneum]

No dust in the Phoenix, not even on a dusty ridge chukar hunting, or in South Dakota last month pheasant hunting. Noise is still an issue, but not quite as bad because of the lack of whistling through the leaks in the fabric. That was one of the other problems with the Starcraft, the whistling in the wind. We only boondocked in a Walmart one night, in August (first time ever), and the noise was a bit obnoxious. We were so exhausted, though, that we slept anyhow. FWC and Hallmark fabric construction are somewhat similar to Phoenix, I would wager that neither of those have much dust problem either.

 

[Regcabguy]

6'4"??
Alaskan campers are ALL built CUSTOM for the customer who orders it. Mods cost extra, of course, but, sometimes a requirement.
Call Bryan at Alaskan and have him give you a ball park figure for a camper with the kind of extra headroom your height requires.
Never hurts to ask....
Extremely nice guy (Bryan), and a real "straight shooter".... (Honest n fair)

Good pt. I've never seen one advertised with extra headroom but it wouldn't hurt to ask.
My Northstar's 6'7". Next life I'll be 5'10-6'0". Dream on.

 

[Regcabguy]

Thanks Umtaneum ,great answer ! :victory:

But dont you think that even the phoenix will have dust issues ?

I had a poptop westfalia with perfect fabric ........
But whenever we slept in a wallmart ,we had to deal with noise !
we ended up sleping with top down all the time ,but the lower bed was 48" x 74" so we could easily sleep two

I`m scare that if i have to raise the poptop all the time ( too small dinette bed ) Ill never be able to sleep ( at least boondocking in store parking lots )

the alaskan would solve this,,,,but the price is over my budget ;-(


Dan

Noise is an issue with a non-Alaskan popup.