Why aren't popup's more popular?
- Thread starter jnelson4x4taco
- Start date
DividingCreek
Explorer
looks ?
goin camping
Explorer
I let our off road pop up move on to a new owner because pop ups are just too wide. Set up and take down were fast and easy and the table, stove and heater was real nice.
I'd look into another pop up if it were narrower. In every pop up I've seen people sleep parallel to the axle and you often have to unhook to pull out the hitch side bed.
Now if the body were narrower and only one bed slid out the back end and you slept perpendicular to the axle. I'd get another.
I'd look into another pop up if it were narrower. In every pop up I've seen people sleep parallel to the axle and you often have to unhook to pull out the hitch side bed.
Now if the body were narrower and only one bed slid out the back end and you slept perpendicular to the axle. I'd get another.
See my threat and tell me what you think? I've since added a custom cooking/storage box up front and it works great.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...lver-expedition-trailer?highlight=quicksilver
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...lver-expedition-trailer?highlight=quicksilver
grogie
Like to Camp
I don't have a popup due to what I pull is with a Jeep Wrangler TJ. There aren't a lot of light weight popups, and even with the ones that are, they really don't have the setup to tow into the boondocks. A year ago I thought about buying a Living Lite "Off-road" 6.0, but as I read it was just a lifted by blocks popup that bounced a lot on dirt roads. So instead I have an box trailer built for off-road, and I'm mounting an RTT to the top of it.
But pop ups due have their place as their a lot less expensive to buy, maintain and easier to tow over a travel trailer. My brother has a young family and they camp a lot in the Rockies with their pop-up. They leave it at a campground or just on BLM land and go explore. They make a lot of memories with their kids out in the great outdoors. But then it's a point my brother and his wife make to make sure that their kids get out of the city and enjoy the wilderness. They camp a lot of the summer months. Plus the pop-up easily stores in their three-car garage. It works well for them.
But pop ups due have their place as their a lot less expensive to buy, maintain and easier to tow over a travel trailer. My brother has a young family and they camp a lot in the Rockies with their pop-up. They leave it at a campground or just on BLM land and go explore. They make a lot of memories with their kids out in the great outdoors. But then it's a point my brother and his wife make to make sure that their kids get out of the city and enjoy the wilderness. They camp a lot of the summer months. Plus the pop-up easily stores in their three-car garage. It works well for them.
Here's my .02. We wanted to go to Seattle (from VA) to visit a friend and do a road trip, and had sold our Four Wheel Camper a year before and had been tenting it. We looked at a bunch of options, and out of the blue a small Starcraft popup came up on the local CL. It was only a few minutes away and owned by a very nice lady. We decided the price was right and it would fit the bill, despite a number of drawbacks. I freshened the bearings, took it on a weekend test run, and then off we went.
All in all, we didn't have any problems with the unit itself. One night the cables jammed up when we were cranking it up, which took a few minutes to fix, but other than that it performed flawlessly despite dragging it down miles and miles of gravel roads and setting up/tearing down almost daily.
It only had one slide out (plus) but it opened on the hitch end (minus) requiring us to unhitch everytime we set up camp, which was almost daily on that trip due to the compressed schedule. If you packed it away wet, it was wet the next night when you opened it (minus). If you had to stop on the road somewhere you couldn't just stealth camp (minus) which resulted in us spending one night just sleeping in the cab of the truck for a couple hours (huge minus).
We sold it a week after we got back from that trip. It wasn't a bad camper, it just didn't fit our needs.
Only pic I have of it set up was in a camp ground:
All in all, we didn't have any problems with the unit itself. One night the cables jammed up when we were cranking it up, which took a few minutes to fix, but other than that it performed flawlessly despite dragging it down miles and miles of gravel roads and setting up/tearing down almost daily.
It only had one slide out (plus) but it opened on the hitch end (minus) requiring us to unhitch everytime we set up camp, which was almost daily on that trip due to the compressed schedule. If you packed it away wet, it was wet the next night when you opened it (minus). If you had to stop on the road somewhere you couldn't just stealth camp (minus) which resulted in us spending one night just sleeping in the cab of the truck for a couple hours (huge minus).
We sold it a week after we got back from that trip. It wasn't a bad camper, it just didn't fit our needs.
Only pic I have of it set up was in a camp ground:
Attachments
Silver dude
Xplorer
I just see a pop up as a ground tent but with more mass to haul, more things to go wrong, more worries of setup or terrain issues. When not camping I'd have a massive section of the garage taken up. Only benefit I would have is it would be slightly more comfortable to sleep in. A few beers takes care of that issue for me. I borrowed one from a friend once it took way longer to setup then a tent. It was a labor driving to camp. Then once it was setup it didn't even feel like I was camping outdoors. I felt as though I missed the experience of seeing the night sky as my family was more interested sitting inside the camper playing cards.
I could see myself with a teardrop or offroad trailer though. They have the utility of hauling stuff around when not camping and the luxury of bringing more while camping.
Though the popup looks like everything I want on paper it just doesn't fit the lifestyle or utility. I don't like how they are mobile homes. Would prefer a mobile bed.
I could see myself with a teardrop or offroad trailer though. They have the utility of hauling stuff around when not camping and the luxury of bringing more while camping.
Though the popup looks like everything I want on paper it just doesn't fit the lifestyle or utility. I don't like how they are mobile homes. Would prefer a mobile bed.
ADV-R
Observer
Looks... Really? That would come from a Land Rover owner
Jeff Dodgen
Explorer
I bought a used 8' Starcraft with 5.30 tires last year and easily converted it to ride with 31" BFG KM2s. Total with the 2009 PUP and upgrades I am at $5600. I have power, beds, heat, AC, and a kitchen. We either pull it with our 2009 4.7 WK, or our TJ on 37"s. It works great for us since we have little ones and primarily do the base camp scene and explore over the course of a few days. It easily handles rough FS roads. They have their place for some people. A RTT is just not enough for our family of 4...5 if we take the 100lb lab.
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VanIsle_Greg
I think I need a bigger truck!
We have both... a Coachman Clipper 108ST and a CDN M101 with a CVT Mt Hood, kitchen etc. We took our Coachman on about a 3 hour each way FSR run to Pachena Bay out on the wild and wooly West Coast of Vancouver Island last May long weekend. It towed fine behind the XJ, but that trailer loaded with all of our gear for 4 days and 3 nights killed my leaf packs once and for all (water was empty, potable water available there). Not to mention the trailer was a disgusting mess of dust and mud. I am still finding places that crud got into it. lol They are NOT well suited to these types of abuse, at least not the non-reinforced standard trailers like these. They twist and flex (C Channel frames) and are really not meant for washboard pounding for hours on end. All of the hatches were well sealed, but the fridge vents and heater ducts etc got clogged pretty bad.
I personally would either stay away from most of them alltogether, or I would buy a really small tiny one with the basics, and build the heck out of it. Expect that you will basically be rebuilding it completely to make it last. They are also generally too big, heavy, bloaty and otherwise LARGE for anything but a really good FSR, so it is base camp or leave it at home. I like the fact that my CDN M101 can go anywhere I do, even if it wont really fit the whole family.
I want to move to an Offroad Tear Drop with an RTT for the kids, but well, the wife is NOT on board with that plan. She wants a 25' loaded Travel Trailer...ugh.
108ST:
CDN M101:
I personally would either stay away from most of them alltogether, or I would buy a really small tiny one with the basics, and build the heck out of it. Expect that you will basically be rebuilding it completely to make it last. They are also generally too big, heavy, bloaty and otherwise LARGE for anything but a really good FSR, so it is base camp or leave it at home. I like the fact that my CDN M101 can go anywhere I do, even if it wont really fit the whole family.
I want to move to an Offroad Tear Drop with an RTT for the kids, but well, the wife is NOT on board with that plan. She wants a 25' loaded Travel Trailer...ugh.
108ST:
CDN M101:
highlandercj-7
Explorer
Nice PUP Jeff. It's looks sweet behind the TJ.
DarinM
Explorer
My mom and dad are giving us their old pop-up. I know already that the cable system needs to be repaired as it isn't working at all right now. Other than that, it's in decent enough shape. We're not going to be dragging this thing into the boonies anytime soon, for sure. We're going to just spruce up the inside - paint, cushion covers, curtains, maybe nicer floor, etc. and call it good for the time being. We just want to be able to get out of the house and go "camping" for some fun. There's an AC unit on the trailer so we won't die in the summer and since we're going to have a baby with us, having shore power and water available is going to really be great.
I know mom & dad yanked this trailer through some really rough terrain in SC Colorado a few years ago. I was with them on that 2 hours of rough road up to Mix Lake west of Platoro. So as I'm going over it, I'm sure I'm going to find all kinds of things that have rattled loose and will need some work. But the price is right and we're excited about being able to get out and play outdoors with the kids in something a little more convenient and comfortable than a tent.
Any recommendations for a decent quality add-a-room? I've been seeing a huge price range online.
I know mom & dad yanked this trailer through some really rough terrain in SC Colorado a few years ago. I was with them on that 2 hours of rough road up to Mix Lake west of Platoro. So as I'm going over it, I'm sure I'm going to find all kinds of things that have rattled loose and will need some work. But the price is right and we're excited about being able to get out and play outdoors with the kids in something a little more convenient and comfortable than a tent.
Any recommendations for a decent quality add-a-room? I've been seeing a huge price range online.
jscusmcvet
Explorer
We are quite happy with our Rockwood 1640. We are into it less than $3k It is a base model and weighs in at approx. 1100# empty. No AC ( we thought this would be a problem here in NC, but so far so good... embrace the heat of summer...) No stove, no toilet (a;thought he wife is pushing me on this) We pack light and we have no issues pulling behind the LJ.
We love the fact that it sits there, packed, ready to go and I can call Ann from work on a Friday morning and say, "'let's go" and shoot a few hours down the road. We like to camp in the NC and Virginia mountains and like being able to open all the way up and enjoy air... as compared to a hard sided trailer. We do use it as a base camp, eastern USA style, so that means, a place to sleep and come back to after we mountain bike, hike, jeep the trails, etc....
It is decidedly not an offroad beast. So be it. Someday, maybe, but cannot see the point right now. Works for us.
As someone said elsewhere in this thread, this is A) what makes momma happy and B) I have slept on the ground my whole life and damn it is good to be in the bed...
I have plans to build a swingout for the rear bumper to mount a camp kitchen. Supposed to happen over the winter...
John
We love the fact that it sits there, packed, ready to go and I can call Ann from work on a Friday morning and say, "'let's go" and shoot a few hours down the road. We like to camp in the NC and Virginia mountains and like being able to open all the way up and enjoy air... as compared to a hard sided trailer. We do use it as a base camp, eastern USA style, so that means, a place to sleep and come back to after we mountain bike, hike, jeep the trails, etc....
It is decidedly not an offroad beast. So be it. Someday, maybe, but cannot see the point right now. Works for us.
As someone said elsewhere in this thread, this is A) what makes momma happy and B) I have slept on the ground my whole life and damn it is good to be in the bed...
I have plans to build a swingout for the rear bumper to mount a camp kitchen. Supposed to happen over the winter...
John