Pop Up Camper Trailers

[TObject]

What do people here think about pop up trailers? Have you ever used one?

[William]

SErgey,

An expensive option,

http://www.backcountrytrailers.com/T...untryTrailers/

But they don't have a potty, and I don't think they have a sink.

Scott Hill has drug some trailers around (and I do mean drug).

William "Unless you're William" Karstens
AKA
"I'm not Bill"

[Robert J. Yates]

I looked at this a couple of years back. The Backcountry is pretty cool but as William said, not much but a bed and a place to store all your crap. That being said, you could store one of those little portable potties and a sink in there if you really wanted them.

I also looked at springing over Coleman type trailers and using it with a pintal hitche. I concluded that while it was cool, nobody really made one so it would be custom (ie more money) and it would be large.

Finally I settled on just getting a tow rig as the thought of breaking my rig and then having to worry about not just my Jeep but also my tent trailer became discouraging. I am hoping that in a year or so things turn around for me at work and I can then afford a truck with a nice Lance camper on it. Showers and potties aare nice things to have

98 TJ Sport
D44ARB/D30Detroit/Teralow/35" MTr's

[Handlebars]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by TObject:
[/quote]

That looks like a whole lot of crap to be hauling around behind a TJ... Have you ever thought of getting a Jeep Motel? They come in small and medium sizes and will drive through such tight trails such as Dusy-Ershim, Coyote Lake, and Odessa Canyon with aplomb. They are completely water- and windproof, and like the Backcountry trailers provide a small bed and a place to carry stuff. Unlike the Backcountry trailers, they have an intergrated HVAC system that has been comfort tested down to 19*F.

The Jeep Motel: Made for those who are not quite ready for the trailer park.



97 2-door 5-speed XJ
"Yes, tow hooks are required!
Trail Crew SoCal 4x4 Club

[This message was edited by Handlebars on March 06, 2002 at 12:39 PM.]

[TJRON]

TO,
Some of those pop-ups are real nice. You can get them with just about anything you want. They tow real nice due to less weight, the low center of gravity and lack of wind resistance. My biggest problem with them is the tiny tires that usually come on them, they are expensive, heat up at speed and aren't worth a darn on bumpy roads.
Ron

I like the way my Jeep is now..... I'd just like it, well, a little higher off the ground with more ground clearance!

[mrblaine]

Sergey, this is more what you may be looking for.

A small tent on wheels.

http://www.freedomtrailer.com/

[url]http://www.kamparoo.com/[/img]

It is impossible to ascertain the value of something until you have paid for it a few times.

[Scott Hill]

I can easly pull a 12 foot box pop-up the only bad part is to set it up for 1 night. you may like to look at a burro trailer or the like they are solid construction fiberglass and weigh about what a pop up does and has no setup time.

a little TJ with a few mods check her out at www.real-jeeps.com

[Richie]

If you ever want to pull one around I've got an old one I'm selling. If you come up to Simi, let me know and you can see how it feels behind your jeep... BTW I'm selling it for 500 if you're interested. Not much fancier than a tent, but keeps the rain and wind out.

Richard
97 TJ with sprinkles
97 ZJ

[TObject]

Ritchie, I am not decided yet on whether or not to buy a pop up, but I am interested. Are you going wheeling anywhere anytime soon? I still need to figure out the storage before I buy anything.

-=Confusion Mode On=-

Just because the pop-up is smaller than a regular trailer it doesn’t mean that I can leave it on the street (CC&R, etc.). If there is no difference for me between a big trailer and a little trailer (as far as storage goes), then why don’t I just get a big trailer for the jeep? Oh yes, no tow vehicle. Well, a new diesel truck, that I would want, cost about $33k (or a diesel Expedition for 3k more), I guess, I could take a plunge and buy it, however, I would have two vehicles instead of one then (my jeep and the new truck), and I will have to resolve the parking issue for that extra vehicle.

The reason I am looking for something is because the time it takes to pack the things up and hit the road is too large for me. Extra steps that I have to go through in comparison to the jeepers who trailer their rigs are:
- Remove the bikini top
- Put the hard top back on
- Put the fender flares back on
- Put down and pack the tent

These steps take time, and everyone ends up waiting for me. The pop up trailer should have to eliminate the last step.

-=Confusion Mode Off=-

[TJRON]

Gosh Segey, you're breaking my heart!
I never spend much over a day or two getting ready! I can break a camp faster than loading a Jeep on a trailer and breaking camp!
You just got to move a bit faster. Hehe
Ron

I like the way my Jeep is now..... I'd just like it, well, a little higher off the ground with more ground clearance!

[Jeff Weston]

Sergey,

Do you have a problem with parking an extra car at your house? If not, an option for you to consider is getting a Suburban, Tahoe, Expedition or Excursion. You could either flat tow your Jeep with it or rent a trailer (what I plan on doing). If you use your trailer less than 12 times a year or so, it'll be cheaper than purchasing and paying for storage. You could then sleep in the back of the tow rig quite comfortably.

This is pretty much my plan. I got an Eddie Bauer Expedition (2WD) with the 5.4L gas motor (260hp/350lb-ft) with the tow package and auto leveling rear air suspension for less than I paid for my TJ. It won't be a workhorse tow vehicle like a diesel 3/4 ton but it is rated for 8100#. I towed a 20' boat with no sweat. Oh yeah, I would've gotten the 4 door diesel truck but my wife didn't quite see herself driving the kiddies around in it.

Good luck!

Jeff

[mrblaine]

Sergey- the reason you don't get a big trailer is the amount of time to set up and tear down. The little ones just fold out very quickly. The main objective was to speed things up, not slow them down.

We were basically discussing a small tent on wheels. The tent is what takes the time. Take the tent out of the equation and things get much faster.

Have you figured out yet why I run the pickup top? Weatherproof year round. No set up, no tear down. Just pop the doors off and go.

It might just be easier to do our original suggestion and borrow our small tent next time. See if you like it.

It is impossible to ascertain the value of something until you have paid for it a few times.

[MJR]

This is the kind of trailer I have. You can get everything but an inside shower (they have an outside one available). I really like the hard insulated sides. Here's a site link also. www.chaletrv.com .



Got Groceries ?

[Desert Fox]

Sergey,

In the mid 1970's, I had a Coleman pop up trailer that opened up to 23 feet. It slept six, had a stove, ice box, sink, water tank, toilet, and shower. The shower was a PITA and we never used it. My three sons loved it and we camped in it many times over the years. It weighed about 2000 lbs and I towed it with a VW Bus. With five people in the Bus, towing a 2,000 lb trailer was exciting at best. Well, I was young and stupid and it all made sense at the time. The bottom line here is that pop up trailers are great. However, they are not known for their high ground clearance or robust construction. On the other hand, the off road pop ups are not known for their high levels of comfort and storage. A compromise will, no doubt, be required.

Fred

[TJRON]

VW Bus. Bwaahahaha!
I used to pull my motorcycles around in one of those suckers. I remember the throw from second to third was horrible. Reving like crazy in second and it wouldn't pull third. I liked it though and it was all I could afford.
I would pull over so cars could pass and they would give me the finger and yell, "f***ing Hippie!" I would do the same in my dad's Chevy camper and they would wave, "thank you".
Ron

I like the way my Jeep is now..... I'd just like it, well, a little higher off the ground with more ground clearance!

[Robert J. Yates]

I second the Suburban type vehicle (although I would like a nice big diesel truck with a camper) but I think what you really need to do is look at your Jeep and decide if you want to maintain daily driver status or not and get a tow rig.

My old POS Suburban tows the heck out of my Jeep and gives me a nice quiet place to crash without the hassle of a tent. And with the Jeep on the trailer, I don't have to worry about breakage or hardtops and so forth. Basically all I really need to do is back the Jeep off the trailer, air down and ditch the soft doors - takes me about 20 minutes max if I am focused.

If your problem is actually that you need to leave your hardtop on the Jeep in town because you have no other place to park your Jeep except on teh street, a tent trailer, Jeep trailer and so forth will only add to your problem. Maybe you need to think about your storage issues first and then decide what kind of vehcile or camper you want to buy.

98 TJ Sport
D44ARB/D30Detroit/Teralow/35" MTr's

[TObject]

When I purchased my tent I made a mistake. I did not consider the ease of setting it up and taking down. I thought I was a smart guy and I would figure it out. Well, I figured it out, I can set it up and take it down, but it just takes too much time.

Yes, I would like to borrow the smaller tent to see if it is faster to deal with. Thank you!

Not heaving to tow anything has its advantages. For example, I can use twisty mountain roads (like Hwy 60). Maybe I should look into tents that are maybe less compact as regular tents in the packet form, but take less time to set up, take down, maybe something based on collapsible frame...

The hard top is nice to have – it makes jeep as secure as the regular car for one (remember, I work in the town packed with criminals). Besides, I still not figured out the hard top storage ether. I have the hoist, but I haven’t installed it yet (I am waiting on something to start working on garage, there are many things I need to do, for one, I can’t drive my jeep in the garage yet, I need to install a roll up door, the current one hangs down too low. There are some other things to figure out, since there will be a car parked under the hanging hardtop).

[Robert J. Yates]

Carports work pretty good for hanging tops and if I am not mistaken, Shaloms' sister hangs hers' under a gazebo

As for tents, you can also buy tents that automatically unfold, ie they have the supports already run through them on hinges. My favorite Jeeper strickland had one of those if I recall correctly.

I figured the hardtop was due to the daily driver thing to help keep the Jeep secure. I f I need mine to run around town, I drop the top on it myself - keeps the people of have to think about it and the lazy ones off your ride.

98 TJ Sport
D44ARB/D30Detroit/Teralow/35" MTr's

[TObject]

It is also not the most pleasant thing to come home at 11 pm after a weekend of wheeling, having to go to work next morning; and then, instead of going to shower and bed, spend another whatever it takes removing the pickup top, and putting the hardtop back on.

[William]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by TObject:
There are some other things to figure out, since there will be a car parked under the hanging hardtop).[/quote]

Sergey,

My wife parks under the hard top all the time. I put two eye hooks in the walls, and two rather long bungies to the top just to keep it from swiveling. Otherwise, it's not anything to worry about. It's a non issue.

William "Unless you're William" Karstens
AKA
"I'm not Bill"

[Texas ZJ1]

Sergey,

just have Sir William rent you one from MWR whenever. They aren't always in the best condition and if you beat it up a little, then its William's problem.

Just thought I'd help.

Hunter

94 V8 Red Grand Cherokee, RE lift, mud tires and more.

[John V]

I wish it could all be solved with a quicker folding tent.

What take us more time are the other pieces, sleeping bags, pads/air mattress, pillows, lamp, stove, cooler, food and supply boxes, clothes bags.. the list goes on forever. The tent, it's bagged in 4 minutes, all the other crap, much longer.

We go on off-roading trips for 12 days at a time and will tent camp in a different location each night. We've gotten our gear sized down each year and that helps. If we hurry we can be packed up and gone in 30 minutes.

The worst thing about tent camping is high winds in the desert, if anyone has a solution for that please pass it on. We do retreat to the spacious interior of the Grand when we have bad weather like rain, hail, snow and nasty wind but it sure makes cooking difficult.

Regards, John V.

William, do you really work at MWR?

Grand Kareokee 95 with minor mods