OK Don't Laugh - and i know that probably NOBODY has one here

[hammersley]

but I'm thinking of getting a tent trailer instead of a new regular one----simply because of cost AND what the fuel may happen over it's life. Now I know the disadvantages etc - but I don't camp the way most do with a big trailer - I will use it for essentially sleeping only... ... recommendations... ...



Thinking about a Coleman (now Fleetwood)... hey they even have an Off Road one --- check it out.....



http://www.fleetwoodrv.com/evolution/

 

[TboneMan]

The problem with typical the pop-up is they are not self contained. If you are financing the purchase, you can deduct the interest paid on your Fed taxes (providing you itemize) if the unit is self contained. I beleive it has to have a toilet, sink and cooking apparatus (stove/oven).



Many people around my neck of the woods have opted for hybrids. These are small hardsides with pull-outs in the front and back.

 

[klenger]

Nothing wrong with a tent trailer. Coleman seems to be one of the better brands. Check out the forums on irv2.com. Lot's of tent campers there.

 

[BarryG]

OK, I'll admit I have one. We have a Fleetwood. It is the Utah model. Aftert having rented them quite a few times over the years we rented one once that had a slide out dinette area. What a difference in space. It sure helps. No it is no Artic fox, Mountianaire or King of the Road but it sure beats the heck out of tent.



I looked at just about all of the brands and after renting a variety of brands over the years the Coleman line or now Fleetwood really seemed to be the best. Renting them you can see where the wear items are and those two (well the Coleman, as Fleetwood has only recently put their name on them instead of Coleman) always seemed to be holding up the best. I cant speak enough about the slideout dinette. It really adds to the space inside the trailer. I looked at the offroad models hard but they were too small for us. However if you are going to be alone or maybe just one other person the size may not be an issue. At the time I checked underneath them and the only difference I saw and was confirmed by the salespeople was that they use a spring shackle lift (or whatever you call them) to get the height to put on larger mud tires (which did have an increased load capacity) and longer stabilizer pads for the increased height. Not sure you really need mud tires on the trailer though. Fleetwood however did not have an offroad model at the time we looked and it does appear to have a couple of other items such as the shocks per your link. I also like how they called the front cargo area as waterproof. Since it is nothing more than an open area I guess it is waterproof it is not raining. They are definitely small but if you can live with the size then why not. The standard models could use better tires (read as in higher load range). On our Utah I had them flip the axle for added height and doing that it sits very level with my drop bar on the hitch. I am thinking of adding a lift and possibly replacing the axle with a higher rated one and putting some 14 or 15 inch tires on it but havent got far enough into the research to know how that will work out. I would really like to up the load range of the tires as they are darn close to maxed out. The Utah is one of the longer ones and to be honest is quite comfortable even when it is cool outside. Wouldnt want to camp in it in winter but down into the low 40's high 30's it is fine. Make sure and compare features between brands and models as well as capacities. Also check the water capacity on the small ones they may only be 10 gallons. Some models only came with an icebox. Which is fine but it sure is nice to have a 3 way for when you are in a place that has power and it is hot out. Also hot water is also another nice feature. Sure makes cleaning up after a meal or cleaning yourself much easier and faster. As well as an electric water pump the little hand pump on the faucet seems to only put out about a 1/4 cup a pump. While the above are not deal breakers for many they are nice features.



Just like everything else check them all out ask your questions and go with the one you feel best about. Make sure you understand the warranties they do vary and there is some fine print/exclusions.



A previous poster mentioned self contained to get the interest deduction I think the only thing it needs to have in addition to the plain Jane setup is a toilet and you can definitely get them with that it is just a cassette toilet but a toilet nontheless and I believe it qualifies. We opted for one without.



I can set it up in about ten minutes. And even with the length of the Utah model I can extend the front bed all the way without unhooking from the truck. It is tight but does work.



I do see a fifth wheel in our future but it will be a few years down the road. The tent trailer pulls like a breeze. We took a trip last year from Denver to Vancouver BC then across to Glacier National Park in Montana and then back down to Denver I averaged a solid 16-17mpg with the trailer fully loaded and the truck bed had a fair bit of weight in it too.

 

[Fireman Dave]

No laughing here. After 4 years of tenting, we bought a Coleman (Fleetwood) Bayport model in '97. We enjoyed 4 great years with it and still re-sold it for $4,000. 00. We looked at a lot of different brands and decided Coleman had the best features for us. I think they are made as good or better than any others. Their tent material is superior, in my opinion. We had the pop-up for 1 year of camping with our truck, then we bought our travel trailer.



Advantages with a pop-up include: A lot of space for the cost, you can get into a lot of places that you can't with a bigger rig, easy to move around and store, you still feel like your more of a camper. We camp in state parks a lot, and we do sometimes feel like we aren't really camping as much anymore. But, we enjoy the creature comforts of the travel trailer as we get older. The big advantage of the TT for us is the low amount of set-up - making cross country trips easier (setting up or packing up in the rain isn't as much of a hassle). But I'd go back to a pop-up with no problem. They really do provide a lot of space in a compact package.

 

[moel]

lots of laughs here - alot of them enjoyed in our Coleman "pop up" for 9 years, we even set it up out in our back yard and had campfires and fed mosquitoes

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Pop-ups seem to be getting VERY popular now with increasing fuel costs and smaller to vehicles - you can pull the average tent trailer with dern near anything, and folded down, you hardly know it's behind you. We see LOTS of them in the campgrounds anymore.



Good luck.

 

[jeepit]

I'm still sleeping in the back of my truck! :{ A pop up would be a luxury for me. Anyway, someday we will have some sort of camper, after both kids are thru college.

 

[Matt400]

Actually we looked at pop ups before we bought the TT and the only real deal breaker was having to put up a curtain to use the potty. If it were just me it would be no big deal but not a very family & friends oriented environment while trying to use the rest of the unit.

 

[Beast2B]

I don't remember the brand off-hand, but I even saw one that allowed carrying two quads or 2-3 dirt bikes on the deck while travelling! If I come across it or someone else has seen one, post a link. Even if you don't use it for toys, I'd think the chassis and suspension would be tougher for durability.

 

[K5IP]

We had the Jayco pop-up's for years. (At least four of them over 30 years) They worked well for us before we retired. We did a lot of back wood camping and the only problem we ever had was that we would drag the rear bumpers off of them in rough conditions. Replacements were always a piece of channel iron.

Good stuff.

 

[fkovalski]

One thing to note:

I do not own a pop- up, but last year before we bought an outfitter's tent for hunting, we rented a pop- up. Now mind you it was semi- winter camping conditions that we were in. It rained/ sleet/ snowed out side. I did not sleep in it but, we all hung out in the pop- up during the day while it weathered outside. With the 3 of us farting and cooking Dinty Moore in the trailer, the humity buillt up quite a bit. We did have a propane honeycomb heater to try to dry the inside, but the moiture condensed against the cold portions of the vinyl pull out sides and "rained" down on the bedding. We never could get it to dry out in these conditions. It did not fare well for those who slept in side.



I do not know what type of camping (i. e. season) you plan on doing and you may not encounter the same winter conditions as described, but it's more info for you to use.

-frank.

 

[jandtjil]

Just rented a Coleman "Yuma" this weekend! The flip down cabinet that holds the sink and stove top gave way during the journey and split in half! The latch mechanism that holds the stove burner assembly on this model is suspect. Beware!

On the other hand, the pop-up was perfect for the location (a dry camp site), the size allowed me to find a piece of ground and level it relatively easy as opposed to finding a spot for 20' + trailer, because it was a dry camp on BLM ground our next camp neighbor was a half mile away. AWESOME!!

The only thing that kept me from reaching my intended destination was three feet of run-off over a 1/4 mile section of the trail, the pop-up was ready to follow and allowed me to safely climb and descend some VERY steep inclines (361700N 1140700E is where I was able to backup and turn around after encountering the runnoff, was on my way to Cottonwood wash)

I still want a 5th wheel, but pop-ups are Okay in my book!

JJ

 

[DHayden]

:-laf :-laf :-laf :-laf :-laf JK

 

[Fireman]

hammersly,



Have you checked out some of the hybrids ? they are realitivly small and light, and self contained. I would certainly prefer one to a pop-up. JMO



Fireman

 

[hammersley]

No - I don't like the hybrids -

I don't want the mileage penalty of a taller trailer..... I see Diesel as doing nothing but going through the roof and I am not going to help these SOB's out. I'll sacriface with trailer type I guess. I only do warm weather camping - if it's cold I'm in a motel... ... and I do like that it feels like camping instead of being in a tiny house... ... IMO.

 

[jkalchik]

Time for me to chime in, I guess.....



I bought a Coleman Santa Fe pop-up in 2001. One of the smarter purchases (next to a CTD anyway) I've made yet. Towed it behind a modified Jeep Cherokee through 2004, and generally got at least 2, if not 3, weeks of use every year.



After looking around, I figured the Coleman/Fleetwood trailers were built far better than anything else out there. I have not been disappointed with it in anyway.

 

[scootergmc]

I dont' know anything about the comparitive quality of the trailers, but have you seen this Starcraft? Seems like a neat idea if you ride ATV's or dirt bikes.

http://www.starcraftrv.com/starcraft_folding_campers/starcraft_rt_series.html