Forum Discussion

fill's avatar
fill
Explorer
Mar 24, 2015

A POP UP FROM A DIFFERENT FAMILY

I just received my April edition of Trailer Life. The cover article concerns downsizing to a smaller toad. I have one of the marquees that was not mentioned in the story “Roll A Home” and I think people should know about it.

The empty weight is a little less than 400 lbs. and it tows well behind my Subaru or motorcycle. It’s true that it doesn’t have a piped in propane stove or electricity but it does have a storage basement of 3½ ft. by 6 ft. which works out to about 18½ cubic feet for storing your camping STUFF. I keep my digital TV, DVD player, heater, electrical hookups, a couple of chairs and two small tables.

It’s accessible whether the sleeping area is set up or not.
There are many things I like about my RAH, but the top 3 are:
It has a real floor, not a tent floor
The king sized bed
The wall fabric is double lined so there are no
silhouettes for people to watch

There are several options available including an attached 7 X 7 room and / or a 7 X 7 screened room for long term camping.

We’re pulling the trailer out of the garage for our 3rd camping season, and so far the trailer has about 13, 000 miles on it; from the Arctic Circle to Elvis’s house in Memphis. Probably slept in it more than 50 nights.

This isn’t a paid ad, but we have been happy with ours and thought you should know. It’s a good product.

Fill
Subaru. ’94 GoldWing 1500
2012 Roll-A-Home, Eagle 1 trailer
GWRRA, Thousand Trails
(We’ve downsized)
Folding Trailers

8 Replies

  • Wine_Maker's avatar
    Wine_Maker
    Explorer
    Mar 26, 2015
    These Roll A Home units are very interesting. It is nice to have such a high dressing area. That is nice.

    I am glad you enjoy ours so much. :)

    Vin.
  • fill's avatar
    fill
    Explorer
    Mar 26, 2015
    Hello Again Rexlion,
    Picture this: There are two separate mattresses. The mattress for the slide is ½ inch more shallow because the slide platform sits up ½ inch above the main platform. End result is the total mattress surface is level.

    Now that we have established that the mattress is split. The larger piece covers the entire box, and its support is hinged so that it can be opened from the ‘living room’. And yes, there is a support stanchion so you can keep it open.

    On your trip if its “Let’s stop and take a break at that next rest area” the whole top half which includes the whole bed, mattress, tent material and floor of the living area is on a piano hinge and easily tilts up for easy access and is supported by pressure struts, like on a station wagon.


    Subaru. ’94 GoldWing 1500
    2012 Roll-A-Home, Eagle 1 trailer
    GWRRA, Thousand Trails
    (We’ve downsized)
  • rexlion's avatar
    rexlion
    Explorer
    Mar 26, 2015
    Well, 70 mph winds! I can't imagine doing that in just a tent, so you have made a point there.

    When the bed slide is out and everything is set up, and you want to get stuff out of the basement, do you still have to lift the 'lid'? Or is there access from inside somehow?
  • fill's avatar
    fill
    Explorer
    Mar 25, 2015
    Hi Rexlion,
    Those are questions that echoed my own before I bought the trailer. I had never seen one before we moved from SoCal to northern Idaho (Sandpoint). I know that Billy and Sheila, who own the RAH company, have many non- motorcycle people that buy the trailer for car camping.

    Probably the answer is that there is more usable space in the trailer. I still have a 10X10 (6 man) Cabelas tent with vestibule. If I set up that size sleeping area it takes up a lot of the floor space.

    In the trailer I have the king size bed size plus the 4 X 6 ½ feet of solid floor, and since I can get STUFF out of the basement at any time I don’t have as much clutter.

    Incidentally, depending on you emotional ties you can sleep in either direction on that mattress. When we went to Yellowknife Tim slept on the bed slide; it has a 300 lb. weight capacity with the two struts in place. My wife sleeps much closer. :)

    The tent obviously sits lower to the ground so the winds are less of a factor but with the trailer I have easily endured 70 mph wind and rain coming off of Lake Osoyoos in BC. I carry a little rope so I just staked out the 4 permanent islets on the trailer and the whole unit was fine. The trailer is waterproof and plus I spray it annually with STARBRITE Marine water proofer.


    Fill
    Subaru. ’94 GoldWing 1500
    2012 Roll-A-Home, Eagle 1 trailer
    GWRRA, Thousand Trails
    (We’ve downsized)
  • rexlion's avatar
    rexlion
    Explorer
    Mar 25, 2015
    That is a really interesting popup, and I see they are built just 2 or 3 hours from our place. I like their metal frame that fans out as you open the top.

    Fill, I'd like to ask a question, and please don't take it the wrong way. While I can see how beneficial the Roll A Home would be for a motorcycle rider, do you see much advantage to it, versus a tent, for owners of small cars? Of course it would get you off the ground, but otherwise it has no amenities... and there are tents that set up just about as quickly as that popup. So if you didn't have the Roll A Home and you were looking to travel with a small car, would you still spend that much for the popup or would you spend a couple hundred for a tent, and why?
  • nineoaks2004's avatar
    nineoaks2004
    Explorer
    Mar 25, 2015
    We have just downsized from a 31 ft. Chateau M/H to a 16' box 1990 Palomino TXL hard side with canvas ends, I am doing some alts. to it now to make it ours such as removing the dinky shower and installing a cabinet in it's place. I always, for some reason go back to the pop up they are simple, easy to operate have less wind resistance and use way less gas also can sit for periods of time without the problems that we have had with pull behinds, motor-homes etc.
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Mar 25, 2015
    A few years ago at a campground (private campground) there was a group of motorcyclists that were traveling together. They set up camp in one of the group spots. There must have been at least a dozen of these little campers. Others had tents. It did draw a lot of attention, and those folks were having the time of their lives. I did my share of motorcycle riding in my youth also and carried a pup tent, so I really identified with this scene.

    Nothing wrong with different styles of camping. That's the beauty of this life-style. We can make it as big or as little as we want, and there is space for everyone and an appropriate camp dwelling for every personality.

    I'm really glad you enjoy your Roll a Home! Thanks for sharing!

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