Getting back into PUP'S......

This is encouraging to me. we just sold our TT due to ongoing maintenance and cost issues. I put about 5000 miles on the TV last year and about half was towing.

I would love to get a nice mid size SUV and a decent size pup with a slide, we would need a wet bath but that's an available option :).

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Sure. Send me a PM. I was just in Cabot last night.

Jim- Why don't cruise up the road 25 miles and meet up with Bondebond and look at his lineup. He has lifted his POPUP trailer and the photos look nice.... Might get you looking abit harder haha...

If you all do get together have a good cup of coffee for me... You wait too much longer they wont allow us to use the natl Forest trails anymore the way things are changing so fast now... Too many rules for us old guys to contend with...

Roy Ken

The short answer is yes. All other things being equal, the PUP will produce less drag when towing but otherwise, if you find anything in the 1,500 pound range, you should be fine.

Let me know what you find in the way of a TT at that weight. I am curious.

Well, I'm back and still haven't bought anything.....yet. We are starting to look around again, but this time we are leaning toward a TT. One quick question: the Quest is rated at 3500 lbs. would I be fine with a TT or PUP that comes in at 1500lbs. dry??

Thanks again,

Jim

We are in a similar situation. Had a pop up years ago. Have a 31' bunkhouse (35' total). Still have it, but have moved it to storage at ocean lakes in myrtle beach. Most of our trips were to the beach as it was and we were paying for a truck specifically just to pull it. Truck didn't get driven a whole lot otherwise due to gas mileage. So we moved the camper to the beach and traded in the truck on a brand new ford explorer with a tow rating of 5000lbs. Our plan is to get bare bones pop up. We missed tat type of camping and live in a great area to do it. But unfortunately te big TT was not well suited for it. I've been eyeing some jaycos myself lately online. Not sure when we will be able to do something. Might e next year. N

Since you are looking for something specific with slide-outs, Jayco has two 12' boxes with slide outs that are each around 2,480 pounds; Rockwood has three models at 2,450 and one at 2,150 and a couple of other models between those; Starcraft has two Comets at ~2,400 and some Centennials under 3,000 pounds. These are all the "unloaded" specs so check with the dealer on specific models to see what options have added to the overall weight. Many will have a decal on an interior door or other location listing out the unloaded weight plus add-ons.

A suggestion: First verify whether that 3500lb towing capacity includes the weight of passengers and cargo. If so, then you *might* be able to tow a low-wall with a slide, but you'll be very near the 3500lb limit. If not, you can almost forget about a slide-out dinette. OUr Coleman Monterey had a slide-out dinette, and tipped the scales at 3620 IIRC loaded for a long weekend. THe slide generally adds between 500 and 800lbs to the overall weight of the trailer, and on a small tow vehicle like yours, it makes a big difference.

That being said, the slide-out is nice. It doesn't give you much more usable space, and depending on the layout, it can often compromise the available storage space, but if you're trapped inside it with a few other people, it makes a difference.

FWIW, I loved ours, but I don't miss it for a minute. The convenience of a bathroom with a shower and a DOOR, plus never needing to worry about setting up or breaking camp in the rain, then airing it back out when we get home, and having to lift the roof or contort myself into a plethora of odd positions to load the fridge... Yeah, I don't miss that stuff!

Oh, that's something else to look at... Pay close attention to the layout: Something I found important after the fact was top-down fridge access. THere's nothing more frustrating for a cheapskate like me than dragging a camper behind the truck with a fridge full of food, and having to stop and pay for a lunch.

DW and I went with a Rockwood A Frame when we down sized and we have been very happy with the quality and workmenship. Very easy to set up and take down. Takes less than a minute either way. Did have a Jayco P/U years back and was also very happy with it.Good Luck in your search.

Hi Jim. It's funny how many people go back to pop ups. We had two of them (Rockwood and Coleman), then went to a 17 1/2' travel trailer for about 10 years and finally last year back to a 2013 Rockwood 1940LTD pop up. That 1990 Rockwood was a terrible trailer and I said I would never buy another Rockwood, until last year. The new owners (Forest River) seem to be doing lots right and the trailers are much better these days. Don't count Rockwoods out when you search for your new pop up. This is coming from a guy who would only look at Colemans. Good luck!
Dave