Going from pop-up to hard side, big mistake?

There were 2 main reasons for us going from a hard side to a pop-up.

1. Height. Our previous TC had a basement and even without anA/C unit, was close to 11' high. We like to take our canoe along with us and this was almost impossible. Guess I could have gone with a trailer but where we like to camp, it is not practical. I had punctured the skin a few time rubbing into low hanging branches and damaged the skylights so for those of us who like to camp in more remote, bushy areas, a pop-up is nice.

2. Rock and roll. In the wind and on rough roads, the higher the TC, the more the rig rock and rolls no matter how many mods to your suspension/tires etc.

Where we lived in the north central part of BC, TC,s were very popular and for every pop-up there were 100 hard sides and that was because of the cooler, wet weather.

Now we live in the south of BC and we tend to camp where the weather is dryer and warmer.

Regarding lifting the roof, when we pull in for lunch, it takes 30 seconds with the remote to raise the top enough so we can stand without hitting our heads on something so with the legs and the top all electric and controlled by the remote, the top for us is a non issue.

I could live with a narrow, non-basement, small east/west bed, light hard side for the camping we are doing.

The only cons that I have found re: the pop-up is a little less quiet, a little cooler and when the wind blows hard on the desert, sand will find it,s way into the inside through the upper windows no matter how well the Velcro is done up.

Dave

I have a hard side, my good friend has pop-up. The hard side allows you to haul more but that can get dangerous with the weight police. I take my hard side off the beaten path a lot here in Alaska. If you don't have a rear sway bar, I recommend the Helwig. I have one, along with stable-loads and Rancho RS 9000's. Our ride is relatively smooth even with our recent 110 mile gravel rOad trip last week across the Denali Highway. Lots of potholes, washboard and some off camber with hills. We do not have a basement, and I think that helps keep the COG lower. We love being able to jump in and out at any time of the day for making lunch, not having to set up in the rain, not having to worry about wet/moldy canvas.

That is my 2cents...

Garry in AK

I had a hardside (2002 Lance 915) and switched to a Popup (2011 Outfitter Apex 8). So here is my personal take on your question. You may find that it is not of much help, as most of it comes down to the specific truck/tc combo and your personal preference:

Q1. Did you notice a big difference in gas mileage, handling?
A: Yes, the popup is actually somewhat less fuel-efficient. I attribute that to the cabover design of the Outfitter. Personally, I think there are bigger factors than the simple difference popup/hardside.

Q2. How about off road handling? I'm not talking serious off road, but the occasional dirt road off the beaten path to mountain lakes and sort. Does the hard side TC rock and roll a lot compared to the pop-up?
A: The difference was very noticeable on my 2500 truck. When we went from the Lance to the Outfitter I could tell on the first few feet that the ride was much better; less sway. But there was almost a 1000lbs difference, and with the Lance I was close to the GVWR. And the Lance was almost a foot wider, so we can now fit into much tighter spaces.

Q3. Is the comfort, convenience and warmth you get in a hard side worth the extra cost in fuel or handling?
A: the single most important feature for me would be the ability to stealth-camp in a hardside. You just pull up to some place and there you go. With the popup, you have to raise the roof first, and then everybody can see you are camped. Other than that, it comes down to personal preference. The heat in our popup is just as good, we have a full bathroom, but the airy/roomy feel in the popup is much nicer - at least in good weather.

Q4. Are all these points moot if I have a 1 ton diesel truck that can carry the extra load with ease?
A: I have a 2500 gasser and it carried the heavier camper with ease, but the handling was worse. But this is best answered by people who have actually tried it.

Q5. If you were to do it again, which would you choose, hard side or pop-up, and why?
A: I would go for the popup again. But... we are here in Europe. Many roads are quite narrow. Parking space is more limited. Old villages are difficult to drive in with wide and high vehicles. What I can say, though, is that the popup matches the load abilities of our truck much better, and it is much more at ease driving with the lighter TC. But you have more reserves on your truck I would think. The main reason, however, is that we feel much more at home in the popup. With different campers, I might feel different.

Not a comparison to a hard side, but...

One of the reasons I went with outfitter is that I could still get in the back to make a sandwich and even sit at the dinette with the top down. You can even use the toilet with the top down...though your only option is to sit on the can.

I've also stealth slept with the top down. I leave the board that converts the dinette into a bed underneath one of the cushions. I don't really call that camping because you are much more limited in space and can't use the cooktop. Really all I have done is sleep in the back at a rest stop or in a residential area near a highway as I was passing through.

We originally had a hardside.

Went to a pop-up for all the reasons that make them popular whether those reasons ended up being true or not. (especially fuel mileage which did not change for us)

After a brief period of not having any RV we wanted to get a TC again.

Didn't have to make any difficult decision- we didn't even consider a pop-up.

Major hardside advantages: (our opinions)
Interior storage space
No set up (although that never bothered me)
Quiet inside!
Warmer inside in very cold weather

We went from tents to pop-ups (first one used, then new) and loved them. We weren't planning on making a change but one day came across a nice used TT and bought it, private sale, but kept the pop-up, thinking we'd use them both. After ten years of non-use, we sold the pop-up.
What we discovered we like best about TTs over pop-ups: Not having a wet rig (dew or rain) to deal with after use; being able to use the TT on long trips for rest breaks, etc.
We enjoyed the pop-up lifestyle and miss it, but we'll never go back.

I have had several hard sides and my last 2 have been pop ups.

I like the pop up as it gives me more needed clearance in the timber but most of all is the huge screened windows for ventilation.

I doubt your mpg's will change much but you will notice a difference in handling. I only say this because the new TC is 600 lbs heavier and will hold more stuff!!! That 3500 may even handle better with a little more weight!!!

A hard side W/O basement is a good choice if you want to go off pavement. Lower overall height and COG. And if you think they are not capable off road check out El Jefe and CTraveler's Trip Reports!!!

Pros and cons IMHO:

Pop up pros: Lower clearance and COG plus great ventilation. Oftentimes more head room especially in the overhead bunk.

Cons: Outside noise, less storage and setting up for lunch, breaks, etc. Colder? I went camping/snowmobiling for 3 days at 25 below 0. I stayed warm enough but the condensation coming off the inside of the canvas was like Niagra Falls!!! Worst part was it soaked down my bedding. Would definitely need an Arctic Kit to do that again!!!

As far as weight and mpg's go I feel that is a toss up depending on your combo.

yes, Yes, Yes, Yes and Hard side. I starter with a pop-up Starcraft TC and went to hard side and tow a Wrangler for the off road stuff. Guess it depends on how much you plan on using it, if I just went camping once a year to the lake the pop-up would be fine but going cross country in the hard side is a much better trip. Just my openion, your results may vary.

We had a 2000' FWC Hawk for 12 years, first on a Chevy shortbed, second on a Dodge PW shortbed. We could go camping anywhere the truck could 4 wheel into, which was a lot of areas most people wouldn't go to. A couple years ago we started doing more and more civilized camping and less way off the beaten path camping. I got to thinking that not popping up the top every time I wanted to do something in the camper would be a lot more convenient. We ended up buying a new Lance 865 last year and we are really enjoying the advantages the hardside has over the popup. If you want to go places nobody else goes to, keep your popup, if all you are doing is dirt roads and soft 4 wheeling, I think the space, quietness, insulation and convenience of a hardside wins out for us. I have not done enough offroading with our hardside to speak with authority, but I know jefe 4x4 can certainly reply with good experience in that area. Good luck on your decision and no matter which way you go, just have fun and enjoy!

mainetom wrote:
We went from tents to pop-ups (first one used, then new) and loved them. We weren't planning on making a change but one day came across a nice used TT and bought it, private sale, but kept the pop-up, thinking we'd use them both. After ten years of non-use, we sold the pop-up.
What we discovered we like best about TTs over pop-ups: Not having a wet rig (dew or rain) to deal with after use; being able to use the TT on long trips for rest breaks, etc.
We enjoyed the pop-up lifestyle and miss it, but we'll never go back.

I know this had little, if anything, to do with the OP's question. This comment just sparked some major, fond memories of our pop up days. We also both miss the pop up , but we won't go back either. I'll just leave it at 'It's hard to beat a pop up'.