Going from pop-up to hard side, big mistake?
I've got a Palomino Bronco pop-up TC on a 3500 SRW Dodge Diesel short box. It's only about 1200lbs empty and the truck pulls as if it's not even there. I've got stock suspension and air bags. I'm g...
Forum Discussion
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.
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.
