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

1. Did you notice a big difference in gas mileage, handling?

I have had three hardsides and one pop up. There is a difference in handling and wind resistance and weight. One hardside was 4000 pounds. There are trade- offs. I tend to see pop ups as better for the off road use, hardsides better for going to typical campsites. I often took my pop up to RV parks and that was OK if you are not sensitive to being next to $200,000 motorhomes. It never bothered me so I did not care.




2. 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 hardside will work just fine until you get into low branch and side hill issues. I liked the pop up much better for off road usage and camping. But, again it depends on the hardside you are looking for.



3. Is the comfort, convenience and warmth you get in a hard side worth the extra cost in fuel or handling?

Why are you assuming that you will get worse mileage and worse handling with a hardside? It just does not work that way. In strong winds the hardside might be more work in driving but otherwise it is not that big a deal. Not having to set up a camper was huge with us so we went hardside and it is nice to have it all ready to use with just opening the door, no wet sides to store after a rain, etc.


4. Are all these points moot if I have a 1 ton diesel truck that can carry the extra load with ease?

Depends on the hardside. How heavy will it be, are you towing something behind that has a heavy tongue weight, etc. I needed extra suspension and air bags for my last hardside on my Dodge one ton dually! A relatively light camper and you should be good to go with your truck.


5. If you were to do it again, which would you choose, hard side or pop-up, and why?

[COLOR=]Hardside. For the reasons listed above. However, if I spent a lot of time off road it would be a pop up for sure.