UPGRADING FROM POP-UP

CPBIGGS wrote:
I don't know, he mentioned his pop up, unlike any I have heard of, has all of the comforts the big rigs have. I would like for him to respond with his make and model so I can research. One of the things I like best about my current pup is the ability to park in my own garage. If my wife and I can get everything we want in a pup, I wont have to move up to a TT.

After being on here a bit and reading Roy's posts, you will know that he loves his OFF-ROAD POPUP, so much so he loves to SHOUT this from the rooftops - every message. :D

You would notice from his signature that while he has the popup he appears to also have a 5th Wheel that looks something like this.



Maybe he is indeed mixing the comforts of the 5th wheel into his reply. Only he can say. ;)

CPBIGGS wrote:
...The main advice I am looking for is your experience with these brands. Especially quality of materials, workmanship and dealing with the respective companies. I understand each has their issues, just trying to decide which one to roll the dice with. Thanks for your input.

I have owned a Jayco Hybrid and can say that the quality was pretty much on par with the others you mentioned and did not mention. That said,I never had a day's worth of problems with the Jayco which I owned for 3 years. This present trailer, with the same build / workmanship quality was in the shop several times for radio and oven, both of which were replaced under warranty. Fit and finish among all RVs are about the same - average to mediocre. This must be your expectation or you will be sorely disappointed. As for the items that are included (not made by the trailer manufacturer) - their quality is only marginally better. My raido (Genesis / Concertone) had to be replaced because it just up and died one fine day. The oven on our Subruban sotve insisted on going out once temperature was reached. After must diagnosing and misdiagnosing and replacement of oven manifolds, they replaced the whole stove and oven. So far it appears to be working. So nothing wrong with the trailer itself, but the appliances might be another story. That is all I will say regarding quality.

That said we love our RV's floorplan and counter space, etc. You should look at it closer.

As others have said, with a 1/2 ton, payload is the limiting factor. Find out how much tongue weight you can handle with likely truck bed loading and then work backwards to see how much trailer you can pull. It will not be a 8900# trailer, I can assure you. Hint - I would not go higher than my trailer which maxes out at 7500# and I have slightly more towing capacity than your 8900#.

Hi CP,

I will say that the closest pop up that you will get to a TT is a Highwall pop up. Currently the only maker of Highwalls are Rockwood and Flagstaff. Fleetwood and starcraft made them in prior years.

I think the point of the poster was that he had many of the same amenities as a TT. But you need to remember that it is not fair to compare a small pop up to a large TT. Of course a TT will have larger items like a fridge, holding tanks etc.

My particular model of pop up (Rockwood HW296) also has many of the items of a TT.

Innerspring mattress (heated),
Couch,
3 burner stove
oven,
Microwave,
Fridge & Freezer,
Double sinks,
Shower and toilet
fresh, grey, and black water holding tanks
Tank level monitoring system,
Residential height countertops,
Residential height ceilings,
Mounted HD TV,
Air Conditioning and Furnace,
Black hose storage tube,
dual propane tanks,
etc.

These are more than enough to make me feel like I have a nice place to relax.

TT are very nice and offer reclining lazy-boy's and fireplaces! :)

Those are awesome.

To me it was the towability of the pop up that I liked. I just did not feel comfortable towing units that large. But I understand this is just me.

As was stated, you will need to look at many models to decide what is right for you.

I wish you luck.

Vin.

PAThwacker wrote:
Roy's post is giving the pluses to owning a pup:

1: Cheap towing
2: ability to take on mild off-road trails

I don't know, he mentioned his pop up, unlike any I have heard of, has all of the comforts the big rigs have. I would like for him to respond with his make and model so I can research. One of the things I like best about my current pup is the ability to park in my own garage. If my wife and I can get everything we want in a pup, I wont have to move up to a TT.

I owned PUPs for 15 years before changing to a TT. There were a lot of good points to owning a PU, including those mentioned previously. Our primary reason for changing to a TT was because we were tired of setting up and tearing down in inclement weather, which seems to follow us everywhere. We also like to camp during early spring and late fall, which is a challenge in a PU sometimes due to temps and dampness. A TT also adds a level of safety and security that a canvas structure cannot. Another issue we had moving to a TT was the lack of a sufficient TV. We solved that problem when we bought a half ton pickup while we owned the PU.

But they both have a place in the RV market and everyone's needs/wants are different.

We bought our TT but kept our PUP. They are two different worlds.

The TT is the ultimate in convenience; park it, level it, power up, push slide button, push awning button, get the chairs and enjoy. I can even use the bathroom, kitchen, dining table in any parking lot. It takes us about 20 minutes to set up. When we camp and go, we do not even unhitch.

The PUP is the ultimate in towing and adaptability, I do not need much of a road, do not have to worry about overhanging tree limbs, can squeeze it into almost any camp site, can pull in and out of any gas pump, go through the McDonald’s drive through, sleep all the grand kids, and get much more than 10 mpg. with a half-ton pick up. It takes about an hour to set up.

We moved to a TT because we wanted to travel with minimal hassle from park to park. We kept the PUP because of its versatility.

As to your questions, you need to match three things; Floor plan, TV and Cost.

Floor plan has to be as close to perfect as possible, it is hard to move things around.

A half ton TV is good for about a 5000 dry weight TT. The loaded TT tongue weight plus people and cargo will often exceed the payload rating of the truck, even though you have lots of towing capacity.

The cost is dependent on features you want. The so call entry level units are designed for those who can live without all the bells and whistles. More closets, cabinets, drawers, and other features the more cost and weight. The valances over our bedroom windows are nice but are they necessary?

Good luck but check and double check before you buy.

I have friends that own pop ups and love them. I have one friend that is thinking about buying one even though he already owns a TT. The TT sets on a seasonal site and is so hard to tow he would like to have a pop up for trips to new places. To each his own, that's why they make different types.

Roy's post is giving the pluses to owning a pup:

1: Cheap towing
2: ability to take on mild off-road trails

Roy, what model pop up do you have? I'm not familiar with any pop up that has a double door fridge, 30+ gallon each gray and black holding tanks, a shower separate from the toilet, heated enclosed underbelly, central heat and air, power stabilizer jacks and residential mattresses for the beds.

I always chuckle when I read someone is wanting to "MOVE-UP" or "UP-GRADING" to something different.

We love our OFF-ROAD POPUP and have no intentions of the so called "MOVING-UP" to something different.

We have all the modern things on our popup that the big rigs have with the moving around inside room probably the only drawback. This makes us do more enjoying outside hehe...

It is also very inexpensive to operate and my truck gets great gas mileage when being towed. It also can go anywhere where my 4WD truck will take it... One of favorite spots behind Harrisonburg VA up on the VA/WVA wooded State border Natl Forest road requires us to cross a rock bed creek to get to where we want to go.

I guess it would be how one describes "MOVING-UP" or "UP-GRADING"...

No pun intended...
Roy Ken

TV tow capacity is a minor part of the equation. Payload is the more important factor in a TV especially a 1/2-ton.
How many people? How much "stuff" are you carrying? And add the weight of the hitch. It all adds up quick.