Officially Shopping For a Used PUP!

[jerem0621]

Super excited about this! We are finally ready to start shopping for a PUP. We are coming from our TT and are really excited to be downsizing our family camping experience!

Looking forward to more memories and more good times at the campground.

And better towing maneuverability and MPG! Woot Woot!

Anyone have any idea what kind of WD hitch works best with a PUP? I'm thinking the Andersen WD hitch would be a good hitch for a pup.

thanks!

Jeremiah

[manualman]

If you like seclusion in a CG, look at the Cosby campground in GSNP. No electric anywhere and only a few sites will even work for a pup, but what a great place!

[jerem0621]

Great tips folks! Some stuff I didn't even think about. There is this sweet campground in Florida that I am looking forward to trying out. I think it's close to Fort Desoto. In some of the sites the big campers seemd to barely fit. The Pups on the other hand seemed like they fit better.

The Great Smokey Mountains is something else I am looking forward too. It's going to be amazing!

Can't wait!

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[manualman]

kknowlton wrote:
It hasn't been addressed yet, so I'll mention that you may enjoy access to some wonderful campsites, jerem, that your TT may not have allowed (not sure what size your TT was but if you have a 5000# hitch it was probably fairly large). Campsites that are small, secluded, or heavily wooded are just made for popups.

Yup, the other nice pup feature is how nicely adapted they are to dry camping. Many times campgrounds in this region that offer both electric sites and dry sites are MUCH nicer in the dry sites: shadier, bigger, sometimes vegetative separation from the other sites while the electric sites are nearly an RV parking lot.

Our G27 deep cycle battery can power our pup for 5 nights even with mild furnace use in evenings and mornings. Unlike a TT, the fridge saps no power for a control board, there is no radio phantom load an no reason at all to use any lights anywhere during the day. It's a deluxe tent, remember!

[shfd739]

We're using an Equalizer brand 400/4000 WDH with our '01 Coleman Niagara. Easy to hitch up and works great. Bought it used off Craigslist from a family that were downsizing from a pup back to tenting it. Guy had used with a minivan and loved how well it worked.

[jerem0621]

rexlion wrote:
Andersen worked well for me with a TT that had a 350 to 400 lb hitch weight (depending on loading). I can't see why it wouldn't do the job for you, too. It was easy to deal with the chains versus bulky, heavy bars.

Thank you for the feedback. I am about 85% sure thst in going with an andersen. I called them yesterday and was told that their hitch would work great with a pup. He told me that they need a minimum of 90 lbs tongue weight..but the camper we are looking at should have 250 lbs plus.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[rexlion]

Andersen worked well for me with a TT that had a 350 to 400 lb hitch weight (depending on loading). I can't see why it wouldn't do the job for you, too. It was easy to deal with the chains versus bulky, heavy bars.

[kknowlton]

manualman wrote:
A few other tips for popup happiness:

One of the best responses I've seen! Very true - as we learned from our PUP experience. Loved it. 🙂

It hasn't been addressed yet, so I'll mention that you may enjoy access to some wonderful campsites, jerem, that your TT may not have allowed (not sure what size your TT was but if you have a 5000# hitch it was probably fairly large). Campsites that are small, secluded, or heavily wooded are just made for popups. You'll be able to enjoy national & state park and national forest campgrounds that you otherwise might have passed by. We have missed this aspect of PUP camping since we went to the "dark side' (aka TTs.)

[jerem0621]

Thanks!

Yes, totally selectable trans (but it won't let me kill it, can't go from 6th to 1st at 75 kinda thing, not that I tried. )

The hitch is already installed :(. Took care of that months ago.

Little nervous about the brake control, my last brake control was a Voyager and all I had to do was level and set the power and it worked perfect. This Prodigy is a new experience for me...I hope it works out good.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[manualman]

Fun tip if you haven't installed that receiver yet. I took my Curt unit with cheap powder coat paint and roughly up the glossy finish before giving it a flat black RustOleum rattle can paint job. The flat black makes it nearly vanish and provides for dumb easy touch up jobs every spring when you grind a rust patch and respray the finish. Keeps it looking better than new for 10+ years.

That Mopar looks nice for pup tow duty. Totally selectable trans? My Odyssey makes me choose from D3 or D5. Cant select D3. Dumb! Enjoy.

[jerem0621]

ManualMan,

Thanks for the reply!

As to the Van it's a 2014 Town & Country with the Fabulous 3.6 Pentastar V6 with 283 HP (It's a HOSS! Has more power than my 94 LT1 Trans Am did!)

The vehicle came from the factory with the HD cooling system including an auxiliary tranny cooler.

The brake controller is a Draw-Tite Intella Stop which is a Rebranded Tekonsha Prodigy.

The receiver is a Draw Tite class 3 with a 500lb tongue weight and 5000 lb trailer capacity (this is in excess of the tow rating, I really like overbuilt stuff).

Honestly this Receiver is stronger built than my receiver on my old 97 F150...check this beast out!!





Anyhow, at my last weigh in with the family and everything in my van I was about 3000 ish lbs under GCVW rating and more than 600 lbs under GVWR, with more than 1500 total in tire capacity , all that to say that your loaded pup weight of 3000 lbs is dead on!

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[manualman]

OK, you're REALLY in my wheelhouse then. Having towed a pup with a minivan for around 20,000 miles here's what I've learned:

1. Watch all your weights, not just max trailer. GCVWR, AWRs too. I suggest that you limit the pup to 3,000# max loaded weight on the road (assuming your van is a modern 200+hp V6). If you've got kids, it's hard to beat the old Coleman Sun Valley floor plan for weight to size maximization. A Jayco 1207 is almost as good (opinion!).

2. Equip the van with a decent brake control, make sure the pup has brakes, get a decent wdh (as discussed above) and make sure the van has an aux ATF cooler (NOT just one built into the radiator). My preference is for the aux ATF cooler to be plumbed first and THEN routed through the stock radiator/ATF cooler.

3. Use the van's severe service maintenance plan. If it's a 0/5w20 engine, consider full synthetic oil (and I up one quart to 30 weight to maintain high temp viscosity). Our 2003 Odyssey is supposedly a glass jaw transmission, but has towed our camper up Rockies and Appalachians multiple times, usually passing up semis and mohos on grades. All original powertrain, now at 210,000 miles. On flat interstates we average 18.5 mpg towing.

4. Before buying a pup, make sure it's frame is rated to take wdh. As a loose and fallible rule, C channel tongue frames (mostly on older pups) can't take wdh stresses. But that doesn't guarantee that all box frames can. Look it up (and don't take a salesman's word).

What van you got? Each has it's quirks. My Honda actually benefits from using premium gas while towing (right there in the owner manual towing section). I make sure to if we'll hit hilly terrain, but sometimes cheap out here in the flatlands. Read the towing section of your manual.

[jerem0621]

Wow! Thanks for the great responses! Great stuff!

Coming from a TT it's going to be nice to get plus 8 mpg towing for sure!

I'm going to be using our mighty minivan as the TV so a WD hitch is pretty much going to be used.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[manualman]

A few other tips for popup happiness:

1. Change your mindset from when you TT'd. This is NOT the smallest and cheapest of RVs, it is the most expensive and luxurious sort of tent you can buy. View it the latter way and you will be happy. View it the former.... not so much.

2. Change your packing approach. The list of "I'll bring this just in case I want it" must be VERY short or misery will ensue. Keep it simple or it will NOT be fun. Less is more.

3. Pick a popup with lots of floor space accessible with the top DOWN. Ironically, this may exclude many spacious slideout models since they eat interior space badly while popped down. Having lots of top-down accessible floor space will free you from the need to pop up before and after each trip at home (also some organization skills are needed such that permanent camper gear lives in the storage spaces NOT accessible with top down).

4. Pack for efficiency. Stuff that goes in the camper at the campsite should ride in it on the road (except the kids!). Stuff that gets used outside at the campsite should ride in the rear of the TV as much as possible. The idea is minimize the campsite gear shuffle as much as you can. Setup/down is enough work without making more.

5. Get a GOOD mini cooler for the TV for lunch and picnic stops (you'll miss road kitchen and bathroom access). Most mini-coolers lack any real insulation. A good one helps make snacks and pit stops nicer. Rest areas with nice picnic tables are a treat when you can find them. Yeah, you have to pee in a public toilet, but at least it isn't 98 degrees in there!

Enjoy the perks of the luxury tent lifestyle!

[manualman]

We use the Reese 350mini for towing our 2,700# loaded pup (12' ox, no trunk or slide) with a minivan. It's nearly perfect for our rig. It incorporates sway control (similar to how Equal-I-zer does it)and is nominally for tongue weights up to 350#. Based on how it's built, I'm sure it could handle 400 easily. Setup is a slight hassle until you are used to it. You have to use the tongue jack to lift the tongue and van rear end high enough to manhandle the bars into place on the brackets. You get used to it.

There is also a Reese 400 single bar unit that is easier to engage, but lacks innate sway control and hangs down lower (an issue for minivan towers like me).

Since some pups these days can get pretty heavy (highwalls and toy haulers), you need to decide on a trailer first, then pick the wdh for it.

It also depends on your tow rig, of course. If you're still using a TT capable truck, you may not even need a wdh for a popup. Get read to enjoy a functional rear view mirror again! 😉

[RoyB]

We have been pulling our 2008 STARCRAFT OFF-ROAD 14RT POPUP since late 2008 all over the mtns around Virginia and south the Gulf Coast and as far West as Okla/Texas.



This is a 4000lb setup and with my F150 4WD SUPERCAB Truck I do not need the weight distribution hitch setup. Does just fine behind my 2004 and now my newer 2010 F150 truck.

With minimal wind resistance with the low height towing I get excellent gas mileage/ All of our roads seem to go through Gatlinburg TN and that is my first gas stop leaving out of Virginia and heading down I81.

I love the RT version STARCRAFT trailers with the high wheels and front deck to use for more supplies. Between the truck bed, back seat of extended cab, and the 5x8 deck on the trailer we can carry some serious supplies...


The 14RT floorplan suits us just fie with all the modern conveniences we need...



This is my current floorplan layout to support my Two Way Radios and other OFF-ROAD items...



Coming from the TENT CAMPING world back in the 60's and 70's when we lived in the Tempe Arizona areas going to the POPUP in 2008 was a natural for us. Have enjoyed every aspect of our OFF-ROAD POPUP setup.

Did look a couple of times for something bigger with solid walls but never made the change in the end...

We are planning to add solar panels and maybe enclose the front deck somewhat to carry supplies more out of the weather. I am also very interested in the independent wheel suspension like is offered in the Australia off-road trailers...







Photos from GOOGLE IMAGES

Our camping off the power grid is to run all the things we want to run from INVERTER and 12VDC items directly from the battery and have my battery bank system setup to make it through the one day/night run and not discharge the batteries below 12.0VDC by 8Am the next morning. Then we will run the 2KW Generator to power up the trailer which will re-charge the batteries back up to their 90% charge state in a quick three hour time frame.

Then we are good to go for the next one day/night run off the batteries.

I can do a good 12-14 of these 50% to 90% battery charge cycles before starting to lose battery performance. have to charge back up to 100% state of charge which takes a good 12 hours or so of generator run time to accomplish...

This is what we do at any rate... You may find us at ELKMONT camp site F8 during the fall season...

Roy and Carolyn...