Here is my PUP, though I am considering adding a TT to the fleet. I do a lot of back country camping, including on the smaller mountain lakes, so this small PUP with a boat rack gets me to those isolated places well away from other people.
I have quite a few mods on it allowing me to access the lake, getting to areas most don't go, all with the mindset of dry camping.
Mods
โข Self loading boat rack. Surprisingly, I looked for years and nobody makes a boat rack that will sufficiently hold the weight of a 150# aluminum boat. I used to put a canoe atop the PUP, though once I had kids, wanted a more stable platform; hence the deep V aluminum. Problem was, it was large and heavy. It took 30 min to an hour to load, and secure it properly without damaging the vent or roof and still be safe. Since I could not find a boat rack beyond your garden variety Thule that put stress on the roof, I designed one. I needed speed, simplicity of loading and I wanted to be able to do it myself, without the wife. So, I created a rack where the top was removable and the bottom welded to the frame as to keep the weight off of the roof. It has a roller on the rear, and uses a boat winch to either roll it on by handle, or battery powered drill. So now, there is no more lifting and my at the time 9 year old daughter could load it by herself. it locks in the same exact location, with pre determined tie downs and takes literal just a few minutes to load and secure. It does save immense time. Note: the boat also has removable wheels, so I can walk, or tow it from the campsite to the lake. No need to bring the camper to the water. Also guide rails back and front as to load off level without fear of sliding off, but also secure in same location every time.
โข 2 = 12V batteries in parallel.
โข 100W thin film solar panel.
โข Junction box with solar controller, and quick connects for solar, charger, extra battery if needed, etc. I do have just one propane bottle, so with cooking, heat and lights, the only thing that limits me is the propane. My longest trip was 7 nights and using all without consideration of rationing still had power and gas left. My guess is I could easily last a couple weeks as long as it is not raining the entire time...
โข LED lights. This was a great mod and with the power gain, I am not in conserve mode.
โข Axel flipped to provide more ground clearance and larger wheels added for better flotation and protection against rocks, etc. I purchased this a few years before they built the Baja type off roading PUP. Wasn't thrilled and have always wanted a Baja, but did not think it was justified since this has gotten me anywhere I wanted to go be it sandy beach, river rock bed, rocky/rough terrain, etc. It is also a small footprint, so easy to maneuver be it trees or whatnot. I never worry about turning around. I has made it places some 4 wheel drives won't go, so it does fine.
Boat Rack/PUP
![](https://www.flickr.com/photos/54714192@N07/5707252465/)
![](https://www.flickr.com/photos/54714192@N07/5707818178/)
![](https://www.flickr.com/photos/54714192@N07/5707253283/)
![](https://www.flickr.com/photos/54714192@N07/5707817982/)
Top portion is removable and inserts into the permanent frame locked in using clevis pins. Note that the clevis pins hold no weight, but instead just a form of lock.
![](https://www.flickr.com/photos/54714192@N07/5707252767/)
12v Deep cycle batteries in parallel, with junction box for solar charge controller/charger, emergency bat hookup, etc.