elmo_4_vt wrote:meach4x4 wrote:By the way... This trailer is
FOR SALE!!! I
bought a pop-up camper and a boat. No more room to store the trailer, so it (sniff, sniff) needs to go to a good home.
If you don't mind sharing... Why the switch from this style to a pop-up? I was contemplating both, and am leaning more towards the converted Cargo Trailer, or a home-built version of one.
Don
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I'm switching from a Jeep pulling a trailer to a Tacoma with a Four Wheel popup camper because I bought a boat, and I want to be able to use the boat and camp out at the lake.
I sold the Jeep and did the switch 3 months ago. Since the switch, I've camped in the camper 4 times for 10 nights. I've also camped in the trailer 3 times for 6 nights since the switch. Here's my thoughts on the differences:
Towing/Hauling - the camper is lighter than the trailer by about 400 lbs dry weight. Aero is pretty close to the same. Fuel consumption is close to the same. The camper probably is about 1 mpg better on fuel because I can't load it as heavy as the trailer (see capacity, below)
Roominess - The trailer is basically a room with a bed and a desk in it, so it has a little bit more room than the camper, which has a galley, couch, bed and cabinets built in. The camper has 6' 4" head room when it is popped up. The trailer has 5' 3" headroom. The trailer has a lot more headroom above the bed, but the camper is enough to sit up on the bed without hitting your ceiling.
Cargo capacity- The trailer shines for hauling cargo. I built it specifically for carrying everything I needed for extended trips or even weekend hauling. My theory is to only carry the items I need for each trip. If it is warm, no heater is needed. If we are camping where they have pits, I leave the luggable loo home, etc. For water storage, I use Reliance 4.5 gallon jugs. If I'm camping where there is water nearby, I leave them empty.
Comfort - The mattress on the trailer bed is 3" of poly foam wih 2" of memory foam on top. It is very comfortable. The mattress on the bed in the camper is 4" of the highest density foam I've seen. It is a bit firm for my comfort, but it will probably stay supportive for a longer time. If you want to make up the bed in the popup, you have to slide the mattress out over the top of the sink and half of the couch. To use the stove, you have to slide the bed back in, so no cooking with the bed made up. No coffee in bed. The trailer has a counter top that I use a small propane stove on to cook. Coffee in bed is possible. The trailer is fully insulated except under the floor. The popup is insulated in the hard sides and ceiling, but the sides of the popup are not. (There is an optional "Arctic Pac" that is an insulated curtain for the popup, but it is almost $500.) In the trailer, the heat source is either a small ceramic cube heater when you have hookups, or a Buddy heater when you don't. The popup has the typical Hydroflame forced air furnace. The trailer stays warm in temps well below 20 degrees. The popup gets a bit chilly in temps below 40 because of the lack of insulation. Overall, I think the trailer is the most comfy of the two.
Convenience - This is hard to compare. The trailer makes a great base camp. You can unhook it, setup, and leave it there while you go explore. You have a locked hardsided storage while you are away from base camp. It really isn't practical to take the camper off and leave it in camp when you explore. Folks who use and love their popups enjoy expeditions where they drop the top, drive on a trail, then setup at a new camp site each nite. The value of the popup is that you have everything with you and can set up in a hurry each night.
Off road capabilities - I think this is pretty close, also. The trailer adds a bit more weight, but it is all on the hitch. The camper is lighter, but it adds the weight on the back axle, adding to the pickup's weight and raising the center of gravity.
Durability - I have to give the trailer the nod for durability. The camper has a lot of convenience like drawers and cabinets, but the trailer has rugged totes for storage that I've used for years. The appliances in the camper are about what you'd expect in a decent RV. I'll have to use it a lot more to see how they hold up, but I know the stuff in the trailer has already been tossed around in the back of Jeeps and pickups with no noticeable ill effects. The trailer has held up for hundreds of miles of rough road with no noticable effects. The camper is new, but other owners have used them on the same roads as I've used the trailer for years with no negative reports.
That's my opinion of the two. If I never wanted to tow anything behind the pickup other than a trailer, I'd probably still be using the trailer. The camper cost more than double what the trailer cost, so that may factor into the equation, also.
Hope this helps explain why the switch.
Gil
