Welcome

[Old Granddad]

I'll be towing with a 2007 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab, if that matters (so not a monster tow vehicle, but hopefully enough?).

Welcome, LurkerDan!  As a couple or three of us on this site can attest, a late model Nissan Frontier V6 will tow folding trailers just fine.  Boy, howdy, but I love my truck!  Solid, VERY comfortable, dependable, quiet, powerful, and surprisingly easy on gas.  You made a fine choice, methinks.

Gramps

[Ace2502]

Hi, I'm new to the Pop Up world, just got my first trailer about a year ago. It was a gift from a family friend that couldn't use it any longer. My wife and I have only been married two years and love taking our trailer out for affordable vacations.

I have been slowly trying to update my very well used 1978 Starcraft. So far I have replaced all the tail lights and running lights, I went with LED for best visibility. I replaced the leaking 9" roof vent with a 14" and plan to add a second vent in the opposite corner of the roof. Most recently I replaced the wheels and tires, including the spare and am currently adding a 12V power system with a deep cycle battery and a 15W solar panel to start.

I fear that some day I may need to do a full rebuild after seeing the state of the wooden frame but I welcome the challenge.

Any suggestions are welcome, this site has been a great resource for me already, Thank You!

[CosmicCowboy]

Howdy, new member here. Grew up camping and had been out of it for a while. We took the kids camping in my parents' 5th wheel back in  July and they've been asking for a camper ever since. Well, after a bit of searching and almost having a Coleman (wound up having a leak and significant rot) we bought a 2003 Flagstaff 228d yesterday. Camper is very clean, with newer canvas and a new lift system. Only thing that really needs work is the awning strip to attach it to the camper is in rough shape.

I'll be spending the day today going over everything with Dicor, and probably repacking the wheel bearing since I don't know when that was last done. Really glad to be back in the camping world.

[elizabeth583]

Hi, all!   I've been following links to this forum through Google searches for the few months while DH and I made plans to purchase a used trailer, and figured it was time to just join up already.  :)   We bought a 2008 Palomino Yearling and took it out for the first time this past weekend.  We'd been tenting it prior to buying the trailer and are pretty happy to be off the ground.  I'm anxious to do something about our mattresses, though, and have been reading through old threads to figure out a solution so we don't feel the plywood!   

[Juke]

Greetings all, I have a confession to make, it has been 4 years since I have raised the roof.  I have been camping, but my pup has been in storage since fall 2008/spring 2009.  It is not my fault, and I actually like the Euro Caravans I saw.  For my sins I know I will have repairs to do this weekend, along with a Hail Mary, an Our Father and an Act of Contrition.  I promise to raise the roof this Labor Day weekend, and start the repairs to make my Pop-Up everything it should be. 

But seriously, I hope everyone enjoys their labor day weekend.

V/R

Juke

[Camp-N-Nuts]

Hi All, ran across you guys by accident (rural translation: on accident) today on a Google search! I belong to another PopUpPortal...which shall be nameless! 
Hope you all have a great Labo(u)r Day Weekend! 

[Ex-Boater]

My wife and I are going to take the plunge and purchase a new/used pop-up trailer/camper. What are the primary differences, is there a preferred 1st time model? We have been active boaters, and are now going to spend our time on land. We would prefer a unitl with pottie, shower and a few more extras. I have a portable generator and all the good stuff we used during our times on the boat. The usual stuff. Any suggestions would be helpful

Bill

[wavery]

My wife and I are going to take the plunge and purchase a new/used pop-up trailer/camper. What are the primary differences, is there a preferred 1st time model? We have been active boaters, and are now going to spend our time on land. We would prefer a unitl with pottie, shower and a few more extras. I have a portable generator and all the good stuff we used during our times on the boat. The usual stuff. Any suggestions would be helpful

Bill

Same basic principals apply to buying a camper as buying a boat...... buy your last camper 1st.

I don't know about you but my boat experiences went like this.
12' row boat > 16' bow rider > 18' cutty cabin > 21' cutty cabin > 24' cabin cruiser > 36' sailbaot > 45' sailboat.

Sure wish that I would have bought the 45' boat 1st....... 

In campers, I've made 2 changes for the reasons that you are stating. We bought a nice, 2-yr-old Coleman Tacoma but it had no bathroom and we got too old to mess with that set-up strain. We then bought a 5-yr-old TrailManor with full shower/head and see no upgrades until we move to a place that will accommodate a full size TT.

As in boats, it's always a compromise at some point and all about personal choice.

[Old Granddad]

Ex-Boater, I'd recommend a good used Coleman/Fleetwood Westlake as a fairly basic trailer with a full loo and shower.  If you want a hard-sided bathroom, the highwall models of most manufacturers have them, but they're big and heavy trailers.  I assume, being an ex-boater, that you have a tow rig that will make that extra size and weight sort of a moot point.

[Janelle]

Reintroducing myself:
We've been without a pop-up since Aug 2010 when we sold our Jayco 1407.  Well this weekend while looking around craigslist I can across a ad that said 2002 Starcraft 2407 $600 AS IS.  There were no pics and the ad stated that some mice had made a mess in the camper over the winter.  I emailed for pics and was thinking that maybe they did some major damage.  Well all they did was chew some holes in the canvas.  We went and looked at it and I asked "Only $600??" about 5 times shocked that they were only asking that. 
Well now this is sitting in the driveway:

The camper is in perfect condition the mice didn't chew any water lines or electrical only the canvas and a small hole in one of the cushions.  I posted pics of the damage in the fix it forum if you want to see pics.

[Mcdan]

New to the forum, checking in! My first PUP was in 1998, a  Dutchman Scamper. We used it several times, then had to sell it in 2002. So fast-forward to July, 2012, when I picked up my 2nd PUP--a well used 1980 Coleman Brandywine. My son and I are going to take it hunting in 10 days. Everything seems to work in it, but the canvas will need to be replaced. We took it camping the week I bought it, towed nice!

I am not sure where to post this question, maybe somebody can help? A few web sites say they can make  replacement canvas for this unit to original specs. Price is about $930 + shipping. So here is the question: Locally there is a 1982 Coleman Shenandoah with great canvas, screens and zippers for $488. Will that canvas fit my 1980 Brandywine?

Thanks,

Dan

[if6was9]

Hoy hoy fellow campers. I haven't had time to fill out my bio, so I'll start with the basic. If you wonder what the heck my user name is about, it's from the Jimi Hendrex tune of the same name. My name is Tom, and I hail from Columbus, Ohio. I'm new to the pop up scene, now owning a '94 Jayco 1207.
Friends have brought me to this point of ownership. Dan, owned a older Rockwood that the lifting mechs failed and we fixed. But the lifting mechs failed again early this year, so we scrapped it out. I found the 'Jake' close by at a reasonable price. It only with came a 110 fridge. But I bought the three way fridge and furnace from Dan, and this spring installed them in Jake.
Being as heavy a pop up as it is, one concern of mine was getting the hydraulic brakes working. A new master cylinder and complete backing plates were installed. Since then we have had a couple of outings to paintball games here in the mid-west.
Last week my gal and I took the Jake up to the Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore area. We had a super stay at the Platte River Campgrounds. I highly recommend a stay, no matter how long up there. No problems with Jake, other than grease leaking from an old axle dust cap. That gets replaced before storage this winter.
I hope to add my .02 cents worth when I can, and I will claim I don't know it all. So I will be asking questions to keep Jake on the road. So for now


   

[mudslinger1]

Hi everyone.  My wife and I finally took the plunge after years of tent camping and purchased our 1st pop-up.  We got a 2012 Rockwood 1980 and took it out for the first time this past weekend.  We had a great time. A couple of minor issues for the dealer to fix, but all in all a good first night.  We used this forum to do research before we bought and found this forum to be very useful, especially the mods section.

[Computerflake]

Hi folks. I'm new here (my first post!) and I can't wait to learn lots from you guys. My name is Greg in Nashville, TN, and I just bought (going to pick it up today) a 91 Starcraft Constellation pop up. It needs quite a bit of work so I can't wait to read the sections on DIY stuff on here. I'll be towing it with my 2000 Ford Ranger V6 and can't wait to get it out to the park. Great forums and I'm enjoying reading everything I can so far!

[Old Granddad]

I am not sure where to post this question, maybe somebody can help? A few web sites say they can make  replacement canvas for this unit to original specs. Price is about $930 + shipping. So here is the question: Locally there is a 1982 Coleman Shenandoah with great canvas, screens and zippers for $488. Will that canvas fit my 1980 Brandywine?

I understand that Bear Creek Canvas makes replacement canvas for just about every popup ever made, and their products are good.  Give 'em a shot.