Add a Room

[eanddrice]

  We had an AAR with our old PUP and used it a couple of times.  When we got our current PUP, it too came with the AAR.  But we have never used it.  I really enjoyed using it, but just never want to mess with it.

[Oz and Us]

One thing I have noticed is that my older, one piece AAR is much easier and faster to setup than the newer four piece ones.

A classic case of different strokes for different folks.   Our Jayco popup came with a one piece screen room that I learned very quickly to hate intensely because it was so heavy, so difficult to handle and I swore I'd never buy another popup with one.  However, when we replaced that camper with a new 2000 Fleetwood Santa Fe I learned the matching Add-a-Room for it was made up of 3 separate pieces plus the skirt so I caved and bought one.  Being made up of separate pieces that zipped together it was easier to store & handle but over time it still proved to be a real PITA and we eventually got to the point where we just didn't bother with it at all.  We never had a screen room or AAR with our hybrid, still don't with our current travel trailer, and don't miss it at all.  Different strokes - yada, yada, yada.

[PopUpHappiness]

I actually have been looking for one for my pup. It's a highwall Centennial. I have called Dometic, Starcraft, 2 dealers, one salvage yard and a supply place.  No can can tell me even how to get one.  We have a bag awning that the add a room would zip on to.  I have a part number of an OEM that "might" work. 

Is there a different one for highwall campers?

I've found a few on Craiglist, ebay and other places, for being a PITA people sure aren't in any hurry to part with them!  Most are prices almost new, I understand they are quite expensive to be being with though. 

[Deehea97]

NTU PUP 1996 Coleman Taos, great thread btw.

We are purchasing a new awning, Trimline, discontinued color, that is including AAR, 285 including shipping.  For us, it would seem to be the way to go for the added room, covered cooking place etc...


Dee

[PattieAM]

I ordered the AAR when I bought my 06 Niagara, and I do love it.  It is a pain to set up, store, take down, but when the grandkids or doggies are with us, it's great space.  My skirt velcro needs replacing on the camper frame as road travel has taken it's toll.  My arthritis doesn't allow me to refold the pieces to fit in the bag, so now I use a dedicated tote.  If I am going to be at a campground for 4+ nights, I will set it up, but havent done so in the last year

[mlp2435]

I am definitely interested in getting one of these for my Rockwood PUP. Are these a dealer only item?

[Spirit Deer]

Shademaker makes one for their awnings.  Awnings and rooms aren't interchangeable, so you would need to make sure they match.

To see if a highwall needs a special awning, compare how high the awning is to how high the walls of the room are.  If they're not tall enough, a canvas shop should be able to modify a room to fit by adding material to the bottom and moving the zipper lower.

[Painless]

Hi folks, I'm new here.  I just bought a 2006 Rockwood 2318G which came with a bag awning as well as an add a room.  Previous owner said he never used the AAR, and I have not even taken it out if the box.

My question pertains to the AAR, but more about the awning.  Can I assume that if you expect rough weather and/or high winds that you take your awning down?  I would imagine high wind would tear an AAR apart pretty easily.  I will be camping for a week straight at one location (EAA Airventure in Oshkosh WI) and would like to use the AAR, but not if I have to keep taking it down and putting it back up due to weather.

Any thoughts, oh experienced ones??   

Jeff

[archnandrea]

It depends on the type of camper you are and if you have kids. With two kids 8 and 10 the added room is much appreciated and enjoyed.  It is not very difficult to put up.  After the first couple of times you get the hang of it.  The added outside storage and space is great.  If you are a minimalist camper then I would say don't bother.

[The Mandolin Picker]

Our 2007 Arcadia came with a screen room and we really enjoy ours. It is one piece and probably takes 15 minutes to set up. We use the concrete flower pots for the awning and then stake the AAR to the ground. If the stakes are in solid ground it may actually make it harder for the wind to lift it up. Our velcro has seen better days, and it is one of the things I need to fix. But we really haven't had a problem not using the skirt. One thing is for sure, we would get another one if this one goes bad or we get another pup.

[darenator]

Our Jayco 1 piece add a room is not that bad to setup if you have 2 people.  For a one night camp I rarely use the awning let alone the ad a room.  We have liked the ad a room for campgrounds that charge extra to have a tent on the same site, as they let us put up the ad a room for free.  (When the kids brings friends camping we put them in a separate tent or the ad a room.)

We don't have solid panels so I use tarps for nighttime privacy.

[ngatel]

I never understood them. I go camping to be outdoors. An awning is good for shade and rain.

Bugs, kids, dogs, liberals, and conservatives don't like me so I don't see the need.

[Tenttrailer]

We don't chill out much at the trailer except at night and then we like to sit by the fire. But if we are outside not by the fire and there's bugs; We use a thermalcell which does a great job.  We can sit out for several hours when there is no wind and never get bit.

Our dog get's a bath before we go camping with a good fea and tick shampoo and gets one when when we get home or at the last site if we have a water hook-ups.

 - We normaly don't stay anywhere for more that 2 days. After 2 days we've seen the sites and hiked the trails and are bored starting on the 3 day, so we move on after 2 days.

 - We can not see the use of seting up a 3rd room and spending the 1/2 hour of setup and tear-down for somting that has no value to us, and then hualing it around.   We have had 3rd rooms and screen rooms before, found we don't use them.  In our 30 + years of camping with trailers we have only set them up 3rd rooms of screen rooms 3 or 4 times.  It seems that if we set them up on grass we trap bus in and the screen slows down the air movement so we ceate a bug problem.

Two out of three stops (CG's), we do put out the anwning, I think it's for the DW to hang her ligts....lol 

[mstrbill]

An awning is good for shade and rain.

Come camping with us and we will show you how rain falls(blows) sideways. An awning is no protection and anything under it will get soaked. Which why I purchased AAR off of eBay for the end panels for our Bayport.. Wish I could find a cheap Highlander AAR and do the same on the Niagrara.