Pop-up trailers?
- Thread starter Elijah
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jumping jack!
84cruiser has one and it's multi-functional.
84cruiser has one and it's multi-functional.
he may have the ATV model http://pacifictravelcenter.com/jumpingjacktrailers.cfm
pretty cool, you can slide the tent out and use the trailer for whatever.
the tent is contained in its oun bag and sets up in minutes..
we had this at the rising sun ralley.
pretty cool, you can slide the tent out and use the trailer for whatever.
the tent is contained in its oun bag and sets up in minutes..
we had this at the rising sun ralley.
I'm not a big fan of the jumping jacks as they are little more than a glorified tent. They are great if you want to haul ATVs.
The Starcraft RV series, The Jayco Baja is pretty good, but the one I like the best is the Fleetwood. The Fleetwood has a worm drive system. The Jayco has a slide system. The Starcraft uses cables which are known to break.
I have a Starcraft that I converted to a 3500lb axle. Search for Cheap Trailer.
My best advice is hit up a Fall RV show. Or go to the dealers and start looking at them.
My overall opinion of all pop ups made in the USA currently is that they are all junk. The fiberboard cabinets, cheap laminates, etc... But it is what we expect. We expect light and cheap so that is what the companies give us.
The Starcraft RV series, The Jayco Baja is pretty good, but the one I like the best is the Fleetwood. The Fleetwood has a worm drive system. The Jayco has a slide system. The Starcraft uses cables which are known to break.
I have a Starcraft that I converted to a 3500lb axle. Search for Cheap Trailer.
My best advice is hit up a Fall RV show. Or go to the dealers and start looking at them.
My overall opinion of all pop ups made in the USA currently is that they are all junk. The fiberboard cabinets, cheap laminates, etc... But it is what we expect. We expect light and cheap so that is what the companies give us.
- Thread starter
- #6
So in overall quality, out of the 'junk' we have here stateside, would you say the Fleetwood is best? I'm just looking for the 'best' I can get for on road travel obviously without breaking the bank. There are a few Jayco's from 96-98 with a dual axle here local that are 2,000 - 3,000 bucks with shower inside, said to be in like new condition, etc. What about the Viking brand? Good, bad?
I usually check RV trader. Do a search nation wide and it will give you a good start. RV shows are good if you want new. I have owned a Starcraft Venture for several years now and put it thru hell and it seems to be built better than any other pop up I have seen come and go with my friends. Depending on what length you want they seemed to have the best options for shower, furnace, 3 way frig and crapper with a removable black tank.
check your local craiglist, look for something with the top and lift mechanism in good shape and you will get a good enough deal to do some fixing to make it trail ready
offroadkid
GOLD Star
We have the Fletwood Evolution 3, and we are very happy with it. It has a lot of clearance and all-terrain tires so you can take it off the pavement, but it's not meant to follow you on 4wd trails!
We looked aeround and found the fit and finish to be the best on the Fleetwood. We owned a 1985 Coleman Sequoia before that and were very happy with it. It tuns out Fleetwood bought the camping tent trailer division from Coleman, so there are similarities.
It has a fridge, heater, 3 burner stove, sink, toilet, and shower, (which fits only little people!) It also has a radio with inside/outside speakers, an outside hot/cold shower, and a slide-out dinette.
We looked aeround and found the fit and finish to be the best on the Fleetwood. We owned a 1985 Coleman Sequoia before that and were very happy with it. It tuns out Fleetwood bought the camping tent trailer division from Coleman, so there are similarities.
It has a fridge, heater, 3 burner stove, sink, toilet, and shower, (which fits only little people!) It also has a radio with inside/outside speakers, an outside hot/cold shower, and a slide-out dinette.
I would also recommend a Fleetwood. I have had 4 of them and was very happy with all. We went to RV shows and checked out others in campgrounds and found the Coleman/Fleetwood was the best quality overall. They also hold their value better, which can be a good sign of quality. Blue book values for Starcraft and some of the other brands plummet, when Fleetwood is gradual decline.
I just sold my '03 Coleman/Fleetwood Utah for $8k - it was $13k new. Most of the appliances are the same brands in any camper (e.g. water heater, furnace, A/C, water pumps, refrigerator, stoves, axels, etc.), so it really comes down to the maintenance and quality of the mechanicals.
I have a Jayco hybrid travel trailer now and the quality is good, but not as good as Fleetwood. Look behind the panels, and at the electrical and plumbing - fit and finish is sloppy at best in campers. Fortunately they are easy to fix. Just take a drill, rivet gun and 1"x#8 philips head sheet metal screws and you can rebuild an entire camper.
I just sold my '03 Coleman/Fleetwood Utah for $8k - it was $13k new. Most of the appliances are the same brands in any camper (e.g. water heater, furnace, A/C, water pumps, refrigerator, stoves, axels, etc.), so it really comes down to the maintenance and quality of the mechanicals.
I have a Jayco hybrid travel trailer now and the quality is good, but not as good as Fleetwood. Look behind the panels, and at the electrical and plumbing - fit and finish is sloppy at best in campers. Fortunately they are easy to fix. Just take a drill, rivet gun and 1"x#8 philips head sheet metal screws and you can rebuild an entire camper.
rusty_tlc
Dain Bramaged Member
I have found no major difference in any of the tent trailer brands. The good quality RV mfg.s are not making tent trailers. I guess there isn't enough margin for them.
- Thread starter
- #12
Great info and personal experience guys. Thanks for the replies and keep them up if possible. Real world experience is always better to hear, I appreciate it. So Fleetwood is one to look at, good to know because I didn't think they were in the top of the tent trailer tier and was just passing by them when looking at others.
Below is a link of my review of the Jayco Baja. I have had it 18 months and love it
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=83265
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=83265
alia176
SILVER Star
Are you looking at offroad or onroad trailers? The offroad trailers in the U.S. pail by comparison vs the King Kampers that Slee carries. Of course, quality = expensive so the King Kamper may be out of the price range.
Pop Up Tent Trailer,
Fleetwood Makes A Couple Of Nice Ones, Two For Offroad Uses One With A Platform For Atv's
Just Go To Google And Type In Flletwood Pop Up Trailers
Fleetwood Makes A Couple Of Nice Ones, Two For Offroad Uses One With A Platform For Atv's
Just Go To Google And Type In Flletwood Pop Up Trailers
I had the Fleetwood Evolution off road camper and liked it a lot. you can't go ANYWHERE without people commenting on it. It had all the bells and whistles and seemed to be decent quality- but I've seen other brands that aside from minor trim, are identical. I don't know if they copy each other that closely or if they share some manufacturing facility. There was an identical trailer to mine but without the tall suspension and big AT's, but under a different manufacturer name.
Personally, I gave up on the pop-up and went with a high end roof tent AND a hard-side small trailer. It's nice not having canvas and plastic windows when it's cold and windy. The Evolution was also a lot wider than the tow vehicle-
Personally, I gave up on the pop-up and went with a high end roof tent AND a hard-side small trailer. It's nice not having canvas and plastic windows when it's cold and windy. The Evolution was also a lot wider than the tow vehicle-
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www.popupportal.com
www.popupexplorer.com
www.glpuc.org
There is a ton of info. on the above links. I am racedirt1 on all three of these forums. I have a 2000 Fleetwood (Coleman) Fairview, definately not an "off-road" trailer but it is sweet. Certain years of Fleetwood trailers came with the ABS roof that has had a lot of complaints about sagging and such. It seems that most pop-ups are about the same in terms of quality. They aren't built as well as travel trailers (TT's), but they are very easy to fix and mod. I think it also a good idea to check out e-bay to see what options are available and what price range you are looking at, that way if you find yourself on a dealers lot you kinda know what price range they should be asking. For us air cond. was a must as well as the side slide-out, we have 2 small children and the extra room is great. We camped 41 nights last year and about 33 so far this year.
www.popupexplorer.com
www.glpuc.org
There is a ton of info. on the above links. I am racedirt1 on all three of these forums. I have a 2000 Fleetwood (Coleman) Fairview, definately not an "off-road" trailer but it is sweet. Certain years of Fleetwood trailers came with the ABS roof that has had a lot of complaints about sagging and such. It seems that most pop-ups are about the same in terms of quality. They aren't built as well as travel trailers (TT's), but they are very easy to fix and mod. I think it also a good idea to check out e-bay to see what options are available and what price range you are looking at, that way if you find yourself on a dealers lot you kinda know what price range they should be asking. For us air cond. was a must as well as the side slide-out, we have 2 small children and the extra room is great. We camped 41 nights last year and about 33 so far this year.
I would buy a Jayco. In looking at the most recent models I think the Fleetwood edges it out. They did a lot of things really right. The worm drive lift is very smart. Jaycos tracks are pretty good too. Others like my Starcraft (Viking) use cables which can be a major PITA if one breaks. Most of the accessories are the same between all the brands. You will get a Domestic fridge in almost all of them.
