looking to buy used pup.. need some recommendations

[Greggk]

i am looking for a used pup for my family of 5 plus our boxer. can people give me some recommendations? what things should i look for? what should i look out for? anyone do a solar panel recharging system on their pup? what would you recommend for solar power? i know this is probably blasphemy, but i am looking to "lift" my pup so it doesn't sit so low, as it will be pulled by my bronco, and we do a lot of cross terrain traversing, and don't wanna drag this pup... any help will be greatly appreciated!

[Greggk]

hmmm nobody?

[PancakeBill]

Look at the Colemans, they have some set up for rougher terrain.  When looking at used, obviously look at the fabric, tears, stains, mildew, wear points etc.  This is the soft spot for pups.  To pull with a Bronco you can't get very big, nor would you want to when going in rough terrain.  Good luck.

Where are you located?

[Greggk]

Fort Carson/ Colorado Springs Colorado

thanks for the info. i have been looking online along with the wife and she wants one that sleeps 6. we arent worried about a/c obviously because we do camping around Fort Carson Colorado and it gets warm but not warm enough for a/c, BUT heat she said is a must. she would like a fridge if possible too. now with that being said. what size/ how many batteries do we need, and what size solar panel kit would we need to make it run efficiently. we will be using a small generator as well, but prefer solar when possible.

[PancakeBill]

Sleeping six is not typically a probllem, each end sleeps 2 and the dinette will sleep 2.  Fridge, because of the low height closed up, a tall fridge is not possible, they are usually dorm type, either 2 or 3 way.  (110/LP or 12/110/AC)  Furnaces.  Usually about 12k btu, and with canvas sides, not much R value.  Good to about 40 deg.  Maybe less depending on sleeping bags.

Batteries, they usually only have 1, but all you are running is the lights unless using furnace, then battery usage counts alot.  Often you can add another batt.  Solar, get what you can, but be aware to use the solar right you need system to control charge.  Lots of good solar info on web. 

[Greggk]

ok... im cornfused here. this will be my first camper, so im not sure what you just said lol

so even with the furnace its only good till about 40* plus whatever our sleeping bags are good for? last time we went camping which was a little over a month ago it hit 12* and that was in a tent and it was miserable... my dog was the biggest b***h with the cold out of my wife and kids aged 11, 9, and 5 lol


now about the batteries... i was thinking of getting 2 optima batteries and having a solar panel put on the roof and have a generator as back up. so i would need a switch to go back and forth from what you are saying. can the solar continuously charge the batteries and use them as reserve or should i give them a separate battery pack for when i need them?

[JPFX]

I had a 2001 Coleman.  One of the larger ones that had the front storage compartment.  Even though most pop-ups sit kind of low, I believe their axles can be 'flipped' which raises them a few inches.  I took mine boondocking/offroad quite a bit and never had a problem with it bottoming out.  I have been in some pretty brutal winter places with mine and the heater worked fine (at well below freezing) but keep in mind, the heater never shuts off which will be a problem for your battery(ies).  I think your generator will be a must to recharge the next day, for the next night.  I know very little about solar but I don't think most solar panels are of size to actually 'charge' batteries, they just maintain or charge extremely slow.  I'm talking about the $300-$400 kits you can buy at RV dealers. 
Look closely for water damage.  Water seems to leak inside those things in odd places, so look closely.   
 

[tennsmith]

I think you may have problems finding sufficient solar array power to totally maintain your battery(s).  You can spend several hundred dollars and get less than 100 watts output.  Real estate for a large array will also be a problem with a pup.  I've seen arrays on wheels that can be rolled about/positioned.  Against that 100 watts/hr charge from the array, you have to look at your battery drain....refrigerator electronics (even with it running off propane), furnace blower, lights and perhaps radio or 12v TV.  The TV will likely be the largest drain, followed by the furnace, then the lights, and lastly the fridge.  While the TV and lights are off at bedtime, the furnace runs off/on all night as well as the fridge.  Unfortunately, I don't have any power numbers for furnaces or refrigerators.  You can minimize the light drain by switching to LED type bulbs as opposed to incandescents.  My 13" LCD TV pulls 5 amps at 12vdc.

I'm thinking the generator will be used more than you think, but I could be wrong.

[lee.halfhourpower]

Utilizing the Solar Power is a great idea indeed and you can always take the example of the Coleman's which is really great ....

Admin edit: Removed ad link.

[Joezeppy]

We had a 2003 Rockwood Pop-Up - model 2417 or 2418, I think. Had the "garage" storage upfront. The floorplan included a manual slide-out dinette which gave a lot of extra room and the kitchen sink/counter flipped over and out about a foot into a little canvas bay window - gave some extra room but it was more of a novelty than anything else. The slide out beds on the end were huge! No bathroom, though. Overall, it was a nice little camper. Never had any problems with it. It never leaked but it did have plenty of places for the bugs to get in.