Bought a new 176ltd back in 2002 and have loved every minute of it.  Live in
Texas and have dragged it to California west and Alabama east.  Never had
any problems and it tows great behind my 6 cylinder KIA Sedona.

Got the big 13K BTU Carrier installed by the dealer.  Gets so cold at night
even in the summer that we sleep under blankets.  Does struggle on 100+
degree days, but I challenge anyone to keep a pu cool in heat like that.

One thing about buying a smaller pu.  It can get a bit crowded on rainy days
if there are more than two or three.  We have two children now 10 and 6.
Definately gonna upgrade to a bigger pu next year if for nothing else but
the space.

Good luck and happy camping whichever one you choose.

Dave

Hi Janie,

What some people do is buy a new set for home, and put the old pots and
pans from home into the popup. That way you're getting the best of both
worlds, since your pans at home probably have a few years left in them,
most likely teflon coated for easy cleaning, and with matching lids. And
I'm sure you'll enjoy getting new stuff for at home, too!

Hope this helps,
Geoff

I would suggest a really good grade of stainless steel pots and
pans that you can also use in the house. I bought some chef's
grade pans a few years ago and they still look like new.

Avoid the cheap Chinese stainless steel as it doesn't seem
to be very pure. I have had some stainless steel bowls that
were made in China that started rusting after just a few uses.

Stainless is not the best conductor of heat, but quite durable and
easy to clean.

For camping, it's nice to have a nesting cookware set - saves space.

I just purchased a new 12-piece stainless set of pots/pan with heavy
bottoms to replace a crappy old aluminum kit I've been using for about
20 years.  Kind of expensive, but should last a lifetime.  At the
time, I found it on sale for $90 (now it seems to be up to $120  :-(

http://www.galleyware.com/default.asp?pg=products&specific=jomnoql0

We liked this set because it has a little bit larger 5qt pot (many
have only 4qt) and it is not teflon coated (eventually gets scratched
and starts to come off).

Yes, non-stick is great for a frying pan and I've supplemented this
set with a non-stick skillet that can be replaced every few years when
it starts to get scratched. I also have grandma's old cast iron
skillet in my kit as well.

Here is similar set carried at Camping World:
http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?skunum=26150&src=SRQB

If these links get broken onto a second line, you may need to
cut/paste.

Do a google for "nesting cookware" and you will find other choices.

Good luck!
Tom