New Pop Up Camper - Help me ladies and gentlemen!!

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mrsogni - 27 Aug 2006 22:00 GMT

My husband and I recently purchased a 1994 Jayco Pop up camper in good
condition. We spent today getting it cleaned up and ready to go. Now
understand, I have absolutely NO camping experience. My idea of
roughing it has been when the jacuzzi is broken at the Sheraton! My
husband does have camping experience. After 3 hurricanes hitting
Florida in the past 2 years and being without power for weeks on end, I
figure I can do this! I need advice from the seasoned pop up campers.
I got a great list from Tomes (thank you) of things I may need but
please feel free to give me any advice about getting started, your
first trips and what you found you needed/wanted and any other
beginners information you want top share. We all start at the same
place sometime. Looking forward to your infomration.

Sha

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Mark E. Bye - 27 Aug 2006 23:39 GMT

>My husband and I recently purchased a 1994 Jayco Pop up camper in good
>condition. We spent today getting it cleaned up and ready to go. Now
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
>Sha

I'm in the same shape you are, but used to do this a lot when I was a
kid. Also used to work in an AODA program where we used to do kind of
an abbreviated "Outward Bound" thing with delinquent kids. Having a
couple friends who camp, watching them lately has helped too. Under
separate cover, I will send you the "checklist" I've put together this
past week.

Mark

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Tony Wesley - 28 Aug 2006 00:04 GMT

You're probably going to get a lot of good advice. I'm going to offer
a couple general suggestions.

Camp in your backyard first, if you can. If you can't, perhaps your
first trip can be near civilization. When you realize that you've
forgotten coffee(!!), you can just swing into town and pick up some.

Stay relaxed. I hear that marriages have broken up over backing up a
camper. :)

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Tomes - 29 Aug 2006 04:03 GMT

> You're probably going to get a lot of good advice. I'm going to offer
> a couple general suggestions.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Stay relaxed. I hear that marriages have broken up over backing up a
> camper. :)

This is good advice Sha. Camp in the driveway or yard first and pretend
that you are not really there. Then you know what you forgot.

Let us know how it goes!
(and you are welcome)
Tomes

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Mark Filice - 29 Aug 2006 18:17 GMT

>Stay relaxed. I hear that marriages have broken up over backing up a
>camper. :)

Once you survive backing the trailer into the camping spot, you need to level it
from side to side. If your trailer doesn't have levels on it, bring a level from
home. A series of 2x4 pieces of lumber should also come from home. Drive the
wheels up onto the lumber to bring the low side level.

Then chock the wheels so the popup doesn't go anywhere when you unhook it from
the vehicle 8-). Use the tongue jack to level the trailer from front to back.

So add to your list:

Boards for leveling
Level

Have fun!

Mark
2004 Homestead Settler 255RS
1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500

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KM - 30 Aug 2006 02:02 GMT

Ahhhh...My first time out..The memories...

My list of stuff that I would have learned to "not leave home without" Yours
may vary, but this works for my wife and I.

1. 1st Aid kit & any necessary medications..bee sting swabs etc.
2. Any young Kidz? Extra diapers, extra clothes *as laundry facilities might
not be available* Stuff to keep them occupied should they not find camping
as interesting as you do (most young people enjoy it). A small tote for each
kid to keep their own stuff in.
3.Extra batteries for flashlights, radios, lanterns etc.
4.A cooler for drinks that you will keep outside vs. filling up your small
fridge with cans of pop.
5. Plan a menu (no matter how basic) and think about how you arte going to
prepare it? Cooking methods, fire, propane stove and so on. If it is to a
fire prepared meal, then practice this during your driveway overnighter.
6. Notebook to write down everything that you forgot!

Just a few things that I have learned over the years.

Happy camping,

Kyle

> >Stay relaxed. I hear that marriages have broken up over backing up a
> >camper. :)
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> 2004 Homestead Settler 255RS
> 1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500

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mrsogni - 30 Aug 2006 10:28 GMT

Great information everyone! Keep them coming. We were going to go to
the Keys this weekend for our maiden voyage but not sure if that's
going to happen now. Had to batten down the hatches and prepare for
Ernesto.

Sha

> Ahhhh...My first time out..The memories...
>
[quoted text clipped - 49 lines]
> > 2004 Homestead Settler 255RS
> > 1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500

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Mark Gerkey - 31 Aug 2006 03:18 GMT

Things to check the first time out with any trailer:
1. After driving about 100 miles stop and check the wheels on the trailer. Make
sure they are not hot still up to correct preasure and that the lug nuts are
TIGHT. (had them fall off my families first trailer when I was a kid. NOT Fun!)

2. also check the hitch and safety chains while stopped.

3. bring MORE water and drimks than you thinnk you will need. you will be
suprised how much you use. When at home you never think about all the times you
just "turn on the tap"

4. Baby wipes great for cleaning hands without water and make a nice wipe down
for youself if no shower around.

5. Have FUN!!!

>Great information everyone! Keep them coming. We were going to go to
>the Keys this weekend for our maiden voyage but not sure if that's
[quoted text clipped - 56 lines]
>> > 2004 Homestead Settler 255RS
>> > 1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500

Mark G.
Of the Royal Estates
and "Pagan God of Food"

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Chris Cowles - 01 Sep 2006 04:25 GMT

Same thing happened to me on a first trip with a pop-up as an adult.
Fortunately somebody behind me had a floor jack and was kind enough to
stop. Damage was cosmetic only. We continued on our way after buying a
couple more lug nuts at a nearby shop.

My advice to the OP:

Do a dry-run tire change and simulate a loaded, locked down, trailer in
side-of-the-road conditions. Where's the jack? Can you get at it? What
happens if the shoulder of the road is uneven or soft? If the back end is
low to the ground because you lost a wheel, will the roof crank rotate
enough to allow popping the roof a little? You have to do that on some
models to allow opening the door.

Make it more realistic by letting all the air out of the tire before you
start. Otherwise you won't experience the low ground clearance of a flat or
disintegrated tire. It's even lower with no wheel at all.

Having lost a wheel I learned the value of a floor jack. It allows lifting
from a VERY low position. I bought a cheap one at Wal-Mart and it lives in
the trailer in an accessible location. (I have a front trunk on a Coleman.
It's just inside the side hatch for the trunk.) Consider doing the same.
There is a cost in weight. They're not light.

On the topic of weight, consider the weight of everything you put in your
trailer. It all adds up. Your tow vehicle may be able to pull it, but can
it stop it in an emergency. Those few hundred pounds you really don't need
may make the difference in stopping distance in an emergency. You don't
have to be obsessive about it. Just don't ignore physics.

Signature

Chris Cowles
Gainesville, FL

> 1. After driving about 100 miles stop and check the wheels on the
> trailer. Make
> sure they are not hot still up to correct preasure and that the lug nuts
> are
> TIGHT. (had them fall off my families first trailer when I was a kid. NOT
> Fun!)

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George Miklas - 04 Sep 2006 02:22 GMT

Hi Mark,
How do you like the Homestead Settler? I like the floor plan of the
255RS, but my wife would prefer the 285DBS

George

> Mark
> 2004 Homestead Settler 255RS
> 1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500

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Mark Filice - 06 Sep 2006 23:26 GMT

>Hi Mark,
>How do you like the Homestead Settler? I like the floor plan of the
>255RS, but my wife would prefer the 285DBS

George:

We like it a lot. It has a lot of open space inside the trailer with the couch
slide and the rear queen bed slide. It only has 2 bunk beds--but since we only
have 1 teenager, it works well for us.

It weighs in right at 6,000 lbs. fully loaded ready to camp.

My model of Homestead isn't being made anymore. But the Keystone Outback has a
model with the exact same layout as the Homestead.

Two reasons I picked the Homestead over the Keystone:
1. My dealer is only 5 miles from my house.
2. The GVWR on the 2004 Outback was about 1,000 lbs. less than the Homestead. So
it had a low cargo carrying capacity. Keystone has beefed up the trailer and it
now has the same CCC that my Homestead does.

For the rear queen slides, I would look at Keystone if you are going new.

I changed out the toilet in it, as the original one had the flush handle near
the rim--hand operated. I had a toilet put in with a foot flush, so now I don't
have to lean over the bowl to flush.

The only other item I would change is to have a heat register in the bathroom.
If I shut the door at night, it can get cold in there 8-(. So I just leave the
door open at night when it is cold.

Mark

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