We just purchased a 1990 Coleman Columbia this summer, and took it out on its first trip last week. We purchased the awning for it from a local RV surplus store. Here is a picture of the inside. We purchased a 'dorm style' fridge for the unit, and used the dining table outside for cooking prep. The upholstery was redone by the last owners, although I wish it would still have the classic Columbia style fabric.
Nice setup. After our last trip we are seriously considering just leaving the inside table at home. Seems like it gets in the way more than it is useful.
Hi everyone, I'm Nicole from nj. I have a 1988 & i REALLY hope someone can give me some advice. I opened the pop-up last weekend to prep it for a trip & when I started raising the lid it was making a horrible sound ( I'd swear it was growling at me). Mine has the center shaft for raising the lid and a second 1 in the upper corner. It is going up but it's slow and noisy! I don't want to stress the pulleys. I'm not sure what to do. There seems to be no access panel inside or out, so I can't see what's binding. I can't see the gears or anything else. Has anyone else had this problem? Any advice on how to access the parts so I can lubricate them & maintain/replace the parts. This camper was given to me and didn't get much maintenance. Thank you in advance for any ideas you have...
Hello all. Well, we took our little $600 Craigslist 1984 Coleman Columbia on her first trip over the holiday weekend. We ran down to the Delaware shore - about a 3.5 hour ride from home. We went with some friends that have a 29' Jayco travel trailer. The little Coleman did well. We got in and set up by about 9pm and then it started raining. We had torrential rain the first night, and I mean torrential rain. The gravel roads in the campground were rivers for a while. Anybody in a tent on the ground must have been soaked to their core. It was super cozy though inside listening to the pummeling of rain on the roof and bunks. I was absolutely amazed that it just did not leak. There was a little bit of seepage around the base of the sides where the canvas ties down under the bunks (I need new bungee cords) but as far as the roof and sides, nothing. Nice and dry. The little rig towed easy and straight and only cost about 1 mpg in loss. I bought a little 1.7 cubic foot fridge and put that on the counter where the gas range was (I took the gas range out - have no plans to cook on burners inside). We put a little microwave on top of the fridge. I also built a mount for a portable a/c unit to sit outside and blow in - nothing permanent and no holes cut. The a/c worked sort of. At night it helped a little to keep the humidity down but in no way really cooled the camper down. I didn't put any insulation in the windows which might have helped. The a/c was a 5,000 btu unit and was on the small side but I didn't want to heft around anything heavier. We connected to water service that fed a modified cheap bathroom sink faucet. I capped off one side and just fed the faucet with the water supply line. We ran the drain out to the sewer connection however the sink drained extremely slowly so I ended up just putting a water jug outside to catch the water and it drained much faster. The camper was snug for my wife and me and our two high school kids. The biggest downside to the rig is the lack of bathroom. With four people there was no way to really put a portable toilet in there for night use. The bath houses were pretty lousy for a variety of reasons. We have plans for another camp trip in about a month with the same friends but to a place that has great bath houses we've been told. We did use our friend's bathroom for much of the trip although they have four kids from 5 to 15 so it was a bit awkward at times. One day I'd like a small travel trailer with a regular bathroom but for the time being the little Coleman is a pretty solid rig with a lot of benefits.
The DW and I were talking about this on our last outing. The restroom was about a 10 minute walk from our site and it was getting old fast. We are now thinking about getting a small popup shelter like this; https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Camping-Toilet-Changing-Outdoor/dp/B00AZ0ZO56 and a porta potty.
I would definitely get the outside potty. I have an indoor one and with a 6 yo. Was a god send for bathroom breaks! 5000 btu a.c. is too small. I think the roof top ones are 10, 000 or 13, 500 so I can see how a 5, 000 btu wouldent do too much.
I've thought a lot about the portable bathroom tent; it's a good option that I might do. I have seen some campgrounds though that say you can't use them so that would be something to check out in advance. Then there's always this https://www.amazon.com/Bumper-Dumper-Original-Mountable-Portable/dp/B006IVN03O
That's what we did. I cut down some 3/4" plywood to fit in the bed section for the dinette so we had use of that bunk but didn't have to drag the table around. I also cut the plywood down into two sections for easier maneuverability.
Hi Everyone! I just picked up my first PUP today - a 1988 Coleman Columbia. I’m finding the left turn signal wont flash when my headlights are on. Has anyone had this issue?
Welcome to the club. I haven't had this particular issue but it sounds like you're going to need to get out the multimeter and start testing the wiring on the four flat plug on both your truck and your camper. The four flat on the camper is probably wired wrong.
Columbia-- worth it? I am being tempted by a Columbia on CL just now. I have a Taos already, but needs a little more work. Also, Taos is just on the margin of what is OK to tow with the Subaru so I am keeping an older TV, thereby. $1K and it is an hour away. It appears to be one of the late 80s by the body colors-- maybe a 1988. Claimed to be "near perfect." Images make the canvas look very good Main thing concerning me... those tiny little tires! Do you get a lot of flats? What size tow ball-- 1 7/8? I don't mind doing a little interior upkeep but the very FIRST thing I did with my Taos was get new tires and repack wheel bearings. I'm allergic to roadside tire/wheel changes by myself!
My '83 has a 1-7/8 ball and weighs around 900lb dry. I do not pull it behind our car - only our truck. As for the tires I replaced them with something larger and burlier as one of my first tasks upon buying it.
Thank you. 900 lbs. would be below "brakes required" for the Subaru. However, the Taos is only about 1400 dry (as from factory), and has had its Awning and the Kitchen removed so I expect a little less. I'm still debating with myself.
Hello from Northern California. I'm a long time camper since Girl Scouts, went from the usual tent camping to a travel trailer, restored 9 vintage trailers, and just yesterday purchased a 1983 Coleman Columbia as my retirement project. I really look forward to cleaning and freshening this puppy up. I bought it from a soldier in the Army, who is being sent to Germany for a few years. I also have a 66 Aristocrat Lo Liner and a 2017 Whitewater Retro. I've already purchased upholstery fabric to freshen up those plaid cushions. I like plaid, but only on Skotch coolers and picnic jugs from the 50's and 60's. Can anyone tell me what size tires, 4 lug they have on their Columbia, circa 1982-83? Mine has car tires. Thanks! Here's a few pics from yesterday.
