What would your perfect Pop Up be?

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Canoe2fish

Active Member
Apr 14, 2014
427
Ontario, Canada
If there was something you could add to a Pop up design or something you would change, what would it be?

Me, I’d want a Hi Wall with a slide out/fold up outdoor kitchen with gas cooktop, sink, drawers and cabinets. This slides out from inside a bench in the trailer and is paired with another slide out which fills out the back side of the first slide. with cabinetry for all dry goods and ice chest for drinks. (This slide is plain, sits outside over bumper, full open counter and closes in 2 seconds for night close up (bear country) good surface for portable bbq or blackstone all central to sink and gas cooktop..
the 3 way fridge within reach just inside the cabin door, slide out love seat and fold up washroom inside (toilet only with high efficiency fan) and outside shower setup with detachable enclosure sharing the same wall as the interior washroom.

No interior kitchen except coffee counter/bar area over fridge. Pop up TV opposite loveseat slide for the odd rainy day escape.

No ABS roof. Full, detachable rack for a 14’ tin boat or canoes/kayaks that does not bear weight on the roof. Led lighting throughout inside and out.

Dual awnings (the other covers the shower and allows slide windows to be wide open down during hard rain)

Not sure if it’s doable in design or towabilty without going to the old Jayco twin axle Pup size…remember that one?

Anyway, that’s my dream list if it could be done (I’m sure it could)
 
jmkay1

jmkay1

2004 Fleetwood/Coleman Utah
Oct 10, 2013
8,215
Northern Virginia
As crazy as it sounds my dream pup is more of a hodgepodge. It would be very similar to the old hard sided Apache popup except the roof will be more substantial with good sturdy framing, so I can use a regular rooftop AC and put hooks in the ceiling without worry your going to tear foam out. I picture a swinging or pull out kitchen so I can cook outside, but if the weather is absolutely hopeless I could slide it back in to cook inside. (Seen that design on another old timer popup). I would like a more substantial mattress (king size) and still allow the roof to close. A single floor to ceiling cabinet that can fold down for transit, a cassette toilet and a small 2 seater comfy couch inside with a fold a way TV tray and nothing else. I would rather the inside be mostly bare. The floor to ceiling cabinet could have drawers on the bottom half and a larger shelves for The upper portion. I do also really love my front trunk and outside shower so want to keep that. Above all else I want something that is more durable with better quality control then the cr** you find now a days.
 
D

dbhost

Super Active Member
Sep 19, 2018
1,365
League City, Texas USA.
I am going to be wierd for this group, and ask for some difficult ot accomplish things, but since you asked. For ME the perfect popup camper would be.

#1. A truck camper. For the agility off road, and less to worry about on road. You are effectively managing cargo in the bed of the truck instead of a separate vehicle behind you.
#2. Lightweight. Under 1K lbs dry so it would work well with a 1/2 ton pickup. Preferrably some sort of insulating and rot proof composite structure with aluminum framing / reinforcement.
#3. King size memory foam, or other ultra comfortable bed in the overcab that can handle sustantial weight.
#4. 12V compressor fridge option. 3 ways are nice, but tend to eat up a lot of space for their usable volume.
#5. Jacknife couch and a sliding free standing table. NO DINETTE.
#6. Insulating canvas panels by default. None of this extra charge option foolishness. You are either camping when it is too hot, or too cold.
#7. Full height entry door. I know the 2/3 doors that are common on pop up truck campers allow the top end of the back of the camper to be better braced, Put some good engineers to the task and see what they come up with.
#8. 12V AC like the Dometic RTX2000.
#9. Proper furnace.
#10. Proper stove, and possibly if it can be squeezed in, an oven.
#11. Full length 270 degree awning.
#12. Not a separate room for, but an area that can be closed off and used for showering should weather preclude using an Ensuite tent.
#13. Stowage space for the port o potty.
#14. LOTS of solar, including integrated mppt controller, and DC to DC charging. With battery monitoring that can turn off charging if the batteries are at or below freezing.
#15. Plenty of Lifepo4 battery storage, with some way to keep batteries from freezing.
#16. 12V outlets in proper locations such as the overcab to power things like a CPAP.
#17. Integrated signal range extenders / boosters for both WiFi and 4G / 5G.
#18. 12v water pump for hot / cold water in the camper and outside.
#19. On demand hot water heater integration. No tank. I don't want to hold water and spend the energy to keep it hot. Instead integrate something like a Joolca Hottap or a Camplux 5L. Given the right plumbing that is more than enough to give you a good shower and do the dishes.
#20. At least a 20 gallon fresh tank.
#21. This is going to be the tricky part. But gray water collection. In most of these the sink simply drains out of a tube out of the bottom of the camper and into the bed of the truck. In my current case, I put a collapsible 5 gallon Reliance water carrier as the gray tank. It works. IF they made those Gray water totes sideways I could put a 10 gallon size in the slot between the truck bed and the camper and not have to dump so often.
#22. Tie downs that work with the in bed tie down system of almost all modern pickups. I currently am using ratchet straps to the stake pockets and have stake pocket hold downs to install, but REALLY do not like the idea of drilling into my truck bed, and frame mount is a bad idea because of the flex the bed does from the frame, could cause camper damage off road... I might have to investigate how to convert my current camper to this system.
#23. Easily removable camper jacks. Put the camper on the truck, secure it down, and REMOVE the jacks. I hate leaving the jacks on. They add weight, and interference potential. Unless you plan on taking your camper off the truck in camp...
#24. AS much as possible rot / mold / mildew / water / UV proof materials. Basically build this thing to last and not disintegrate in the elements
 
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Jimbow

Jimbow

Super Active Member
Silver Supporting Member
Nov 30, 2012
2,244
I would keep the 12' box we had but have the back end be on a slide to accommodate the dinette which would convert into the second bed for guests. Wet bath in the previous location of the dinette. Horizontal refrigerator freezer combination for additional cold food storage. Upper cabinets on a slide mount. Move to center to close, slide to the side when opening.

I've also considered designs that would allow overnight sleeping on the couch or dinette by just raising the roof, without unhooking from the TV to pop out the bunk ends.
 
C

Canoe2fish

Active Member
Apr 14, 2014
427
Ontario, Canada
LilRed said:
Have you looked at the Rockwood HW277 / Flagstaff 27ks? Pull out sink and stove, fridge access closed. No bench, but U dinette would be an easy mod to start with.
Click to expand...
If we were to buy a new Pup, this would certainly be high on my list! Amazing! I like the kitchen pass through. All cooking pots & pans could be accessible from either side. Would probably put a pair of small totes in there or build wooden ones.
The outdoor kitchen + griddle is killer. With a wood fire pit close by, and you could feed a crew plus some!
 
Mark CASTELLANI

Mark CASTELLANI

Active Member
Aug 23, 2019
652
New York State, Erie County
What would your perfect Pop Up be?, you ask

one that loads and unloads the propane tank and the batteries by itself...hitches and unhitches itself,... backs into the site all by itself... opens and closes itself... takes all the gear out and sets up camp and then, the reverse of all that... HA HA 😁😁

seriously, the 2016 Starflyer was just about perfect for us... we pretty much made all the "MODS" before it went bye-bye.... and, even though we're down to just 3 of us now [maybe 4, if DD brings her BFF along], the 12' box never gave us any issues... it actually towed like a dream and I wouldn't mind having it back.

before we got the Clipper Express, there was a Starcraft METEOR for sale nearby but, within an hour of it being posted, it was sold... DW liked the full size "picture window" instead of the second bunk... oh well

Oh Oh... one last thing... the "perfect" PUP would also be one that makes AND SERVES me coffee in bed

Happy Trails!
 
C

Canoe2fish

Active Member
Apr 14, 2014
427
Ontario, Canada
You know, the only true issues I have with a Pup are;
1) packing it up in rain or wet and having to air it out in the driveway once home, or reopening at your next location while it’s still wet or damp.
2) having to open it up to get something I forgot inside.

That’s really the big ones.

Having a U Dinette with large outside cargo hatch would be a marvellous thing and the reason I want the fridge located just inside the door is so it could be loaded or accessed with the top down would really help eliminate #2

Regular set up/close up is just more of a process that is just extra time and I’m ok with that. Once you have it to a science it’s quick and better as a team.
 
Mark CASTELLANI

Mark CASTELLANI

Active Member
Aug 23, 2019
652
New York State, Erie County
Canoe2fish said:
You know, the only true issues I have with a Pup are;
1) packing it up in rain or wet and having to air it out in the driveway once home, or reopening at your next location while it’s still wet or damp.
2) having to open it up to get something I forgot inside.

That’s really the big ones.

Having a U Dinette with large outside cargo hatch would be a marvellous thing and the reason I want the fridge located just inside the door is so it could be loaded or accessed with the top down would really help eliminate #2

Regular set up/close up is just more of a process that is just extra time and I’m ok with that. Once you have it to a science it’s quick and better as a team.
Click to expand...
@Canoe2fish ... AGREED!....

I DO have one caveat about "Team Work" though... and it involves 2 teenage boys that insist on demonstrating their " manly prowess" with "feats of strength" LOL 😁

Happy Trails!
 
BelchFire

BelchFire

I speak fluent vise-grip
Mar 29, 2012
1,705
SE Georgia
I just wish there was a conventional dinette that would accommodate a 6-2" individual when made up as a bed. The U-dinettes always make the guy in the slide climb over the guy in the dinette, so that's out.
 
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