El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
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Popup tent trailer question
I'm considering buying a half way decent popup tent trailer for about 3K and converting it for off road Baja use. I remember reading on the old Amigos
board about some folks who had done this. What I'm looking at is replacing the wheels and tires with bigger ones and maybe axel as well as adding some
shocks and so forth. Beefing up the frame also seems like a good idea. I'll pull it with my Dodge diesel 4X4 and my sons will use their Tundra and
4runner respectively. Plan is to keep it at Dad's house for quick surf strikes to central Baja. Anyone have experience with tent trailers there? How
do they do in the Baja wind? Do you get any sleep at night, or do the walls go whoomp, whoomp all night? Am I going to kill it flying the washboard?
Whadayathink?
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Anonymous
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El Jefe,
"Bufeo" here,
I don't know if it was one of my posts or not, but we did have a Palomino "Colt" which we modified for off-road use. We did the following: swung the
axle underneath the springs, added another leaf to the springs, put 15" wheels and Mickey Thompson off-road tires on it, and added shocks.
It still fell apart. Cabinets came loose, hardware loosen up, and final straw was a broken factory spring. We ended up giving it to our daughter and
husband. They used it for one trip down the w. coast (Pta Canoas south to Pta Sta Rosalillita) and I think gave it to someone down there. God only
knows where it is now.
We then went out and bought a real off-road trailer, the Conqueror safari trailer. Saw it at the Pomona Off-Road Expo in '99 and purchased
it directly from the floor from Safari Trailers Ltd. They have a web site (www.safaritrailers.com) if you want to see the trailers. They may still have us in one of the Death Valley photos. Our '98 gray Suburban with a
custom roof rack with trailer in tow.
I highly recommend them.
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Mike Humfreville
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Registered: 8-26-2003
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El Jefe
We took popups to La Gringa for years and loved them because of the 360-degree ventilation. Even in strong breezes they are fine. A couple of
chubascos caused us to lower the top half way. We had problems because ours had 10-inch wheels. This caused axle problems and once I had to leave
Mary Ann and 6 mos old Miguelito on the side of the road for 2 days while I drove all over the peninsula looking for tire and rim replacements. But
you've already covered all the bases and it sounds good.
Glad to see you here in nomad. Regards to Paula from all of us.
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Stephanie Jackter
Senior Nomad
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Registered: 11-3-2002
Location: Arizona
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I have a pop up.
But it's kind of a love/hate thing. It's a twelve footer that pulls out into a king and a queen. Really good for pulling down to Rocky Point and
I've even driven it back east, but I don't think I'd take it on a dare to Baja. The two issues that would knock it out of the running are:
1 - It takes a good twenty minutes to a half hour to put the darn thing up on a good day. If you're moving around at all from one site to another,
the pop up and put down time can be a real pain in the rump. The time spent in that effort can put a real dent in your vacation enjoyment.
2- And most importantly. I'm hearing more and more of rip-offs happening to people camping on the beaches. Pop up trailers are totally insecure and
un securable. Anyone who wants to get in can get in and out very quickly when you're not watching. Unless I'm in a park with good security, I don't
feel at all comfortable with that at this point - in the U.S. or in Baja.
And having said that, even the best ones, (and I have a high end one even though it's a late 80s Skamper), are made on the cheap. Rattling around on
Baja roads will definitely rattle loose and warp some of the interior assembly. That even happens to some extent on the good roads I roll it on.
They are portable and don't take a lot of space in the driveway, though. - Stephanie
When the goin' gets tough, the wierd turn pro
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Packoderm
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How would a pop-top camper on a trailer made from the bed of a pickup truck work? I see that the military uses trailers on their Hummers. Something
ought to be able to be made durable enough for Baja.
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4baja
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Registered: 9-4-2003
Location: morro bay ca
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buy a heavy duty flat bed trailler and bolt on a pop top camper. my buddy did this and we used it for years with no problems all over baja. plus the
back of the trailler we used to haul 2 atcs and allso used it as a deck.
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Bob and Susan
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RVer's don't get mad but....
I like to do the math
$3000 plus tax and licence and extra insurance to pull in Baja....
$3500 divide by average room rate ~$40
It would take you 88 days of use...
Average person uses something like this 10 days a year. thus in 8 years you break even pluss......
You get to clean and fix and buy tires...etc
We are still thinking about a travel trailer
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Packoderm
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to pull in Baja:...$3000 plus tax and licence and extra insurance $3500 divide by average room rate ~$40
To get 88 days of use/Average person uses something like this 10 days a year:...A long time.
To break even:...Eight years.
Having your own rolling casita on a secluded stretch of beach:...Priceless.
Dad's pad when mom?'s mad!:....Also Priceless.
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Bob and Susan
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Pack
You're probably right.....I got carried away
But when you use the 100,000 dollar motorhome example it works
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Stephanie Jackter
Senior Nomad
Posts: 566
Registered: 11-3-2002
Location: Arizona
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Yep, does pertain better to the motorhome
The pop up trailer definitely gives you more bang for the buck than a full size trailer. Mine cost almost 3k after retrofitting an a/c, but I've
gotten more than my 88 days worth.
Not to be too graphic, but I've been in some pretty skanky 40 dollar a night hotel rooms and some pretty skanky 90 dollar a night ones too (and all of
you have too, whether you know it or not). And every time I sleep in my good ol' pop up tent, I know there are nobody's body fluids but my families
lurking on blankets and covers and that I won't go home with a bed bug infestation (which are making a big come-back at hotels these days), or the
head lice my children and I got a few years ago at the La Quinta in Loreto....just a few other things that can be priceless. - Stephanie
When the goin' gets tough, the wierd turn pro
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El Jefe
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Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
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Thanks for the responses
Thanks all for the ideas everyone. I'm still not decided on this issue. What brought me to look at popup trailers was seeing one by starcraft designed
for off road with big tires and shocks etc. I just can't justify the cost of new, however. I had gone to the lot to look at their popup truck campers.
They are nice, but lack storage for whatever else one might want to carry. Why is it we have to carry so much chit anyway??? Maybe I'll just go back
to plan A which is to continue to use the gear that I have in my perfectly good overhead Callen camper shell. The downside to that is you gotta' set
up camp to cook. Much simplier though, with fewer moving parts if you know what I mean. The good part of making this decision is I'm trying to figure
out which rig setup we are going to drive all over North, Central and maybe
South America. Can't wait for this retirement thing to happen.
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Hltoppr
Newbie
Posts: 16
Registered: 12-3-2003
Location: Arizona
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You might want to take a look at a rooftop tent. This negates the trailer all together.
I have a Hannibal which is excellent. Visit www.hannibalusa.com
There are also these, which benefit from a hardshell, but are longer and take up more room on the roof rack.
www.loftyshelters.com
If you want to read how a popup trailer fairs on good off-road expeditions, pick up Who Needs a Road by Harold Stephens...main problem with the trip
was the darn tent trailer!
Cheers!
Andy
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Stephanie Jackter
Senior Nomad
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Registered: 11-3-2002
Location: Arizona
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Just when ya think ya've seen it all.....
Those car top tents are pretty cool. But I keep getting visuals of a stiff Puerto Penasco wind gettin' up and toppling the tent and the car right
over. A little top heavy. What I do like a lot, though, is the awning set-up that hannibalusa has. Very nifty. With the sun damage my skin's been
through over the years, I'm always looking out for good shade products. - Stephanie
When the goin' gets tough, the wierd turn pro
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Hltoppr
Newbie
Posts: 16
Registered: 12-3-2003
Location: Arizona
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Yup, wind is the slight downside to a rooftop tent, but the convenience is worth it. Both the Hannibal and Maggolina tents are designed to hold up to
some pretty strong winds and I've never heard of one collapsing.
The Hannibal awnings are great! Easy to set up and no support poles! 
-H-
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