Tent trailers commonly known as Pop-up Campers are used for camping and can be collapsed into portable packages and credit goes to Partial Canvas Construction for their incredible camping trailers.
Most Tent trailers are well constructed with large mattresses and at times a functioning restroom and a kitchen that makes it more convenient for the campers.
Some of the best Pop Up Campers in the last two years are made by Forest River Glagstaff, Jayco Jay Sport Pop Up Trailer, and Coachmen Clipper Sport Pop Up Camper among others.
Many people do not give a thought to these issues until when they are on the camping ground and it rains or it’s snowy and wonders why they never thought about it.
Before you think of buying a Pop Up Camper it’s good to put into consideration the following things in place so that some of these ideas like waterproofing your roof will come into your mind.
Inspecting your Pop Up Camper whether a brand-new or second hand will save you a lot of headaches and embarrassments while using it and of course extra expenses. Below is a list of items to check out while purchasing a Pop Up Camper:
CANVAS QUALITY AND MAINTENANCE:
This is your most precious item on the Pop Up Camper. Canvas is very expensive to replace and can cost almost $1,000. Sometimes they are kept wet and get mold on them or probably even get torn. Especially if you are buying a second hand one.
Check out properly on any torn seam on the edges, for holes on top of the roof, and the corners if everything is intact. In case of any holes or torn areas, you can seal them up with the Tripolymer Sealant.
A new Pop Up Camper may not have a problem but it’s wise to check. For a second hand one, it may not have been well-kept so it’s wise to give it a thorough check-up before buying it.
WHEEL BEARINGS AND TIRES:
Any cracks or signs of wear and tear or something that is not right on the tires and wheels will cost you. A quick assessment will save you a lot of trouble. Make sure the bearings are well greased with oil and wheels are in good condition.
THE FLOOR:
In case the roof has been leaking, there is probably going to be a problem on the floor. It’s vital to make sure the floor is in order. If it’s a second hand Pop Up Camper, you may need to do some cleaning and again check on the origin of the leakage on the roof and seal it up. This could have been the cause of the damage on the floor.
STATUS OF THE CABLES:
Check on all the electrical cables and bulbs by turning them on to see if they work well and the air conditioner as well. This is important especially if it’s an old Camper and it was leaking, then most probably all these gadgets became wet and can’t work well.
Ensure all the cables are dry and in good working condition. Some cables could have gotten rotten or the wood was worn out and need some repair. You could just decide to buy a new one in good condition and seal up the roof just for prevention purposes.
In case the corners have holes caused by the wood or cables, I’ll make sure I seal them up with Tripolymer Sealant. You can paint or seal the plywood to protect it from water damage.
If the trailer cranks up and down smoothly or wobble and stick, it’s a sign of a cable about to break and there is cause for alarm to check out and fix it.
PLUMBING SYSTEM:
Ensure you bring your tools with you just in case the plumbing system has an issue both in the kitchen area or the bathroom.
TOWING:
Make sure your towing vehicle should handle the weight of your Pop Up Camper don’t forget to add the passengers’ weight, and your gear to the total weight your tow vehicle must handle.
In case this is a brand-new Pop Up Camper, it’s good to carry a safety kit and consider buying a Tripolymer Sealant just in case of leaking that no one is not aware of. The weight of these extra items should be added as well.
ROOFING
If it’s during winter or rainy season, you will need to know if there is any leakage on your Pop Up Camper, and if any, how are you going to get rid of the water getting inside the Pop Up Camper. And of course, if it’s snowy, the snow will melt on top of the roof and sure enough, will turn to water and get inside the Camper as well.
What then should I do to avoid all these so that we can enjoy our camping without worrying about making things inside the Pop Up Camper wet.
ENVIRONMENT:
If you are camping in a forest, it’s wise to know that the trees have moisture overnight and early morning there are drops of water on top of your roof.
The drops of water will get inside your Pop Up Camper and it becomes wet. Soon, if you’re camping for a week or two the wetness gives room for mold to start forming and quite unhealthy.
1.Use Tripolymer Sealant which is formulated for general construction and roofing applications. It’s the strong hard stuff that you smear along with the open seals on your roof all round whether leaking or not for prevention purposes.
One important thing you should do before putting the sealer is to make sure you remove and clean up any previous trial of sealing and make sure it’s completely clean. Peel off the paper-like thing if you had used Sealing Spray as some people have done before.
Most of the places that leaks are the corners and any pinholes like where there is an air conditioner. Check out all these areas and you can use the Tripolymer Sealant for sealing avoid any leakage. It takes about three to four hours to dry up and you are good to go and enjoy your camping.
2.Avoid using things like Spray from Walmart as what happens later, it dry up and become like some sort of plastic paper and it’s no longer useful. It’s quite useless to use the foam spray.
Other products that are inexpensive and can be used on to waterproof Pop Up Camper are Flex Seal, Kool Seal, Rust-Oleum High Heat Ultra Spray Paint, Bondo Fiberglass Resin, and Minmax. They’ve been proven to work and quite affordable for sealing the open seams and holes on your Canvas.
IN CONCLUSION
The Pop Up Campers are easy to collapse and store and can be kept in the garage until next camping. Just make sure they’re well safely kept and protected from water and other damages.
The Campers offer ample sleeping spaces with flip out queen’s and king beds, and for larger families, extra beds are provided through a convertible dining table which is transformed into beds.
The Camper comes with all necessities like showers, toilets, air conditioning, and refrigerators. While pulling it, you don’t need a big truck, you can pull it with a reasonably sized driver like a SUV.
Some cons of a Pop Up Camper are that, setting it up requires a lot of time and one needs to be very careful to avoid any breakdown. You need extra maintenance for most of the items that make up the Camper.
The moving parts and soft canvas sides need extra care. All in all, Pop Up Camper is good, so long as it’s well maintained is very comfortable for your family camping trips. Keep all the tips of maintaining it and you will never go wrong or regret.
