A different kind of pop-up (11-5-17) fixing lessons learned

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Re: A different kind of pop-up (5-27-17) all done

Postby les45 » Mon May 29, 2017 6:48 pm

rustytoolss wrote:Looks good. I'll bet that it will get very toasty in there with so few windows.


Actually the two windows don't open either. I'm hoping the air flow with the Fantastic Fan through the door and the openings on each end will provide enough ventilation. We don't camp in hot weather so it will be fairly cool most of the time in the fall and spring when we do camp.
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Re: A different kind of pop-up (10-20-17) First Camp

Postby les45 » Sat Oct 21, 2017 4:37 am

The weather finally cooled enough to take QBOW (Queen Bed on Wheels) on its maiden voyage. Yes, we had to name it so I "borrowed" an idea from another member here. With the new Dexter axle, the trailer towed like it wasn't even there and I could see over it while towing (one of my initial criteria). Set up time with the portable hard walls takes a little longer than the weekender but well worth it to me. Everything worked exactly as planned with only some very minor lessons learned. The biggest issue was the movement of my stacked walls while driving. I thought they were heavy enough to stay in place without bracing but they moved slightly forward during the trip to the campground (nothing damaged). A simple fix on the return trip was to store some of the larger containers between the stacked wall panels and the dinette seats to fully wedge the stacked panels in place. The rest of the lessons learned simply involved how to better store our gear in the available spaces within the camper for towing and setting up camp. I loved my little weekender but being able to stand up and having a port-a-potty indoors plus the indoor galley is lots more convenient.

TV hooked up. Ready for maiden voyage.
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Ready to roll.
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All set up and ready for that first beer.
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Judy likes the convenience of being able to stand up and having a port-a-potty inside.
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Rear angle view. The white line in the center of the rear walls is actually gym floor tape that covers the crack between the two panels. I found it much easier to use the tape than to devise a seal in this area. The tape peeled off with no problem when we broke down camp. One roll ($8.00) will last for about ten trips.
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Queen bed totally inside the hard wall shell was really nice. The full width 22" fold-out shelves on each end provided lots of convenient storage.
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Morning coffee indoors was also nice.
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Of course you have to make breakfast outdoors if it's not raining.
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Now I have to decide on my next project (maybe an A-frame?).

PS: Actually, I did learn one very important lesson on how to make toast on a camp stove. I have always used one of those wire basket gadgets that you have to carefully hold over the flame and you usually end up burning the toast. I've also used the little round Coleman toaster that also burns the toast and your fingers. While toasting some ham and cheese sandwiches for one of our evening meals, it dawned on me that I could simply make our breakfast toast in the square Teflon coated frying pan. Throw four slices on and keep flipping them til you get the toast where you want it. Simple, easy, and eliminates one more gadget to pack.
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Re: A different kind of pop-up (10-20-17) First Camp

Postby daveesl77 » Sat Oct 21, 2017 5:55 am

That is a really nice look! I've been thinking about doing a hardside pop up for years. Yours is probably the best design I've seen. Nicely Done!

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Re: A different kind of pop-up (10-20-17) First Camp

Postby KCStudly » Sun Oct 22, 2017 12:49 pm

les45 wrote:All set up and ready for that first beer.

You deserve it! Good job. :thumbsup: :applause:
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Re: A different kind of pop-up (10-20-17) First Camp

Postby ELM » Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:24 pm

Very nice job on this conversion. :thumbsup: I like the picture on the sides it's a nice touch. Did you paint it or is it a sticker.
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Re: A different kind of pop-up (10-20-17) First Camp

Postby les45 » Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:57 pm

ELM wrote:Very nice job on this conversion. :thumbsup: I like the picture on the sides it's a nice touch. Did you paint it or is it a sticker.


It's a decal that I got on Ebay. It looked kind of plain on the outside without something to jazz it up. Judy is looking for decals for the inside walls now. She thinks it is too plain. Can't hang anything on the walls since they have to stack while driving.
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Re: A different kind of pop-up (10-20-17) First Camp

Postby kudzu » Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:02 pm

Love how it turned out. Nice job.

You mentioned not being able to hang things on the wall. That can be a bit of a problem for those of use with folding campers. For hanging items, just to get them up & out of the way, I've found the Command hooks that can slide off their mounting brackets work well. The thin mounting bracket stays on the wall but is only about 1/8 inch thick so isn't a problem the way my camper. Those might be some help for you. Only problem is making sure you removed them before folding up the camper & remembering where you stashed the hooks. Might not work for your camper or your purposes, but thought it worth a mention.

Note: Not all Command hooks do this so you need to look on the back of the package to be sure. Here are examples:
https://www.amazon.com/Command-Utility- ... B000M3V8XI
https://www.amazon.com/Command-Traditio ... B001B0WNLW
https://www.amazon.com/Command-Double-N ... B01C60C4FU
Even a towel bar - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C60C7FW
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Re: A different kind of pop-up (10-20-17) First Camp

Postby rustytoolss » Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:59 pm

Looks like a great camper to me ! 8)
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Re: A different kind of pop-up (10-20-17) First Camp

Postby S. Heisley » Tue Oct 24, 2017 7:16 pm

Congratulations! It's a beauty and it looks like you're both very happy with it. :applause:
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Re: A different kind of pop-up (11-5-17) fixing lessons lear

Postby les45 » Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:16 pm

The only notable issue I had with our first camp was the stacked walls moving around during transit. I thought they would stay in place under their own weight but they shifted forward about a foot but caused no damage. My fix for that was the installation of D-rings front and rear to catch a ratchet strap that would fasten down the middle of the load. The stacked walls are pretty well wedged in from side to side with bedding, chairs, and other gear. While I was at it, I decided to add a porch light. Because it would have been a little complicated running the wires in the roof section, I decided to go under the trailer and run them to a location near the door in the wall of the bottom shell. I re-purposed an old three wire 14 ga cord that came off an old electric power washer and used two of the three wires. I was able to run it under the trailer through all of the old holes that the propane system ran in on the original pop-up. I used plastic cable clamps and 1/2" silicone tubing as conduit through each hole and filled it with silicone to keep it in place. In my original planning, I installed my interior bead board paneling with screws so it was easy to remove the section I needed for access to install the new wiring.

Two D-rings and a ratchet strap will keep the stacked walls from moving forward (hopefully). I use a lot of old sheets, towels, and styrofoam strips to keep the panels separated as they have latches, handles, hinges, and window frames that can damage the paint if allowed to rub together.
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Wiring to the new porch light ran easily under the frame through the holes where the old propane piping had been on the original pop-up.
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I left a lot of slack and ran the DC wires through a small terminal block in case I want to run additional DC fixtures later. Using screws to fasten the interior bead board paneling made it really easy to access the space.
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One side benefit of using the old power washer cord was the GFCI plug that came with it. After cutting it off, I simply added a female plug and I now have a portable GFCI that I will keep in the camper in case I need one.
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I used a standard porch light purchased on Amazon with an outside switch. I think having it down low and pointed down will be perfect lighting for what we will need. Still need to caulk and paint around the light.
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Re: A different kind of pop-up (11-5-17) fixing lessons lear

Postby Johnysteam » Tue Nov 07, 2017 3:14 am

Well done. Nice result. :)
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