First trailer, new to forum

[meegosh]

Hey all,

My name is Steve and I live in Pittsburgh, PA (North Hills actually) and I recently inherited a 1984 Coleman Sequoia pop up (I think) from my parents. They just got a 27' Trail Cruiser and would not have gotten much on trade for the '84. I am 24 years old and have been living with my girlfriend for the past four years. We are looking forward to getting out this year with our new (to us) trailer.

First trip is scheduled for the first weekend in June (5th-7th). We are not sure where we want to go yet but everywhere is booked for Memorial Day already. I've been an avid camper since I was a young(er) kid. My family tries to go out as much as we can in the summer, usually every other weekend.

I've got some work to do on the trailer before we go... I have to either buy an adapter or wire up a new connector for the trailer. It currently has a 7way on it but our Jeep has a Flat 4way. I also need to get a new hose for water. We have removed the water tank under the seat for storage reasons. Only other things we have done to it over the years is reupholster the seats at the table, removed the brakes, and added some new paint.

I look forward to picking your brains for some tips and tricks!

-Steve

[TXiceman]

Steve, welcome to iRV2. You will enjoy the pop up. If the pop up had a 7-pin Bergman plug it may have electric brakes in which case you need to get a brake controller on your Jeep. This will require a 7-pin plug. If you go ahead and convert to a 7-pin, you can get an adapter that will let you plug a 4 pin into a 7-pin plug. But I have never seen one to plug a 7 pin into a 4-pin.

How much does the pop up weigh? Look for a GVWR number on a sticker on it. This is the maximum the trailer can weigh with all of the cargo.

Next is your Jeep big enough to pull it?

Ken

[rjf7g]

Welcome to the forum. I am sure you will have a great time in your new camper!

[RV Wizard]

Steve, welcome to iRV2.com. We are glad to have you join us here and we look forward to reading of your adventures and experiences. Congratulations on the new to you rig. I would highly recommend you re-install the brakes on the trailer for legal and safety concerns. You will also need to determine if the jeep as previously mentioned can safely tow it without waring it out too! Take care and keep us posted.

[meegosh]

The brakes have been off for quite a few years, as long as I can remember actually. I guess one of them would lock up occasionally and my Dad decided they were not neccessary (may be mistaken). I understand the trailer is a little less than 1000lbs dry weight. I'll have to get the exact measurement off the sticker the next time I go up to storage. The one Jeep we may use tows up to 3500lbs. The other Jeep we have is a V8 and is rated at 5000lbs. Either of those should work, they both have low miles, no slipping in the transmission, and have never been used to tow with before.

I'm looking forward to our first trip out, I'm a little nervous about backing up the rig but I'm planning on practicing in an empty parking lot before going out. I read some good tips in the forums here, I like the idea of steering from the bottom of the wheel. Thanks for the kind words, I hope to meet a lot more of you.

[NLOVNIT]

Welcome to iRV2. We're glad to have you here.

There's a group of us (Pond Piggies) in your area that rv together often during the season. Several of our group are from the Pittsburgh area. We'd love to have you join us sometime. Check out the North Central & Pond Piggie Forums for our upcoming campouts.

Yeah, you have to make reservations very early (6 mo is ideal, 4 at the minimum) to get spots for a holiday wknd - especially at popular campgrounds. It's all in the timing.

Hope to see you down the road!

Lori-