Community Forums

h9lfc · 07-07-2009, 09:17 AM

Just thinking of buying one of the above and would love some feedback as new are new to the tent trailer community. Getting fed up of camping on the floor!!!! Thanks

jperry29 · 07-08-2009, 02:39 PM

A pop-up is a great way to graduate to high-and-dry. We extended our camping season tremendously by having the AC, hot summer nights were no longer a cause for poor sleeping.

I think both of these rigs are on pretty equal footing. It will really come down to your personal preference driven by the layout and options and space. The really important stuff like overall durability, realibility of the lift mechanism, leak resistance of the roof and so on are about the same.

The Jayco you mentioned is a good 3' longer than the Palamino. That makes a lot of difference. One of the biggest differences being in cabinet space. Now that you are going "luxury-style" you will want ammenities, like a microwave.

Our pop-up came with a built in fridge, furnace, AC and such but a microwave was not available on the option list. We bought a small one - it sat on the floor near the bunk when traveling and on the cabinet while camping. It got used a lot more than I expected. All other things being equal, I would get the longest box you can, you will appreciate every inch of it.

RustyJC · 07-09-2009, 08:16 AM

Boy, this brings back memories! Our first RV was a 1978 Jayco Cardinal pop-up - a tandem axle beast that slept 8. We bought it used for $2,500, pulled it from Lake Erie to the Rio Grande with the only real cost being a replacement tire (threw the tread on I-20 in Texas on a 100+ degF day - no other damage) and, after 6 years of use, sold it for $2,450.

We were so impressed with the Jayco that our next two RVs were Jayco Designer 5th wheels, and they didn't disappoint us either. If we did have a problem (and they were primarily with "buyout" stuff such as a power converter or refrigerator cooling unit), Jayco bent over backwards to take care of us, even to the extent of scheduling us into a local non-Jayco service facility the same day we called when our selling dealer couldn't get to us to change out the refrigerator cooling unit. As far as I'm concerned, Jayco is a top-notch company that builds an excellent RV at its price point.

Just my 2 cents' worth......

Rusty

Superslif · 07-10-2009, 07:54 AM

Only thing I can add is get a pop-up with the front storage trunk. We had our 99' Coleman for 6 seasons and about 225 nights. After the first season I was so glad we got the model with it. I would store: firewood, tools, chairs, grill, leveling blocks, toys, pop & beer, broom, rake, fishing net and poles plus a bin of odds & ends like awning lights, ax, stakes, .... Without it, all this "Stuff" would have to be put inside or loaded in the tow vehicle. Coleman Storage trunk. Just a thought.....