I m trying to decide whether or not to purchase the bunk end covers. For those of you that have them, do they really make a difference? We camp mostly when it s hot, so I m thinking it would cool down the pu. Also which site offers the best deal on the covers? Thanks!!
luvtacampYes they help in the heat. They also seem to help a little bit in the cold too.
But I m generally a lazy person and want to get the popup set up as quickly as possible. This means defeating the instructions that state to clamp the bunkend covers first, then raise the roof and shepherd s pole. So sometimes I popup without bothering setting up the bunk end covers....sometimes it s just not worth the hassle. But they are good quality and effective.
Here s the link you want:
http://www.popupgizmos.com/
I don t know of any other make that will custom design them to your popup. If you happen to own a Coleman, he likely has the specs for you already. I ve heard he gives 10% discounts to PUT Arvee club members(?).
luvtacampYes get them. I used the emergency space blankets for a couple of years, but Pop Up Gizmo s are much better made.
luvtacampIs there any trouble with them flapping if it s windy? Another thing, would it be possible to leave them on for take down so when the pu is popped back up they ll already be attached? From the website the picture I saw, the covers looked like they d stay put and stuff in there with the rest of the tent.
luvtacampI vote go with the PUG covers. The make a big difference.
Aling with the covers he supplies about 20 spring clips that hold along all the tent end edges. I probably would not leave them on when yo pop dow as it may not be healthy for the tent material to have the clips on it all the time. Additionally, there is a posibility that there would be vibrationa nd " rubbing" between the clips and tent material while towing.
If you remember to clip them on before you pop up the installation only adds about 3 minutes to the set up time.
luvtacampIf you have enough room between the beds and the inside of the roof you could unclip the cover, but leave it in place when you pop down.
luvtacampWe highly reccommend the solar covers. We spent 2 weeks at Fort Wilderness last July and were very impressed with they way the covers kept the interior cool, especially in the afternoon when our trailer was in full sun. It does take an extra 5 or so minutes to set up, but well worth the time. An added bonus is that the covers make the bunkend area a little darker, therefore facilitating those mid-afternoon naps CamperTom is so fond of. We also use the covers as a method of protecting the canvas from sap, falling leaves and bird poop which all could leave a stain.
luvtacampDefinitely get the Popup Gizmos covers. Lightweight, durable, and work great!
luvtacampI heartily agree with getting them. We ve had ours about 6 months. I did have to buy some heavier duty clips at Home Depot, as the little clips didn t hold in a strong wind.
I don t recommend keeping them on the roof when folding. Take them down and fold them up.
I cheat. I use velco on the roof to hold the gizmos on before popping up. Fast and easy.
luvtacampWe made our own, and therefore, they are a bit of an eyesore, but they definitely keep the camper cooler in the summer and warmer in the cooler months. I d bet by 15-20 degrees F.
They are not good enough to entice us to camp in the depths of the New England winter.
luvtacampGet them!
We used ours for the first time while in Key Largo. The pu seemed much cooler and we really appreciated that when we learned that our A/C didn t work! They weren t difficult to put on, it maybe took the two of us 3 - 5 minutes to get them on.
Tena
luvtacampDH and I strongly agree to purchase. We started without and then heard about using the emergency blankets which made a big difference on the heat. We then ordered the professionnaly made ones which were much eaiser to manever (sp). It is amazing the amount of heat they reflect. I also agree that naptime is much cooler.
We would not leave ours on but always pack up in a zipper bag to protect them between trips.
Happy campin...
luvtacampI have a pair and would recommend it.
A had a reminder of how quick the sun warms up the pop up this past weekend. We where camping in Canada and it was cold at night and I didn?t have the covers on the bunk ends. We had two ceramic heaters working hard all night to keep us warm. As soon as the sun came up they turned off and it got pretty warm in trailer. I?ve always know the sun makes the trailer hot and that?s why I bought covers but it was really surprising how quick the sunrise got the trailer warm inside on a cold morning. It made me happy to know we had the covers for the coming summer heat.
luvtacampIf your not sure if you want to spend the money on the custom fit covers from PU Gizmos, why not try the $2.00 survival blankets from Wally World? Four of those and 2 dozen medium size black binder clips from the stationary department will put you in business (I hear spring cloths pins work as well). I m sure Gizmo s product is better but I know from experiance that the cheap blankets work very well as well.
luvtacampTurnKey,
I wouldn t recommend those $2.00 blankets. They leave a flaky residue on the canvas and only last a couple of weeks.
luvtacampI m waiting for mine....another benefit I m hoping for is that they ll catch the a/c drips and I won t have to wait for the canvas to dry.
I ve had someone look at the Carrier and they couldn t see how that little PVC pipe set-up (I guess it s on Tim s site???) could be attached.
hmmmm...just thought of a new thread[;)]