Just bought our pop-up, questions about it!

[lman2b]

So we just bought a 2002 Coleman Utah. Don't worry, we had a service person at a dealer (friend of a friend) go over in detail everything to look for and how to examine the roof etc. Plus he said he'll look over anything we get so we will take it to him as well. But we felt VERY confident with this one, its in excellent condition. I assume that you already know this, but the service person told us not to cover the camper as that is what makes it so hot inside and can cause it to warp inside (the roof). I thought that was interesting, I would have run off and bought a brand new cover!

So I now have qeustions as we will have fun using it before winter really sets in. If I want to buy a mattress padding, blanket, cushioning or something to make it more comfortable, will it still close? What about egg shell mattress things, or those mattresses where you sink into them and they conform to your body? maybe just a sleeping bag? What will work?

Are there any things you find extremely useful? I'm not sure what examples to give, but any little things you added or changed with yours that makes your experience better? We are beginners so have no idea if there is anything extra we need for the camper.

How much do you pay for storage if you store it?

Have you ever camped in the Denver area? Any good places to go that you especially recommend?

Thanks so much!!!

[Camping Coxes]

If I want to buy a mattress padding, blanket, cushioning or something to make it more comfortable, will it still close? What about egg shell mattress things, or those mattresses where you sink into them and they conform to your body? maybe just a sleeping bag? What will work?
 
Are there any things you find extremely useful? I'm not sure what examples to give, but any little things you added or changed with yours that makes your experience better? We are beginners so have no idea if there is anything extra we need for the camper.

If you do a word search in this site using the word "mattress"  you'll find lots of posts on this issue.  I personally use a 1" dense foam I purchased and has cut to size at an upholstery shop.  It does not interfere with closing the top, but I wouldn't go much thicker than that unless you plan to take the padding off each time.
 
As far as useful things, think of every single thing you'll need to cook your meals you have planned.  Don't forget the actual pots and pans.  Big Lots, 99 Cent stores and the like are great places to shop for camping stuff for the trailer.  You want to stock your trailer with kitchen stuff you can leave in there instead of unloading it all at home.  Several people have also posted lists.  One of our members here, Tim5055, has a fantastic website with so much useful information, including - tada - a list!  Just do a member search and click on his name to get to his website.
 
Have a great time using the new trailer.  I love the floorplan of the Utah and that was the trailer I had planned to buy, but then found a good deal on a used trailer so my plans changed.  I envy you having Colorado as your camping backdrop!

[volzjr]

We have an '03.5 Utah, which means we have the Alumatite roof, so I may be comparing apples to oranges, but... I have the 1.75" memory foam mattress topper. I can leave it on top of the factory mattress and still close the roof. I haven't tried closing the roof with the sleeping bags on top, though. We roll up the sleeping bags and store them (and the pillows) in the dinette for travel. I bought the memory foam from Overstock.com. It was $59 for the California King size, which fit perfectly on the bunkend, with no trimming necessary.    The foam has made a great difference in my sleeping comfort. My DW slept fine on the factory mattress, but I couldn't. Now we both get a full nights sleep! :p
HTH,
Jeff

[vjm1639]

I have a 2003.5 Mesa with the Alumitite roof also and I thought these roofs were a bit shallower than the ABS. If so, you shouldn't have a problem closing the roof. On top of our stock mattress we have a 1.5 inch memory foam pad, an electric mattress warmer, bottom sheet, top sheet, and a blanket. All this gets covered before closing down by an elastic edged plastic mattress cover so I don't have to worry about rain when setting up or taking down. Top closes just fine.

[tlhdoc]

Congratulations on the new camper. Back when my camper had an ABS roof (before the roof failed) I had foam, sheets, cotton knit blankets, and sleeping bags opened like comforters on the beds.  When we popped down I would line the pillows up on the edge of the mattresses toward the center of the camper and still be able to close the roof without a problem.  Now with the Alumitite roof if I have the foam, sheets and blanket on each bed, I have problems popping down.:mad:   I also had to remove the Fleetwood bunkend shelf from my front king bunk.  When the shelf was down flat on the bed and bed was pushed in, the door handle for the screen door (stored in the ceiling) would come down onto the bunkend shelf and not be able to sink into the mattress.  This caused a big gouge in my ceiling and broke the door handle.:mad:  The ABS roof supplied a lot more room than the Alumitite roof does.

[familyoffruitcakes]

Try closing it down one time with an empty cardboard box (Kleenex box) or something similar on the bunkend.  After laching down, open back up and see how "crunched" the box is to see how much wiggle room you may have.