PopUpGizmos? Anyone tried 'em?

[CampDirt]

Has anyone tried out PopUpGizmos, those covers for the bunk ends?  Heard it will keep the bunkends cool during the summer, but will they keep them warm during the winter?  Is it worth the price?  Thinking about buying a pair, but want some input first...

[tlhdoc]

Has anyone tried out PopUpGizmos, those covers for the bunk ends?

YES
 

Heard it will keep the bunkends cool during the summer, but will they keep them warm during the winter?

YES
 

Is it worth the price?

YES
 

Thinking about buying a pair, but want some input first...

Not only are they a good product, Bob Pitney the founder of the company is very honorable and stands behind his product.  I have had a set for several years now and they are great.

[kimrb266]

We've used them on  both our PUP's and think they take the edge off the cold and take a few degrees off the hot weather.  They don't get the trailer warm like a heater nor cold like an air conditioner.  They are worth the price.

[GrizzlyTaco]

We love our PUG!! We live in Vegas and in the dead of summer it gets close to the 120 degree mark and we use them over the bunk ends and they really do help keep the heat out. We also use reflectic in the windows all around the PU and the inside of the PU will stay in the 70 - 75 degree range with the AC on. They are well worth the money, make sure you spend the extra couple of bucks to get the ones for high winds......Ed C.

[Gone-Camping]

Matter of fact, if you search the member archive you'll find he's a long term member here!!

http://www.arveeclub.com/member.php?u=387

[PopUpMomma]

One of the best purchases we've made.....tied with ball levelor.....

[PITPOP27]

well worth the purchase!

[mike4947]

While I do heartedly endorse the PUG covers I will say they are designed to reflect radiant heat and do not perform any great insulation function.
Park in full shade in the summer and the covers will have little effect on bunk end temps. But I can say in 30 years of PU's I can count on one hand the number of times I've had full shade all during the day.
For winter reversing them helps keep the roof material at a temperature close to the inside temperature. This reflects the heat back into the ends AND more important helps prevent the dreaded morning rain in the face that's caused by condensation and temperature difference between the roof fabric and the inside air.

[wavery]

We wouldn't be without ours. In fact, we are going to get rid of the clamps and "sew" ours on.

When I say "Sew" I don't mean with a machine. We are going to tie a stitch everywhere that we have a clamp. Our clamps are getting old and rusty (we do a lot of beach camping). We'll use a heavy "twine" type thread for both strength and ease of replacement. The stitches will be in the binding at the edge of the material so there will be no problem with leaking. One stab with a seam ripper and the stitches will be gone, if I ever want to replace the covers.

Because we live in California, we always leave the silver side up. I don't think that it really makes any difference having the red side up in the cold. We just leave the silver side up and we have no condensation in our bunks.

The silver side reflects the Sun's rays. You can lay your hand on them, on the hottest day and they are cool. Without the Gizmos, the top of the bunk ends get quite hot to the touch on a sunny day, with the Sun's rays directly hitting that vinyl top. They definitely make a big temperature difference as there is no heat transfer from the Sun's rays, into the bunk ends from the top (under the Gizmos).

[CampDirt]

Thanks for all the input.  The consesus is YES, get 'em.  Hoping Santa will put a pair under the tree...if not I'll get 'em anyway.

[wavery]

I noticed that you have a '72 Cessna Skyhawk. That was my Dad's last airplane. He had that plane for about 5 years until he retired flying in '84 at the age of 65. He owned airplanes all his life, of every different sort. I learned how to fly in a '54 Piper Cub (in '57, ripe old age of 10). Then Dad bought an Aironica Camp (I think). That plane was a blast to fly. Then he bought a Cessna 175. We wrecked that one (long story). That's when he got the 172 Skyhawk.

My Dad started flying at 18 as a crop duster in Minnesota.

I can't get my license because I'm blind in one eye (thus the patch in my avavtar :p ).

OOOOOPS!!! I guess I got a little off topic. HMMMMMMMMM!! Well.......we did go wilderness camping in Alaska. We flew there in his plane. Does that count???

[CampDirt]

ANY flying counts.  I'm actually one of eight regular students renting it at a flight school (getting my instrument, almost done).  For my commercial I'm leaning heavily towards renting the Mooney.  

My dad was a CFI who had a partial ownership in a '69 Mooney.  I've actually been flying since I was 2, so I grew up in planes.  Most of my great memories was in that Mooney.  Unfortunately, he lost his medical due to seven herniated disks in his back, making him practically crippled.  I do have a chance to buy a PZL Koliber, a polish made trainer, but the owner is asking too much for it, it's too slow, and needs lots of TLC.  

Owning planes these days is very costly, with maintenance, hangar fees, and inspections.  There are three of us talking about going in together for a Mooney if one becomes available at a price we can afford.  Partial ownership is not a bad idea...hmmmm.

[mike4947]

As an addition I'd spend the extra few bucks and go with the newer high wind style covers. The ones I've seen IMHO are worth the extra few bucks.

[wavery]

As an addition I'd spend the extra few bucks and go with the newer high wind style covers. The ones I've seen IMHO are worth the extra few bucks.

I may be wrong but I think that the only difference between the High Wind model and the regular ones is the clamps are stronger and they have a little strap of some sort. If there is any other difference, I'd sure like to no.

Like I said, we're gonna sew ours on.

[tlhdoc]

The high wind models are better.  I sent my "regular" solar covers back to PUG and had them remade as the high wind version.