buying 1st PU need advice

[harleywolf]

Hi all, what a cool site!

OK we

[cpl215]

Hi all, what a cool site!

OK we

[Eric Sass]

My advise is that you find out what the the towing capacity of your TV is. Then when you're shopping for your PUP you will know how much you can safely tow. Don't forget to add approximately 1,000 for gear.
Oh yeah, get one with a cassette toilet!
Happy Camping.
We leave today for 3 days..

Eric

[Hackker]

The choices are limitless.  

Thats an understatement!  When we first started looking around, I was expecting that there were maybe 3 popup makers and a few models from each.  I think Fleetwood alone probably has like 50 different makes/models out there!  

This site was one of the better sources of info for me, just reading what people liked/disliked and what models they were using was a big help.

[harleywolf]

Thanks for the advice. We have already been to a few dealers, I

[cpl215]

The a/c is a must otherwise you might as well stay in a tent.  A furnace is also nice if you expect to camp below 45 degrees.  I never use the shower in mine but it is nice knowing that I have it in case the campground shower is broke, crowded, or dirty.  The cassette toilet is very low maintanence and easy to care for.  We love our camper, it has a 12 ft box and two king size beds, heat, a/c, shower, and toilet.  The best part is I always know the sheets are clean.

[wavery]

Thanks for the advice. We have already been to a few dealers, I

[mspgray]

We just came back from a 4 day campout with our new Starcraft 13RT. It has a shower (nice!), cassette toilet (haven't used this yet) and a pullout. We love it! This PU is designed for off road use with it's 15 inch wheels and huge deck out front for all of your gear. We have two dirt bikes that fit perfectly on the deck, along with a mountain bike and two coolers. We tow it with an Isuzu Rodeo with a 5 sp manual transmission. It also has electric brakes, WD hitch and a sway bar. We find that this set up is fine for towing. The fully loaded trailer is about 800 lbs less than the TVs max rating. I recommend that you look into the RTs and see if they will suit you. They have 4 different versions. The 13RT carries 40 gallons of water, which lasted the entire campout without conserving. It has hot water and a really great furnace. I thought the fridge was small but found that it holds an AMAZING amount of food. We didn't feel the need for the AC, though. When you open the bunk ends, the breeze cools it down enough for us. Take a real close look at any awnings that come with the PU. Many must have the support poles set up to hit the ground with guide wires holding them steady. This would be a problem for kids running into the poles. The RTs come with an awning that mounts the support poles to the side of the trailer so they are off the ground. This is hard to explain, but if you look at them you will see what I mean. Good luck and enjoy your search!

[fritz_monroe]

Welcome to the forums.  Lots of good info here and at the other 2 main pup sites.

We love our slide out and have never heard of anyone having problems caused by the slide out.  It will add quite a bit of dry weight to the trailer.

I'm assuming that you are talking about towing with a regular Cherokee, not the Grand Cherokee?  If so, keep in mind the wheelbase, 100.4"  That's pretty short.  I towed with a Jeep Liberty that has a 104.3" wheelbase and I was not happy with towing our Bayside.  It didn't feel dangerous, but I was just not thrilled with it.  If possible, tow any pup you plan on buying.  Make sure you tow at speed.

Our AC has only been used 2 times, but was well worth having.

One thing that you should keep in mind is the warranty on a pup is sometimes not transferable.  So it only covers the original owner.  This shouldn't be the sole reason for buying new over used, but is something to think about.  That said, I have not required any warranty work be done on our Bayside.

Good luck and enjoy shopping for the pup.

[harleywolf]

First I want to thank everyone who replied, your advice was very helpful!

Next I

[beacher]

Welcome aboard, and congradulations to your new-to-you Westlake!  That is a very nice floorplan.

If you ever change to a diffferent type of RV, the XCAEPIN can go with you!

[harleywolf]

Ah yes a good point and one I didn

[wavery]

Ah yes a good point and one I didn

[Old Goat]

Congratulations on the Nu2U Westlake. Good choice. I love that big storage cabinet in the front. Just check it carefully for water damage. They have been known to leak and be very costly to repair. Remember, the floor of that trailer is all one piece, including the storage locker so be very carefully about getting water in it.

Be sure to check every single appliance in the camper for proper operation when you pick it up. Don't forget to rub a small amount of grease on your new trailer hitch ball before you hook-up. It'll look nice on your pants (you'll see what that's all about later :p )

I would also highly recommend a "Camp Driveway" camp-out for your first camp-out. It really does make a big difference in the satisfaction with your Nu2U PU.

Wavery, The storage trunk on this trailer is a separate unit with it's own floor and not a one piece floor as you have stated. I removed the trunk on my trailer three years ago and replaced it's floor with no problems. The trunk floor can also be replaced in two pieces without removing the trunk from the trailer.....

[fritz_monroe]

My front trunk is a separate piece as well.  The newer models with the molded trunk doesn't have a wood floor to the trunk.  I don't know about the 2002 model.

Don't forget to rub a small amount of grease on your new trailer hitch ball before you hook-up. It'll look nice on your pants (you'll see what that's all about later  )

The bruise and the grease spot is a sign of a true camper, isn't it?

I didn't put grease on the ball of the friction sway controller on our first trip.  I now have a deep score mark around that ball.  The same thing would happen to the tow ball, so put that grease on it.