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Old 01-09-2014, 04:38 AM   #1
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Newbie cant wait to camp but a bit overwhelmed :)

I just bought a Popup Tent trailer and realized after working through the manual that there's so much new information and terminology. I still dont have it all down as to what runs on electric plug in vs 12V except for the refrig, I think I have that one down.
Ex. Hot water heater when using shore line vs dry camping. Does it use electricity only with shore line or electricity and propane with shoreline and propane and Battery dry camping?

Water pump I heard that you dont need the water pump when hooked up to city water and only need it when using the water tank such as when dry camping so if that's true then it would use 12V Battery power? But not propane?

Heater using electricity with shoreline hook up and propane? and if dry camping then 12V Battery and propane?

The stove has a "lite" on the knob so I'm assuming that would be more electric or 12V Battery start, but then the stove would be propane only except for the lighting process?

See what I mean?? I did the walk through but the guy was fast and seemed in a hurry as I tried to ask questions. I've asked some, but I need to find other resources to ask questions.

Thanks for any help feed/back etc
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Old 01-09-2014, 05:04 AM   #2
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Lets start with what Brand/Model of pop up.
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Old 01-09-2014, 08:03 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Packncycle View Post
I just bought a Popup Tent trailer and realized after working through the manual that there's so much new information and terminology. I still dont have it all down as to what runs on electric plug in vs 12V except for the refrig, I think I have that one down. Lights will work on 12V but power outlets won't, they are 120V
Ex. Hot water heater when using shore line vs dry camping. Does it use electricity only with shore line or electricity and propane with shoreline and propane and Battery dry camping? If it's electric/LP then you should have a switch someplace to choose how you want to heat the water. If you're at a campground use electric and save your LP.

Water pump I heard that you dont need the water pump when hooked up to city water and only need it when using the water tank such as when dry camping so if that's true then it would use 12V Battery power? But not propane? Water pump will work on 12V and 120V, it doesn't need propane.

Heater using electricity with shoreline hook up and propane? and if dry camping then 12V Battery and propane? Correct

The stove has a "lite" on the knob so I'm assuming that would be more electric or 12V Battery start, but then the stove would be propane only except for the lighting process? That knob is probably the spark to ignite the burners. Turn burner knob to the 'Lite' position and turn that knob to provide spark to ignite LP.

See what I mean?? I did the walk through but the guy was fast and seemed in a hurry as I tried to ask questions. I've asked some, but I need to find other resources to ask questions.

Thanks for any help feed/back etc
Congrats on your popup. There is a learning curve but don't worry, you'll get it. We started with a tent and moved to a popup, then a hybrid, then a travel trailer, and now have a 5th wheel. Each time there was something else new to learn. This forum is all about helping people out so ask away with your questions. You should've gotten manuals for your stove, water heater, etc. If you didn't then try doing a search online for them. I know most people don't read the instructions but they can answer some basic questions when you're starting out.
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Old 01-09-2014, 08:46 AM   #4
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Congrats on the new popup. We got 12+ seasons of enjoyment out ours. Hard to beat the value.

Did you buy from a dealer? Sounds like they rushed you off the lot. I would make a list a questions - like you did above, and talk to the owner or manager and just let them know you still have questions. I would bet they will setup a time where you could bring it back and go through things again, or if its a long distance, they might be able to do it by phone. The guy doing the walk through might have been on a rush, but most managers wouldn't think that was OK to let you leave with unanswered questions.

And you can use this forum and one called Popup Explorer to get tons of good information as well.
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Old 01-09-2014, 09:04 AM   #5
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Popup Explorer is an excellent forum. Watch out for one guy - he's a modding fanatic and has done some really neat stuff.

You have described my first year in a pop-up to a T! I didn't know what I didn't know and what I did know was only enough to make me dangerous!

What kind of camping do you plan on doing? We mostly RV'd and always had hookups. It let me forget about/not have to learn about the 12v system because we were always plugged in.
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Old 01-09-2014, 09:56 AM   #6
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I learned more about my first popup when we went camping with a couple that had a TT, but had a popup prior. They were great at giving us tips in setting up, how to carry our assorted stuff and all of the different systems.

What part of the country are you located in?

It might be possible that another FROG member is close to you and could guide you through lots of the systems.

I do agree that the person doing your PDI rushed you out, so I would go back to the dealership for another PDI.
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Old 01-09-2014, 09:58 AM   #7
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It might be possible that another FROG member is close to you and could guide you through lots of the systems.
That's a great idea! I bought my pop-up used from a friend who just so happened to be camped at the same place as us the first trip out. I ran up the hill a few times for assistance.
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Old 01-10-2014, 04:14 AM   #8
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Newbie: THANK YOU!! you guys Rock!

Thank you so much for your help everyone.. I dont feel so alone out here with this great camper after seeing so many responses. The popup I have is a Rockwood/Freedom 2318G if that helps. Yes the guy did rush me at the dealership and I probably need to go talk to others at the dealership, but that's another story for another time. I've been reading the manuals, but there are still confusing parts and Im more hands on. I live in Southern California so Im excited with our weather I'll be able to do a lot of camping. I used to backpack but I think Im getting to a point of not really wanting to lay on the ground much any more. This seemed a lot nicer.

Question: Do you guys know about how much propane is used when using the RV heater all night? I have only one tank right now and plan to get another one. I was also thinking that to save on the propane that I'd get a little plug in heater. Im going to Santa Barbara on the coast in Feb and it gets pretty cold at night, not usually freezing but can go to 30-40 F. But I was curious about how much propane is used. Thanks
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Old 01-10-2014, 05:57 AM   #9
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Welcome and congratulations.

As for the stove, on mine, the "LITE" on the dial means to put it there when lighting the stove. Mine does not come with any automatic lighter. I use your regular grill lighter for it. I try not to use the stove often. I rather cook outside.

The biggest propane user is the furnace, followed by the hot water heater. I, as well as many others, usually try and use a small electric heater at the campground. In a popup, that is less efficient due to all the canvas. If you do plan on some cooler weather camper, a 2nd tank and automatic changeover could be a good investment, if you can fit it on your popup.

Good luck, and feel free to ask questions.
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Old 01-10-2014, 08:23 AM   #10
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Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new PUP camper. The camper manual is very generic and not alot of help as it applies to all the Rockwood PUPs. I was also overwhelmed just going through the package of all the different appliance manuals provided.

Our PDI was short as well and we were also newbees - and I had no questions as it was a situation of not knowing what you didn't know.....
Our first year was a very steep learning curve but hang in there, you will get it all figured out. And there are lots of people here who are happy to answer your questions. Also people at campgrounds are willing to help if you get in a jam while out. My first time backing into a site, I told the family in the site next to mine - to not laugh, it was my first time. They jumped right up and helped us back it in. So nice.

and yes, a second propane tank would be a good idea if you are running the heater alot. I also run an electric heater to reduce the propane use. I find I can use it alone if it does not get too cold - do you have heated mattresses? They really keep us warm even with the camper feeling chilly.
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Old 01-10-2014, 08:28 AM   #11
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What ChooChooMan said- we always camped with electric hookups and ran a small electric heater. You couldn't do that if you're running off of the battery but if you have hookups, it is a great way to conserve propane.

Unfortunately, we didn't camp in cold so I can't tell you that you'll likely go through "X" amount of propane in an evening.

One thing that many pop-up owners recommend is using "pugs" - Popup Gizmos. They are supposed to do an incredible job of keeping the heat in in the winter and the heat out in the summer.
PopupGizmos

I think he's running a "free shipping" sale right now.
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Old 01-10-2014, 12:58 PM   #12
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On the propane use question - we could go all summer (20+ nights) on one tank for running the fridge and stove. We typically didn't camp when it was below 40 at night, so we used the furnace on a very limited basis, but if its only taking the chill off at night, I would venture a guess that one tank would last you for a week long trip. The biggest trick with having only one tank is knowing how much you have in the tank. And then timing it to get a refill when its empty. I used to pull the tank in the fall and hook it up to the gas grill at home to empty it, then start with a full tank in the spring.
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Old 01-10-2014, 02:44 PM   #13
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I was so overwhelmed when I first started RVing and even considered selling the trailer before taking my first trip. No husband to help me figure things out nor did I have friends with RVs either. I was all on my own for sure. Take it one step at a time and only worry about what you need for the first trip.

I didn't think of it but a bit of driveway camping would had been a big help. By the time I did get out of the gate with my first trip I didn't remember much from my PDI.

Take a weekend trip to a local campground. Most RVers are pretty friendly and willing to help. Once you say that you are new they will drop everything to help. Once again you don't need to know everything just yet. Another suggestion would to keep things simple until you determine your camping style.



PS
Ditto about using a small electric heater with full hookups.
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Old 01-10-2014, 02:55 PM   #14
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What ChooChooMan said- we always camped with electric hookups and ran a small electric heater. You couldn't do that if you're running off of the battery but if you have hookups, it is a great way to conserve propane.
packncycle, since you live in California and since only a handful of state parks have any sites with electrical, i doubt you'll be able to use an electric heater. unless you're camping at that expensive private campground across from El Capitan. El Cap, Refugio or Gaviota SB have NO sites with electric.

but since it won't be that cold, it would take days of running the furnace to use up the propane.
you'll use up all the battery power in one night, before you'd ever come close to all the propane.
you need to worry more about battery power, IF you are dry camping, which is what you'd be doing at El Cap, Refugio or Gaviota.

i lived in SoCal for over 30 years and spent a lot of time in Ventura and Santa Barbara.

which campground are you planning on staying at?
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Old 01-10-2014, 06:42 PM   #15
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I camped with a pop-up for 11 years - after about 5 years of tent camping. Mostly dry camping at the race tracks for the 1st 5 or 6 years. I highly recommend adding a second propane tank. Seems like the tank always runs out in the middle of the night when you're running the furnace. Much easier to just switch over to the 2nd tank than to have to rush out & get a new one. (Make sure you replace the empty one the first chance you get.) I used to take a spare battery with me also & made sure it was charged up before I left home. I used a generator for AC power at the tracks. I'm sure most parks & campgrounds will frown upon those.

As for learning the ropes, there will be a lot of trial & error. Heck, I was still learning things about my PUP when I traded it a few months ago. Forums like this one and Pop-up Explorer are a great resource. Lots of helpful folks who have already made most of the mistakes that can be made & can tell you how to avoid them (or recover from them). LOL!

Good luck with your PUP! I loved mine. (But now I love my Roo 21SS Hybrid. )
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Old 01-10-2014, 07:05 PM   #16
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We started with a used popup and had no one to show us the ropes so we camped in our driveway the first night with no electric hooked up just battery power. This way you can see exactly what will and what won't work and if something happens you can just go inside until morning.The next night we hooked up the electric and found how things worked that way. If you want to test the propane and the battery you can just spend the whole weekend in it on battery(which will die long before you run out of propane). Part of the fun is just digging in and learning by trial and error. Enjoy!
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Old 01-10-2014, 09:42 PM   #17
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Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your purchase.
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Old 01-10-2014, 11:41 PM   #18
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Newbie cant wait to camp but a bit overwhelmed :)

I agree with the at home camp out for a night or two as it lets you try everything out and a chance to pack it all up once. Things to bring: toilet paper, extra fuses, and a plan to recharge the battery. Oh and make sure heater works- mine didn't first time out.

I just traded in my HW and it seems so long ago from that first trip that I can't remember all the stuff we ran back to town to get.

Remember, have fun and meet some nice people.

Forgot to say water regulator- didn't have that one and was stressed one whole trip on why every water fitting was leaking.
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Old 01-10-2014, 11:48 PM   #19
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I agree with it, too- unfortunately I don't have that luxury here. I could either have it on quite a hill in the driveway or parked on the road.Click image for larger version

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My neighbors always thought I was batty as I would set it up on the road to fiddle around inside on it.
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Old 01-11-2014, 02:36 AM   #20
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Thanks!

You guys all hit all the aspects I was thinking about.. ok Im convinced on getting the 2nd LP tank for sure. I will bring an electric heater and yes the mattress does heat up. Im looking forward to checking that out. Also thank you for the Pupupgizmos.. never heard of that but that's very intriquing and I bet it does work. I may look into them down the line.

One of you asked about where I plan to stay in Santa Barbara.. it is an expensive place than I would tend to go to, but for the first time I figured why not go plush while Im trying to figure stuff out. Its OceanMesa. They do have all the hook ups and apparently most or many of their sites overlook the ocean. It is close to El Capitan. I did stay at El Capitan in their little cabins one year and that was a lot of fun and very nice and I used to tent camp there before they changed the camp grounds to all the cabins.

A friend is going with me who also knows nothing about RV's. We should have a lot of fun I had to laugh at one the messages I read where the person was so overwhelmed that they were ready to sell their RV before they got it out. I have had similar thoughts. But a appreciate all of your encouragement. I will hang in there. Sounds like after the huge learning curve, it gets much better. I cant wait. I

I dont think I want to carry an extra battery.. trying to keep weight down. The weight of the RV dry weight is about 2300lbs and the papers say I can add up to about 600lbs but with 2 LP tanks, water (if I carry it), battery and other things, I dont want to max it out. My car is a Highlander so it says I can tow up to 5,000 lbs but I dont want to max it out either. I can see from what everyone has said that its the battery to be more concerned about. I can see that. I dont know if the Solar panels are any good. I hear they are very low powered and only help batteries maintain but if using items that put a lot of drainage on the batter, I dont see how they would really work and for the price, it seems kind of pricey. What do you guys do if you dont carry an extra battery if you do a lot of dry camping?
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