New Pop up camper question

[Camping_Dad]

Greetings Fellow Campers! After searching for what felt like many lifetimes I was able to purchase a pop up. My family and I have primarily tent camped but as my kids get older we wanted to try the world of rv camping so we are dipping our toes in with a pop up.



I have a Coachmen Clipper 128ls. I was surprised to find out after looking and trying to get a flagstaff pop up that forest river also makes the coachmen brand now. After perusing these and other camper forums I am convinced that many things will break on it during the first month due to the low manufacturing quality. My question however isn't for anything not working it is for the bed supports. The pop up did not come with the legs that go underneath the beds when they slide out. I asked several times to different people at the place we purchased if we needed them. They all assured me that the beds were rated to 1000 lbs without them. However, when I got home yesterday the beds seemed fine until I saw my wife and kids laying on one and the rails appeared to bend slightly as I was looking at it from the outside. Now the beds slid back in when we closed it up for the night with no problem but I am weary that the bars will bend over time and be warped. Should I be concerned about this? I have looked online for bars to help with the beds but I can't find any second hand or new. After looking at many popups the bumpers on the pop up we purchased has the little cutouts that appear to be for those bed support legs.



Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bikendan]

If the dealer told you that the beds can support 1000lbs WITHOUT the bed poles, they are LIARS!
As an former owner of two populism there's NO way they can 1000lbs WITHOUT the poles.
In fact, it can permanently damage the track system and bed platform.
By the way, FR doesn't make Coachmen products. FR acquired the company and it has operated as an independent division of FR.
What year is the popup and have you contacted Coachmen?

 

[5picker]

I had 3 PUPs and they ALL had bed slide poles.
Granted, never owned a Coachman but as mentioned, give us the year and someone here will verify whether the dealer was truthful or talking out their... you know!

 

[IsleDog]

I have seen one or two popups like this before. Just doing a quick google image search for that camper and NONE of them have support bars under the bunks. it looks like it is designed that way. you can look at the under side of the bunks on the outside and see if there are any spots for bars to hook into. also look at the frame, it would have holes or pegs for the supports there as well. im leaning towards this camper not having/needing the supports.

 

[Camping_Dad]

If the dealer told you that the beds can support 1000lbs WITHOUT the bed poles, they are LIARS!
As an former owner of two populism there's NO way they can 1000lbs WITHOUT the poles.
In fact, it can permanently damage the track system and bed platform.
By the way, FR doesn't make Coachmen products. FR acquired the company and it has operated as an independent division of FR.
What year is the popup and have you contacted Coachmen?

Whew, I'm glad I asked before we took it out. It's a 2021 and I haven't contacted Coachmen yet. I did call the dealer again and they said they haven't had problems with them bending and don't know of any support bars that they could recommend. The dealer again swore that they are rated to 1000 lbs and should not be a problem.




*** Update - Just called Coachmen support and talked to someone. The woman assured me that they don't need support poles for the bed pullouts and are good for 1000 lbs. She went on to say that they haven't needed those support poles for the newer models for several years. Am I crazy to still want to put something underneath them just for stability? Can anyone recommended a product that would work in lieu of specific poles for the camper since they don't make any?

 

[Kcoulter]

The brochure states the bunks are cable supported and require no legs

https://coachmenrv.com/brochures/2021/2021clippercampingtrailerbrochure.pdf

 

[GalsofEscape]

I think that the current Coachmen clippers do not have support poles. they have suspension cables. There are two cables on each bed to provide the support. (look at the 360 video on the coachmen web site and you will see these cables.)

Does yours have the cables?

 

[Camping_Dad]

I think that the current Coachmen clippers do not have support poles. they have suspension cables. There are two cables on each bed to provide the support. (look at the 360 video on the coachmen web site and you will see these cables.)

Does yours have the cables?

Thank you all for your responses! This is really helpful community and much appreciated! It does have those cables and I did not see that brochure before with that information. They really don't bend that much but just don't feel rock solid after sleeping on the ground for years in a tent. Should I mess with trying to get a pole or something just to add for extra support or am I just being crazy ocd?

 

[GalsofEscape]

Thank you all for your responses! This is really helpful community and much appreciated! It does have those cables and I did not see that brochure before with that information. They really don't bend that much but just don't feel rock solid after sleeping on the ground for years in a tent. Should I mess with trying to get a pole or something just to add for extra support or am I just being crazy ocd?

do whatever feels best for you as you are the one sleeping in it. it may just be a different feeling for you knowing that you are suspended out there in the air that may take some getting used to

and i have to admit, i kinda did a head scratch when i saw the support coming from the roof - that roof being on a lift system and all - and i know how the roof can wiggle in wind.....

(i had a HW popup with the traditional support poles - after 5 years, I had an issue with the front wall moving when the bed was extended so I used cargo braces for extra support from the ground - so i have used em).

 

[Scrapper]

Thank you all for your responses! This is really helpful community and much appreciated! It does have those cables and I did not see that brochure before with that information. They really don't bend that much but just don't feel rock solid after sleeping on the ground for years in a tent. Should I mess with trying to get a pole or something just to add for extra support or am I just being crazy ocd?

You have to take into consideration there isn't any support under the queen or king size bunk plywood. Even 3/4" plywood will have some flex if not supported every 24" across the panel.

 

[bikendan]

If they now have cable supported bed platforms, then I would have no issues and believe they can support 1000lbs.
Hybrids have had cable supported bed platforms for years and have the same rating. My 2007 Roo 23SS had them and they worked great.
I assumed yours needed poles because you said there were support cutouts for the support poles.

 

[chuckyb9876]

Coachman 180LS

Check out the site: https://coachmenrv.com/camping-trailers/clipper
They talk about the "ease of use and set up with our Patent Pending Glide-N-Lock bed system."

 

[Camping_Dad]

If they now have cable supported bed platforms, then I would have no issues and believe they can support 1000lbs.
Hybrids have had cable supported bed platforms for years and have the same rating. My 2007 Roo 23SS had them and they worked great.
I assumed yours needed poles because you said there were support cutouts for the support poles.

Thank bikendan, I appreciate the advice The support cutouts is what threw me off as well. My logic was why would they have them on the bumpers if they weren't needed? This coupled with my newness in the rv world and all of the problems I've read about people having in these threads made for one confused camping_dad.



Now I just need to get some time off to go camping!!!

 

[Camping_Dad]

Check out the site: https://coachmenrv.com/camping-trailers/clipper
They talk about the "ease of use and set up with our Patent Pending Glide-N-Lock bed system."

This is an awesome resource! Thank you chuckyb! For months before purchasing our pop up I watched youtube video after video about setting up pop ups and almost all of them had those support bars. I can see now that I need to watch some specific videos and read more about the model/brand that we got. It doesn't help that I am extremely excited about getting the camper. As crazy as my kiddos seemed yesterday when we got it I might be more excited than them

 

[jimmoore13]

I think you have your answer, but I looked at several dealers' photos of your rig, and none showed support poles.
Example: https://www.milesrvcenter.com/New-I...-Coachmen-Clipper-Miles-RV-Center-LLC-9492495

 

[jimmoore13]

The brochure states the bunks are cable supported and require no legs

https://coachmenrv.com/brochures/2021/2021clippercampingtrailerbrochure.pdf

This appears to be an adaptation of the bed support concept employed by Hybrids...but the big question is, if the upper portion of the support is attached to the roof, what's supporting the roof? They tend to move all over the place. Then again, I've found evidence that it's been around for a while and seems to work just fine.

This thread, found elsewhere, suggests that the system has been around since 2012 or earlier, and aside from the gripe in the post, the system may be sound.
https://www.popupportal.com/threads/problem-with-coachmen-glide-n-lock-bed-system.99552/

Google: “Glide-N-Lock” cable supported bed system
Read others' experiences.

 

[Clipperguy]

Clipper 128ls

Hello I happen to know a lot about clipper and Viking you should have recieved a walk through with the dealer and yourself regarding proper operation of this unit. That being said here goes the clipper uses a glide and lock bunk system it consists of a laminated 11/4 magnum inch laminated bunk platform that when fully extended locks into place and can support a minimum of 1000 lbs but until it is locked into place there is no support from the cables.if you are not sure you can just check the tension on the roof support cables when the glide and lock system is engaged there won’t be any slack in the cables if there is slack in the cable the cable support is not engaged yet. There is a complete set up video on the coachmen website good luck

 

[Larry-NC]

Don't come a'knocking...

Thank you all for your responses! This is really helpful community and much appreciated! It does have those cables and I did not see that brochure before with that information. They really don't bend that much but just don't feel rock solid after sleeping on the ground for years in a tent. Should I mess with trying to get a pole or something just to add for extra support or am I just being crazy ocd?

Don't come a'knocking if you see me rocking.

You may be feeling the entire unit rocking on its springs as you move around on the beds. That cantilevered construction puts a lot of leverage on the trailer.

Did you have the stabilizers cranked down when you tried it?

 

[Clipperguy]

Rocking

There are “x cables” connecting the roof to the body of the trailer to stop the front to back rocking that would naturally occur (the cantilever effect)

 

[Camping_Dad]

There are “x cables” connecting the roof to the body of the trailer to stop the front to back rocking that would naturally occur (the cantilever effect)

Thank you for the responses Jim, Larry, and Clipperguy! I absolutely feel more confident after reading your information. The cables were taunt or at least had no slack after ensuring the knobs and pins were seated the first time we set it up. We've only had time to set it up once since we got it and I honestly didn't notice if it rocked. If it did it couldn't have been that bad or I want to think I would remember it? We are going to set it up again tomorrow in the driveway and I will definitely check.



Clipperguy, the place was got it from was super helpful. The guy that showed us around did a great job doing the walk through but there was so much information I wish I would have taken notes. I absolutely would not fault the service guy for that. I remember my wife asking what the weight limit was on the beds and he did say 1000lbs.



Hijacking my own thread here for another question unrelated to the first but for Clipperguy or anyone else that might know. The pop up has a connection for the solar panel on the side. If I buy a solar panel would it automatically work to recharged the 12v battery? We just made reservations in July but weren't able to get a site with hookups so I am trying to figure out what I could do to keep the battery up so we can use the lights, water pump etc..