nomadicoasties 1 Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 1 On average approx. how long is your set up and take down? 2.If you were buying a new PUP today and had a 6-7K budget what would be the ONE MUST HAVE besides AC ( this is a non negotiable option for us) 3. Is the above figure realistic for new? Our MUST HAVES1. AC2. FRIDGE3. BE 20ft or less CLOSED (counting tongue) so it will fit in our garage Thank you in advance for any info! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 I have no experience with PUPs, but your list looks good to me. Good luck in your search! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grumpy and Grandma 740 Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 I think your being a little over optimistic with your price. The other thing that would be "must have" is an awning. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swimmarz 72 Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 Having been involved in a recent purchase I can helpA/c is a must, to us the cassette toilet was also a must as the kids are 2 and 4. Budget an extra $250-300and buy a weber grill with the griddle My unit has a power lift and a slide, I think start to finish if everyone stay out of my way set up is 15 min and take down is 20-25 depending on the dryness of the tent materials(5 min of towel dry if needed)Mine is the 2516g it's a 12 ft box with a 2 ft storage box, it's 19 feet 1 inch from hitch to bumper and it fits in my garageMy unit has bells and whistles and was $14,000 with tax tag and title. At $6k you're limited but there are options. You won't get the better fabric/ materials, it may not have power lift, and ac is never included when looking at dealerships so add 850-1150 on top of the sale prices unless it states ac is included.I do like the extra room the slide getsI too looked at used, my budget was $7000, however the units I found needed new tires, had physical damage that while it was functioning would cost $1200+ to repair the roof, and 2 section of the tent needed to be replaced due to a rip. and everything was missing something like the cord for the bed heaters, or a missing bunk end fan/ light unitSo in conclusion my $7,000 budget could buy a unit(2010 model of what I got) but it then needed $2000 to make it perfect. And the price new before tax and tag was in the high $12k range so I was talking $3500 difference between new and 5-6 years old.I put $4000 down, financed the remaining 10,000 for 10 years and pay $113/monthFirst payment was $1000 that I had left overI put the other $2000 in the bank and know auto pay is basically taken care of for 2 years, I get a quarterly bonus at work and those are applied to the remaining balance of the trailerIf all goes as planned it will be paid for in 3 years Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swimmarz 72 Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 If you care to roll the dice on rockwood, new 2016 with a fridge and ac listed at 11.5 but I know you could get it under 10. Ask for sonny or Bama Pick it up on the way to the fort, test camp, if there are any issues drop it off at the dealer http://m.lazydays.com/rv/detail/new-rvs-for-sale/tampa-fl/class-pt/forest_river-rockwood_esp-rvs-002 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DramaMama .......... Janet 75 Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 I agree that your budget will be tricky to manage what you want. If you go with used just make sure the canvas (newer ones are vinyl) is in great condition. Stored indoors would be ideal. Repairs on a used one could easily equal a new one. Wishing you the best! We just bought a PUP ourselves - 2016 Forest River Flagstaff. Off to post pics. PhotoBucket has been driving me crazy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YENSIDCAMPER 66 Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 We bought our 2002 PUP in 2006. There were some minor issues that needed dealt with but I could do all of them. New key lock on the door, clean the dirt dauber nests out of the furnace, change out the sink faucet. We paid $6000 for it. We still have it and it is going strong. Sad to say we will be parting with it next spring for a bigger rig. Set up and take down can be as little as 20-30 min and as much as 1.5 hours. Depends on how much you want to do. I also find I take a lot of stuff out little by little and that makes the packing up longer. If you can get a unit with a slide out and front box, the extra room is worth it. I strongly recommend taking a small dehumidifier with you in the PUP it really helps keep your sheets dry. Also the heat strip in the AC is worth it. You can run small space heaters and those combined with a heat strip have kept us comfy in 30 degree nights. We have a propane furnace in ours but we could do without it. You only need it if you are boondocking or if it is seriously cold. We hardly camp in any of those conditions. We have an add a room for our awning and when we camp long term, like a week or two we take the time to put it up. Adds another 120 sq.ft. of room. We have loved having it for our two week trips to The Fort. Not usually worth the time on weekends. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nomadicoasties 1 Posted September 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Thank you Fiends!! This is exactly the kind of info / perspective(s) we are looking for, keep it coming!! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BigTom 76 Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 We bought our pup used, had been stored under cover and was over 20 years old in good shape. Small 8' box came with a porta pottie, but we never used it and it does not even go with us anymore. It has served us well, 2 people, sometimes with a couple of GKs along. paid $1000 for it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bord1niowa......Curt 79 Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 How many people do you want to sleep? A smaller 8 foot box might barely get into that range new. Depends on the place whether you get the AC or not for a fair price. Buy on the ;last day of the month, the sales people get hungry and will give up 30-35% off list price. If you buy new at a good discount, it could be cheaper than buying one 2-3 years old. Cheaper ones are the Forest River lines of Rockwood and Flagstaffs. They come out of the same factory. IMHO Jayco seems to be a better brand. They have a 2 year warranty instead of a 1 year. That should tell you something there. They cost a bit more though. As others have said, the slide out really opens up the inside and it is nice to have the front storage too. But with that comes price and weight. Good luck on your search! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 We have an 86 Coleman. It does what we need and want. One drawback to a PUP is a rainy day or previous night and having to close it up wet/damp. Other than that, they are the best way to go. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
parrothead7368 aka Norm 101 Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 We bought a Flagstaff MAC 207 brand new in 2011 for $8900 out the door in PA/NJ area. It had no bathroom or tanks to play with, grey water was collected in a 5 gallon bucket if we had any. It came with A/C, awning, fridge, cold water and electric lift. Its what I was looking for and fit our family of 4 and my mother no problem. Best Regards,Norm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
arthuruscg 34 Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 What is your tow vehicle? Have you done the math to figure out how heave you can go? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
arthuruscg 34 Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 duplicate Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YENSIDCAMPER 66 Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 What is your tow vehicle? Have you done the math to figure out how heave you can go? That is a great point. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swimmarz 72 Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 They had said in another post they had "Tow Vehicle 2003 Ford Excursion 6.0L 4X4"so It really wont matter what pop up they pick with that.... I saw they should have an 11,000 LB towing capacity Quote Link to post Share on other sites
arthuruscg 34 Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Ok, with that big of a TV, can you park the trailer outside? IF so, save up some more and look at a E3 or another toy hauling popup. That way you will always have space for the kids bikes and a golf cart or a side by sided on the cargo deck. If you could find an E4, then you would have a larg box (12') + Highwall and the largest cargo deck. Found someones pics.http://www.pic2fly.com/2008+Fleetwood+Evolution+E4.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nomadicoasties 1 Posted September 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Thank you for all the info! Yes our TV allows us alot of freedom in the weight dept. Sorry should have included that in my original post. So far we have only decided to definitely wait until end of Jan so we can pay cash and have around 10K at that point. Plus we are hoping prices will drop a little in the winter. As far as a certain make or model it is truly overwhelming! Went out looking this weekend and ended up looking at everything from TT to PUPs to A Frames. I will say we felt more prepared with all this invaluable Fiend info! And the search continues... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Thank you for all the info! Yes our TV allows us alot of freedom in the weight dept. Sorry should have included that in my original post. So far we have only decided to definitely wait until end of Jan so we can pay cash and have around 10K at that point. Plus we are hoping prices will drop a little in the winter. As far as a certain make or model it is truly overwhelming! Went out looking this weekend and ended up looking at everything from TT to PUPs to A Frames. I will say we felt more prepared with all this invaluable Fiend info! And the search continues...Any more upcoming RV shows in you area? Looks like you just missed a big one in Raleigh the end of August. I saw some listings for a couple in January/February 2015, so maybe they will be around the same times in 2016. If a unit got towed to a show, they would rather sell it at a good price than have to take it back to the lot. Plus you get to see a wide range of different units. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nomadicoasties 1 Posted September 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Good to know about shows! Thanks! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
momof3kids-Yvonne 596 Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Look at carryovers from previous years. It would be a brand new unit, but the dealers want them off their lots to make room for the newer ones. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nomadicoasties 1 Posted September 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 Look at carryovers from previous years. It would be a brand new unit, but the dealers want them off their lots to make room for the newer ones.Definitely doing this already :) We plan to buy in Feb so hopefully they will be trying to get rid of the 2014s and 2015s. Thanks for the suggestion! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CJHokie 43 Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Look at carryovers from previous years. It would be a brand new unit, but the dealers want them off their lots to make room for the newer ones.Exactly. I bought a 2012 Jayco Sport popup in Fall 2013 brand new for just over $7k. It had the 3-way fridge and that particular dealer puts ACs in all of their popups. So, it can be done! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nomadicoasties 1 Posted September 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Exactly. I bought a 2012 Jayco Sport popup in Fall 2013 brand new for just over $7k. It had the 3-way fridge and that particular dealer puts ACs in all of their popups. So, it can be done!Thanks, nice to know it does happen! We have our eye on a couple at local dealers. Time will tell :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Thanks, nice to know it does happen! We have our eye on a couple at local dealers. Time will tell :)Keep visiting them and go inside of the PUP with dirty shoes each time. Then when it comes time to buy, tell them you need a big discount because it's dirty and looks used! keith_h 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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