Gun Dog Forum

Anyone do this? Seems like a good way to do weekend hunting on the cheap without having to sleep in a tent. Thoughts on brands?

I borrowed one last for a hunt and it went well. The only issue that I had was the door to the camper was to small to get kennels in and out, so I had to take the door off every morning and evening to get kennels in the camper. Maybe I spoil my dogs but I wanted them to be warm and cozy.

I think that it is coleman, that has a partnership with a pop up camper company that makes one more wells suited to off road type situations. Higher ground clearance, diamond plated around the bottom and etc.

something like this:

http://www.rvguide.com/specs/fleetwood/ ... es/e1.html

brandon

yeah, I've found ones for rent on craigslist for pretty cheap. Seems like a relaxing way to do a camping/hunting trip

Just remember that they aren't bear-proof if you're in an area where that is a concern. Of course, tents aren't either, but a lot more people store food in popups.

The first couple of years we went to SD to shoot prarie dogs we took a pop up, it was nice to have but kind of a PIA to haul into rough country. The last couple of years I have been sleeping in the bed of my truck using a topper and an army cot. Plenty of room for a couple of dog crates and a cooler along with my cot and bedding. A generator and a fan and its a pretty sweet way to live on the prarie for 4-5days.

Jim

I own a Rockwood, use it every year opening week then on weekend trips a few times during the season. Works fantastic for this type of hunting, easy to pull, easy to set up/break down. If it gets really miserable outside we let the dogs in and they camp on an old blanket. They're Gordons so we don't have to worry about their maners........unless our backs are turned. :roll:

Back of the pickup works pretty well. I cut some five inch chunks of foam to fit the bed, and just let the dogs pile in. Coolers guns and cloths in the back seat.

You have a topper or open bed?

topper

Cool. My dad used to do that, but he had a really leaky topper and it only works for 1 or 2 guys max. A camper would be sweet because you could get 4 friends out hunting comfortably.

Yeah, when we go elk hunting we bring a camper.

DogNewbie wrote:You have a topper or open bed?

I have done it both ways..... I prefer to use a topper because it just provides a little more security. However I have used an open bed with a tarp pulled tight and staked down over the top in a pinch.

The fact is if you have a pickup, toppers are easy to come by for little to no money, and with some effort you can set them up to camp fairly comfortably for 2 people. and believe it or not, a coleman lantern will heat one up to comfortable levels pretty quickly.

Jim

Only thing wrong with the pop up's is cost. I wouldn't worry about getting it in somewhere. Don't take it in, camp out and drive in as needed. I use a cheap tent. Got a twin size air mattress and me and the dog's fit real well with lots of room.

The worst night of my live was in a pop camper on a nov. pheasant hunt in SD. Rain and wind soaked everthing. The trip from heck CJ

Something that would be really easy to get in would be a truck camper. The ones that slide onto your bed. Then as long as you take it easy going in you can go just about anywhere and be comfortable.

Brittlver wrote:Something that would be really easy to get in would be a truck camper. The ones that slide onto your bed. Then as long as you take it easy going in you can go just about anywhere and be comfortable.

Yeah I've looked at that too, but I'd rather have the dogs in the back of the bed and pull a camper than have a camper in the back of the bed and pull the dogs. We were hunting Sharptails this weekend pulling a dog trailer on dirt roads and the dogs just get dusted out. Can't be too comfortable for them. The dry heat didn't help any either.

I've though about this some more and with advancing age, tent's aren't as cool as they once were. Pop up tents give more room with a lot less set up and a place inside you can actually move around in. Draw back is, to me, they are expensive. I had a wife years ago, I forget the number, who's idea of camping was a motor home in a campground with a shower. I'm not there yet but a 20 ft. or smaller hard shell RV trailer look's awful good these days. And again, no reason to drag it in, stay out and drive in.

I have been looking at a few pop ups for me and the boys to go on trips with, but I heard that they are no good in the snow and Ice. I was told they won't hold up in those conditions. Anyone use them in the snow and Ice? I don't mean driving with them I mean when they are popped up.

Joe

DonF wrote:I've though about this some more and with advancing age, tent's aren't as cool as they once were. Pop up tents give more room with a lot less set up and a place inside you can actually move around in. Draw back is, to me, they are expensive. I had a wife years ago, I forget the number, who's idea of camping was a motor home in a campground with a shower. I'm not there yet but a 20 ft. or smaller hard shell RV trailer look's awful good these days. And again, no reason to drag it in, stay out and drive in.

Yeah. I was out in ND last weekend and we met up with Bob Britten of Vom Britt Bird Dawgs in WI (GWPs.) He has a pretty nice set up with a RV trailer. It's one with storage build in for atvs or dirt bikes and he just turned that into a kennel room. Then he's got A/C and heating, which we were missing in the tent sleeping at night in the 40s and napping in the afternoon in the 90's! Plus he's got a refrigerator, which we were also missing once our cooler ran out of ice....haha. If I had the money to buy a truck and a rv trailer and the gas to get both of them 7 hours down the road, I'd probably go that route as well!

jcbuttry8 wrote:I have been looking at a few pop ups for me and the boys to go on trips with, but I heard that they are no good in the snow and Ice. I was told they won't hold up in those conditions. Anyone use them in the snow and Ice? I don't mean driving with them I mean when they are popped up.

Joe

We had a PUP for several years and while it was great in decent weather, it was miserable in the cold and wet. Heat didn't stay in, but there was lots of condensation inside. If it rained, anything touching the canvas wicked water right in. On our bed ends, the canvas folded under the outside then hooked, so the PUP wasn't secure for dogs loose in there (they'd fall through the edge of the platform and the canvas). Another drawback is that when you return from a cold or wet trip, the canvas needs to be thoroughly dried and maintained. That means setting the whole rig up in the driveway or wherever soon as you get home, or having to remember to do it the next day if you come home in the rain.

I have a Starcraft RT14 and and really like it. It has a heavy duty frame with 15" tires and I pull it with an Explorer with a 6 banger. It has a deck on the front (toung area) that can haul my quad. GVW is 4,000 and my Explorer is good up to GVW of 5,800lbs. It is a 3 Season RV and I have camped down to 28 degrees. My water lines froze in the morning but the furnace was adaquate for comfort at nignt with a good sleeping bag. I like it because it has a casset toilet and a shower. It carries 38 gal of fresh water and has an outside sprayer to clean birds and spray off muddy boots and dogs. Starcaraft discontinued them but Jayco has the Baja series with is just about the same thing. You can pick up used RT's starting around $6,000.

cjhills wrote:The worst night of my live was in a pop camper on a nov. pheasant hunt in SD. Rain and wind soaked everthing. The trip from heck CJ

buy campers with solid sides and roof. they are very nice. lots for sale used.
florida has tons of them for sale.
cloth type ones i hate, will never own one again.
get solid sides ones.

The hardside ones are pretty decent. I have used them on a couple of November deer hunts here in ND and been comfortable. The key to heating them is keeping the vent open for condensation to escape. I also only heat when necessary. The furnace is set on low at night and we let the sleeping bags do thier job. in the mornig someone cranks the heat about 5 minutes before crawling out of the bag. They only take a few minutes to heat up. If it is real wet we throw tarps over the canvas ends and it helps with the contact/moisture issue, which tents can have just as bad. Unfortunatly mine go trashed last year when a deer jumped in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and the trailer came around and flipped me.

dakotashooter2 wrote:The hardside ones are pretty decent. I have used them on a couple of November deer hunts here in ND and been comfortable. The key to heating them is keeping the vent open for condensation to escape. I also only heat when necessary. The furnace is set on low at night and we let the sleeping bags do thier job. in the mornig someone cranks the heat about 5 minutes before crawling out of the bag. They only take a few minutes to heat up. If it is real wet we throw tarps over the canvas ends and it helps with the contact/moisture issue, which tents can have just as bad. Unfortunatly mine go trashed last year when a deer jumped in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and the trailer came around and flipped me.

i did same thing on my bassboat. deer crossed ,hit brakes and my bassboat was in front of me :roll: