After 10 years of RV’ing, I have noticed that two of the biggest mistakes campers often make is overloading their tow vehicle and not understanding how 12-volt deep cycle battery power management works. Most manufacturers and dealers either add to the confusion through their own ignorance or even outright lie just to make a sale. So here it is, a very simple way to make your battery last…
Can your truck, SUV, or other vehicle tow a popup camper? The answer depends on how heavy the camper is, how much of that weight is distributed to vehicle hitch, how many passengers you carry in the vehicle, and several other items we cover in this post about towing capacity.
Here’s a quick tip for a convenient place to store your RV’s freshwater hose. Just take a couple of ball bungees and attach the rolled-up tubing to your spare tire. I recommend connecting the hose inlet/outlet together to keep dust and debris out of the inside. And always remember to use a drinking water-approved hose since standard garden hoses often contain toxic chemicals that you don’t want in your freshwater tank.
One of the best upgrades you can make to a popup camper is to install Reflectix. For less than $100 and fifteen minutes of your time, you’ll stay warmer on cold nights and cooler on hot summer days.
When I purchased my first RV, a Flagstaff 228 popup camper, the fine folks at Roberts Sales really helped educate me on how to choose the best floorplan for my needs. I have tried to capture a bit of what I learned below for the benefit of others. (RETROACTIVE EDIT: after owning our popup for about 5 years, I revisited this post and appreciated the information even more after enjoying over 100 nights of camping in our popup!)
Discharged water from your popup camper’s sink or shower should never be allowed to simply drain out the side and onto the ground. Food particles will attract animals and soap chemicals will damage the landscape. This is particularly important in desert environments where even clean water discharge can cause erosion.
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