# I got a great deal on a pop up camper.



## 3ringer (Aug 13, 2015)

I came across a great deal yesterday. Someone was selling a 2001 Skamper pop up with a-c, heat and refrigerator for 800 bucks. The only problem is a rotten board on one side. They said they paid 2000 bucks for it and the seller didn't disclose the rotton board and they don't know how to fix it. I have fixed this problem before. Everything else inside looks like new. We can't wait to take it to the mountains this fall.


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## T-N-T (Aug 13, 2015)

Nice! 

Pop ups are great.   I have a TT now, but still like a pup.


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## 660griz (Aug 13, 2015)

I hate popups but, for $800,  I would have bought it.


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## 3ringer (Aug 13, 2015)

I have owned several pop ups over the years. When I was a teen, I would buy a popup for hunting season. I would sell it in the spring and then buy a boat. I have owned a travel trailer. They are ok but can't get back where I like to camp. I don't like the rv parks where you are parked awning to awning. I like the more secluded sites on federal land. 
On the down side I found out that they no longer make the Skamper pop up , so parts may be hard to get. Same thing with the Carrier AC , they no longer make rv ac's .


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## T-N-T (Aug 13, 2015)

I took a 25 TT to the Upper Chat River campground this year.  

And took a shower there.  

But my Popup was a lot easier to get in than the TT.

Ebay will have your parts I bet.


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## riprap (Aug 13, 2015)

TopherAndTick said:


> I took a 25 TT to the Upper Chat River campground this year.
> 
> And took a shower there.
> 
> ...



You won't believe the rigs at Cooper Creek.


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## hold em hook (Aug 14, 2015)

Sounds like a great deal!  I would love to know how to repair the rotten board.  I got a good deal on a pop up earlier this year also and the board on the rear of the roof is starting to rot from leaks around the rear lights.  I thought about just using it this season and selling it.  Any reason I must fix it if it isn't leaking througg to interior or could I get away with using for 1 hunting season?


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## 3ringer (Aug 14, 2015)

hold em hook said:


> Sounds like a great deal!  I would love to know how to repair the rotten board.  I got a good deal on a pop up earlier this year also and the board on the rear of the roof is starting to rot from leaks around the rear lights.  I thought about just using it this season and selling it.  Any reason I must fix it if it isn't leaking througg to interior or could I get away with using for 1 hunting season?



You might make it through one season. You don't want it to get worse and rot your floor too. There are several videos on YouTube on how to repair a pop up camper roof. You have to be careful removing the old wood. You don't want to dent or mess up the outside skin. Popups leak around the ac gasket or rain gets in through the seems and moldings. You have to keep them caulked.


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## Bob2010 (Aug 19, 2015)

I just sold my old pop up. Hail storm hit it 4 years ago. Fiberglass spider cracked and water got in. Wright of Ac unit sagged the roof in. My buddy has a metal fabrication shop. He made a bar with wide flanges on each side. We drilled and bolted it through the side panels of the ceiling.  Then shimed  between the bar and ceiling to support the roof again. I calked all the seams and did a roll on fiberglass coating.  Every year I would do another fiberglass roll on sealer. 1 gallon lasted 4 years. That repair was still good when I sold it a few weeks ago. The soft spot the size of a football was no big deal as long as it's dry. Another thing bought me time was a black canopy cover from home depot on line. 20'×10' and $115! On year 5 with that canopy. Great buy! I put the metal legs in pvc pipe to raise it up higher. Use Ratchet straps to anchor it. I left the pop up open under the canopy for 3 months at deer camp. Canvas got nasty but it was fine other than that. You can get years out of a pop up if you keep the roof sealed.


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## 3ringer (Aug 24, 2015)

Bob2010 said:


> I just sold my old pop up. Hail storm hit it 4 years ago. Fiberglass spider cracked and water got in. Wright of Ac unit sagged the roof in. My buddy has a metal fabrication shop. He made a bar with wide flanges on each side. We drilled and bolted it through the side panels of the ceiling.  Then shimed  between the bar and ceiling to support the roof again. I calked all the seams and did a roll on fiberglass coating.  Every year I would do another fiberglass roll on sealer. 1 gallon lasted 4 years. That repair was still good when I sold it a few weeks ago. The soft spot the size of a football was no big deal as long as it's dry. Another thing bought me time was a black canopy cover from home depot on line. 20'×10' and $115! On year 5 with that canopy. Great buy! I put the metal legs in pvc pipe to raise it up higher. Use Ratchet straps to anchor it. I left the pop up open under the canopy for 3 months at deer camp. Canvas got nasty but it was fine other than that. You can get years out of a pop up if you keep the roof sealed.



Sounds like you did it right. I added a roof top A-C to a popup a few years ago. I bought two braces from a tractor trailer supply store. I used the trailer braces to support the roof with the A/C.  The roofs are only made of foam , tin and luan board. 
The camper I am repairing now has roof braces but they pulled loose from the rotton side walls. After replacing the side walls with new wood, I will run bolts all the way through the boards instead of using just wood screws.


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## Bob2010 (Aug 24, 2015)

3ringer said:


> Sounds like you did it right. I added a roof top A-C to a popup a few years ago. I bought two braces from a tractor trailer supply store. I used the trailer braces to support the roof with the A/C.  The roofs are only made of foam , tin and luan board.
> The camper I am repairing now has roof braces but they pulled loose from the rotton side walls. After replacing the side walls with new wood, I will run bolts all the way through the boards instead of using just wood screws.



It worked great! Key was the bracket had to be wide. Bolts were like 10" apart so flange was 12" wide. Used square tubing to go across.  The shims can be whatever.  Side plywood has to be solid. I'll try to find a photo later.


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## 3ringer (Sep 13, 2015)

Repairs mostly done. I just have to repack the bearings and fix a couple of things. I have a 1000 bucks in the camper and repairs. The ac, refrigerator and furnace all work well.


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## 3ringer (Sep 13, 2015)

Another photo


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## 3ringer (Sep 13, 2015)

Another


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## Bob2010 (Sep 13, 2015)

Looks great man. Mine didn't look pretty but it was solid. Yours appears to be solid and look good. Good work!


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## Gadestroyer74 (Sep 13, 2015)

Man you done a good job and got a great deal


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## T-N-T (Sep 14, 2015)

Way to go Ringer!  Now get er in the woods!


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## Dr. Strangelove (Sep 14, 2015)

That brings back memories, my grandparents had one when I was a kid.  No heat or ac, though, so it was either roast or freeze.


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## lbzdually (Sep 26, 2015)

What I would like to do is find something like the pop-up you got with everything working but structural problems and then get a 14 ft enclosed trailer and transplant everything into it.   Then you could haul ATVS and all your hunting stuff in the dry.


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