Battery power drill for the win. Have you ever tried using one for it? I set myself up with pieces to adapt to my old coleman back years ago, and then again for my current Viking I have. I can set the 4 crank down corners and lift the top very quickly with hardly any effort. For anyone who wants to try, be sure to pay attention to when you get to the stopping point, it will come quick and you don't want to over crank.
Enjoyed the comparison, very informative in side by side testing. Our Rockwood HW296 has Goshen power lift system, along with power tongue jack. As Geriatric Juviniles we are so glad that it does have those options. Our first popup, 2001 Camplite did not have the same options. We were also younger, and much more flexible, unlike today as both of our body part warranties have pretty much run out. lol We have learned that at our age life is no longer a race to get things done, but a time of reflection at a slower pace. In years past we would rush to get our camps completely set up in the shortest amount of time, then get our chairs out, and relax. Today we get backed in, then look at our surroundings for a time, enjoy even the smallest of things. Take the Furbaby for a walk, then we slowly get our chairs out, and relax. At last we set up camp, with plenty of breaks in between. Our time today is most precious, moments of discovery, sights, sounds, smells invoke past memories of camps gone by, not years, but camps. Life is most short, so our Dear Friends, slow down, live, love, and enjoy each, and every moment that we are given, remember smell the morning coffee, and camp food is always better than non-camp food. See you on the trail.
Thank you for that reminder. Mid-60 y.o. here... and counting! As a mostly solo camper - wife's not into it - it's gonna be an hour, hour and a half setup, whether I go tenting or RV. Really no big deal either way. It's more a matter of how many times I need to bend up and down or use physical force, at this point. As an educator, I have to constantly remind myself that it's not a race when grading students' papers. Just be thorough and don't play Beat the Clock. Same thing here. 😊
If you're just seeing this vid like I am... Great channel BTW Just bought a 19 Clipper to replace the old basic pup. Manual roof cranks (tongue mounted) get wonky fast, and being "long in the tooth" I replaced it with an electric from Anchor Express. Easy to install and operates well. Worth the expense IMHO. Now we'll see how long it lasts.
As someone who loves my 95 Starlite.... just had my second shoulder surgery. Just installed my power jack (it was free to me). its slower but so much easier.... I'll be searching for a conversion for the top next.ove your content and I am an avid follower!
I was surprised to see how slow the power power lift was. I use a dewalt Drill (DCD991) to lift the roof on my Viking Popup with the Goshen Lift system and it's really fast. and a lot easier on my back. But I have to make sure to put the Handle on the drill and hold on tight or the drill will snap your wrist because of the Torque.
Upon purchasing my used 2018 flagstaff, one of the first things I did was swap the power roof lift for a manual lift. Lighter, quieter, far safer, and much better on the batteries. Honestly didn’t see any difference in speed.
Our family has a 2014 Jayco 1007UD from new. It has a power roof with a switch just inside the door, but it also has a fob on the keychain. No issues in ~8 years of camping. We really like the fob, especially for lower the roof. One person can lower the roof while at the same time walking around checking for issues and tucking in the canvas walls. Very nice.
I added an Ark Xtreme Offroad jack to mine, primarily for the height since I lifted it. However, it's much easier to operate and has multiple sliding height settings to accommodate varying situations. It was worth the money and my favorite mod after the Cruisemaster suspension.
Fully agree. I did the same. The Ark Xtreme has has made my Coleman Cobalt so much easier to move around if needed. The crank system to raise is very smooth and fast for leveling. I know its overkill on a Cobalt but I can now move it around by hand easy up and down the driveway and on a campsite.
Nice video. First time pop up camper owner here and I have both electronic roof lift (Goshen lift system) and jack. Here are some considerations as well. First, in the heat and direct sun the electric system is far better! Both have a manual option as well so if someone has an electric system they should be aware of how to do it manually. One other extremely important thing to consider with an electric roof system is whether or not the switch itself has a master kill. The danger comes from accidentally raising the roof while latched. I installed the battery bypass switch for exactly that reason, to avoid accidental actuation of the switch. Though, on shore power the winch is active. When popped up I set the high limit so there is no danger of overextending if pushed accidentally and if dropped the roof supports will catch it (hopefully).
I have a brand new Forest River. Manual Tongue Jack and power roof lift. I prefer that. I am in my late 40s and my husband is in his early 50s. It’s nice for us achy middle aged folk. Lol we also have the bright lime green guide.
Love your video's. I'll be receiving a Starcraft Pop-up camper in a few weeks and it's all been gone through... New canvas, windows, counters and a few other things it needed. My friend is giving it to me and he spent over $4,500.00 getting it all redone. His son took it camping and basically destroyed it, so he wanted to keep it and had all the work done. Looks brand new so I'm sure I'll have many wonderful camping trips coming up soon in beautiful Montana. I live close to Glacier National Park and it's definitely camping time.
I agree with other Viking owners that using a heavier duty drill to raise the roof is more convenient. But that for me was about another $200 for the drill and battery. But using the same drill for the stab jacks was also a major plus.
I have a 2002 rockwood premier with the front storage box. I just installed a new power tongue jack and it seems to go quicker. Due to the weight i put in my storage box, the electric jack is more convenient than the manual.
I had a 2014 Rockwood high wall with a power roof lift that burned out in 4 seasons. Part of the problem was from corrosion caused by its exposed position.
We are in our 70's and we would like to have the power lift system. Need to do research for our 1998 Coachman Clipper to see if we can convert manual to power lift.
On my 2002 rockwood premier i removed the manual crank and installed the super winch from coleman popup arts. Definitely made a big difference. I can time it next time if anyone is interested. We guessed it to be around 30 seconds.
Our StarCraft manual lift was so quick and easy. The auto lift on our Fleetwood is of course easier and the kids even argue who gets to press the button... But if you happen to be setting up at 11 PM, it's embarrassingly loud. 🙉🙈 Have you tried doing it manually yet? Our previous owners told us they did it once and it was horrible. Not at all like a regular manual lift. 😕
I have a 2008 Fleetwood, the roof lift system motor just went this year. I never thought I was going to get a replacement. Sure enough found a mobile RV repair, he ordered the new motor and had it in within a week. Surprised with how fast it went up, but is very loud. Stoked to get out camping again!!!
Thanks for the helpful videos! Appreciate what you do! Wondering if you can tell me where to find the video on how to repair the tension warning cable (may not be the right name)…the little guide wire letting you know when to stop lifting the roof..thanks in advance! Watching in Texas!
Did it just let loose either at the bottom or the top? If so just use a slightly wider screw to reattach. You could also try a rivet where it is attached to the bottom box.
I had a power lift to lift the pup. I had a bad battery that wouldnt hold a charge once and couldn't get it open. Once a limit switch broke I ripped the system out and went to the hand crank. I haven't been disappointed since.
Hello guys I was wondering if you guys have any issues with trailer sway and I was wondering what do you use for towing setup? Please advise thank you for your pops videos
No, no issues with sway. We don’t use a sway bar. Have you given thought to how your loading the pop up? The tongue weight should be 10-15% of the total camper weight, therefore you should have a bit more weight towards the tongue rather than behind the axle.
Regardless of which roof method you use, DO NOT forget the latches, folks!!
Battery power drill for the win. Have you ever tried using one for it? I set myself up with pieces to adapt to my old coleman back years ago, and then again for my current Viking I have. I can set the 4 crank down corners and lift the top very quickly with hardly any effort. For anyone who wants to try, be sure to pay attention to when you get to the stopping point, it will come quick and you don't want to over crank.
Enjoyed the comparison, very informative in side by side testing. Our Rockwood HW296 has Goshen power lift system, along with power tongue jack. As Geriatric Juviniles we are so glad that it does have those options. Our first popup, 2001 Camplite did not have the same options. We were also younger, and much more flexible, unlike today as both of our body part warranties have pretty much run out. lol We have learned that at our age life is no longer a race to get things done, but a time of reflection at a slower pace. In years past we would rush to get our camps completely set up in the shortest amount of time, then get our chairs out, and relax. Today we get backed in, then look at our surroundings for a time, enjoy even the smallest of things. Take the Furbaby for a walk, then we slowly get our chairs out, and relax. At last we set up camp, with plenty of breaks in between. Our time today is most precious, moments of discovery, sights, sounds, smells invoke past memories of camps gone by, not years, but camps. Life is most short, so our Dear Friends, slow down, live, love, and enjoy each, and every moment that we are given, remember smell the morning coffee, and camp food is always better than non-camp food. See you on the trail.
Thank you for that reminder. Mid-60 y.o. here... and counting! As a mostly solo camper - wife's not into it - it's gonna be an hour, hour and a half setup, whether I go tenting or RV. Really no big deal either way. It's more a matter of how many times I need to bend up and down or use physical force, at this point.
As an educator, I have to constantly remind myself that it's not a race when grading students' papers. Just be thorough and don't play Beat the Clock. Same thing here. 😊
If they weren’t so godawful expensive I’d get a power winch system. But $400-500 is a lot.
If you're just seeing this vid like I am... Great channel BTW
Just bought a 19 Clipper to replace the old basic pup. Manual roof cranks (tongue mounted) get wonky fast, and being "long in the tooth" I replaced it with an electric from Anchor Express. Easy to install and operates well. Worth the expense IMHO. Now we'll see how long it lasts.
As someone who loves my 95 Starlite.... just had my second shoulder surgery. Just installed my power jack (it was free to me). its slower but so much easier.... I'll be searching for a conversion for the top next.ove your content and I am an avid follower!
I was surprised to see how slow the power power lift was. I use a dewalt Drill (DCD991) to lift the roof on my Viking Popup with the Goshen Lift system and it's really fast. and a lot easier on my back. But I have to make sure to put the Handle on the drill and hold on tight or the drill will snap your wrist because of the Torque.
Upon purchasing my used 2018 flagstaff, one of the first things I did was swap the power roof lift for a manual lift. Lighter, quieter, far safer, and much better on the batteries. Honestly didn’t see any difference in speed.
Our family has a 2014 Jayco 1007UD from new. It has a power roof with a switch just inside the door, but it also has a fob on the keychain. No issues in ~8 years of camping.
We really like the fob, especially for lower the roof. One person can lower the roof while at the same time walking around checking for issues and tucking in the canvas walls. Very nice.
I have the same Fleetwood Niagara. I'd like to pick your brain about it. 2007
I added an Ark Xtreme Offroad jack to mine, primarily for the height since I lifted it. However, it's much easier to operate and has multiple sliding height settings to accommodate varying situations. It was worth the money and my favorite mod after the Cruisemaster suspension.
Fully agree. I did the same. The Ark Xtreme has has made my Coleman Cobalt so much easier to move around if needed. The crank system to raise is very smooth and fast for leveling. I know its overkill on a Cobalt but I can now move it around by hand easy up and down the driveway and on a campsite.
Nice video. First time pop up camper owner here and I have both electronic roof lift (Goshen lift system) and jack. Here are some considerations as well. First, in the heat and direct sun the electric system is far better! Both have a manual option as well so if someone has an electric system they should be aware of how to do it manually. One other extremely important thing to consider with an electric roof system is whether or not the switch itself has a master kill. The danger comes from accidentally raising the roof while latched. I installed the battery bypass switch for exactly that reason, to avoid accidental actuation of the switch. Though, on shore power the winch is active. When popped up I set the high limit so there is no danger of overextending if pushed accidentally and if dropped the roof supports will catch it (hopefully).
Good insight!
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my big problem with my power jack sits so low to the ground its problematic.
Hard to beat the Fleetwood highwall! We have the same exact one except ours is a 2005. Such a solid, well built unit!
That’s why we picked one up!
as handy as I have seen you in other vidioes could you make a adapter for your drill for the manual lift
I've been manually raising mine for 15 years, sometimes I wish it was power
we are in our 60s. we have to have power lifts for roof and tongue.
I have a brand new Forest River. Manual Tongue Jack and power roof lift. I prefer that. I am in my late 40s and my husband is in his early 50s. It’s nice for us achy middle aged folk. Lol we also have the bright lime green guide.
Love your video's. I'll be receiving a Starcraft Pop-up camper in a few weeks and it's all been gone through... New canvas, windows, counters and a few other things it needed. My friend is giving it to me and he spent over $4,500.00 getting it all redone. His son took it camping and basically destroyed it, so he wanted to keep it and had all the work done. Looks brand new so I'm sure I'll have many wonderful camping trips coming up soon in beautiful Montana. I live close to Glacier National Park and it's definitely camping time.
broth. How you oding?.so fantastic ~ 😲
I agree with other Viking owners that using a heavier duty drill to raise the roof is more convenient. But that for me was about another $200 for the drill and battery. But using the same drill for the stab jacks was also a major plus.
I have a 2002 rockwood premier with the front storage box. I just installed a new power tongue jack and it seems to go quicker. Due to the weight i put in my storage box, the electric jack is more convenient than the manual.
I had a 2014 Rockwood high wall with a power roof lift that burned out in 4 seasons. Part of the problem was from corrosion caused by its exposed position.
We are in our 70's and we would like to have the power lift system. Need to do research for our 1998 Coachman Clipper to see if we can convert manual to power lift.
On my 2002 rockwood premier i removed the manual crank and installed the super winch from coleman popup arts. Definitely made a big difference. I can time it next time if anyone is interested. We guessed it to be around 30 seconds.
How much was the winch?
@@CampingDad247 was around $500
Please do
Who cares as long as they work
Our StarCraft manual lift was so quick and easy. The auto lift on our Fleetwood is of course easier and the kids even argue who gets to press the button... But if you happen to be setting up at 11 PM, it's embarrassingly loud. 🙉🙈 Have you tried doing it manually yet? Our previous owners told us they did it once and it was horrible. Not at all like a regular manual lift. 😕
It’s a lot slower. I think they’re is some sort of release on the power lift that you can disengage and it makes it easier crank.
I have a 2008 Fleetwood, the roof lift system motor just went this year. I never thought I was going to get a replacement. Sure enough found a mobile RV repair, he ordered the new motor and had it in within a week. Surprised with how fast it went up, but is very loud. Stoked to get out camping again!!!
Awesome! What was the replacement? Just in case - lol.
Thanks for the helpful videos! Appreciate what you do! Wondering if you can tell me where to find the video on how to repair the tension warning cable (may not be the right name)…the little guide wire letting you know when to stop lifting the roof..thanks in advance! Watching in Texas!
Did it just let loose either at the bottom or the top? If so just use a slightly wider screw to reattach. You could also try a rivet where it is attached to the bottom box.
Those fleetwoods are superior to other pop ups, in my opinion
I had a power lift to lift the pup. I had a bad battery that wouldnt hold a charge once and couldn't get it open. Once a limit switch broke I ripped the system out and went to the hand crank. I haven't been disappointed since.
Simplicity is sometimes better
I enjoy manual crank for 2 reasons. Faster, and quiet in case you get in late, I feel it's less of a bother to my surrounding neighbors.
Good points
Power roof lift on my 2022 Rockford freedom 1640. I like it but man it’s loud. No power tongue jack though.
I’ve heard that about the Goshens with the power lift. Is the fleetwood noticeably quieter?
@@ItsPoppin seems that way.
Have you ever had a power lift or manual lift system fail and if so what did you do in that situation 🤔?
No, thankfully.
Love you guys🇦🇺👍🤠
Hello guys I was wondering if you guys have any issues with trailer sway and I was wondering what do you use for towing setup? Please advise thank you for your pops videos
No, no issues with sway. We don’t use a sway bar.
Have you given thought to how your loading the pop up? The tongue weight should be 10-15% of the total camper weight, therefore you should have a bit more weight towards the tongue rather than behind the axle.
@@ItsPoppin thanks for the info and all your videos
Wow that power lift Is slow mine is so fast
What do you have?
@@ItsPoppin 08 rockwood freedom it has the power lift on the front it's like 30 seconds and it's up. So convenient
2318g rockwood
@@michael16219 thats about how quick mine is. Mine is a aftermarket from coleman and it goes up quick.
Only issue I see in timing is battery charge and condition. If you're still connected to TV voltage and amperage would be higher, therefore faster
We had both batteries hooked up and charging